"I followed my faith"
Listen in as Tom shares how leaning on his faith helps him adjust to vision loss.
Hadley
I followed my faith
Tom: In the beginning you panic, there's frustration, you're overwhelmed with emotions. You have to realize that it takes time.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Tom: In the beginning, you are like, "What now? What do I do now?"
It's a life...You can make it. It's just having to really reinvent yourself. And I know now with hindsight is 2020 that in the beginning you panic, there's frustration, you're overwhelmed with emotions. Some days you get up, you feel pretty good, I've got this, life is good, it's okay. And then it can be the next day, it can be later that day. All of a sudden, the emotions that are there, you have to realize that it takes time, patience.
It's kind of funny because there was this lady in our discussion group, not to do with Hadley, but a local group that I'm involved with. She said that a friend of hers really didn't understand, not just people with vision impairment, but people with disabilities, period. And really didn't have a whole lot of compassion and was kind of jaded. Until all of a sudden she lost her vision. And then her whole life got turned upside. And now, she realizes it changes your whole perspective on life and you can become compassionate. I look at it for me because a big component that's helped me more than anything else is faith.
Because sometimes God allows trials and suffering to strengthen our faith so we can help others and be more useful in that. It's really, really hard to be relatable to people if you haven't gone through trials and stuff. All of a sudden, it's, "I know how you feel. I felt the same way, but this is what I found, and you're going to be okay. You've got this, you can make it through this." And that is a very profound thing.
If everybody was just all right, and it was only certain people that had trials and suffering and most everybody else just kind of came into this world and everything was great and wonderful until they leave the world, well, yeah, the best help we can receive is from somebody we can relate with that has gone through things, they've suffered loss. It doesn't have to be vision, it could be anything.
And for me it's how can I continue to serve people? Because I think at the very end of it all, it's not about how much you can get out of life, but how many people are better off because you lived.
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 81
When Eddie lost a fair amount of vision, she was scared and didn’t know how she was going to cope. But she found a source of strength and inspiration.
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Episode 80
As Kenneth lost most of his sight to glaucoma, he was feeling increasingly isolated and alone. Then he made a commitment, forcing himself to find ways to stay connected to the rest of the world.
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Episode 79
When Carol Lee was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, she was angry and frustrated. Over time, resentment began to fade a bit and the shock wore off. Gradually, her perspective started to shift.
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Episode 78
When Cliff unexpectedly lost a fair amount of his sight, he felt overwhelmed. But with time, he found a way forward.
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Episode 77
Thomas is experiencing many challenges of late, including vision loss. He finds inspiration and hope knowing he's not alone.
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Episode 76
Nikki has lost her vision due to a rare autoimmune disease. While she appreciates positive bits of advice and encouragement, she also stays grounded in the struggles she's facing and knows others do, too. She's feeling the loss.
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Episode 75
When a favorite hobby became more difficult for Dianne due to glaucoma, she learned to tap into something else. It turned out to be the ideal thing.
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Episode 74
Peter's sight slowly but steadily worsened over the course of several years. When he had to give up driving, his self-image took a hit. Working through his emotions has helped him cope and adjust.
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Episode 73
Sherry's vision loss has been gradual yet relentless. Asking for help to do things she used to be able to do on her own is a challenge for her, as it is for many. But she's finding some new tools and new ways to do things.
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Episode 72
Carolyn lost much of her vision after several glaucoma surgeries, leaving her feeling angry and discouraged. But a familiar childhood story inspired her to keep trying, even when tasks seemed impossible.
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Episode 71
Learning he would never see again was heartbreaking for Shannon. Embracing what challenged him, Shannon discovered strength in the unfamiliar.
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Episode 70
The week Jessica was diagnosed with an eye disease that would progressively impair her vision, she also found out she had cancer. A few things have helped her continue to feel strong and less isolated.