Over the past few weeks I have had several – no, make that numerous – conversations about vision loss. None of these chats have been initiated by me. When I asked Lyle, he said that he hadn’t engaged in any such discussions or conversations. So, why me?
I think that it is my own vision loss that seems to act as a starting point to the conversations that I have. Often I might be asked what is wrong with my eyes, or how much do I see. I’m no longer offended by the personal nature of these questions. I know that most people mean well. Often the question is simply a segue to a means of sharing their own personal experiences with vision loss. In the past weeks, I have learned much from this sharing:
- Kevin told me about his mother who had
macular degeneration and her positive experiences with CNIB.
- Joyce told me about her own experiences with macular degeneration and the lack of assistance she had received from CNIB.
- Gwen told me about the two young pups she had donated from her kennel to be trained as guide dogs.
- Carol told me of the pleasure she gets from listening to new books on her audible reading machine.
- The receptionist at a clinic told me of the trauma she experienced with detached retinas in both eyes.
- A flight attendant told me of her mother’s difficulties in reducing the pressure in her eyes from glaucoma.
- Brenda told me of some of her frustrations of being nearly completely blind.
- Several friends have spoken with me about their experiences with cataract surgery.
While I can’t identify with the exact nature of any of these eye conditions, I can certainly identify with the emotional roller coaster when vision loss occurs. No, I don’t have macular degeneration or glaucoma or detached retinas or any of the other very specific eye conditions. However, I do recognize the emotional upheaval caused by vision loss. Sharing stories with others who have had similar experiences brings us closer together and I appreciate being part of the conversation.
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