"Fickle Fuchs"

Fuchs is often referred to as fickle Fuchs because the symptoms can be so unpredictable and vary so much person to person. The disease typically begins progressing in a person's 60's or later, but there are teenagers who present with symptoms. It is genetic, but some people never have any symptoms at all, while other family member's progresses to the point where corneal transplants are necessary or blindness will ensue.

It is also fickle within each person. The fluctuation and changes in my eyes on a daily basis are amazing. Some mornings things look very foggy and others...not so much. Some mornings my eyes are VERY watery, and others...not so much. Some mornings my eyes are VERY sensitive to light and others...not so much. Some mornings I can read from my large print Bible, other mornings...not so much. Some mornings my sight clears up pretty well by noon or early afternoon, some days...not so much.

I really don't have days where I can go outdoors without my dark sunglasses anymore; at least not without my eyes watering and burning really bad and hurting and getting a migraine. This makes it hard to do photography sometimes. There are days where I must wear my sunglasses indoors, as well, especially if the lighting is flourescent. Some stores are really painful on my eyes.

Some days even with my eye drops they don't ever totally clear up, now. That's normal as the disease progresses. It takes longer and longer for them to clear as the corneal swelling goes down until enough cells die that they cannot dry up and the fog, and watering and poor eyesight continue and blindness is eminent unless a corneal transplant or divine healing happens. That's just the nature of this beast. I won't mention the painful breaking blisters that come along with that extra retention in the cornea because that will get me down unnecessarily. I may not have to get to that stage, and I'm not there now. So, I will not borrow trouble from tomorrow.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life." Matthew 6:26-27

God instructs me not to worry. He loves me and will take care of me no matter what happens. I am very valuable to Him. (I know I just quoted these verses in the last post, but they are very special to me and God keeps bringing them to my mind and comforting my heart with them.)

Since there's only so much I can do about my eyes and symptoms, I will just keep taking advantage of my good days and rely on my audio Bible and such the other days. I will continue to trust the Lord and do His work as I wait on Him.

"Shut Windows"

I found a poem this morning that I believe can be beneficial to all. Sometimes our sight is good throughout life. Not everyone has eye problems. Not everyone with Fuchs' totally loses their sight before having it restored through corneal transplants. Some eyes are supernaturally healed. Some people are born blind and are blind throughout life, with no option of transplants. Whatever your degree of blindness or renewed vision, I believe this poem is uplifting.

It makes me think of that song, "Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus..." I always close my eyes when I sing that song. Why is that? Well, when we shut, or cannot see with, our literal eyes it enables us to close out everything else, open the eyes of our heart and just focus on Him. There's the other song, "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you." I can't sing that with my eyes open either and what a blessing that is! To truly see Him! Just Him! Whether blind or sighted, if only for a moment in our busy day, or for each and every moment of our busy day. To see Him, to know Him, to trust Him, to experience Him, to serve Him, to love Him...to see...Him.

"Shut Windows"

When the outer eye grows dim,

turns the inner eye towards Him

who makes the darkness light.

Fairer visions you may see,

Live in nobler company

And in larger liberty

Than the men of sight.

He sometimes shuts the windows but to open hidden doors,

Where all who will may wander bold and free,

For His house has many mansions, and the mansions many floors,

And every room is free to you and me.

~John Oxenham~