"It gave me hope that I could do this"
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.
Hadley
It gave me hope that I could do this
Presented by Douglas Walker
Jeffrey: Really not being able to do much was very difficult at first. You feel out of control. You you're not in control of your life anymore and you're helpless. And you really depend on other people and that's that is you can be humiliating, really.
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.
Jeffrey: My name is Jeffrey Richter and I am from Scottsdale, AZ.
I was a professor of psychology for 26 years, at a college here in Scottsdale.
I began to lose my vision in 2017 after a series of surgeries, including cornea transplants, those along with glaucoma, took my sight. Within a few years, I went from fully sighted to totally blind within about four years.
Really not being able to do much was very difficult at first. I was at home and living alone. I couldn't use my phone. I couldn't watch television. I couldn't the clean my house. I couldn't do anything. There's about a six month period there where I was just a limbo. And so that was that was very hard.
You feel out of control. You you're not in control of your life anymore and you're helpless. And you really depend on other people and that's that is you can be humiliating, really. Just a loss of dignity.
I began to get the vocational rehabilitation to learn skills. I had to learn how many new skills. It was like returning the 1st grade.
I had to switch of course, the computer going from using vision about to click on things with the mouse to using screen readers and keyboard commands to navigate was very difficult.
So being able to start doing things on my own, even though it was a long haul was very empowering.
Feeling that you are able to do what you want to do, that you are in control of your life. And also seeing people who have been blind and seeing that they could successfully live their lives, they could function every day and their lives.
All of that help gave me hope that I would be able to do this.
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 vision loss? 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 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 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.
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Episode 46
Ashia felt all alone in her vision loss. No one around her knew what she was going through. Then she found something that gave her hope.
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Episode 45
Dennis found that many aspects of life with vision loss can be a struggle. Then he found something that turned that around.