A Life Living With Sight Loss With Christine McMillan

In a series of interviews here on RNIB Connect Radio we are talking with a range of blind and partially sighted people to find out what life is really like living with sight loss, how they have coped throughout their life with the level of sight they have and the advice they would give to other people who might be starting to lose their sight or finding it difficult to cope with the level of sight they might have or have had during their life. 

Connect Radio’s Toby Davey spoke with Christine (Chris) MacMillan a lady in her early 70s who was born with Nystagmus and also post cataract surgery now has some residual problems with her vision too. 

Chris began by telling Toby how she was diagnosed with Nystagmus going to a school for visually impaired children, how she feels that her sight loss has just been something that has always been with her, something that she has learnt to cope with and accept.

Chris’ husband Mike is also visually impaired although both of their eye conditions are very different and in many ways their eye conditions have complimented each other. There are certain things that Mike’s eye sight is good for but as Chris says they get on with life and have coped pretty well as two visually impaired people living together so far.

Chris ended by telling Toby the support and advice she would give to other people who are loosing their sight or finding it hard to cope with the condition that they have had throughout their life. Noting how supportive the RNIB, local Sight Loss support organisations and national networks are for everyone, such as the Nystagmus Network and not forgetting the fantastic support of the Eye Clinic Liaison Officers too. 

If you are looking for support or advice around anything related to sight loss do either call the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999 or visit the RNIB website - https://www.rnib.org.uk

(Image shows RNIB logo. 'RNIB' written in black capital letters over a white background and underlined with a bold pink line, with the words 'See differently' underneath)