Six years on, Steven shares what he has learned from living with just one
eye and encourages others in the same position to get in touch
to
share their thoughts and stories.
In the video and podcast below, recorded on 23 May
2023, Steven explains how his life has changed since the accident,
what others should be aware of if they have lost an eye, and some
of the things that he says help.
He also shares some of the experiences that he has
had since the accident and explains how he learned from them.
Steven explains why he does not use his fake eye, and how he wishes a company like
Nike or Adidas would make strong, comfortable, lightweight and
breathable half moon eye patches in a range of colours and styles.
And, whilst it may seem obvious, he also stresses
why making sure that you protect the one good eye that you have
left is so very important and why you should never, ever put it at
risk – as he did once.
In addition to inviting those who have also lot an
eye to get in touch to share their experiences and what they have
learned, Steven invites companies who have products or are working on
products that are designed to help those with just one eye to get in touch
to do a video interview about them.
ADDENDUM 4 June 2023: I would like to clarify a few things
about the comments I made in the video and
may even do a short video as a part II about this.
Before the
accident I was a normal guy, I played all the normal sports at
school – football, cricket, rugby, swimming, athletics etc. – and
of course had plenty of injuries and accidents. I cut my knee wide open
in a ditch and have also broken my arm in England, needed stitches
in Hong Kong and again after an accident in Phuket. None of those
things changed my outlook on life, I did not try to be more
careful, I just lived life as per normal which is what I think
most people do.
However, losing an eye changes that, and you do
absolutely have to change your lifestyle and understand the
differences that having only one eye mean to your every day life.
Think for example of what would happen if you are driving and
suddenly a fly or piece of dust enters your one good eye. For most
people they would cope as their good eye would mean that they
could see, but if you have only one then you would suddenly be
driving blind. Literally. Think about that for a moment.
Something else to consider when driving, or just
when you are out and about, is that when the sun is very bright
and low in the sky it can be difficult to see when you are facing
the sun. That is the same for those with two eyes, but I do think
that it is slightly worse after the accident than before. Of
course, using memory like that is not all that reliable as the
mind tends to play tricks, but I would advise you to have
sunglasses or at least polaroid lens glasses available if this
affects you, especially when driving although these days most
windshields are tinted anyway. Remember though, if you are walking
or running and wear dark glasses people have no way of knowing
that you only have one eye and may not give you a little extra
space out of polite consideration.
Depth of field is one of the biggest changes and in the video I
talk about steps and how I now always slow down to better judge
the depth of each step. It doesn’t have to be many steps, just one
can cause problems. But whilst I do think steps can be dangerous,
if taken without due care and attention,
this issue about depth of field happens all the time. Putting a
plate down on the kitchen top or trying to put a key in a lock, for example. Simple things that most people would not think
twice about, but I do because all too often I misjudge the depth
and as I do not want to break a plate (especially the expensive
ones with sentimental value) I tend to be a lot more careful,
using my fingers to guide me as I outline in the video.
One of my
relatives said she thought this depth of field issue is
psychological, which it is not, but then that same relative – who
is an adult – also
thinks ducks can’t fly, so… 🤔🤣
Another thing I would like to
mention is about the eye patches. Yes, I would love Nike or Adidas
to make some that are lightweight, breathable, strong and
available in a range of colours and sizes. Why? The ones I have
tried are OK, but not really sustainable. The half moon version is
made of cardboard so they get crushed in bags, are hot to wear and
once you get them wet they are useless. I do wear my eye patch
sometimes, but people look at you differently when you wear one,
at least they do me. I get the impression that many people think I
am off to a fancy dress party as a pirate! It can get quite
annoying, though perhaps I should solve this issue by simply going to
more fancy dress parties!
On this page and in the video I have not talked
about the many repercussions of my injury which are personal to
me, as everyone’s case and associated injuries will be different.
What is discussed above and in the video is about living with just
one eye.
Again, if you have recently lost an eye or know
someone who has, please do get in touch. I am happy to answer any
questions you may have, and if you would like to do a video
interview about your experience then I will gladly do it. Thank
you, stay safe and be strong!
Living With One Eye – Six Years On by Steven
Howard
