Today, I want to share a personal story from our book: Five years ago we met a young woman in her early thirties, who was married and had two children. She was having difficulty with activities of daily living (ADL’s), difficulty seeing in dim light, difficulty driving during the day, and was unable to drive at night. She had been told by a retinal specialist, two years prior to our meeting, she had retinitis pigmentosa, would be blind within five years, and that nothing could be done.

Dr. Merchant examined her and tested her contrast sensitivity, a more sensitive measure of functional vision, which showed poor functional vision and an abnormal curve. He tested her blood for immortal pathogens and found chlamydia psittacosis and h-pylori. When asked her history of exposure to chlamydia psittacosis she reported eating pigeons as a child when her family did not have food.

She was treated for chlamydia psittacosis and h-pylori, and her vision started to improve. Within two months, her contrast sensitive testing was in the normal range and she had a more normal curve. She was able to return to routine ADL’s, routine day driving, and was even able to return to night driving. Her family and friends were astonished. Five years after we met, and seven years after she had been told she would be blind in five years and had no hope, she has retained functional vision and normal ADL’s.

The approach to diagnosis and treatment of many eye diseases should be re-considered. Patients should not be given a dire prognosis until immortal pathogens have been ruled-out, or are diagnosed and treated.