By Jan Koremans
The family doctor didn’t pay much attention to it, but after a few days, I started experiencing severe pain in my eye. I ended up at the hospital after all, where the ophthalmologist diagnosed a severe infection behind my eye. After several weeks of treatment, I was told that, unfortunately, the eye could not be saved and would have to be removed. Otherwise, the inflammation could spread to my other eye, and I might become completely blind. A few weeks after the surgery, I went to the Hague Artificial Eye Laboratory to get my first ocular prosthesis.
Some good advice
Even as a child, I took an interest in my father’s work at a young age. He was a watchmaker and clockmaker. On the advice of my eye doctor, I decided to pursue training as a watchmaker after all. I also earned a diploma in goldsmithing. My father owned a jewelry store and retired when he turned 65. After nine years of experience, I took over the business from my parents. I stopped selling merchandise, and for the past thirty years, I’ve mainly been repairing and maintaining all kinds of clocks, watches, and jewelry that have broken.
I still find this work very rewarding, and I’m perfectly capable of doing this precise work with just one eye. Even in my daily activities, I’m hardly hindered by the fact that I’m missing one eye. I hope to be able to continue doing this wonderful work until I retire.
