It was February when I first went to the ophthalmologist complaining of hazy vision in my right eye. He diagnosed inflammation inside the eye and a small area of scar tissue on the retina. Using steroid drops made it better for a few weeks but it slowly deteriorated and by mid-summer, I was back at his office, frustrated and a little alarmed.
We did additional treatment and then, in a troublesome twist of fate, I suffered a detached retina in late August and underwent emergency surgery to repair it. By October the retina had stabilized but the scar tissue was creating significant distortion in my vision and becoming more and more difficult to bear.
On Election Day, as everyone else set their sights on the contentious presidential race, I crossed my fingers and went in for another surgery, this time to remove the scar tissue. So far, recovery is going well. Today, less than two weeks after that procedure, the vision in my right eye is improving little by little.
This is obviously not the kind of thing I'd want to manage alone. And thankfully I haven't had to. My employer and co-workers have been super supportive and I can't thank them enough. The Disney company is every bit as magical as our fans say we are (and then some). Of course, my wife Kjerstin is the star of this story. I knew I lucked out when I married her, and seeing her jump into action to take care of me just confirmed my belief that I have the most wonderful spouse on the planet. I'm very blessed.
We all hit rough patches. They come in many different varieties and severities. And sometimes they really throw us off the rails. But if we pay close enough attention, maybe we can realize that even these unexpected tests of personal fortitude bring some new level of understanding, resilience and hopefulness.
My vision isn't exactly crystal clear but what I see has never looked so amazing.