Visual Problems

Over the last few years I confess to struggling with seeing things that were either not there or I simply did not recognise them properly

This can lead to many different problems, some of which can be distressing, if you do not understand what is going on.

I often have problems writing documents down now, because I often repeat complete sentences etc, and never see this until it is checked and pointed out by either my wife or someone else.

On a few occasions it's been too late to spot mistakes and if I have been giving a talk, I obviously repeat these things.

I suppose that while I was working, I never had this problem, but now it's one thing which can be upsetting.

I also have visual problems these days, because when I am out I sometimes see people walking towards me, but I do not always see their faces, and that feels very odd. It also causes problems if it's a friend walking towards you, and then it's embarrassing not being able to recognise them from a short distance.

Or walking towards a doorway can cause problems because I either hit the doorframe or the door handles causing bruises to the arms.

Things like walking through a doorframe is something we all take for granted, until one day when you hit the side and find people looking at you as if you are drunk or stupid

I often sit at the table and forget which hand is used to hold what when eating and this makes me feel and look clumsy. I guess this is because I now struggle to understand which is left and which is right, so I end up putting one hand out hoping it is correct

These days coping with fast moving people and trollies in supermarkets can be horrendous on some days. On some days I find it hard when children come up from behind of in front of my on these shoes with wheels on there heels etc. I suppose it's because they move so fast and my brain cannot keep up with things anymore.

However eyesight or visual perception has caused many other concerns over the years because, I cannot read something like an email, and get the true meaning each time. Some times my brain tells me one thing, while in all honesty the email is saying something else. This means that unless my wife checks it, I can sometimes send back the wrong reply.

So these days all documents are read by my wife, and then she explains them to me. I can see the time coming when things like the blog, Twitter and Facebook etc, will be closed down, because they will be too difficult to use.

I admit that this will be very hard, but I would rather give up than end up looking silly

I remember using lots of big words while I was working, now I simply don't understand what they mean, and end up asking my wife. It's hard to imagine that one word can cause so many problems, because the brain tells me that it's one thing, then when I look at it again, I see something else.

Even listening to the radio or television, I have to ask what something means.