A Singular View

The accident had left Mr. Brady with a severely damaged right eye, which had to be removed. He began to wonder how this loss would effect his life.

“Would my world be changed when viewed through a single eye? Would my activities be restricted? Would I ever drive a car again? Fly a plane? Play golf or even just cross a street with a reasonable expectation of reaching the other side alive?”(pg. 3)

Mr. Brady’s first steps out into the world were difficult.

“Outside the hospital, I hailed a cab and stepped off the sidewalk as it approached. Underestimating the height of the curb, I jolted forward and nearly ended up under the taxi’s wheels.” (pg. 7)

Two days after leaving the hospital, however, and with the encouragement of friends, he was back behind the wheel of his own car.

“Nevertheless, I ended the first drive with the certainty that this was one activity I wouldn’t have to give up, for at no time had I felt that I was driving in an unsafe manner. Any loss of visual perception was more than offset by the enforced–and often excruciating–increase in alertness.” (pg. 9)

Mr. Brady was soon back doing all his regular activities, even those that one might assume to be dangerous, if not impossible, for someone without the use of both eyes.

“I flew anyway–partly to find out how I’d do at it and partly because it’s in my blood. In many ways, I found it easier than driving, and I had no trouble with making the distance judgments that are required for landing and other maneuvers.” (pg. 12)

The adaptation was not seamless, however; it required extra effort and an increased sense of awareness. But ultimately, the loss of his eye was not a significant hindrance.

“But if I sometimes regarded my new condition as a damned nuisance, I never considered it a handicap–in my career, in my hobbies, or in my personal life.” (pg. 13)

Eye loss affects people differently according to age, the nature of the disease or accident and, most importantly, the psychological disposition of the person affected.

“Of extreme importance is each individual’s psychological reaction to the loss of an eye. And here the difference between any two people can be striking, ranging all the way from ‘What’s the use of living?’ to ‘I hardly notice the difference.'” (pg. 17)

The way people perceive their eye loss gives rise to different methods of approaching and dealing with their recovery. As just one inspiring example, Mr. Brady describes the recovery attitude of Sammy Davis, Jr.

“When this great entertainer had the top rung practically in his grasp in 1954, a car crash damaged his left eye beyond repair. While recuperating he vowed : ‘When I come back, there can be no “He’s almost as good as he ever was.” I’ve got to be better.'” (pg. 18)

Mr. Brady realized quickly that vision is a learned skill, as much related to mental perception as to the visual information relayed by the eyes.

“If you’ve enjoyed fairly normal vision since birth, it may never have occurred to you that a great deal of what we call ‘seeing’ is really a learned skill.” (pg. 19)

People must actively learn to see differently after the loss of an eye.

“In the same way, partial loss of the vision you’ve learned and have used all your life entails a whole new learning experience. But there’s a tendency among persons who’ve always had normal vision to make the transition from two eyes to one by letting nature take its course. This unorganized approach will eventually get you there, but you can speed it up and smooth it out significantly by doing a bit of homework. The first thing you need to understand is the nature of the change that has taken place. What is it, exactly, that you have lost? And what is it that you have left?” (pg. 20)

The first step to compensating for eye loss is to determine what exactly has changed and how that change affects perception. Here, Mr. Brady provides an accurate and understandable description of the visual system from the unique perspective of a scientist and a person who has experienced changes to this system firsthand.

“Three things have happened:

• Your horizontal field of vision has narrowed
• Your depth perception has been impaired.
• Your whole visual system, including brain and motor functions, is in disarray and needs reprogramming so the two can be able to work together in an integrated fashion.” (pg. 25)

Many of these losses can be compensated for with increased attention; and they soon become merely “a nuisance.”

“Actually, there’s more nuisance than danger, once you’ve made adjustments to your new limitation. If the loss of lateral vision seems enormous to you (10 to 20 %)–as it usually does at first–keep in mind that it’s really less than many persons with two good eyes inflict on themselves voluntarily by wearing heavy rimmed glasses.” (p. 27)

To regain a three-dimensional view of the world, Mr. Brady suggests two approaches: create relative motion, or use the techniques used by artists to lend depth to a two-dimensional scene.

