Tasha Lockridge worked at non-profit education and advocacy organization Prevent Blindness for 18 years before receiving a diagnosis of glaucoma, a disease of the optic nerve that could potentially take her sight. The Associate Director of Health Services is grateful for the knowledge and insight she’s gained. “The work that I do here has had a tremendous impact on my own vision health,” she says. Here, she shares her glaucoma experience–and advice–from a patient’s perspective.*

Receiving her diagnosis

“My story began when I started having a little trouble with my vision,” she says. “I started seeing floaters, flashes of light…had some headaches. I thought I had a detached retina.”

Lockridge went to a retinal specialist, who told her that the issue was her eye pressure. “It was unbelievable,” she recalls. “Way beyond normal,” with one eye at 55 and the other at 45 mm/Hg (millimeters of mercury). According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, normal eye pressure is between 10 and 20 mm/Hg.

The retina specialist referred her to a glaucoma specialist, who diagnosed her with angle-closure glaucoma, which is “more rare, and takes your sight much more quickly than the others.”

After some further tests, the glaucoma specialist recommended that Lockridge undergo an iridotomy, a type of laser surgery, to relieve the pressure inside her eye. She had to have the surgery done twice in each eye, and though the procedure went well, she is still required to use medicated eye drops on a daily basis, a regimen that will likely be lifelong.

Advocate for yourself

The diagnosis and surgery only made up a part of her experience, however. “I also want to focus on my relationship with my doctor,” she says. The doctor was “pretty new,” and while she did take his clinical recommendation regarding treatment, she wasn’t satisfied with their patient-provider communication.

“My advice to people who have a new diagnosis of anything,” she cautions, “whether glaucoma or any other eye diseases, is to advocate for your health…Make sure you have a conversation with your doctor. Be firm, be persistent, and let them know what your concerns are, because it’s your body, it’s your life, and more importantly…it’s your quality of life.”

Lockridge eventually developed a better relationship with her doctor, establishing  “a more open line of communication.” In addition to using the daily eye drops, she now has to see the doctor every six months. 

“Follow-up care is essential,” she says. “Once you get diagnosed, you have to continue your treatment to make sure that you continue on with better eye health.” 

Ultimately, she shares, she’s grateful for the knowledge she had concerning symptoms of eye disorders. “I’m definitely happy that I was able to listen to my body, notice the signs, as well as act on it,” she concludes. “You have to listen to your body.”

*Prevent Blindness. (2023, December 27). A Glaucoma Patient’s Journey [Video File]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRrKKbm1DYU