"Knock the t off can't"

Insights and Sound Bites

Knock the “T” off can’t

Ruth: I have COPD as well as the vision problem, and they both seemed to appear or be identified at about the same time. And I came home one day, I just went to bed and cried.

Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.

Ruth: It was gradual that the vision problem developed, and I was still working full-time. And I found myself using magnifying glasses to check my work on my computer at work, to check numbers. I did a lot of work with numbers at that time. I also did lots and lots of sewing. I love working with fabric and sewing. That has really suffered, but I was able to accomplish much more in less time until I began to lose my vision.

I have COPD as well as the vision problem, and they both seemed to appear or be identified at about the same time. And I came home one day, I just went to bed and cried. And then after a while, I didn't go to sleep and I didn't die and I thought, "Now, Ruth, this is stupid. Just get up. There's lots of living to do, get up and go get busy." So, after that, I decided to face the world and cope with problems that were there.

When I was a little girl, my mother had a slogan, she said, "Knock the T off can't," and that's been something that I would keep in mind all my life. And so instead of thinking, "I can't do that," yes, just knock the T off and do it.

Well, at first, my family almost freaked out. I have a younger sister who called practically every day. "How are your eyes? How are your eyes?" Well, she drove me bats and I said, "This is not that bad. I'm doing pretty much normal things."

One of the first things I worried about was personal hygiene and makeup. What if I got my eyebrow pencil in the wrong place? Things like that. I worried about that. So, it's kind of a joke in my intimate friends and family. If you see that I've drawn a line where it shouldn't be, let me know. One of the goals I had was just to continue as much as I could the life that I had been living and make as minimal amount of change as necessary, and I think I still approach life that way.

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].