A social worker whose life was saved by a routine visit to the opticians has said she can “see a future again” as she thanked the woman who saved her.

Shelley Brodie, 48, of Hillyfields in Loughton, visited Eye Gees optician in Debden Broadway on April 20 suffering from failing eye sight.

Before her visit, she had no idea what optician Priya Jobanputra would find.

Ms Brodie said: “[My eyesight] had been deteriorating rapidly after the last year or so, really badly and strangely.

“I had never had problems before.

“In both eyes, it was getting worse and worse daily.”

As she carried out her tests, Ms Jobanputra made a shocking discovery – Ms Brodie’s optic nerve was massively swollen, a rare condition called papilloedema that could lead to pressure on the brain and death.

She was urgently referred to hospital, where she went through lifesaving surgery.

Despite the shock, she says she was mostly just relieved.

“I had been getting ill and nobody could diagnose it,” she said.

“To get the diagnosis at last… I had been saying for ages that something was wrong.

“I can see a future now, whereas I was beginning not to see one before.

“That is thanks to coming here.

“I am certainly going to keep my eye appointments from now on.”

Today (June 30), Ms Brodie met with her optician again to thank her for making the lifesaving discovery.

Ms Jobanputra said: “It was quite advanced, so I am hoping that my work saved her life.

“It is quite rewarding – she is feeling much better.

“It makes the job worthwhile.”

Remarkably it is not the first time she has identified the condition in a patient, despite opticians generally expecting to see it only once in a lifetime. 

“There was a girl in Seven Kings who had the same thing and I spotted that.

“It is becoming a bit of a thing.”

Following her recuperation, Ms Brodie is looking forward to return to her normal life and said: “I am hoping to get back to work.

“I have been saying thank you over and over again.”

Epping Forest Guardian: