"I stopped hiding it"
For years Bill hid his vision loss from others. He was self-conscious about it. Then, he decided to open up.
Hadley
I stopped hiding it
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.
Bill: When I first started losing my sight, you're kind of embarrassed about it. So, you try to hide it from people. And I mean, I did that for years.
My name is Bill Hartman. I live in Tampa Bay, Florida, and I have retinitis pigmentosa.
I guess one of the hardest things when I first started losing my sight. I was, and I hear a lot of people tell me this too, you're kind of embarrassed about it, I guess or self-conscious about it. So, you try to hide it from people. And I mean, I did that for years.
And as soon as I stopped doing that and just wasn't trying to hide it anymore, and just would tell people when I met them, like, look, if I miss a handshake or something because I can't see you, it definitely helps, rather than trying to act like you're not.
But once I realized telling people and people support you regardless if you're sighted or not, it wasn't that big of a deal. And it just definitely felt good to get that off my chest without having to worry about that anymore.
If you give people the opportunity to help you, they will. But you just got to give them the opportunity.
When I got the mindset of losing your sight isn't the end of your life, to me, I would just tell myself, okay, I got to figure out how to do this. I got to figure out how to do that. And as you start stacking those little building blocks up and start realizing all this stuff you still can do, it's actually really cool.
Douglas: Is there an insight you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you. 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 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.