Think about that for a second. Nearly blind, or actually blind, to being able to read again.
I'm seriously debating specializing in ophthalmology, and sub-specializing in retina surgery just became an even more appealing career plan for me.
Depends if you like dealing with people, right?
I had a retinal tear 4 weeks ago and then then retina detached and started sagging in front of my lens, blocking half of my field of view. Seriously scary, especially since my mother has lost most of her vision after a similar problem.
I got a pneumatic retinopexy a couple of days later. Amazingly, it only took about 30 minutes in a (nice) back-room of the retina clinic with local anesthesia, and the retina re-attached itself in the course of the next few days. Now I am just waiting for the gas bubble to dissolve while my vision is getting better each day.
I don't have much eyesight left, but a retinal detachment surgery helped make sure I did have some.
It's a worthy endeavor, trust me.
In a very sincere and unironic way, "my faith in humanity is restored".