Sue

Sue spends a great deal of time babysitting her grandchildren, so when she was diagnosed with glaucoma, she was concerned her condition could impact her busy life. After years of struggling with the expense and inconvenience of daily eye drops, Sue decided it was time for a change – so she went to visit her former student, trusted ophthalmologist Dr. Jessica Schrieber of Medical Eye Associates in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to find a solution. It was then that she learned about the iStent inject® W

Managing Her Condition

Sue, 71, is a retired kindergarten teacher who enjoys spending her free time with family, walking outdoors, swimming, sewing, arranging flowers, and being active in her condo association. About 10 years ago, she went into her eye doctor’s office for a routine eye exam and was shocked to learn she was living with glaucoma. Although Sue’s mother and great-grandmother also had glaucoma and she knew it could be hereditary, Sue felt she was too young to be diagnosed with the eye condition. 

Despite feeling down about her diagnosis, Sue worked with her eye doctor to determine the best way to manage her condition. For the next decade, Sue diligently applied eye drops every night. Although she knew the drops helped manage her glaucoma, she had a hard time with them – some stung, some caused blurry vision, and others were quite expensive. In fact, one small bottle of eye drop medication cost her $250 each month. 

Over the years, Sue grew more frustrated – she was worried that her glaucoma and cataracts were impacting her vision and her life. Before retiring, Sue relied on her vision when reading books to her students and writing on the chalkboard. Following retirement, she needed her eyesight to thread sewing needles and to be aware of curbs and cracks in the road or sidewalk when driving and walking outside. Finally, in 2021, Sue had enough and decided it was time to stop struggling and find a real solution. 

Prioritizing Her Health

Sue has always taken her and her family’s health very seriously. Both Sue and her husband are carriers of Tay-Sachs, a central nervous system degenerative condition that is inherited. When they were younger, they lost their daughter to the disease because she inherited a gene from both parents. Because of this, Sue and her family are extremely proactive when it comes to their health. This was part of what motivated Sue to look for alternative glaucoma treatments. 

Sue soon found herself in the student’s seat after a friend advised her to make an appointment with Dr. Schrieber. Years earlier, Dr. Schrieber was one of Sue’s students in her kindergarten classroom. Sue, who remembers Dr. Schrieber’s kind and respectful manner even as a child, was not at all surprised that her former student had gone on to become a trusted local ophthalmologist. 

After conducting an exam, Dr. Schrieber, who was thrilled to reunite with her former kindergarten teacher, recommended that Sue be treated with iStent inject® W during her cataract surgery. iStent inject® W is one of the smallest medical devices known to be implanted in the human body and can effectively reduce eye pressure. After talking to Dr. Schrieber and doing some research herself, Sue decided that iStent inject® W was right for her. In January of 2022, Sue’s right eye was implanted with iStent inject® W during cataract surgery. Since cataract surgery is typically done at least two weeks between each eye procedure, Sue waited until February of 2022 to treat her left eye. 

Enjoying a “Carefree” Lifestyle

With her iStent inject® W stents in both eyes, Sue is thrilled to be living what she calls a “carefree” lifestyle. She no longer has to worry about putting eye drops in, as her treatment eliminated the need for daily medication to treat her glaucoma. Now she is able to focus her time and energy on doing what she loves, such as helping with her grandchildren, being outdoors, and having an active role in her condo association. Instead of worrying about performing certain activities because of her vision, such as driving her grandchildren, Sue now feels confident and at ease. 

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Patient Stories

Barbara A.

Barbara A.

Barbara was diagnosed with glaucoma and cataracts eight years ago. For many years she was able to manage her glaucoma with drops. However, she became concerned when her glaucoma began to worsen and she experienced double vision. It wasn’t until recently that Barbara discovered iStent inject® W as an effective way to reduce eye pressure.

Bill

Bill

A 66-year-old active retiree, Bill loves spending his days playing basketball, tennis, and golf. When he was diagnosed with glaucoma, he became worried that any potential vision loss could impact his ability to play his favorite sports. As someone with a family history of glaucoma, Bill knows firsthand the devastating vision loss that glaucoma can cause if left untreated. So when he also began developing cataracts, his ophthalmologist introduced him to iStent inject® W, one of the world’s smallest implantable devices that can have remarkable benefits for glaucoma patients with cataracts. 

Michael

Michael

Michael first noticed changes to his vision eight years ago when he began seeing black spots while driving. He visited a local ophthalmologist, who decided to run some tests. Shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with glaucoma and cataracts. This ultimately led to another health discovery – Michael had diabetes. Overwhelmed by both diagnoses, he put his busy life on hold and sought treatment for his deteriorating vision.

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