"It finally clicked"
Listen in as Leah shares how it finally clicked for her—the realization that she's not alone.
Hadley
It finally clicked
Leah: I felt like the doctor kind of just threw me to the wolves. You're going to go blind. Oh, by the way, make an appointment to see me in a year.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Leah: My name is Leah Moore and I live in Omaha, Nebraska.
Just a little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with Vitelliform Macular Dystrophy, late onset. At the time I just figured, you know, doctors have been wrong before. They've been wrong again, I'm not worried about it. And I just kind of blew it off. After about four months, everything started looking like it was crumpled up paper. If you had paper that somebody crumpled it up and then tried to flatten it out, it would've had all the crinkles in it. And at that time, I just thought, "Well, maybe I should probably have this in my medical record." So I called and got the information, and when the doctor diagnosed me, she said, "Within two years, you will not be able to drive. You will not be able to read, and you'll not be able to recognize anyone's faces."
I felt like the doctor kind of just threw me to the wolves. You're going to go blind. Oh, by the way, make an appointment to see me in a year.
My biggest issue was just accepting it, knowing this is really going to happen because I was in denial for so long and trying to make excuses for everything. And once it hit me, we were on our way to the Grand Canyon to see before I couldn't see, and that's when reality hit me.
I have heard, it seems like all my life, I've heard people say, you're not alone, you're not alone. For everything they say, you're not alone. And it just meant nothing to me until I was able to actually hear other people who really were going through the same things, or they've been through what I'm going through now. And they'll say, "I remember that time, and you're going to get through it just like I did." And it finally clicked. I am really am not alone.
I get up when I get upset. I start singing, "I can do anything better than you can."
It reminds me, I can keep going. It is not the end of the world, and you can't even see the end of the world from here. It just keeps on going. And I can keep going too.
I am absolutely lost if I didn't have the assistance of others and the guidance and the people who share their stories.
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
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Episode 70
The week Jessica was diagnosed with an eye disease that would progressively impair her vision, she also found out she had cancer. A few things have helped her continue to feel strong and less isolated.
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Episode 69
Jack's vision has been declining for years. The hardest part for him is that it just keeps changing, so he needs to keep adapting. A routine Jack's wife put in place for the couple has helped him cope and adjust.
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Episode 68
Losing a fair amount of her vision brought with it a series of other losses for Dia. She began to feel depressed and very fearful. However, she gradually started giving herself pep talks and reconnecting with the things that bring her joy.
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Episode 67
Julia had always lived life on her own terms. So, when vision loss meant giving up her car keys, she used a white cane or her husband's arm to guide her steps, and kept going. Still, she noticed a change in how others treated her… until she made a decision she now calls, "the best thing I ever did."
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Episode 66
When the scenario Leighann had feared for years finally happened and glaucoma took much of her vision, it hit her hard. But her desire to keep living meant challenging herself—even when it scared her.
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Episode 65
Michael's vision loss led him down a long, uncomfortable road, discovering what he had to let go of and what he could still hold on to for his future. He continues to challenge himself to try new things.
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Episode 64
Tamisue's eyesight has diminished to the point where she feels stuck between two worlds—not enough vision to function as she once did, but not fully blind. She fears her world going completely dark. However, an addition to her life has made a tremendous difference for both her and her family.
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Episode 63
The loss Tom feels regarding his vision is complicated because it is ongoing. Acceptance has not come easy. Through the years, though, he has come to approach life a bit differently.
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Episode 62
Anne's declining vision had her feeling down and sorry for herself. But two gifts—one she gave and one she received—helped turn things around for her.
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Episode 61
Glaucoma advanced to the point where Ron found it too difficult to do the volunteer work he loved in retirement. Still, he found a way to pull himself out of the hole he felt he was in and continue to give back.
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Episode 60
Diabetic retinopathy has taken more and more of Charles's vision. To cope, he is learning new approaches to life AND leaning into areas of passion that don't rely on sight.
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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.