"I'm not excluded from life"
Dennis found that many aspects of life with vision loss can be a struggle. Then he found something that turned that around.
Hadley
Not excluded from life
Presented by Douglas Walker
Douglas: Hello, and welcome to Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites podcast, where people facing vision loss share insights about what has helped them cope and adjust.
Dennis: I started noticing more and more things about being blind and visually impaired, that the world is not really geared for us, especially in my little town.
Hi, I'm Dennis Wright. I’m 65 and I'm from Moberly, Missouri.
A couple of years ago, I woke up one morning with a little spot in my eye, in my right eye. I didn't know what it was. And so, I went to my family doctor and he just said I scratched it, and it kept getting worse, and within two weeks, I couldn't see anything out of my right eye. And, after a lot of tests with ophthalmologists, and then I started going to a neuro-ophthalmologist, they finally decided that it was what was called NAION. I can't remember what the abbreviation stands for, but it's basically my optic nerve had ruptured in the middle of the night.
So, they said that the eyesight that I got was either going to stay the same, it was going to get worse, it could get a little bit better, but it would never be the same. But they said, the good news, it won't happen to the left eye. A year later, it happened to my left eye, but it didn't rupture. It just swelled up and it cut a lot of blood supply.
I was a truck driver for 19 years, and then when I lost my right eye, that pretty much ended the truck driving career, but I didn't let it stop me. I started loading trucks up and stuff like that. I stayed in the trucking industry. But then when it happened to the other one.
I'm going, "Now what?" And the thing is, my ophthalmologist and the people that I've seen, the doctors that I've seen, never mentioned anybody that I can contact to help me with this problem.
And it's been kind of like a struggle. But then I started noticing more and more things about being blind and visually impaired, that the world is not really geared for us, especially in my little town.
It does make you want to give up, and I can understand because I didn't know where to go. I got to where I drove down the street and a car passed me, and I couldn't see it. And I turned around and I got my car back in the driveway and I said, "I can't drive no more." And that's hard when somebody has drove their whole life and their career was truck driving.
And I mean, the greatest thing that I've found so far is the audio description. I wish Congress would mandate that for everything that's ever put on TV. The first person that told me about that was a blind guy on the bus, and he said, "Once you get used to it," he said, "you'll love it."
The more I watched it, the more I loved it. And I've had a TV set ever since I was a little boy, and it's just habit, but it's just like I can tell what's happened…with audio description. I don't feel like I am excluded from life. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Douglas: We’d love 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 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.