I was born with an extremely rare genetic mutation in both of my eyes that is known as: ELEP.
Go ahead and walk into a Target Optician's office saying that. I quadruple dog dare ya.
Ectopia ("in the wrong place")
Lentis (lens)
et (and)
Pupillae (pupil)
Breaking it down:
"Congenital displacement of the pupil of the eye."
Breaking it down for my homeys:
"Girl with googly eye disease"
Yes my eyes wiggle. Or they would if I let them. The lens in my eyes are not sufficiently held in place by the tiny strands (those are called zonules, and you're welcome!) therefore causing dislocations (eek!) and cataracts (yeah I had my first cataract at around 4 yrs old).
I have had 10 surgeries (8 in the left- guinea pig and 2 in the right- champion eye) and by the grace of God, my ultimate physician, I have clear sight and they appear to be stable although they like to jiggle to and fro as I move my head around.
I just have to adjust and keep on SUVing.
In case you want to know more .... Oh, you only found 2 paragraphs? Welcome to my world...
In 2012, I went to a wonderful geneticist who informed me that as of 2 years ago (2010) they now had the ability to test a gene that causes ELEP. There are only 2 labs in the US with this technology. Would we like to get you (me) tested?
Um, okay?!
Sure enough, the results came back that I had not one but 2 of the genes mutated- thanks mom & dad!
If you live in Houston/Katy/Sugarland/Kemah/Pearland/Dallas/Shreveport/Africa/Maine/New Zealand and your eyes are whack:
Baylor Eye Center is the bomb dot ORG. The Lord has worked through these talented doctors and they are so very sincere in their patient care and the same goes for all of the techs and staff, which have become my friends. It is a major miracle that I live just a hop, skip and a toll road away from THE BEST EYE CARE CLINIC IN THE WORLD!
You can find all sorts of fun time surgeries in the blog by looking at the following labels:
Eye Surgery
Eye Drama
ELEP
or Ectopia Lentis
And these are 2 of my favorite verses that have helped me adjust to living with a sort of Low Vision:
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.- Micah 7:8b
and
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. - Isaiah 42:16
