Learn English – What does “have been left with” mean

meaning-in-contextword-meaning

I had optic neuritis more than 25 years ago and was left with permanently reduced field of vision in my left eye. I saw an eye specialist earlier this year and he told me that I was extremely unlucky to have been left with my vision so badly affected. He said that most people who get optic neuritis recover fully, or nearly completely.

What does it mean by "left" in this paragraph?

  1. Does it mean that he did not go to a doctor to fix or check his eyes for a long time so he got a permanent reduced field of vision? Did he wait thinking that his eyes would be cured without going to a doctor? In other words, If he went to a doctor earlier (faster), He would not have a permanent reduced field of vision and his field of vision would be better now.

  2. Does it mean that he was extremely unlucky so that it ended up with permanent damage in the eye? The word "left" here means "ended up" or "eventually".

Thank you very much,

Best Answer

Left is the past participle of leave. If you break a leg and it doesn't heal properly, this can leave you with [result in] a limp. Similarly, your neuritis has left you with [resulted in] a reduced field of vision.

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