Going Blind

I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on July 18th, 2001, when I went blind. It was 3 weeks prior to my diagnosis when I noticed a profoundly weird symptom, my left leg went cold and it was strange because when I touched my leg it felt warm. I thought how could this be? My mind says my leg is cold, but my sense of touch said it was not. I decided to go to a walk in clinic for an exam and see what it could be. I would of scheduled an appointment with my doctor, but for one I didn't want to see him after my last visit and two I had no time because I was trying to run my store in Lake George. I was also trying to get my house ready because I was moving in soon.

I went to Northcare, in Glens Falls, NY, and was seen by a nurse practitioner. I explained how my leg felt, and she asked if I've had any back injuries? I told her my back doesn't hurt and I've not injured it anytime recently. She then asked what I was doing with my day? I explained I was working in my gift shop and sheet rocking my house. She said, "You must of injured your back when you were lifting something." I thought its a possibilty, but my back didn't hurt.

I replied, "How could I have a back injury if my back doesn't hurt?"


She said, "You must of injured your back and its your sciatic nerve causing this sensation."

The nurse practitioner told me to take five Advil every 4 hours to relieve the swelling in my back. I left and thought, why would I take Advil, my back doesn't hurt? The diagnosis seemed absurd, as did 5 Advil, and I left feeling disappointed and confused.

Three weeks later, it was moving day. I was completely exhausted from barely sleeping. I was working 12-14 hours a day and getting up at 5am to work on the house. My body felt like it was in slow motion, my body seemed to sway and I was completely off balance. I attributed these symptoms to lack of sleep, exhaustion and overworking my body. I didn't realize what could and would happen next.

I was waiting for the moving truck to arrive at my house, it was a hot Summer's day, and I was on my hard wood floors removing the staples which were left behind after I pulled the carpets up. I was sitting on the floor, trying to focus, I could feel a sway in my body, a shake in my hands, the sweat rolling down my face as I was using a pair of needle nose and tweezers scouring the floor. I was removing every staple and feeling lightheaded and dizzy. The sun was beating on the hardwood floors causing a bright glare to bounce up and hit me in the eyes. I remember closing my eyes and wiping the sweat from my brow. When I reopened my eyes there was a giant black spot in my vision! I thought the sun caused a temporary blindness, from the reflection in floors. I didn't give it much thought because just then the truck arrived and I needed to get moving my stuff, I needed to get to my store, I needed a home situated as soon as possible for my kids.

I stood up and swayed sideways, stumbled, lost my balance and stepped on a rusty staple. I thought, great I have to go to the doctors now to get a tetanus shot! I have no time, how am I going to do that? I went over to the truck, my muscles were trembling all over, but continued on and began moving my stuff into my new house.

It was the next morning and I remember waking and still seeing the blind spot in my eye. I rolled over and said to my husband, "Honey I have a giant black spot in my eye."

He replied, "It's probably nothing."

I thought, like he even cares. So I decided to get up and go on with my day. I knew I needed to go to the doctors for the tetanus shot. I went to my new house and continued moving furniture and other things from the UHaul and my best friend Rhonda showed up to help. It was about 5pm and I asked if she'd go with me to the walk in clinic because of the staple I stepped on. Rhonda accompanied me to Northcare and we waited almost two hours until I was finally called. I was very frustrated and anxious, I felt like I was wasting time, but I didn't want to get lock jaw from the rusty staple. I saw a nurse and she said although its a small abrasion a doctor would still have to come and look at it. I sighed..I thought am I ever leaving? The doctor came quickly and examined my foot, and rushed away. When he was down the hallway, I mustered up enough courage and called him back over, "Hey Doc...I have a question for you..."

The doctor hurried back over and I asked, "I have a weird question for you...what does it mean if I close this eye (my left) and I see a giant black spot in the other eye?"

He replied, "That's nothing. We all have floaters in our eyes."

"No Doc, I'm not referring to a tiny floater in my eye. Look... I close my left eye and I look out my right, and see a giant black spot." I outstretched my arms and suggested the size of the blackness in my eye to him.


"Oh my gosh! You need to get over to the emergency room right away! The eyes are nothing to mess around with, you only have two!"


I left the clinic and turned to Rhonda, "Do you think the doctor was suggesting I go to the hospital to prevent a lawsuit? Don't you think he was exaggerating?"


"Rosary whether he was exaggerating or not, I agree the eyes are nothing to mess around with," replied Rhonda.


I went over to Glens Falls hospital and Rhonda stayed briefly because she had to take her daughter home. I was called  into triage rather quickly where the nurse took all of my vitals and then took me over to the eye chart. She had me cover my left eye and asked me to read the letters. I said, "I know there's an E at the top, but I can't see it."


She said, "Can you read any of the letters?"


"No, I can't. I don't even see the chart. All I see out of this eye is the floor and the ceiling."


The nurse exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! That's not a black spot! You're blind!"


While she was rushing me into an exam room she grabbed a doctor on the way. "We have a patient blind in her one eye." I thought...blind? 


The doctor followed behind us into an exam room. I thought, wow, this is great service! I will be out of here in no time. 


The doctor use a small apparatus with a light on it and examined my eye. He left the room and came back with another physician. The two doctors examined my eye for half an hour! They left and returned to tell me, that the opthamologist on call said there was no point in seeing me that night because I've been blind for 24 hours and there would be no difference if I saw him the next day. I then asked, "What is wrong with my eye?"


The doctor replied, "There is technically nothing wrong with your eye. Its not your eye that's damaged, but rather its something which is preventing your eye from seeing images."


I said, "So what are you trying to say? What could this be?"


"I'm not sure exactly. The opthamologist must first rule out there's nothing wrong with your eye and I'm sure he will. We can then figure out what's causing this problem."


"I don't understand doc...what could be doing this?"


"It's probably one of three things, you had a stroke, you have a brain tumor, or its a serious disease."

My jaw hung wide open...I couldn't speak. All I could think is what!? I have a tumor? I've had a stroke? I have a disease?!!! I could barely breath and couldn't fathom having any of these medical problems. All of my options sounded horrendous...I didn't want any of these problems he mentioned. They all seemed bad, not one possibility was better to have then the other.

"Ms. Solimanto you need to go home and rest. Do not do anything strenuous until we figure what's wrong with you."

"How can I do that doc? I'm in the process of moving and I have a store that one run itself...I can't do that! I need to work!" I thought maybe he was exaggerating....

"You have to wait until we diagnose you. Anything you may have is serious."

I went to my new home, reclined into my chair...looked at the mess around me and felt nauseous. All I knew was I needed to work. My head was racing with too many thoughts...I didn't know what was going on...and thought God help me...

Read the next installment of this story here.