Learning to trust the process of eye injections for my mCNV doesn’t mean I’m not nervous because I most certainly am but I have a really good retinal specialist. I also remind myself that this is helping me keep my vision. The trade-off of an eye injection for keeping my sight makes it easier.
The prep was the same: numbing drops, iodine (which always makes my eye feel weird), and then the injection. The needle is just a prick. The part that always gets me afterwards is the burning sensation from the antiseptic. It’s uncomfortable but it fades.
This process isn’t just physical. It’s emotional. It’s scary. It’s a loss of control. It’s grief, sometimes, thinking I could lose my vision. If you’re reading this and you’ve just been diagnosed, or your first injection is coming up. I see you. I was you. And you’re going to get through it too. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be scared. I’m learning to take this one step at a time. My wavy lines are gone and my little blind spot does seem better. One more injection to go and then we will determine if any more are needed.
You can get used to this, even if it never feels “normal”. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. This is a big deal, and there’s no shame in needing support. I didn’t choose this path, but I’m walking it as hopeful as I can and maybe that’s what resilience really is.
