"It's not just happening to me"
As Patricia's vision changed, doing things on her own became harder, and at times she felt like no one really understood. Connecting with others going through many of the same things helped her feel less alone and more like herself again.
Hadley
“It’s not just happening to me”
Patricia: I couldn't recognize people's faces. That had always been a problem. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one. I'm in this world all by myself.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Patricia: I'm Patricia Gunter. I'm in Valencia, California. I have retinitis pigmentosa, newly diagnosed with cataracts. They've gotten very thick and out of control, so I'm looking at cataract surgery.
I was told as a child growing up, from 12 on up, that I was nearsighted. That's all I ever knew. I didn't know anything about being legally blind until I became an adult. And so here now I'm looking at cataract surgery and hoping for the best.
I couldn't recognize people's faces. That had always been a problem. Even my children, my responses, just their voices is what I would listen for, but I didn't know I couldn't see. Recently, I made a move back in November, and before I moved, I noticed someone knocked on my door, I opened the door, and I didn't see anyone. And I didn't think I had lost my vision at that time, but I think it was happening then. And just even now, I just have issues even visually seeing things in front of me.
It's really scary. And it's like I'm in a tunnel. I feel like I'm closed in like claustrophobic and I'm afraid to be alone in public, to travel, because I was independently traveling on buses and dollar ride, things like that.
Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one. I'm in this world all by myself.
I think by calling Hadley being in a group with other people that are dealing with the same issues with the vision loss, just being around other people with like conditions helped me to get through my situation because hearing other people's stories, I know, "Oh, I'm not the only one." It's not just happening to me.
And know that I'm still a person in spite of my blindness and that I still have a life to live and just hearing other people's stories and how they're adjusting to the blindness and it's like, "Okay, come on now, it's okay. You still alive, you still can meet people that I can smile, I can sing, I can dance, I can do ... " Those things, I don't have to feel sad and alone anymore. I just feel very glad that I found out about the groups.
Just knowing that people care about you in spite of your blindness, that you're still a person, I heard that in the group and they have people that I talk to on the phone and they make me feel like I'm a person, that they need me, like I need them.
It just helped me.
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 15
Listen in as Chuck shares how he found hope in a chance encounter.
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Episode 14
Listen in as Kara shares how she found new ways to express herself in her love of visual art, and redefining a meaningful life.
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Episode 13
Listen in as Leah shares how it finally clicked for her—the realization that she's not alone.
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Episode 12
Hear how Axel set one goal at a time and slowly took the steps to rebuild his skills, reengage in his art, and reestablish his emotional well being.
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Episode 11
Gregory shares how finding a peer made all the difference in the world to him, and his entire family.
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Episode 10
Listen in as we hear from Sarah. For her, hearing a blind architect's story changed her perspective on what was possible.
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Episode 9
Listen in as Tom shares how leaning on his faith helps him adjust to vision loss.
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Episode 8
Pat shares with us the choices she made when faced with a visual impairment.
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Episode 7
Darryl shares with us how a referral to a low vision specialist was where his life with vision loss began to turn around.
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Episode 6
Annie shares with us the steps she took to work through her depression by seeking help from a mental health professional.
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Episode 5
Sharon shares with us how she worked through the isolation and found people just like her to get the support she needed.
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Episode 4
Hannah shares with us how she had to give herself permission to grieve her vision loss in order to reach acceptance.
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