"You tap into other things when you lose some vision"
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.
Hadley
You tap into other things when you lose some vision
Dianne: I think we have to acknowledge that yes, our sight is diminishing, but our other senses come to life to be more available. And maybe we didn't think of them.
Marc: This is Hadley’s Insights and Sound Bites, where people facing vision loss share what has helped them cope and adjust.
Dianne: I'm Dianne Gavin and I currently live in Ashton, Illinois.
I was diagnosed with glaucoma. My mother had that, so she shared that with me. But she was able to take the eyedrops and she never went blind, but I was unable to take the eye drops because of allergies.
So just got the letter from the doctor, it's called severe primary open angle glaucoma in both eyes. And so, I'm legally blind now. I can still see, but not very well.
I think that you tap into other things when you lose vision, other senses come to life.
During Christmas time, I would crochet and knit for 30 years. Now I can't see to follow the pattern and to see to do the work, but my sense of touch is what I use to make some headbands for Christmas and it wasn't a big project, which gives you the satisfaction completing it, which is what you want,
And so that was an ideal thing. But it was done by the sense of touch, not by a pattern or anything.
The satisfaction of completing something that you started to do is really phenomenal. That’s a great thing to.
And I think we have to acknowledge that yes, our sight is diminishing, but our other senses come to life more to be more available. And maybe we didn't think of them. I didn't think of the sense of touch come to life, but until you actually do it, you don't realize it yourself. And so that's why I was wanting to share that with the group.
Marc: Insights & Sound Bites has made possible by Hadley’s donors. Who understand that hearing someone else’s story can truly make a difference.
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 62
Anne's declining vision had her feeling down and sorry for herself. But two gifts—one she gave and one she received—helped turn things around for her.
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Episode 61
Glaucoma advanced to the point where Ron found it too difficult to do the volunteer work he loved in retirement. Still, he found a way to pull himself out of the hole he felt he was in and continue to give back.
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Episode 60
Diabetic retinopathy has taken more and more of Charles's vision. To cope, he is learning new approaches to life AND leaning into areas of passion that don't rely on sight.
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Episode 59
Bruce's vision had been decreasing for years. When it reached the point where he was tripping over objects and bumping into people, he felt embarrassed and kept his vision loss a secret. His wife convinced him to try something new.
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Episode 58
Marie grieved the loss of her vision, and still does. Yet, on a sunny August morning, she came to a realization that made all the difference in the world.
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Episode 57
Terry's doctor told him, "There's nothing more we can do. You'll never drive again," and he was distraught. Then he recalled his military days as a Marine and sailor, and that got him through.
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Episode 56
When Emma lost her sight in just a few months, she struggled to cope. She felt alone, her insecurities grew, and self-esteem plummeted. With time, she came to a new understanding and that helped her tremendously.
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Episode 55
Dave calls his experience with vision loss a slow torture. In the face of this, however, he has found a sense of inspiration in explorers, history, and an activity you wouldn't typically connect with vision loss, sightseeing.
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Episode 54
When Albert's vision decreased to the point that he could no longer read print anymore, he found it stressful. But he's found a new source of comfort that helps him quite a bit.
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Episode 53
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.
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Episode 52
When Jeffry lost his sight, he felt a loss of control, a loss of dignity. Then, he began his long road to empowerment, one small goal at a time.
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Episode 51
Marilyn went through bouts of anxiety and depression with her vision loss and still grieves the loss several years into her journey. She also decided to do something for herself which has helped tremendously.