"I think I can"
Carolyn lost much of her vision after several glaucoma surgeries, leaving her feeling angry and discouraged. But a familiar childhood story inspired her to keep trying, even when tasks seemed impossible.
Hadley
I think I can
Carolyn: I lost much of my vision. I began to become very puzzled, angry and disillusioned by what had happened.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Carolyn: Hello, my name is Carolyn and I live in the state of Virginia. Over 30 years ago, I was diagnosed with glaucoma and until 2017, my vision was pretty good. However, in 2017, the doctors decided that I needed to have surgery. I had my first intrusive surgery during that year. Then I had two more surgeries in 2019, along with some other procedures.
Things did not go well and I lost much of my vision. At this time, I began to become very puzzled, angry and disillusioned by what had happened. I recently began to think of a children's story entitled, “The Little Engine That Could.” There was a little engine that was given the task to pull a train over a mountain. This train had toys in it that was going to be given to children.
The Little Engine thought he could not perform this task. However, he girded himself up and he began to say to himself, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” And the more he became confident of what he could do, he was successful in getting that train over that mountain. Once he got the train over the mountain, he said to himself, “I thought I could, I thought I could.”
I am using this same scenario in my life with my vision. I thought I could not do some task because of the vision loss. However, once I got training and got help with resources such as Hadley, iBook, my local rehabilitation center. And yes, my peers, I began to successfully accomplish some task. I therefore was saying to myself, as the little engine did, “I think I can, I think I can.”
And then once I accomplished those task, I said to myself again, as the little engine said, “I thought I could. I thought I could.” I encourage you to think like that little engine. With the notion of, I think I can, I think I can. And you will achieve those things that you thought you could not. You will be able to get over the mountains that you face, persist, persevere and push.
God bless.
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
-
Episode 59
Bruce's vision had been decreasing for years. When it reached the point where he was tripping over objects and bumping into people, he felt embarrassed and kept his vision loss a secret. His wife convinced him to try something new.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Episode 50
Learning to live with vision loss wasn't always easy for Pam. But with time, her bad days are fewer.
-
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"
-
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.