"I love to cook and I'm not stopping"
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.
Hadley
I love to cook and I’m not stopping
Presented by Douglas Walker
Linda: When I lost the vision where I couldn't read anymore, that was even more devastating. There's so many things I love to do, and now I can't see to do it.
Douglas: Hello, and welcome to Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites podcast, where people facing vision loss share insights about what has helped them cope and adjust.
Linda: Hi. I'm Linda LeCuyer, and I'm from Raleigh, North Carolina.
I am 63, almost 64 years old, and I was diagnosed with RP when I was in my early 30s, but it stayed stable for years, and then in my 50s, it started to progress.
So, in my fifties, I was also going through breast cancer. I started to lose some of my vision. It started with my night vision, and then started losing my peripheral vision. And as I was going through the process of breast cancer, and treatments, and everything, started to lose the central vision in my right eye. And then when I finished with all my surgeries, that spring started losing my vision in my right eye. So that was pretty devastating.
When I had to stop driving, that was pretty devastating. I was driving one day, and I was at a gas station. And I backed up, and I hit something. And I panicked, and my son was like, "Mom, Mom, it's okay. It's just a guardrail." And I said, "Oh my God." I started crying. I was like, "That could have been a child. That could have been anything." And I came home, and I said to my husband, "I'm done. I'm not driving anymore. I'm hanging up the keys." And I told him what happened. He goes, "Well, I don't blame you." So, I stopped driving, and then when I lost the vision where I couldn't read anymore, that was even more devastating, because I'm like, "Oh my gosh. How am I going to do this?" Because I love to cook. There's so many things I love to do, and now I can't see to do it. That was why I reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services.
They lined me up with an independent living counselor. And he was amazing. He was very compassionate, and he said they had a 10-week class, which was one day a week, and it helped you to cope with vision loss. And I was like, "I'm in. I need this." And I think every class I cried, and he said, "You're my most emotional person." But I learned so much in there, and I learned that I can still do everything. I just have to adapt the way I do it. I can do everything everybody else does. I just have to do it a different way.
And Hadley helped with that, because I was like, "Well, if I can't read, I need to learn braille." So, I learned uncontracted reading and writing braille, and then my kids helped me by, I got a braille label maker. And they labeled all my spices for me because I love to cook, and I thought, "I'm not stopping."
As far as activities, I have a walking buddy that I walk with. I used to love to bike ride. So, my husband got a tandem bike, and now we ride together all the time, kayaking. We do double kayaks. So, I still do all the things I love to do. I like I said, just do it differently.
Don't be afraid to reach out for help because fear sometimes leads to failure, and we don't have to fear. We can do it.
Douglas: Is there an insight you’d like to share? We’d love 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 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.
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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 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.