This is an interview with a person from Switzerland (Baselland) who has suffered a stroke. Thank you very much for the permission to publish the interview anonymously!




Interview questions:

  • What is your medical history?
    • I was diagnosed with hemianopsia on the right after a subacute stroke.
  • What was your experience in hospital?
    • The doctors were very thorough in their examinations. The nursing staff was friendly and helpful.
  • What advice did the doctors give you about your hemianopsia?
    • Not much. They were rather negative about recovery after the first 2 weeks.
  • How did you find the saccadic coach?
    • My occupational therapist recommended the programme to me. I then found the programme on the internet.
  • What motivated you to train?
    • I wanted to be able to live my life again without being as dependent as possible on others.
  • How has your daily life changed?
    • I have to do everything slower and more deliberately.
  • Are you allowed to drive again?
    • I have decided to wait a while before taking a driving test. On the one hand, this is because I am working intensively on the "Oculy" programme, and on the other hand, I also have to become physically stronger.
  • How did your family react to your event?
    • Morally very supportive.
  • What were the biggest challenges?
    • It was very difficult for me to accept the event of my illness. I was also struggling with powerlessness. That made it difficult to keep up with the various therapies and the many doctor's visits, if only from a physical point of view.
  • What would you recommend to other people with hemianopsia?
    • To do as much therapy as possible, despite the negative prognosis. My own experience is that discipline and a positive attitude go a long way towards improvement.
  • What experience have you had with the reimbursement of therapy costs in this context?
    • My health insurance was very accommodating and covered a large part of the costs.
  • Is there anything else you would like to add?
    • I can highly recommend both your Oculy and saccade training programmes, as both programmes have improved not only my vision but also my responsiveness.

      I would even say that even äolder people without visual impairments can benefit from them by learning to be reactive in a difficult situation.

      Furthermore, these programmes are very versatile and individually flexible!