How Artificial Eyes Affect You
Losing an eye is an uncommon experience. And if you don’t know about artificial eyes, it is hard to understand how it might affect you.
If you - or someone close to you - has recently experienced eye loss, you may feel isolated and afraid of what might be in store.
We get to talk to a lot of people who experience eye loss and enter the world of artificial eyes. (We means Paul Geelen and Jenny Geelen - we are Ocularists who work with clients in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, South East Asia and the Middle East.)
Alongside grief, you are probably dealing with fear of the unknown. We have found that medical information about eye loss isn’t enough. “How will it affect my life?” is a question you may want answered.
For you to understand how artificial eyes affect your daily life, it helps to read how other people have dealt with it. The emotions they felt, the practicalities of daily life and the humour.
Eye loss has many causes, including retinoblastoma (eye cancer) and eye trauma. It affects people differently. And it affects not just the person who has lost an eye. Family and close friends may also find it a difficult time.
Emotional response
Eye loss triggers an emotional response. Different people react in different ways. Parents of children who lose an eye often face major emotional upheaval. And family and close friends are often affected as well.
The right information can assist you in understanding what will happen, and how to deal with the practical side of eye loss. Hearing the stories of others who have lost an eye is something that will help emotionally. We have designed this website to address both the informational and the emotional aspects of eye loss.
Stories of Artificial Eyes and Eye Loss
eBook (Free for Individuals)
You can read stories about dealing with eye loss on this website. You can go to our Stories of Eye Loss page to see all our stories and download them as an eBook. Clinics and hospitals can purchase copies of the eBook, however it is free for individuals or their families.
You can also read selected stories:
Physical Response and Facts
Understanding how an artificial eye is made and fitted and what life is like with an artificial eye is an important part of dealing with eye loss.
Keep in mind that in many cases (but not all) it is possible to have an artificial eye that looks just like a natural eye.
Ocularists. We have prepared some factual information for you about what an Ocularist does, and what to expect if you need a consultation with one.
How an Artificial Eye is Made. This article describes the process of making an artificial eye, which is usually accomplished over about 5 appointments.
Going Home After Surgery. Discusses issues to consider during the six weeks before an eye prosthesis can be made.
Eye Maintenance. Information about the day to day maintenance of your artificial eye.
Polishing an Artificial Eye. Information about polishing artificial eyes, often on an annual basis.
Web Links. Links to information about artificial eyes and Ocularists.
Terminology
Sometimes you will hear an artificial eye referred to as an eye prosthesis or a prosthetic eye - they are all the same thing.
Sometimes people refer to a glass eye. An Ocularist will not often use glass these days, as we have much better materials available. In some highly specialised cases a glass eye may still be required. But because a real glass eye is so rare, calling an artificial eye a glass eye is usually not accurate.
Information on this website
Please use our website to help with:
- Consultations - if there is an urgent need to discuss an issue or arrange a consultation, please contact us by telephone. Personal consultations are available, by arrangement, in Australia (Perth and Darwin), Malaysia, Dili, Bahrain or Dubai. Australian and International consultations are scheduled to provide ongoing care.
- Eye information - we publish information and facts about how we make artificial eyes, going home after surgery, maintaining an artificial eye, and links to other sources of information.
- Stories of eye loss - read the stories of other people who have experienced eye loss. We also have some stories printed in the media.
- Blog - We post regularly in our Blog about our perspectives on eye loss and artificial eyes, and how we approach our work. We invite you to comment or raise any questions.
- History - help contribute to the history of artificial eyes in Australia
If you have any questions at all, please contact us by email using the form below.
