Rachel Leland, who often posts on social media about her Lyme-related experiences, recently visited the Padula Institute of Vision Rehabilitation. She posted the following account of her appointment on Instagram.

What I knew before this week

My eyes have been hurting every single day for quite some time now. The muscles behind my eyes felt a constant pain and strain. I had daily headaches around my eyes and temples.

In college, I had a rare eye condition for a 21 year old that no one should be getting until they are elderly. That specific problem resolved a long time ago. But, my eyesight has been getting significantly worse over the past few years. My contacts prescription is only good for a few months before I need a stronger one.

What I thought before this week

Everything I was experiencing was normal and that everyone’s eyes probably felt like mine, but they just weren’t talking about it. So I should just keep taking Advil each day to manage the pain and keep smiling through everything, like always. If you pretend everything is fine, then it’s fine…right?

What I know now after my appointment

My eyes should not be in pain every day. The muscles behind my eyes should not feel constant pressure and pain just from turning them slightly left and right, or up and down. My eye muscles are spasming each time I try to focus on something, causing me to sway between double vision and seeing just one thing.

My eyes and brain have to work too hard to correct this, which is causing my eyesight to rapidly deteriorate. I should not be slamming my shoulder into the door frame multiple times a week when I walk through doors. My eyesight should not be getting worse every few months.

Spatial visual processing dysfunction

Extensive testing yesterday shows I have spatial visual processing dysfunction and the problems I’ve been experiencing aren’t just with my eyes, they are with how my eyes communicate the information to my brain.

I was originally going to schedule this appointment during the summer, so as not to miss work. But after a phone consultation with the doctor, we learned that this couldn’t wait. I’m so grateful that we listened.

There is no quick fix. A number of changes are coming my way, and it’s been a lot to process and it all feels overwhelming right now. If you have Lyme and are dealing with issues with your eyes, here’s an interview my mom did with this doctor a few years ago:

Rehabilitating your Lyme-impaired vision

Rachel Leland is co-author of Finding Resilience: A Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease. On Instagram, she’s @ResilientlyRachel. For more information about Lyme-related eye problems, see the website of the Padula Institute of Vision Rehabilitation.