"I pick myself up"

Hadley

I pick myself up

Denise: I’m constantly losing vision and it’s just painfully slow. You never know what you’re going to wake up to.

Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.

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.

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].