"I never thought of that"
Randy's search for help led him into a whole new way of thinking.
Insights and Soundbites
I never thought of that
Randy: Probably the hardest part was just not understanding and getting information and help on trying to navigate through the emotions of it.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Randy: There's always the, why me thing. And then of course, you go back to the, why not? I have a strong faith, and I understand the way life works, but there's still emotionally, as humans, we still deal with the sense of loss and, "Well, what do I do now?" A lot of it is, "Well, okay, I got this." And even if you are able to come to terms with it, it's like, "Okay, so now what?"
One of the things that... Looking backwards, probably the hardest part was just not understanding and getting information and help on trying to navigate through the emotions of it and navigating with the loss of vision. And there wasn't a lot of help.
But, when I came across that one by Douglas Walker, Adjusting to Vision Loss, and I read it, it just captured so much of what I felt over the years. To me, it was the most logical first workshop anybody should take when they encounter vision loss, when they're first dealing with it. It just helps you to think about the emotions, think about, "Okay, what are my steps going forward, and what am I going to do?"
What I liked about that was they made a comment about how vision loss is... When you have a loss, you go through the cycle of grieving, anger, all that stuff. Yeah, we all do that. But what was very interesting is they made the comment, "Well, because people don't realize your vision, you reach a plateau and then a little while later, your vision deteriorates more, you go through the whole process all over again." I never thought of that. That makes perfect sense.
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 22
Listen in as Sam shares how he struggled trying to hide his vision loss-and how he finally turned the corner.
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Episode 21
Listen in as Eugenia describes how her own determination and the support of friends helped her keep moving forward.
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Episode 20
Listen in as Zenobia shares how she found the support and strength she needed.
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Episode 19
Listen in and be inspired as Saras explains how changing her perspective to, "Why NOT me?" helped her tap into her strengths.
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Episode 18
Sheri shares with us how the love for her horses helped her find purpose and peace.
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Episode 17
Kendra shares with us how a visit to a low vision center gave her more than she ever expected.
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Episode 16
Listen to Carol's story as she shares how owning her changing vision gave her the drive to discover useful resources and realize that it's important—and okay—to ask for help when she needs it.
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Episode 15
Listen in as Chuck shares how he found hope in a chance encounter.
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Episode 14
Listen in as Kara shares how she found new ways to express herself in her love of visual art, and redefining a meaningful life.
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Episode 13
Listen in as Leah shares how it finally clicked for her—the realization that she's not alone.
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Episode 12
Hear how Axel set one goal at a time and slowly took the steps to rebuild his skills, reengage in his art, and reestablish his emotional well being.
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Episode 11
Gregory shares how finding a mentor made all the difference in the world to him, and his entire family.