“In the absence of binocular vision, relative motion is going to be your prime visual tool in the highly mobile world of driving, flying, boating, skiing, skating and skin diving, and in occupations involving moving objects or vehicles. Knowledge of how to create it when it doesn’t occur by itself can hasten your return to your favorite sport or the wheel of your car.” (pg. 41)

“When viewing a stationary object at short range, one very effective way to produce something akin to relative motion is to move your head quickly to one side. This not only creates a slight shift of the object against its background (as did the up-and-down head movement described earlier in this chapter), it also enables you to have two slightly different views of the same subject in such rapid sequences that the brain can interpret them much the same as it would interpret a double image produced by two eyes.” (pg. 43)

To regain a more 3-dimensional perspective, Mr. Brady suggests techniques used by Leonardo da Vinci to add depth to his art:

• Objects in the foreground take up more of the window’s space than objects of the same size in the distance. Automobiles. which are fairly standardized in size, are a good gauge of this. Leonardo calls this phenomenon”diminishing perspective.”
• Colors are bolder and brighter in the foreground. In the distance, they become softer an muted. By the same token, shadows of nearby objects are sharper and darker. The artist calls this “color perspective.”
• Finally, objects in the distance tend to blur, while those in the foreground are more clearly defined–“vanishing perspective.”

“These observations are as precious to the one-eyed person as they are to the painter, for each of them can be translated into improved depth perception. It’s a process you can hasten by consciously applying your attention to it–and as a fringe benefit you’ll find the world a far more fascinating place to view.” (pg. 44)

Mr. Brady suggests specific tricks for specific real-world situations.

“To perform this simple act [of shaking hands] with complete confidence, simply move your hand in a direct line toward the hand you wish to shake–and keep on moving until you connect. The technique, of course, is equally useful in reaching for a doorknob, a hanger in a closet, a book in a bookcase, or a glass of water on a table.” (pg. 49)

Curbs present a particular challenge to those with vision in only one eye, and Mr. Brady shows how to apply his earlier techniques to manage this everyday obstacle.

“As you approach the street, keep your eye on the edge of the curb so you can observe its relative movement against the background of the street’s surface. The higher the curb, the faster will this relative motion appear and the more street paving will it bring into view. Your brain will have no trouble at all computing these factors, along with your walking speed, and will send you a message telling you just how deep a step to take when you hit the street.” (pg. 56)

This chapter deals exclusively with the pitfalls of driving and how to avoid them. One of the most difficult aspects of driving is parking. Mr. Brady confides that this is one aspect where he could not regain the confidence he had before his eye loss, but he does offer some useful tips.

“I have developed a trick or two that you can use for snuggling into your own garage without hitting the rear wall. Turn on the headlights, even in daytime and watch the pattern the beam makes on the wall as you approach it. A curved line of light moves downward as you approach the wall. By putting a marker, a piece of tape for example, you can stop the car just as the line of light reaches the marker. I use this little trick on a daily basis and find that it is very precise. I can stop the car so the front bumper is within an inch of the desired distance from the wall. (pg. 66)”

If anyone doubts the ability of people who have lost an eye to participate in a full and physically challenging life, Mr. Brady offers the following examples.

“Anyone who feels that the loss of an eye marks the end of taking part in sports activities should consider the case of Sue Moran, radio and TV personality, fashion model, committee woman, and mother of six. Mrs. Moran’s 10-year bout with a corneal inflammation ended with the loss of her right eye… Among the things Mrs. Moran enjoys is riding in such competitions as the International Horse Show in Washington, where she has won a reputation for her skill in the vanishing art of riding sidesaddle. She also enjoys fox hunting, beagling, swimming, skiing, and bird watching–all sports that make heavy demands on visual perception and judgment.” (pg. 69)

“Because the speeds involved demand lightning judgments, skiing would seem to require the ultimate in visual perception. Yet ski-jumper Jerry Martin from Minnesota has proved that top-level, competitive skiing is really possible with one eye.

Martin lost the sight in his right eye in September 1971, when a nail he was pounding into brick bounced back and struck his cornea. Although he expects eventually to regain normal sight with a transplant and a contact lens, he has done some amazing things in the meantime. Six weeks after his injury, he was jumping again. And he was doing it so well that by January 1972 he won the tryouts for the US. Olympic team with a leap of 318 feet.” (pg. 70)

Mr. Brady evaluates much of the available eyewear and other gadgets which help the monocular individual. He also offers some tricks for emergency situations.

“Ever get caught in front of a telephone book with no glasses to keep the print from blurring? Here’s an emergency measure I picked up somewhere–and have often been thankful ever since.
Take a small piece of cardboard or paper–a calling card is fine–and punch a tiny hole in it with a pin or a bent paper clip (the lead in an automatic lead pencil will also do nicely). Now place your eye against the hole, hold the small print about six inches from your eye–and read. What you’ve got is a lens that operates on the same principle as Grandfather’s pinhole camera. You may not want to read Gone With the Wind this way, but it works in an emergency.” (pg. 83)

In this chapter, Mr. Brady deals with care of both the unseeing eye (or socket) and the remaining eye.

