While organic food is not specifically relevant to people with artificial eyes, our diet is an important part of our health and wellbeing. If you eat food that is fresh and alive that is how it makes you feel. How often have you been attracted to fast food only to feel blech afterwards?

Julia has been working on a new site that talks about all aspects of organic food.

If you are interested in learning more about food and eating well visit the new online magazine Trust Organic Food.

Bon Apetite!

We’ve got a new little three door hatch for the office. Most people assume that smaller cars are easier to drive and park. I know I did.

Well was I in for a surprise. For a tiny little thing it is an absolute beast to park.

This got me thinking about how much harder it would be for folks with monocular vision. This particular car has a very small back window so you can’t see much. I find that changing lanes, parallel parking and reversing are made hazardous by blind spots.

So here is my advice for those of you thinking of down sizing for fuel economy. Make sure that during your test drive you attempt to park or try to reverse the vehicle. You might be shocked at the difference between different models.

Several of our clients have had larger mirrors attached to their cars. A couple have had an auto electrician install reversing sensors.

I wonder what you have found helpful? Drop us a line - it is always good to hear how other people have adjusted to driving with restricted vision.

If you have an artificial eye you should be nervous about tissues.

No, it’s not that they sometimes shed fibre - which they do.  Kleenex are terrible.  Scotties used to be the best.  Now I rely on generic brands because they are not so fluffy.  You don’t want to leave fluff when you are wiping an artificial eye.

I digress.  The true reason tissues are scary is that they can so easily become the final resting place for artificial eyes.  Let me tell you how it happens. 

You take your eye out and wrap it in a tissue.  You leave it somewhere - on a shelf in the bathroom, in the car or by the bed.  Not long after along comes the resident house elf to clean up.  Wave good-bye now. Your eye being tossed in the rubbish.  That is what people do with used tissues, right?

This is a very sad but true tale.  We’ve blogged about it before.  Someone was reading our book of old blog posts and chuckling only this week.  They were reading our post When Artificial Eyes Go Missing.

Only hours later the phone rang.  Same story.  That old serial killer of artificial eyes had struck again.

It’s Spring here - maybe it is Autumn where you are.  Sneezes, dust, wind, pollen - all these raise the chances you’ll be reaching for the old Kleenex. 

Remember my story.  Keep your eye close and never, ever wrap it in a tissue. 

I’ve just arrived back from a week long clinic in East Timor.  I was quite shell shocked when I arrived there. The logistical difficulties of setting up the clinic were immense.

It really pays, if you are considering doing a clinic in a third world country, to be incredibly organised.  

Although I arrived with no expectations I certainly under estimated how tough it was going to be.  The communication was my biggest challenge. There are four languages spoken and english is the least common.  

To establish a clinic like mine, you really needs to take absolutely everything that you are going to need. The very few assumptions I made created significant problems for me.  

For example, butane gas lighter refills just weren’t available anywhere.  

Running water was not available in the clinic space.  I had an open window for a sink and bottled water for washing hands.

Time is not regarded in the same way in Timor.  No matter what time I made appointments for people they all showed up at the crack of dawn.  I would arrive to find a crowd waiting for me - forget the quiet morning coffee!  Not that there was a kettle!

By the weeks end I’d managed to make eleven eyes and some good friends.  I had to work very differently in this clinic.  

As time and resources were scarce I started with stock eyes. They were reshaped to get the fit and focus right.  I then made moulds of the eyes and touched up the colour.  This enabled me to finish these eyes in the three days that I had to work with.

I am looking forward to going back to the East Timor Clinic some time next year.  With this first visit out of the way I now have a better understanding of the challenges.  Next time I’ll be better organised, with a hospital clinic space, a translator and more experience of how things work.

I kept a diary of my experiences in Timor and I’m looking forward to writing a longer article for the website.

I will never take running water for granted again!

We had an email this week from someone with a damaged blind eye. She had several concerns about having the eye removed and being fitted with an artificial eye.

The first question was about how noticable the artificial eye would be. She was also wondering what sort of movement could be expected from an artificial eye. Her last concern was about whether the operation is painful. We thought her questions might be relevent to others so here is how we answered her email.

There are two options. The first is to have a haptic lens made which is a shell that fits over the existing eye. With the lens, the iris would be aligned with the good eye and the movement is usually very good. This option isn’t suitable for everyone. If the eye is extra sensitive or the volume of the eye is too great then it is more advisable to go for option two. We would really need to see you to assess if you would be suitable for a haptic lens.

The other option is enucleation or evisceration - this is where the blind globe is surgically removed and replaced with a surgical implant. The muscles are attached to the implant which in turn gives movement to the eye prosthesis. The prosthesis sits over the implant and is held in place by the eyelids. The movement is usually pretty good but generally not as efficient as a haptic lens.

An evisceration is similar to an enucleation. With an enucleation the globe is removed. In the case of an evisceration the contents of the globe are removed. There is much debate over which is the better one - we can’t answer that.

Recovery from surgery depends on several factors. We have heard many different explanations of the pain. Some people say it was easily managed while other people tell us they required stronger medications to manage. The pain can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. The swelling is usually pretty settled within four weeks.

We have produced a information leaflet on Going Home After Surgery Basically we recommend you give yourself a chance to heal. No heavy lifting and plenty of rest. You won’t be back to work for at least two weeks and most people take longer than that. We can make up a temporary eye prosthesis which is placed in the socket straight after surgery.

We would be happy for you to drop in for an assessment and chat. I hope this helps you to understand your options a bit better.

