A woman, who was unable to leave the house for years, has revealed how she feels more confident than ever after having her eye removed.
Taiva Finlayson, 21, was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of one.
Affecting her joints and skin, the disease targeted her eyes, causing her to lose sight in her right eye at the age of 12.
Begging the doctors to do something, Taiva was ecstatic when they suggested her eye be removed entirely.
“I would cry to my doctor about this pain at every appointment and told each time that there was absolutely nothing that could be done,” Taiva, a doula from Ontario, Canada, told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk .
“I can compare the pain to getting a really bad scratch on your eye or having sand irritating your eye.
“Except it’s every day, all day long.
“This pain affected my ability to live a normal life.
“I couldn’t wear makeup, leave the house, work, stay up late, or do anything without experiencing pain in my eye.”
Her mother first realised something was wrong when, as a baby, Taiva was unable to walk or crawl properly.
“My mom noticed that I wouldn’t pull myself up on anything or stand in my crib like other babies my age and I had swollen knees,” she said.
“Because of my diagnosis, I was put on multiple immunosuppressant drugs to control inflammation.
“By primary school, I was experiencing blurred vision, eye pain, and light sensitivity, mainly in my right eye but both eyes were affected.”
The doctors tried everything they could, including drops, creams, and steroids, but after everything, Taiva went completely blind in her right eye at the age of 12.
She added: “The inflammation caused so much damage to the eye that had progressed so quickly that there was nothing that could stop it.
“When you’re blind for long periods of time, your eye can begin to shrink like how a grape shrinks to a raisin.
“That is what began to happen to my right eye and it caused excruciating pain.”
By 2019, her blind eye became a painful endurance and left her unable to go outside or go about her daily life.
Luckily, she managed to get an appointment to see an eye specialist at St. Joseph’s Hospital, London, on 9 May 2023 and finally received the answer she wanted.
She said: “The doctor told me he thinks an enucleation would be a good option for me.
“I actually cried tears of joy when he referred me to the surgeon because I was just so happy and ready to be out of pain.
“I was scared for the surgery but mostly just at peace with the fact that I was finally getting help.”
Therefore, the surgery was booked for 22 June 2023, and Taiva had her right eye removed.
She added: “It all happened very fast.
“That night in the hospital was the worst pain I experienced throughout my recovery so far, and it still doesn’t compare to the pain I used to get.
“I have a phobia surrounding eyes so the worst part of recovery was having the drops put into my eye socket and letting people touch it to do the aftercare.
“I was also scared to see it open for the first time since it was stitched and swollen shut for that first week.
“After seeing it open, that initial fear vanished.
“I was so self-conscious of my blind eye since it appeared deformed and discoloured.
“I struggled making eye contact and having my picture taken because of it and I always tried to cover that eye.“
After a few weeks, Taiva soon got used to her new look, receiving a confidence boost from her changed appearance.
She said: “It changed the way my entire face looked.
“I had so many people making comments that I looked so different and just so much healthier.
“And now not only do I feel like I look better, but being pain-free has changed my entire presence and how I interact with people.”
Her mother, girlfriend Lexi, 22, and son Azraél, three, have also been amazing during the process, and have been with her every step of the way.
She said: “I’m so thankful for all the help and support I’ve received from my girlfriend, my mom, and my uncle.
“My dad and my in-laws helped with my son for the first week post-op so that I could have a quiet and peaceful space to recover.
“I would make this decision over and over again as I’m only three weeks post-op and already feeling almost no pain.
“This has been life-changing and I’m so thankful for my surgeon and everyone around me who made this possible and contributed to helping me live without chronic eye pain.”
In terms of her remaining eye, Taiva is monitoring it closely to make sure it remains as healthy as possible.
She added: “I am extra aware of the fact that I have to be extremely cautious with my remaining eye since going fully blind is a very real possibility.
“I already have reduced vision in my remaining eye so I definitely have anxiety about injuries or just eye inflammation in general that could cause loss of vision for me.”
For the future Taiva plans to get a prosthetic eye as soon as her socket has healed.
She said: “I definitely plan on getting some fun custom eyes in the future as well.
“The waiting period is about four to eight weeks to allow the socket to heal, before putting in an artificial eye.
“So I’ll be getting one around August time! And I can’t wait.”
