World Glaucoma Week: Wodonga's Milton Mann shares his story
Milton Mann was told he would be blind by his 50th birthday.
The Wodonga man has surpassed that major milestone with sight and is telling his story this World Glaucoma Week to encourage others to get their eyes checked.
Mr Mann was just 32, with no family history of glaucoma, when a regular optometrist check-up noticed he had high eye pressure.
After religiously using eyedrops, his doctor was pleased with how the pressure had reduced.
But it wasn't until five years later when he decided to have lasik vision corrective surgery when a post-operative check revealed his optic pressure was higher than normal.
"The optometrist said that my optic pressure was through the roof," Mr Mann said.
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"So tests were undertaken and a Melbourne specialist confirmed I had glaucoma - the diagnosis wasn't good."
Mr Mann's form of glaucoma required numerous procedures and surgeries in an effort to save his eyesight.
"The toughest day was the first time they told me they had to operate on my eye," he said.
GET CHECKED: Milton Mann is urging everyone to get regular eye checks and be aware of glaucoma. Picture: MARK JESSER
"With glaucoma you get told you have to use eye drops for the rest of your life, and I thought, righto I can do that.
"But a drain in my eye - that was the first time I really lost it. I spent hours in tears, I thought I'd go blind.
"Here I am at 50, I still drive, still ride my bikes, I do all that sort of stuff and will continue to until the day I can't."
Mr Mann hopes Australians will be encouraged to get an eye test by the risk awareness campaign Don't Be Blindsided, launched to coincide with World Glaucoma Week which runs until Sunday.
"I hope people listen to the warnings, and make time to go and get their eyes checked," he said.
"It's a no brainer, because the thought of losing your sight is horrendous.
"Without those regular eye exams I would now be blind."
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and affects 300,000 Australians, however due to glaucoma having little to no symptoms, 50 per cent of them are not aware that they have the disease.
To find out more about glaucoma visit glaucoma.org.au