Loss of 10-15% vision after being on heart lunch machine -, ischemia

Posted by Marrhea on 8/15/2012 at 11:23 AM

Last August, I had a mitral valve repair. All went well, but my heart did not accept medication, so I was put on a special heart-lung machine called ECMO. I was on it for several days and developed ischemia. I lost 15-15% of my vision. That means that everything is darker for me (as if I'm wearing sun glasses all the time). Also colors are not clear and in general, things are not sharp.

Needless to say, it's been a rough road, but I'm doing the best I can. One of my big problems is cooking!! Very difficultg for me to get meals together. I can only make easy meals, and sometimes it's not easy.

So, I guess I'm looking for others with the same situatiohn or similar. Want to know how they cope, hints, easy recipes, etc.

I'm a strong person, and I intend to stay that way, so your help will help me and maybe I can help you!!

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Re: Loss of 10-15% vision after being on heart lunch machine -, ischemia

I encourage you to visit a low vision specialist who can help you to maximize your ability to use your remaining vision to its full potential. They can make lighting recommendations and you can experiment with different types of light bulbs to see if any help you to function better. Additional lighting can be as involved as adding spot lights, undercabinet lights and interior lights in cabinets and pantries to as simple as a desk lamp with a goose neck that can be positioned over a cutting board or pot on the stove. You can wear a head mounted light for searching in cabinets and stick up LED light strips under the cabinets to get extra light when you need it. Also other tools like labeling devices to make identifying items in your pantry or spice shelves easier. Large print cookbooks or hand held lighted optical aids from the low vision specialist can make recipes easier to read. As for cooking ideas, there are a couple of cooking shows just for people with vision loss. They can be found on your local reading radio service or on the internet. One is called Cooking in the Dark and the other is Cooking Without Looking. They are both filled with lots of tips. If you haven't already, I would also recommend applying for services with your local state agency and working with a vision rehabilitation therapist or vocational rehabilitation teacher (two different names for the same job). They will come to your home and help you with specific issues you are experiencing.