"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
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.
Voice 1: You cannot do this alone. You need people who are experiencing the same thing.
Voice 2: Probably the hardest part was just navigating through the emotions of it.
Douglas: My name is Douglas Walker. It’s easy to deny a loss, especially when you feel all alone. Today, we’ll hear from Leah. Leah will share with us how she finally found hope by listening to others who are going through the same things.
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.
Douglas: Was there something that someone said to you or something that happened along the way that made all the difference in the world in helping you adjust to living with vision loss?
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]. Again, my name is Douglas Walker. Take care and I’ll see you next time.
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.