I had the great pleasure of enjoying a breakfast with a wonderful group of people last Sunday. We came together to put together the foundations for a mind map to illustrate the journey people may go through when they are faced with losing an eye.

A mind map is a picture that starts with a central theme or idea. In our case it is about eye loss. The map expands out to illustrate different aspects of the theme.

On one branch we will be looking at the physical aspects of eye loss. This includes the operation, making the eye prosthesis and maintenance of the eye prosthesis. On another branch we will look at support mechanisms such as peer support groups, friends and family, and professional counselling if required.

We will also be addressing the big questions; will I be able to drive? How will this affect my employment opportunities and will I ever get married?

Jane Genovese is doing the research and putting the mind map together. Jane is currently studying her sixth year in a double degree in Psychology and Law at University. She is also the owner, coordinator and presenter of Learning Fundamentals that gives students the edge over their studies.

Jane’s mother Sharon will do the artwork and the illustration. Sharon is a graphic artist with an education background. They are interested in simplifying a complicated idea and representing it visually using colour and design. They have done several mind maps which are receiving international interest. To see examples of their mind maps see Combating Global Warming.

When people visit us for the first time I spend a good part of the visit explaining what is going on. I explain the operation they have had, the process we use to make up the prosthesis, maintenance of the eye prosthesis, support groups, the stories of eye loss and numerous other things.

There is a lot of information shared in a short time and I have noticed that some people are a bit overwhelmed by it all. I hope the mind map will work as a tool to help put it all into perspective.

Michael Tunnecliffe is a clinical psychologist who specialises in trauma recovery. He has a particular interest in peer support and works with the peer support group “Amputees in action”.

Michael will be facilitating the Arteyes Peer Support training Day in October. Michael’s contribution to the mind map is significant and most welcome. Michael is the Author of “A life in Crisis”, 27 Lessons from Acute Trauma Counselling Work. You can see the book and others written by Michael here.

The rest of our small breakfast group were Julia, Jenny and myself. Julia is the driving force behind this project as she is with most of the projects we undertake. Apart from organising the breakfast she also took on the role of facilitator. It was agreed by all that she has quite a talent for the position. Julia and her husband Glenn set up and manage our web site. This is their OM4 website.

Jenny is a well grounded person and approached the group with good practical ideas. At work Jenny will get the work done and will keep her mind on the job. I on the other hand will allow my mind to wonder from time to time. Jenny kindly tells people that I am the ideas man in the office.

When we have something to go ahead with we want to organize another breakfast for a sample group. We are looking for someone who has lost an eye through disease, someone who lost an eye through an accident, a parent with a child who has lost an eye and someone who has lost an eye as a result of an assault.

If you feel you have something you would like to contribute and you would like to be part of the next breakfast please let us know.

Will I still be attractive?  Will any one want to marry me?    Thes are some of the major worries that people have when they lose an eye.

It is understandable that people feel that way.  Any sudden change in a physical appearance can have a dramatic effect on morale.

Any one who has had a pimple, a haircut, a black eye knows how self conscious such a change can make you feel.

For you it is the most obvious thing you see when you look in the mirror.  It can be a big surprise then when no one else notices.

A well fitted artificial eye does not not look like an artificial eye.  Mostly people would never know you are wearing an artificial eye unless you told them.

We have just published a new story called “I’ve Been Proposed To Five Times”  

In this story Frances tells us she was worried no one would want to marry her because of her artificial eye.

If you are worried about the effect of eye loss will have on your love life - you are not alone. Many people tell us they have this concern.  

Like Frances, these people have found that they needn’t have worried.

Enucleation is an operation where the globe of the eye is removed and a surgical implant is fitted to replace it. Evisceration involves replacing the contents of the globe with a surgical implant.

Both operations the conjunctiva is sutured across the front of the implant.

It is natural that people want to get back to their daily routine this eye surgery. What many don’t realise is that they can be putting themselves at risk of medical complication.

Any straining such as lifting puts pressure on the tissue inside the eye socket. This has to be avoided if the socket is to heal up well.

Specifically, it isn’t wise to -

• pick up children
• carry heavy groceries
• move furniture
• do weight training
• do head stands
• lean over when washing your hair
• push start a car

I would suggest strategies like getting down on to the same level as children to attend to their needs. Bend your knees to pick things up off the floor - keep your head above shoulder level.

Walking is a great exercise and can be done as soon as you are well enough.

So take it easy people. Give yourself a chance to heal.

We’ve just picked up the brochures for the Arteyes WA Ten Pin Bowling afternoon. It is on the 19th July at Rosemount Bowl in North Perth.

I love this annual event as it makes the point that having an artificial eye doesn’t stop you playing sport and having fun with your family.

Last year we had ninety people of all ages bowling, sharing a huge picnic afternoon tea and getting to know other families who have experienced eye loss.

I was particularly pleased that several of our clients who are teenage boys got to bowl together. Having said that, I am pretty sure no one actually talked about having an artificial eye.

The benefit for everyone is to look around and realise that many people have shared this difficult experience.

The other benefit is realising that there is no way you can actually tell who has an artificial eye and who hasn’t.

I think this is a real boost to people’s confidence - particularly in teenage years when appearance is important.

If you don’t receive your invitation by Wedneday 9th July, then please give us a call or send an email.

If you watched ‘Can We Help‘ on ABC, you might be wondering who Jenny Geeland is. Well, its little old me, Jenny Geelen.

The filming was great fun. But hard to keep a straight face with Peter Rowsthorn pulling faces all the time.

Most enjoyable.