"Don't let this steal your joy"
Listen in as Cindy shares how advice from her son helped her adjust to her new normal.
Hadley
Don’t let this steal your joy
Cindy Scott Huisman: I have really called upon those words from our son many times throughout the five years since sight loss.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Cindy Scott Huisman: My name is Cindy Scott Huisman, and I live in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Our son became legally blind at age seven in 1999 due to a hereditary condition called Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.
And 18 years later, my eyesight became affected with the same condition.
Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy or LHON causes central eyesight loss due to issue with the optic nerves. And so, it has caused me to have issues with seeing people's faces and reading print. And of course, I can't drive a car.
Along the way, shortly after sight loss, I remember discussing what was going on with me with our son, and he said, mom, this isn't the end of the world. That was encouraging. “This isn’t the end of the world.”
And there was another day when he and I were at the house together and I was trying to totally reformulate how I go about making a grocery list, and I was getting really frustrated and he said, don't let this thing steal your joy.
I have really called upon those words from our son many times throughout the five years since sight loss.
There were just so many steps along the way with him growing up and just figuring out the system as far as his education and everything else that needed to happen along the way. And then for him to have that opportunity to turn it around and help advocate for me, encouraging me and making me feel better. It was just such a lovely full circle kind of situation.
Marc: You never know who might need to hear your story. If you’d like to share with us, just leave us a message on our Insights & Sound Bites voicemail. By calling, 847-512-4867. Or, you can use your smartphone or computer and email us a recording to [email protected].
All Episodes
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Episode 63
The loss Tom feels regarding his vision is complicated because it is ongoing. Acceptance has not come easy. Through the years, though, he has come to approach life a bit differently.
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Episode 62
Anne's declining vision had her feeling down and sorry for herself. But two gifts—one she gave and one she received—helped turn things around for her.
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Episode 61
Glaucoma advanced to the point where Ron found it too difficult to do the volunteer work he loved in retirement. Still, he found a way to pull himself out of the hole he felt he was in and continue to give back.
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Episode 60
Diabetic retinopathy has taken more and more of Charles's vision. To cope, he is learning new approaches to life AND leaning into areas of passion that don't rely on sight.
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Episode 59
Bruce's vision had been decreasing for years. When it reached the point where he was tripping over objects and bumping into people, he felt embarrassed and kept his vision loss a secret. His wife convinced him to try something new.
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Episode 58
Marie grieved the loss of her vision, and still does. Yet, on a sunny August morning, she came to a realization that made all the difference in the world.
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Episode 57
Terry's doctor told him, "There's nothing more we can do. You'll never drive again," and he was distraught. Then he recalled his military days as a Marine and sailor, and that got him through.
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Episode 56
When Emma lost her sight in just a few months, she struggled to cope. She felt alone, her insecurities grew, and self-esteem plummeted. With time, she came to a new understanding and that helped her tremendously.
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Episode 55
Dave calls his experience with vision loss a slow torture. In the face of this, however, he has found a sense of inspiration in explorers, history, and an activity you wouldn't typically connect with vision loss, sightseeing.
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Episode 54
When Albert's vision decreased to the point that he could no longer read print anymore, he found it stressful. But he's found a new source of comfort that helps him quite a bit.
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Episode 53
Jayne can feel isolated living with her eye disease, spending much of her days forcing herself to focus on things that have become blurry. The stress can be overwhelming, causing her to shut down. But there's one area of life that now brings her more joy than ever before.
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Episode 52
When Jeffry lost his sight, he felt a loss of control, a loss of dignity. Then, he began his long road to empowerment, one small goal at a time.