Our patients’ stories: Dr. David Hunter’s unique vision saved mine

Zackery Harper is a 26-year-old registered nurse from Knoxville, Tenn. There was a time when he thought he’d spend his whole life dealing with a mysterious case of double vision that baffled every doctor who attempted to treat him. Unable to accept that no one could fix his vision, Zack devoted himself to searching the Internet for answers. It was a journey that took many late nights, ending in more than a few dead ends and eventually landed him more than 900 miles from Knoxville to Boston. By Zackery Harper At one point, I truly believed I’d have to live with double vision for the rest of my life. After developing strabismus at age 3, an eye condition that occurs when the eyes are not aligned properly, I had two surgeries to correct the problem. But not only were the surgeries unsuccessful, the second left me with an unexplained case of double vision. My doctors were mystified, and after multiple surgeries to realign my vision, I still saw the world very differently than most people. Eventually, my doctors told me there was nothing else they could do; I’d inevitably have to learn how to live with this visual disturbance and try to make the best of it. I spent four years trying to come to terms with the fact that I would never have “normal” vision again, but it’s a hard fact to accept when you’re a young adult with your entire life ahead of you. I just couldn’t bring myself to give up so I kept researching my condition, hoping that ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: All posts Diseases & conditions Our patients’ stories david hunter Department of Ophthalmology our patients' stories Source Type: news