Newcastle woman gets job at clinic which saved her own sight

A Newcastle woman diagnosed with a sight-threatening conditions in her 30s has got a job at the clinic where her sight was saved.

Tracey Coyle was 32 when she was diagnosed with cataracts, a condition that can cause blurry vision and lead to blindness if left untreated. Usually, people develop cataracts beyond the age of 60 due to age-related changes in the eye, but Tracey first reported symptoms in her late 20s.

After Tracey was diagnosed by her optician, she was referred to Newmedica Newcastle for surgery on both eyes. And now that she’s had the surgery, she’s taken on a job as a healthcare assistant at the clinic, ahead of studying to be a nurse from September.

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Tracey is keen to warn others of the early signs of the condition as part of Cataract Awareness Month. She said: “I’d been having problems with my glasses.

“I kept thinking they were dirty and was cleaning them all the time, but it made no difference. I had both cataracts removed at the Newmedica Newcastle clinic.

“They have the same person with you from start to finish and they reassure you and tell you what will be happening. I loved my time there so much, I now work there as a healthcare assistant – taking patients through in the same way I was taken through when I had my operation.

“My eyesight is now better than it’s ever been, it’s really opened up my life.

“I have my quality of life back, all the things I’d stopped doing I can now do again. Without the operations I would have gone completely blind.”

Tracey said that many people are nervous about having an operation on their eye, but said the surgery is quick and painless. She continued: “Most of the people I see in my job at the clinic are older and want to see their grandchildren grow up, so I reassure them and talk them through it, and they’re so grateful afterwards.

“Everyone who needs the surgery should get it done as soon as possible, because we all want to appreciate life as much as we can. We want to keep our hobbies going and maintain our independence for as long as we can, and to do that we need our sight.

“If I hadn’t had the operations, I wouldn’t be able to even think about being a nurse. It’d be too dangerous for the patients because I wouldn’t be able to read their charts or give medications. So the surgery has enabled me to train for my dream job and help other people.”

Amanda Bargewell, operational director at Newmedica Newcastle, said Tracey’s personal experience of cataract surgery has given her an “invaluable insight” which she can pass onto patients. She said: “Tracey’s story must be unique.

“I’ve not heard of a patient getting a job at the place where they had surgery. We’re very lucky to have her, she’s wonderful with our patients – comforting those who are nervous and explaining the procedure in a way that patients find helpful.”

Newmedica Clinic is at Hadrian House in Balliol Business Park. It provides cataract surgery and YAG laser treatment for post-operative cataract surgery.