"That was the turning point for me"
Listen in as Ruth shares how her frustration and impatience turned around with just one phone call.
Hadley
That was the turning point for me
Ruth: I was listening to Doug's Adjusting to Vision Loss, and he was saying, "You know, it just takes time. Be a little patient." Well, that's not me.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Ruth Alhilali: My name is Ruth Alhilali. I live in Farmer's Branch, which is a suburb of Dallas, Texas. I developed glaucoma last year, my glaucoma came on suddenly. I was at a doctor's appointment, had a good exam in March of last year, and then in April my pressure was high and I'd already lost quite a bit of vision. So, it's all in my left eye, which was the eye I was using most of the time. I have a lazy right eye, which has now been forced to do some work.
The first thing that I guess it was both emotional and visual is trying to find things, trying to put them in one place and then not seeing them. And I just wasn't seeing, even though it was there and I was looking at it, I wasn't seeing. And that took me a while to get used to. But the worst is just the emotional, not being able to read, and not being able to do all the volunteer activities that I filled my time up with, because they either involve driving, and while I can drive, I've limited my driving a lot or if it's where you're packing something or moving around in a kitchen with limited peripheral vision, I sort of felt I was a danger, that I would bump into somebody. So, it was just losing all the things that I had filled my retirement up with.
Somehow, I discovered Hadley and I was listening to Doug's Adjusting to Vision Loss, and he was saying, "You know, it just takes time. Be a little patient." Well, that's not me. And so after listening to that, I was feeling a little unhappy about what I heard, so I wrote a comment that was on the negative side I guess, and showed how frustrated I felt. And low and behold, Debbie Worman called me back. I never thought anybody would ever read my comment, and that was just fantastic. We later on had a long conversation and just to know that there was somebody else on the other end and who was there in the position to show me where things were and to tell me "Try this," or "try that, it will work out."
I think that was the turning point for 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 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
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Episode 78
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Episode 77
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Episode 76
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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
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Episode 72
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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.
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Episode 69
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