"I didn't have to figure it out on my own"

Hadley

“I didn’t have to figure it out on my own”

Cliff: My vision loss came on really suddenly. It was really overwhelming. I felt myself grieving, just like anyone would experience with any other kind of major loss of a loved one or some major loss in their lives. It was something I couldn't change.

Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.

Cliff: Hi, my name is Cliff Hochberg and I'm from Princeton Junction, New Jersey. I just want to share a bit of my journey with vision loss with you. I have a condition called neovascular glaucoma.

So, my vision loss came on really suddenly, and it was triggered by a medication change. My doctor wanted me to get a better medication that would allow me to go longer periods of time between my injections.

Well, unfortunately for me, the vaccine didn't work. My vision started to deteriorate. I was ultimately going to have to have surgeries in both eyes to install a shunt. That in addition to being on some different eyedrops and the hope was that everything would be fine and I wouldn't really get worse because it wasn't a degenerative condition.

But unfortunately, the nerve damage had been permanently affected me. And that's really when my life changed and my entire world turned upside down.

It was really overwhelming. I found myself riding waves of anger, depression, sadness, and it would come and go. I felt myself grieving, really, just like anyone would experience with any other kind of major loss of a loved one or some major loss in their lives. It was something I never expected. It was something I was not looking for, and it was something I couldn't change.

But here's the thing. Over time, I realized I didn't have to figure it all out on my own. I reached out to a vision occupational therapist, also a low vision doctor, and discovered that there are tools and there's technology that allowed me to accept this new way of living. It wasn't easy, but step by step, I learned to navigate my life again.

I also came to realize that while my eyesight won't improve, my ability to handle the challenges can.

While this has really affected me, I lost the ability to drive. I have to rely on my wife and other people to do things for me. I don't have total vision loss. I have low vision and I'm grateful for that.

You know, I'm grateful for the things that I, I can do. So, thanks for listening to my story. I hope that my experience can help someone else listening to this.

Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

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].