My chronic open glaucoma and how it scares me

I was diagnosed with chronic open-angle glaucoma several years ago and it's starting to scare me.

Why?  I went to my ophthalmologist last week for a pressure check and at the end of the appointment he shared with me that I had lost 70 percent of the optic nerve in my right eye, while I still had 80 percent in my left eye.

In my previous appointments, he had always assured me that it was really being managed and that going blind was not something that I needed to be concerned about as long as I took the eyedrops and kept my appointments.  And this is what I've been doing.

Then kaboom, he throws this factoid out about my optic nerve loss.  I knew that he doesn't have the kind of practice where he can carefully explain what these various facts mean and whether they will dramatically affect my visual future. 

I've been researching on the web for information about the optic nerve and the three drops I'm taking.

But, I'm concerned about what this means.  I will find some answers.

Are there other baby-boomers out there with glaucoma who have dealt with these communication challenges with their eye doctor?  Do we need to form a "tribe" where we can exchange information and experiences?  Is there one already out there and where do I join?