"It's more comfortable talking to others that understand"
When Terry lost more of her vision, it took time to come to terms with what was happening. Talking with others who understand what she's going through has made it easier to open up and find her way forward.
Hadley
“It’s more comfortable talking to others that understand”
Terry: I was kind of like embarrassed to say anything. I feel more comfortable when I'm talking about it with people that understand what I'm going through.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Terry: Hi, my name is Terry Bruce. Everyone calls me Shorty. I'm from San Antonio, Texas, and I have optic atrophy. At the end of 19, I had a stroke, so that affected my vision even more. In 2023, I had another stroke, and it's called a CVA.
And it affected my eyes tremendously. And now I'm coping and trying to deal with losing my vision. I have vision in one eye, my right eye, but not as much. And vision in my left eye is totally gone. I can only see sometimes like flashes of light.
And after the first one, I was kind of like embarrassed to say anything. I'm a very independent person. I'm used to taking care of everybody else. I used to be a CNA, I used to be a QMA nurse and a provider. So I'm used to doing for others.
After I came out of the rehab, they say, well, you're gonna need this, you're gonna need that, you're gonna need this. And everything they started telling me, I heard it, but it wasn't happening to me. It was somebody else. It was like an out-of-body experience. And they was like, did you understand? Did you understand?
And I was like, yeah, sure, but you're not talking to me. You're talking to somebody else and I'm just listening to it. So, I wasn't grasping it.
I thank Hadley so much and I'm so glad I found out about it because y'all are helping me talk to other people that either have the same issue that I have or similarity of issues that I have. And I feel more comfortable when I'm talking about it with people that understand what I'm going through.
I know it's a hard road that we're going down and that we're traveling, but if you believe in God or any higher being or whatever, just talk to them. If you have family or friends, Hadley or whatever, just remember that little engine that said, I think I can, I think I can. And one day, sooner or later, you will be able to say, I can, I can because after you lost your vision you can't expect to just jump up and run a marathon you got to take it step by step and day by day a little by little.
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 40
Having to give up the car keys was traumatic for Eugenia. She worried about becoming isolated until she found a new way.
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Episode 39
This week, hear how rediscovering a favorite activity helped Celia find balance as she adjusts to vision loss.
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Episode 38
Denise can struggle with the slow but continuous loss of vision she's facing. But she's found a way to pick herself up on a bad day.
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Episode 37
Listen in as Vanessa shares what has helped keep her from feeling hopeless and defeated due to vision loss.
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Episode 36
Stacy shares with us how being honest about her vision loss with her friends and coworkers has made all the difference in the world.
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Episode 35
For many, having to give up the car keys due to vision loss is traumatic. Deb felt it too. Then, during a call to arrange transportation for herself, a new door opened.
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Episode 34
Listen in as Anne describes how a question posed to her shifted her perspective for living with vision loss.
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Episode 33
This week, William shares how learning to continue with his favorite hobby, even with vision loss, has been therapeutic—and uplifting. Here's the link to his website https://www.blindtruths.org/
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Episode 32
This week Angela shares how she struggled to get around due to vision loss, how she tried to hide it from others, and what helped her.
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Episode 31
This week we hear from Appreciate. She found that a Facebook group, The International Blind Cafe, gave her a source of comfort and encouragement.
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Episode 30
Marian's inner voice had her living in fear. Listen in as she shares how she redirected that voice to be more helpful for her.
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Episode 29
This week Dorrie shares how technology has made all the difference for her in living with vision loss.
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