Retinitis Pigmentosa Support Group

Born in the early sixties in New Hampshire, I now live in Reno, Nevada with my wife and two dogs. Along the way I've owned my own business, earned a Masters in Mathematics, and worked for a company that makes gambling machines.

Like Wiggy, I had an early interest in flight. I was able to solo a Cessna, but never received a license. I failed the color vision test, and although my RP was not diagnosed, I felt uneasy flying because I couldn't always pick out the other aircraft.

I was an active cyclist on and off for most of my life, but gave up after a crash resulted in two broken ribs. I never did see what I hit, and was diagnosed with RP later that year.

I've spent time hiking and rock-climbing, although I've giving up leading for safety reasons. I have climbed all but four of the fourteen thousand foot peaks in California. Three of the ones that remain are a little exposed - a stumble could be dangerous, although they don't require ropes. I'm still contemplating the attempts.

With hindsight, I now recognize events as far back as my early teens that suggested RP.However, it was not until 2007, well into my forties, that I was diagnosed. I drove during the day for a while and then was declared legally blind in 2009 and obviously stopped driving completely.