When diagnosed with glaucoma a few years ago, Jacquelyn Mattfeld, PhD, was horrified by the idea of losing her vision. She was an absolute fanatic about color, nature and art, which made the possibility of being robbed of her sight almost unfathomable.
I can honestly say it took me months to come to terms with my diagnosis," Mattfeld said. "And the unnerving part is that I still don't know what the future holds for my vision."
The now 86 year-old former academic had launched her second career–in the field of gerontology–when she was first told during a routine exam there appeared to be some changes in her eyes. At the time, Mattfeld was not experiencing any symptoms, but Lisa Rosenberg, MD, would be vigilant in monitoring these changes.
"Eventually, I found myself placing items down on surfaces very carefully. I had a tendency to place dark objects on light surfaces and vice versa. And I started to think I must be compensating for something," Mattfeld said. "Then I began seeing black spots in my field of vision when I was reading in bed. It worried me, so I told Dr. Rosenberg what was happening."
Then came the diagnosis. And like many with glaucoma, some damage had already been done to her sight by the time she experienced changes in her vision.
"My first question was about how quickly the disease might progress, although that can't be answered. But Dr. Rosenberg's goal was to get me to 100 without losing my sight," Mattfeld said.
The first step in her treatment required self-administering prescription eye drops. The second involved surgery on her left eye to stabilize its internal pressure. Fortunately, her left eye has been stable ever since.
Then Mattfeld's right eye needed surgery. Rosenberg felt she was the perfect candidate for a procedure to implant a new device–a stent–inside the eye to aid in fluid drainage. Mattfeld readily agreed to be its "poster child."
One might say it was an appropriate pairing: a pioneering technology befitting of a trailblazing woman. Not only was Mattfeld the first woman to serve as an administrator at MIT, but as provost and dean of faculty at Brown University, she also became the first woman in the east coast, Ivy League universities to hold an administrative post higher than dean of women.
With her second surgery a resounding success, Mattfeld went back to work in 24 hours. And even following a third and fourth surgery to remove cataracts, she continues to show no signs of slowing down.
"I have some blind spots in my field of vision where glaucoma destroyed my optic nerve, but overall, I see relatively well," Mattfeld said. "I was diagnosed early, but not everyone is so lucky. My advice is whether your family has a history of eye disease or not–or even if you don't wear glasses–make sure you have a complete eye exam every year. You don't know what you don't know. And the impact of not finding out can be frightening."