Britt McHenry learned a valuable lesson about the 21st century last year when she went ballistic on a parking lot attendant — you never know when cameras are watching you. And as a result of her temper tantrum, the ESPN reporter’s life has changed forever.
In fact, McHenry’s life has changed in ways she never imagined. Sure, she lives with the guilt of berating another woman about her weight and intelligence. But the incident has also led to physical changes for her, as well. In a first-person piece she wrote through Abigail Pesta of Marie Claire, McHenry revealed that she lost her eyesight due to stress from the backlash and may have permanent vision issues.
It’s hard to describe how it feels to have people dislike you when they don’t even know you. It takes a toll on your mind and body alike. In fact, in dealing with all the stress, the vision in my right eye grew cloudy. I could no longer see clearly; everything was a blur. I went to a retinal specialist, who diagnosed me with CSR, a condition in which vision is impaired, often due to trauma or extreme stress. Neither medication nor time helped alleviate the problem. I had no choice but to start a series of injections directly into my eye to try to regain my vision and prevent further damage. The first time I watched the needle approach my eye (yes, you’re awake for this!), I broke down, halting the process until I could regain my composure. I was a wreck, not so much because of the injection, but because of what had brought me to that point.
It would become the first of endless injections, and I still flinch every time. The doctor says the vision in my eye might never improve.
McHenry spoke about much, much more in the piece, but that was the most alarming revelation. Those of you who have not seen the video of her going off on the parking lot attendant can watch it here.
H/T Awful Announcing
