My husband and I met when we were both in college. He was studying engineering and I was studying art. We had so much in common. We fell head over heels for each other and got hitched right after graduation. We had big plans for our future, we wanted to buy a house, start a family, and see the world.
But just seven months into our marriage my vision started to go bad. I thought it was just because I spent too much time working on my paintings. I got new glasses, but they didn’t help. My vision got worse and worse, everything was blurry, distorted, too bright or too dark..
I went to see an eye doctor, who did a bunch of tests on my eyes. He told me I had keratoconus, a condition where the cornea, the clear part of the eye, gets thin and bulges out like a cone. He said there was no cure for it, but there were treatments to make it better. He suggested I try hard contact lenses, which would make my cornea flat and fix my vision.
I was freaked out and confused. I had never heard of keratoconus before. How did I get it? Why me? What would happen to my eyes? How would it affect my life and my career?
My husband was amazing. He hugged me when I cried, he looked up everything he could about keratoconus, he took me to all my appointments, he helped me with my contact lenses, he cheered me on to keep doing what I loved. He never whined, never blamed me, never made me feel like a drag.
He told me he loved me no matter what, and that we would get through this together. He reminded me of our vows: in sickness and in health.
One of the hardest things for me was not being able to drive anymore. Driving was something I enjoyed and took for granted. It gave me a sense of freedom and independence. But with keratoconus, driving became too risky. I had to rely on my husband to drive me everywhere.
He never complained or made me feel guilty. He always made sure I was comfortable and safe in the car. He played my favorite songs on the radio, he cracked jokes to make me laugh, he held my hand when we stopped at red lights. He made driving fun again.
He helped me see that there was more to life than what I could see with my eyes.
I don’t know what I would do without him. He is my rock, my best friend, my soulmate. He has shown me what true love is. I want to thank him for being there for me, for supporting me, for loving me unconditionally. He didn’t sign up for this, but he never gave up on me.
Magdalena Strasser