"It's a part of me now"
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.
Hadley
It’s a part of me now
Jayne: With vision loss, so often I spend so much of my day trying to force myself to see things I can't see. And I stress out about it and I just shut down.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Jayne: My name is Jayne Surrena and I'm from Philadelphia.
I went to school for painting and got my masters in art education. I had been painting and showing my arts since I was 20 and working nonprofits and teaching.
I have retinal dystrophy. I didn't realize I had an issue until I guess the beginning of the pandemic. I honestly thought everyone saw the same way I did my entire life.
So I went to a different eye doctor. They're like, there's nothing we can do. This is normal, it usually happens when you're older. We can't do anything about it.
I felt so in the dark about everything and just very isolated. I would go online and just try to look up the terms that they were using because I still feel, I guess, very vulnerable about it.
With vision loss, so often I spend so much of my day trying to force myself to see things I can't see, like trying to focus on something that's blurry or not there anymore.
And it I get anxiety and I stress out about it and I just shut down. And because it's never gonna come back, it's never gonna come into focus.
But the one positive of everything is with my artwork. The fact that I can't see every imperfection and mistake in my artwork anymore, I have so much more freedom. And instead of spending like hours trying to make everything meticulous, I'm going through pages and using colors for the first time. And creating images that are just actually from like inside of me and like from emotion, instead of trying to remember technical skills that I was taught in school years ago like…I'm enjoying myself for the first time.
And like I'm actually smile, I feel like myself smiling as I work. And like I step back and like yes. And it it's there because I'm not focused on any details. It's just the overall piece that is…
I just feel like it's a part of me now.
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 81
When Eddie lost a fair amount of vision, she was scared and didn’t know how she was going to cope. But she found a source of strength and inspiration.
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Episode 80
As Kenneth lost most of his sight to glaucoma, he was feeling increasingly isolated and alone. Then he made a commitment, forcing himself to find ways to stay connected to the rest of the world.
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Episode 79
When Carol Lee was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, she was angry and frustrated. Over time, resentment began to fade a bit and the shock wore off. Gradually, her perspective started to shift.
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Episode 78
When Cliff unexpectedly lost a fair amount of his sight, he felt overwhelmed. But with time, he found a way forward.
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Episode 77
Thomas is experiencing many challenges of late, including vision loss. He finds inspiration and hope knowing he's not alone.
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Episode 76
Nikki has lost her vision due to a rare autoimmune disease. While she appreciates positive bits of advice and encouragement, she also stays grounded in the struggles she's facing and knows others do, too. She's feeling the loss.
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Episode 75
When a favorite hobby became more difficult for Dianne due to glaucoma, she learned to tap into something else. It turned out to be the ideal thing.
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Episode 74
Peter's sight slowly but steadily worsened over the course of several years. When he had to give up driving, his self-image took a hit. Working through his emotions has helped him cope and adjust.
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Episode 73
Sherry's vision loss has been gradual yet relentless. Asking for help to do things she used to be able to do on her own is a challenge for her, as it is for many. But she's finding some new tools and new ways to do things.
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Episode 72
Carolyn lost much of her vision after several glaucoma surgeries, leaving her feeling angry and discouraged. But a familiar childhood story inspired her to keep trying, even when tasks seemed impossible.
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Episode 71
Learning he would never see again was heartbreaking for Shannon. Embracing what challenged him, Shannon discovered strength in the unfamiliar.
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Episode 70
The week Jessica was diagnosed with an eye disease that would progressively impair her vision, she also found out she had cancer. A few things have helped her continue to feel strong and less isolated.