“If your damaged eye has been removed by surgery (enucleated), care of the remaining socket is usually very simple. Should you decide on a “glass eye” for cosmetic reasons, make sure it’s well fitted by an expert; a poorly fitted shell can irritate the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eye lid. This or any other irritation of the socket–from infections, foreign bodies, etc.–is usually not serious, provided you have it treated promptly by an ophthalmologist.
The socket may surprise you by continuing to perform many of the functions of a normal eye socket, such as blinking, winking, and even shedding tears, since the lids and tear glands are still in working order.” (pg. 94)

“Even small, subtle changes in vision can become important when you’ve lost an eye, and you’ll probably be much quicker to notice them than you used to be. It may be necessary to test your eyesight for glasses more often now; some one-eyed patients need a refraction, as this test is called, as frequently as every four months.” (pg. 95)

In this chapter, Mr. Brady discusses something that for some may be the main concern following damage to an eye: changes in personal appearance.

“If the damaged eye remains, there may be some change in appearance caused by the two pupils not tracking precisely in unison. The eyes may seem perfectly aligned when looking straight ahead, but diverge a bit when the good eye glances to one side.

The effect is usually not at all displeasing. In fact, most of us are intrigued by a slight cast in a pleasant face–it seems to add a certain piquancy or individuality. Indeed, Patrick Trevor-Roper, in his book The World Through Blunted Sight, notes that earlier societies considered a squint a sign of godliness and beauty. He reminds us that many great artist have gone so far as to portray their subjects with a decided squint that they did not possess in real life.” (pg. 101)

“What makes these observations so important is that the way you look may not be nearly as important as the way you think you look to others.” (102)

In this chapter, Mr. Brady discusses some of the licensing issues posed by having one eye. Most importantly, he addresses the common question: “Will I be allowed to drive?”

“However, much has been done in recent years to bring state regulations into line with nationally recommended vision standards for drivers, and today all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia license one eyed drivers who pass their visual tests.” (pg. 107)

“The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and the American Optometric Association in a jointly published booklet on visual screening for driver licensing, remark that ‘most drivers are anxious to retain driving privileges and as a result they learn to compensate for deficiencies.'” (pg. 111)

The parents of a child who has lost vision in one eye can be crucial determinants of their child’s reaction and subsequent adjustment to monocular vision. Here, Mr. Brady offers an excellent advice summary of the advice of experts.

“There seems to be general agreement on several points: Discussions of the loss must be adjusted according to the child’s age, sex, emotional stability, maturity, natural coordination, athletic inclination, and the child-parent relationship. Moreover, if the parents recognize the true impact of eye loss, this will help them maintain a calm, dispassionate attitude that can prevent the build-up of exaggerated fears. Certainly, emotional displays in the presence of the child are out of order. They all agree that children, in general, adapt quickly, and that the younger the child, the quicker and more complete is the adaptation.” (pg. 119)

Vision loss may present unique challenges to older generations. In this chapter, Mr. Brady describes these challenges and offers several responses.

“Loss of vision in one eye is not a trivial thing at any age, but the problems of adjusting to the loss can become more critical to a person of advanced years. Slowed reaction time, less than perfect vision in the remaining eye, deterioration of hearing, a sense that often supplements sight, are negative factors. On the positive side are experience, judgment and skill built up over a period of years. These attributes, both positive and negative tend to balance out and allow the older segment of the population to compare favorably with the automobile safety record of the somewhat more accident prone youthful drivers.” (pg. 125)

“Most important–periodic eye examinations, yearly if possible, to catch the onset of problems such as glaucoma and cataracts in their early stages and to keep eye glass prescriptions up to date. . .glaucoma, if detected in it’s early stage, can be arrested and with continuing treatment, vision can be retained.” (pg. 126)

Those of us who have lost an eye are in good company. The this final chapter of his book, Mr. Brady provides an impressive list of successful figures having a “singular view:” Theodore Roosevelt, Moshe Dayan, Ian Smith, Morris K. Udall, Sammy Davis Jr., John Ford, Peter Falk, Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas, John Milton, Julius Axelrod, Gugliuelmo Marconi, Wiley Post, Pierce Holt, Elizabeth Blackwell, Hannibal, and Horratio Nelson. About Nelson, he writes:

[Neslon was] The greatest of British naval heroes, whose victory at Trafalgar occurred more than 10 years after he lost his right eye in the battle off Corsica.

Nelson even used his blind eye to advantage in the historic Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. His superior, Sir Hyde Parker, had signaled him to halt his attack on a Danish ship against what Parker considered very dubious odds. Nelson placed a telescope against his blind eye, and after a careful ‘look’, told his aide, “I do not see the signal.” He then proceeded with the attack, which was soon to become a major chapter in Britain’s proud naval history. Thus Nelson used his handicap to turn a potential defeat into a resounding victory. Go, and do thou likewise. (pg. 131)