Blindness: Not the End of the Road

Over the past few weeks there have been several desperate visitors to our WebMD Vision and Eye Disorders Community who have been plagued by chronic eye problems. They report that their doctors have given up. These 'healers' have pronounced, "There's nothing else that can be done for you." That's code for "Please go away." I'm talking about people in pain, people losing their eyesight.

• There is always something that can be done:
• If not cure you can slow or halt progress of disease.
• If you can't halt progress you can palliate.
• If you can palliate you can, at least, provide comfort.
• If you can't do ANYTHING you can always care.

Where is this going? I recently had a patient come to my clinic with advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa. Nearly blind in both eyes, you'd never know it from this woman's joyful spirit. After completing my exam I instructed the patient to return in 3 months. The surprised patient remarked, "Why so soon? I usually visit once every year or so?"

I told her that she needs to be at the front of the line - not at the end. With so little precious vision left I need to watch her like a hawk. RP patients can get glaucoma, they certainly get cataracts and many other acquired disorders. Maybe I cannot reverse her RP (nobody can) but more frequent visits will alert the eye doctor to other problems that may jeopardize what little eyesight remains. Besides, periodic visits will preserve a healthy connection between the patient and provider...the absolute core of medical practice.

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