Jim’s story: “Talking about the difficult stuff helps”

By the time the sixth doctor had examined Jim Pomeroy during a single emergency eye appointment, the Londoner suspected his condition was serious. 

And when one ophthalmologist placed his hand on the then 31-year-old’s shoulder, wishing him luck with his treatment, the severity of the situation was clear. Jim says: “I thought it must be bad for a medic to mention luck.”

Since August 2022, when Jim was diagnosed at Moorfields Eye Hospital with the rare cornea infection Acanthamoeba keratitis and lost the vision in his left eye, he has experienced his lowest ebb.

Yet he has also emerged with a fresh purpose and a drive to raise money for the sight loss research we fund, by running the London Marathon. His experience also led to an extraordinary career change, leaving a senior role in London local government policy to retrain in psychology. 

He says: “After I got better, I became curious about the connection between chronic illness, stress and inflammation and in treating the ‘whole person’ - not just the physical illness.”

Acanthamoeba keratitis is caused by a microscopic single-celled organism (Acanthamoeba) usually found in rivers, lakes, seawater, soil and air. Although harmless to humans, it can cause severe eye disease if the cornea is infected. Not contagious but potentially painful, it may lead to sight loss or blindness if left untreated; anyone can develop the condition but contact lens wearers are at particular risk.
 
Jim believes he developed it through showering while wearing lenses. He felt what he thought was a piece of grit in his left eye and assumed it would improve if left alone. 

But within a couple of days and during a trip to Yorkshire, the discomfort worsened, along with a discharge that made opening his eye difficult. Jim went to the local optician, who advised he see his optician in London if it did not clear up. 

Back in the city and no better, Jim’s London optician sent him immediately to Moorfields. There, doctors took swabs and diagnosed the infection. Jim admits: “It worried me because I’d never heard of this infection and sensed it wasn't something straightforward.”

He was given eye drops (an unlicensed treatment because the infection is so rare) and asked to return to Moorfields, first 48 hours later and then as a weekly outpatient. The treatment soon developed to include steroid drops to promote healing and reduce inflammation.

Until January 2023, Jim carried on working but the discomfort combined with applying drops multiple times a day made working, socialising or regular activities like football or running impossible.

Jim’s pain became severe, especially when looking up or in sunlight. He could not watch TV or use a laptop. Then a white cloud appeared over his left iris, and he noticed a loss of vision. 

He recalls: “The inflammation had gone out of control and there was a concern that the Acanthamoeba was penetrating more deeply, which explained the excruciating pain. I’d wake in the middle of the night and take the maximum amount of painkillers and try to get through to the next batch of painkillers.”

Over six agonising months, Jim was debilitated by pain and spent hours lying face down at home with the curtains drawn. Doctors started him on a course of immunosuppressants, which helped a little, and he listened to sci-fi audiobooks (“total escapism”) as a distraction.

Finally, in the summer of 2023, the pain subsided and Jim came off immunosuppressants and steroids.

Today, he no longer needs eye drops and doctors do not believe the Acanthamoeba will return. Jim has limited peripheral vision, wears yellow lensed glasses to help in bright light, along with large font if working on a computer.

If anyone faces a similar challenge, Jim says that one strategy can be stoicism, although this approach meant he distanced himself psychologically, “which made it harder to heal; talking about the difficult stuff helps”. 

He adds: “I felt the psychological pressure to ‘will’ myself better but the illness didn’t have a linear path. It wasn’t a case of ‘you’re ill, here’s the medicine for it’. The path was complex and uncertain, and that was a lot to cope with.”

Jim begins an MSc in psychology in September 2024, either in Glasgow or Bristol: “The illness made me think about what I want to do with the future, and I recognised the importance of psychological wellbeing.”

He is also keen to raise awareness about something “so avoidable”, but which can have severe ramifications: “The manufacturers of contact lenses, for example, could add a warning on packets. One of my aims is to do anything I can do to prevent other people from getting it.”

Alongside the career turning point, another landmark moment for Jim was running the marathon earlier this year, fundraising for Fight for Sight after deferring his 2023 ballot place. Research funding, he says, may lead to more effective treatments. Jim raised over £2,000 for the charity. 

The race "felt very cathartic”, says Jim: “I was a bit anxious because I don't have peripheral vision, but it was amazing - a massive celebration. If I’d run it before becoming ill, it might have been a competitive enterprise, but competition was irrelevant. It was just about being there, celebrating with family and friends. 

“It was a beautiful bookend to a rough period.”