There’s a phrase often used in ophthalmology when dealing with chronic inflammatory eye disease: “It’s a balancing act.” And honestly, that’s exactly what it feels like. For years, my treatment journey has involved trying to preserve the structure of my eye while also managing the consequences of the very treatments designed to save it. It’s a constant negotiation between inflammation, pressure, pain, vision, medication tolerance, and surgical intervention. Clinically, I now sit at what would be described as Stage 4 of the uveitic glaucoma pathway, surgical intervention. But this is where I’ve decided to pause. Not because I’m “giving up.”Not because I’m ignoring medicine.But because I no longer believe the current pathway has fully considered the whole person. The Standard Journey The traditional progression often looks something like this: Stage 1: Inflammatory Control High-dose steroids and dilating drops are used to stop the immune system attacking the eye. Stage 2: Pressure Management As steroid use increases eye pressure, glaucoma medications are introduced to try and protect the optic nerve. Stage 3: Steroid-Sparing Therapy Systemic immune-modulating drugs and biologics are introduced to reduce dependency on steroids. Stage 4: Surgical Intervention When pressure remains uncontrolled, drainage surgeries or tube shunts are often recommended. And this is the point I’ve reached. Why I’m Pressing Pause What I’ve realised is that throughout this entire journey, almost every intervention has focused on the mechanics of the eye. Pressure.Drainage.Inflammation.Structural preservation. But very little attention has been paid to: - chronic stress, - nervous system dysregulation, - trauma, - sleep, - inflammation as a whole-body process, - nutrition, - movement, - metabolic health, - emotional wellbeing, - neuroplasticity, - or the role the mind may play in healing and adaptation. No one has truly sat down and explored the wider terrain of what might be contributing to ongoing inflammation and immune dysregulation.