"It's the best thing I ever did"
Kendra shares with us how a visit to a low vision center gave her more than she ever expected.
Hadley
It’s the best thing I ever did
Kendra: I saw that my parents went blind and they didn't do anything to help themselves and to get ahead of it. And I'm not that kind of person.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Kendra: My name is Kendra Marcus, and I live in Lafayette, California, which is in the Bay Area of California. And I am working in the publishing industry, and I am still working. And it's very exciting to be able to figure out ways to work around and still continue to work.
First of all, I saw that my parents went blind and they didn't do anything to help themselves and to get ahead of it. They just accepted it. And I'm not that kind of person. And so, I was looking around and I went to a low vision center because somebody said, you can try a low vision center. And there they said they had a support group if I was interested. So, I went to the support group, even though I sort of don't like things like that. I'm not a joiner. I tend to just figure it out by myself. But I thought, I can't do this by myself. So, I went and it was a group of people from 40 to 92 who just came in.
And each time we sort of introduced ourselves, we talked a minute about our eye condition, and then we said, what was bothering us or how did we spend the holidays? How was that for us? What were the problems? And for the holiday one, somebody said, I feel so useless. I can't see anybody who's talking to me. I have to sit in a corner and wait for people to talk to me.
And everybody chimed in, well, have you tried this or have you tried that? And then somebody else would say, I can't read anymore. I don't know what to do. And then somebody would say, have you heard about BARD at the National Library for the Blind? And we just exchanged information at the same time as sort of dealing with some of the harder issues of losing sight. And I would say that that's been the best thing I ever did. And so, in a word, the best thing is to meet another blind person or another person with low vision and find out what they did, because everybody's willing to help. We all are flailing in the beginning because we don't know where to go.
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 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.
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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.