This past week I was invited to be the
guest speaker at a support group meeting for people with low vision. I often
speak at these kinds of meetings and I enjoy the experience. Preparing for these occasions gives me pause
for reflection and I always appreciate the opportunity to listen to the stories
that other people tell of their journey with vision loss.
The meeting last week was no exception. The
beginning of my presentation focused on the idea of change and how vision loss
can disrupt and change the normality of our lives. I found myself remembering
some of my own feelings when overnight my sight altered from 20/20 sight to
being legally blind. The change was fairly traumatic to say the least. Truly I
couldn’t believe that this had happened to me. There followed the usual journey
with optometrists and ophthalmologists and along the channel of grieving – denial,
sadness, anger, frustration and confusion.
All this was many years ago, and now those
raw emotions have been mellowed by time. I have found my own way to acceptance
but I need to remind myself that we are all at different stages in the journey.
Speaking with individuals at support group meetings helps me relive my own
memories and gives me more empathy with others. Coping with change ends up
being a personal decision but the adjustment is easier with support from
friends and family.
Lyle snapped the following picture as I was
giving my talk. I am holding one of my books – Out of Sight.
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| Sue at support group |
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