"I keep trying"
Listen in as Eugenia describes how her own determination and the support of friends helped her keep moving forward.
Hadley
I keep trying
Eugenia: The worst part for me with my sight, my sight will never be back. It's my Irish roots, I’m stubborn.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Eugenia DeReu: Hi, my name is Eugenia DeReu. I am from the Buffalo, New York area. I'm 62. Back in January 2021, I stayed in the emergency room. They found a brain tumor the size of a baseball. That was between my skull and my brain. It was pushing my brain back. Through that, I lost a lot of time. I had to learn how to walk again once they took it out.
You know, I went from a wheelchair to a walker to finally walking. I'm still wobbly, but I'm doing better. I lost my sense of smell and I'm still recuperating. My brain is still recuperating two years later. And the worst part for me with my sight, my sight will never be back. I also had radiation, that radiation, that kind of damage, some that I guess it's scary.
But it's my Irish roots, I’m stubborn. And I found friends that I had for a long time that came back even though I was not functioning and they weren't there, they supported me. I found new friends. You know, my family's had a tough time, so we're still working on that one. But these friends have lifted me up and reminded me who I am.
And I've made myself joined the senior center because they have activities. I've made, I lost my independence because of my sight. I can't drive, but I've learned to love Audible.
And if you just embrace everything they say, it's the hardest thing to do is to embrace a new life, especially at 62 or 60. When it started. You know, it's but you could do it. And I still try. And every single day I get up and I think about what I need to do. And I don't always succeed, but I keep trying.
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 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.
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Episode 51
Marilyn went through bouts of anxiety and depression with her vision loss and still grieves the loss several years into her journey. She also decided to do something for herself which has helped tremendously.
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Episode 50
Learning to live with vision loss wasn't always easy for Pam. But with time, her bad days are fewer.
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Episode 49
Jennifer didn't know what to do or who to go to for help as her vision was fading. Then, by chance, she found some help. She found some direction.
The book referenced in this episode is "Macular Degeneration: The Complete Guide to Saving and Maximizing Your Sight"
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Episode 48
When Carmel heard a Hadley podcast, it helped her understand what had been happening to her along with her vision loss—something she had nicknamed her "phantom vision."
Carmel mentions an episode of our sister podcast, Hadley Presents. Here's a link to that episode on Vision Loss and Charles Bonnet Syndrome.
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Episode 47
It was tough for Linda to give up driving and she was heartbroken when reading became difficult. She felt her world was shrinking. But then she asked for help.
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Episode 46
Ashia felt all alone in her vision loss. No one around her knew what she was going through. Then she found something that gave her hope.
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Episode 45
Dennis found that many aspects of life with vision loss can be a struggle. Then he found something that turned that around.
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Episode 44
Judy has lived with progressive vision loss for many years. She's found a way that helps her cope and adjust.
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Episode 43
For years Bill hid his vision loss from others. He was self-conscious about it. Then, he decided to open up.