David ‘Kochie’ Koch reveals he almost went blind before an optometrist found a serious condition he didn’t know was worsening his vision: ‘I hadn’t noticed a difference’
David ‘Kochie’ Koch has revealed how an eye condition nearly left him blind.
The Sunrise star was diagnosed with glaucoma and said he was lucky it was discovered in time.
“It was a real revelation and a bit scary to think that if this optometrist hadn’t picked it up, it would have only gotten worse,” the 66-year-old told The Herald Sun on Monday.
David ‘Kochie’ Koch (pictured) has revealed how an eye condition nearly blinded him. The Sunrise star was diagnosed with glaucoma and said he was lucky it was discovered in time
“If it hadn’t been treated for a year or two, it would have been really hard to stabilize and it would have passed the tipping point.”
In glaucoma, the nerve that connects the eye to the brain becomes damaged, usually due to high pressure in the eye.
It causes irreversible vision loss that is usually gradual and can go unnoticed until it’s too late. It is treated with laser therapy, eye drops, or surgery.
“It was a real revelation and a bit scary to think that if this optometrist hadn’t picked it up, it would have only gotten worse,” the 66-year-old told The Herald Sun on Monday
“If it hadn’t been treated for a year or two, it would have been really hard to stabilize and it would have passed the tipping point,” he added. Pictured at Sunrise with Natalie Barr
“We read a lot about Sunrise, pretty far from autocue, and I haven’t noticed a difference over the years,” David said.
David shares four adult children, Brianna, Samantha, Alexander and Georgina with his wife Libby.
The couple met decades ago and have been happily together ever since.
‘Lib was a 20-year-old nurse. Our friend Judy decided to throw a party and that’s where we met in 1977,” Kochie told New Idea magazine.
In April, David was able to see his eight grandchildren together for the first time in two years after Western Australia opened its borders
In April, David was able to see his eight grandchildren together for the first time in two years after Western Australia opened its borders.
Uploading a photo to his Instagram account, David was seen smiling as he posed alongside his wife Libby, 43, and their daughter and grandchildren.
“All eight grandchildren together for the first time…the WA mob hadn’t returned in two years,” he wrote.
David shares four adult children, Brianna, Samantha, Alexander and Georgina, with his wife Libby (right). The couple met decades ago and have been happily together ever since