While perusing the Disney forum for the previous item, we came across an update on Don Rosa’s detached retina relayed from Dan Shane on the Disney Comics Mailing List on 3/26:
Don has communicated to me that on Tuesday he had a follow-up visit to the eye doctor to check the progress of his recent surgery. It was discovered that his “good” eye was developing some tears that foretold the same retinal detachment he experienced in his left eye, so he again had an immediate operation – this time laser surgery to mend the tears. His doctor feared that the retina in his right eye might also detach before his left eye had healed, rendering him blind in both eyes for months.
Don’s vision has been suffering for many years, and the level of detail he puts into his long stories most certainly contributed to it. I have watched him hovering closely over his work and was often reminded of the character played by Donald Pleasence in THE GREAT ESCAPE. He portrayed an excellent forger who also lost his vision when the constant hours of highly detailed paperwork aggravated his myopia to the point of blindness.
Fortunately Don’s condition has not reached that point, but it would be unrealistic to think that his vision will actually improve. The best we can all hope for is that his situation does not worsen. It is more likely that his vision problems can only be slowed. He has known (obviously) that his eyes are not what they used to be, and it probably helps explain the reduction in his output in recent years.
We send our best wishes to Don for a speedy recovery.
Ditto on the best wishes for Don.
God, not that it would be pleasant for anyone, but as a cartoonist I can empathize all too well with the horror of losing my sight; I think I’d rather be crippled and deafened before that.