Vanessa, 45, my eye continued to cause pain and that led to enucleation

(Warning sensitive images below)

Social media handles:

FB-Vanessa Antolik Narducci

IG-Vanessa Antolik Narducci

Where are you from? 

I was an Army kid, but my Dad retired in Kansas and that’s home.

Where do you live now?

Kentucky. 

Tell us a little about yourself:

7/2022-after enucleation

I’ve been married to my husband for almost 14 years but have known him since sixth grade. We have two pretty amazing adult children. My husband owns a tree service. Before being assaulted I was a case manager at a community mental health agency. We live in a small town about forty-five minutes outside Nashville with three dogs. For anyone wondering, three dogs are too many. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading, watching trash TV, and music, being outside when it’s nice, gardening, walking, biking, and the occasional adventure to a thrift store or antique shop. 

What’s your eye story? 

On 1/3/22 I was assaulted by a client during a home visit and life-flighted to Vanderbilt. I was beaten badly and had lacerations on my face, head and hands. While doctors knew immediately that the vision in my left eye was likely never going to return, for cosmetic purposes they saved my left globe. My eye continued to cause pain and that led to enucleation in July 2022. My surgeon gave me a great recommendation for an ocularist and I began the prosthetic process. I joke that if you have to get attacked, doing so within helicopter distance of Vanderbilt is the way to go. The care I have received has been phenomenal 

1/2022 post- op appointment

What has been the most challenging mentally?

There is a lot of trauma surrounding my attack and navigating the legal system has been difficult. 

What has been the most challenging physically?

Initially, it was the surgeries and healing from the assault. Now it is the continued nerve pain on the left side of my face, depth perception, and driving especially at night (which I don’t do).

Where are you now in your recovery?

I’m two years out and feel pretty good overall, but a lot in my life has changed. I never returned to work, which has been an adjustment, and there are still a lot of unknowns about what will happen next in my situation.  

What advice would you give to someone going through their eye impairment journey?

Go to therapy, rely on family/friends, and find a community even if you aren’t ready to share, seeing that it gets better helps. It has also helped me to remember this is just my hard right now. We all have to go through hard things.

1/3/2022-one of the pictures from my attack.

Who is your eye surgeon and ocularist? 

Dr. Louise Mawn-Vanderbilt University

Scott Fiscus B.C.O.-Precision Ocular Prosthetics 

How did you find EYEHESIVE?  

My therapist, whom I met after my attack, suggested I find people via social media who were experiencing monocular vision. It helped so much for me to see that it would get better. 

Because I mentioned them and they really are cute.