Yes, blindness would be far worse. Yet I still cannot share your opinion of the medicines here. Without Marius Black's expertise I would now be dead.
I haven't seen any itinerant monks who might bother you with their preaching here. Beggars, yes, but you're hardly obliged to be charitable and give money if you'd rather not. You simply have to refuse their requests without sounding in the slightest uncertain about it.