I am losing my sight and have told no one at work
Dear Delyara, I have a degenerative eye condition. The specialist says my peripheral vision will continue narrowing, though no one can predict how quickly. I work as a graphic designer. My career is built around seeing details other people miss. I have told my husband and no one else. At work, I enlarge screens, memorise office layouts, and pretend I am distracted when I bump into chairs. Last week, I failed to notice a serious error near the edge of a design. A junior colleague caught it before publication. I thanked her and then spent ten minutes in the toilet trying to breathe. My manager is assigning me a major campaign next month. Part of me wants to disclose the condition and request adjustments. Another part fears that the moment I say “losing sight,” everyone will stop seeing my ability. I am not blind yet. That word feels both inaccurate and inevitable. Every morning, I open my laptop and wonder how long I can hide a shrinking world inside work that depends on appearing visually certain.