"I pick myself up"
Denise can struggle with the slow but continuous loss of vision she's facing. But she's found a way to pick herself up on a bad day.
Hadley
I Pick Myself Up
Presented by Douglas Walker
Douglas: Hello, and welcome to the Insights and Sound Bites podcast, where people facing vision loss share insights about what has helped them cope and adjust.
Denise: I’m constantly losing vision and it’s just painfully slow. You never know what you’re going to wake up to.
Douglas: My name is Douglas Walker. You know, with some eye conditions, we slowly lose vision over time. And it can be a real struggle not knowing what we’ll face with the dawn of each day. Today, Denise will share with us how the joy of a furry companion helps lift her up, when she’s feeling down.
Denise: My name is Denise Schweitzer, and I am a resident in the southern most tip of Indiana, in the Evansville area.
I still mourn the loss of my vision, because with this disease, Stargardts, there is no stable time in your vision. I'm constantly losing vision, and it's just painfully slow. You never know what you're going to wake up to. Every day, you don't know what you're going to wake up to.
I really started struggling going up and down stairs and feeling safe. Then I knew right away, I'm a dog person, always have been a dog person. I knew once I learned how to use that cane, I wanted to learn what the process was to get a guide dog.
Kia is my guide dog, and she's a wonderful girl. She's so much of a companion, and I live in the rural area, and so it's nice to have her because we don't have sidewalks and stuff. I can teach her a route and just tell her to take me to see my friend or whatever, and she just boom, boom, boom, takes me along. It's a nice peace of mind to have her companionship and also feel safe out here in the country where I'm at.
I think the bad days that I've had, I always pick myself up afterwards. Getting outside, spending time with my guide dog, just breaking up the monotony of the sadness works for me.
Douglas: You never know who might need to hear your story. If you’d like to share, you can leave me a voicemail by calling, 847-512-4867. Or, you can email me a recording to [email protected]. Again, my name is Douglas Walker. Take care and I’ll see you next time.
All Episodes
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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.
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Episode 42
For Cynthia, every story shared helps her on her own journey with vision loss.
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Episode 41
Living with low vision meant Karen was constantly explaining to others what she can and can't see. Then she found a tool that has made a big difference.
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Episode 40
Having to give up the car keys was traumatic for Eugenia. She worried about becoming isolated until she found a new way.
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Episode 39
This week, hear how rediscovering a favorite activity helped Celia find balance as she adjusts to vision loss.
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Episode 37
Listen in as Vanessa shares what has helped keep her from feeling hopeless and defeated due to vision loss.
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Episode 36
Stacy shares with us how being honest about her vision loss with her friends and coworkers has made all the difference in the world.
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Episode 35
For many, having to give up the car keys due to vision loss is traumatic. Deb felt it too. Then, during a call to arrange transportation for herself, a new door opened.
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Episode 34
Listen in as Anne describes how a question posed to her shifted her perspective for living with vision loss.
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Episode 33
This week, William shares how learning to continue with his favorite hobby, even with vision loss, has been therapeutic—and uplifting. Here's the link to his website https://www.blindtruths.org/
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Episode 32
This week Angela shares how she struggled to get around due to vision loss, how she tried to hide it from others, and what helped her.