I hope to inspire those going through this disease to not give up. I also hope to seek out or create tools to help me continue my brewing knowledge. Four years ago my best friends bought me a home brew kit for stove top brewing. Today I sit with a dedicated brewery room and have switched to a full on all grain system. During this time, I have also been diagnosed with several vision related conditi
ons. I was born with extreme nearsightedness. My typical contact for those of you who watch for powers, is -20 in my left and -17.5 in my right. At 42, I was diagnosed with Cone Rod Dystrophy, which will slowly take my central vision. Through genetic testing I found I also have and Usher’s Disease with Retinitis Pigmentosa. Usher’s attacks the peripheral vision. Luckily, my case is recessive, which means lesser version, but with all of these conditions, prognosis is unknown and really varies person to person. As we stand today, I am legally blind in my left eye with 25% central vision loss, and I am 20/50 at last testing and in my right and 15-20% central vision loss. I work in the health care industry using a lot of small spreadsheets and a lot of computer and phone use. These, along with my hobbies of home brewing are all affected by these conditions. I am still driving and working at this time. I am an avid traveler as well and seek out breweries everywhere we go. This page will also serve as a vessel to share those experiences. Hope you enjoy, and feel free to hit me up with any questions or ideas. Have a blessed day!
