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1

You may not be hearing much from me over the next few days, as I had eye surgery yesterday and it’s taking me a while to be able to see clearly again.

Epithelial Basement Membrane Dystrophy is a condition where the lowest level of your epithelium (the tough outer layer of your cornea) becomes pitted or distorted. Like a bad job of installing a vinyl floor, these distortions telegraph up to the top of the cornea, where it meets the air and bends the light. In my case, this made it very hard to see fine details, or to read (except in high-contrast settings like Textmate’s Midnight theme). I had this in both eyes, likely brought on by wearing hard contact lenses when I was much younger.

The surgeon dissolved my epithelium entirely in each eye, then used an xzcimer laser to “polish” the next layer of my corneas. Yes, that was very very very painful when the topical anesthetic wore off.

I’m already 100% better than I was this morning (couldn’t open my eyes then) and had my first pos-op appointment. I still can’t see clearly up close (they used tropicamide to paralyze my iris for the surgery, and it won’t wear off for several more days). But I am very excited to see the final results. It’s been a pretty awful past couple of years, with a steady decline in my ability to see clearly, where once I had 20:15 (corrected) vision.

So when you hear me rail on about making your sites more friendly for the visually disabled, now you’ll know that I’m not just talking about my dear friend Beverly. Of course, mine was fix-able, hers is permanent and progressive.

Walter

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Hi Walter,

wish you the best to get the things even better as expected (and probably promised by the doctors). I once read (and still remember) the list where you described your friend and the serious problems - not only web, but daily life. Two things I learned from that time:

  1. As I started doing webpages, I set

    maximum 11px thinking “the more tiny, the more elegant”. I corrected this up to 14px as the standard.

  2. BoxModel - allowing the zoom in as necessary without being concerned about the layout.

But one thing I didn’t do proper in the past:

Contrast. This is a point where I still struggle cause I like FONTs set in a grey (75% black). This might be a point to rethink. Thanks for remembering.

Well as said: all the best - and come back as quick and health as possible. Can’t imagine FWT without you.

Cheers

Thomas

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On 2 Dec 2011, at 02:56, Walter Lee Davis wrote:

So when you hear me rail on about making your sites more friendly for the visually disabled, now you’ll know that I’m not just talking about my dear friend Beverly. Of course, mine was fix-able, hers is permanent and progressive.

I can empathise with you both. While I still have fairly good vision, my other half has age-related wet macular degeneration, exacerbated by late-onset Type 2 diabetes. Ironically, he had cataracts removed and was enjoying a redisovered colour vision when the sight started to go. And it went very quickly - a few months, in fact.

For someone who spent most of his life making models, revelling in small details, and creating miniature masterpieces, to find himself registered as partially sighted in a very short space of time was a huge knock - to both of us.

While he is able to get out and about, he can’t drive, and can’t read notices and signs without spending time reassembling letters to make words. He’s realigned his world, dropped the modelling, and taken up another of his great loves, amateur radio. We’ve now set up with several large monitor screens, and all the computers have been set up for magnification to aid his sight.

He’s still having treatment for the eyes, the most recent this week, which has stopped further degeneration and partially improved the right eye, which was all but useless. He’s encouraged that at least he now has some partial 3D to help him pick objects up.

So, yes, a big hello to usability and accessibility in our web design work!

Cheers

Heather

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I am another huge sympathiser as I also suffer from eye problems brought on, mainly, by Type 1 Diabetes which has meant many Laser sessions and a couple of Vitrectomies over the past few years.

And the pain - Oh! the pain! Long remembered I’m afraid.

And now they tell me that I am getting a cataract - much higher risk if they have been mucking about in there.

Much sympathy - we feel your pain!

David

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So sorry to hear this Walt, hope you mend well and quickly.

Best wishes,

Paul Bradforth
http:www.paulbradforth.com

On 2 Dec 2011, at 02:56, Walter Lee Davis email@hidden wrote:

You may not be hearing much from me over the next few days, as I had eye surgery yesterday and it’s taking me a while to be able to see clearly again.

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Walter, when you can read this:
Best wishes
Chris in Santa Fe, NM

On Fri, Dec 2, 2011 at 5:00 AM, Paul Bradforth email@hidden wrote:

So sorry to hear this Walt, hope you mend well and quickly.

Best wishes,

Paul Bradforth
http:www.paulbradforth.com

On 2 Dec 2011, at 02:56, Walter Lee Davis email@hidden wrote:

You may not be hearing much from me over the next few days, as I had eye
surgery yesterday and it’s taking me a while to be able to see clearly
again.

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I know it’s not of much help, but sincere thanks and best wishes to you Walt, and to DeltaDave who both have helped me greatly in the past. A Bus Pass is somehow not much compensation…

Here’s to Oscar Wilde who was always right …

K.

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My best corrected vision going into the operation was 20:35, and immediately post-op, before the swelling set in, it was 20:15. In a couple of months, I’m gonna be seeing like I did as a teenager. Still blind without my glasses – no change there – but able to resolve fine details that I have been missing these past few years. I am so looking forward to that.

Walter

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Best wishes Walter. It’s amazing they can do these things now eh? I had lasik about 10 years ago and I’m amazed when I suddenly remember that I had glasses or contacts for so many years and put up with all that. Unfortunately, I’m starting to lose a little vision likely due to age. Sigh. I guess I’ve become spoiled.

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Reading this some time later…
I wish you all the best, Walter. Good luck with the progress. Good to read that you keep up a positive spirit!

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