For those of us who have lost our sight over a series of waves, readjusting to the “new” normal gets tiresome. We’re changing the font on the computer screen and the enlargement of our letters. Keeping up with shots to our eyes gets painful and dominates our schedules.
Then there’s that nagging conscience that wavers between the fear of another wave of sight loss and the potential hardships that might bring. We critique and critique ourselves in how we cook, clean the kitchen, shrink away from social contact, and the list goes on.
On a recent edition of Hadley School’s “Insights and Soundbites,” Ann encourages us to look at our sight loss as if it were happening to someone else. You can check it out here or at the link at the end of this post.
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Often the motivation to get someone’s help with everyday tasks vacillates between glum apathy to eager anticipation in a matter of minutes. Each time the wave of sight loss hits, you are adjusting to again. Ann’s experience tells us the very real emotions that hit when we constantly assess how to meet our needs.
The question, though, ,remains. How might we anticipate the next wave of sight loss in the equipment we use, how large or small we adjust our computer screens, or the frequency we use a mobility cane or walk down a busy street without one.
One solution some present is using sleep shades as you reteach yourself to cook or sign your name or dress yourself. Some schools such as the Louisiana or Colorado Center for the Blind have every client in residence go under sleepshades more than not. The staff members have some degree of blindness, so they know the impact the whole process has on someone.
We who follow blind sports know that goalball requires everyone to go under sleepshades for the whole game. Everyone plays on the same level with feel of lines on the court and the sound of the bell-filled ball to guide their play.
But are sleep shades for everyone? Some centers like World Services for the Blind do not require trainees to wear them. Instead, they begin with the skill level each person is at. Then they build from there. When in residence at WSB on a couple occasions, I had acquaintances who underwent one or more waves of sight loss there. On one occasion, that meant taking some time from the planned course of study to re-engage with some mobility skills to readjust to a blurrier line of sight.
If you notice some change in your vision due to not being able to read the mail or cooking instructions so well, don’t wait. Instead, talk to your primary doctor and get referred asap to an eye doctor who can determine the best course of action-bifocal glasses, monocular lenses, or even taking off the glasses for good and handing your car keys to someone else.
Especially changes like this last one takes some serious self-talk, objectivity, and encouragement from family and friends. That’s why it’s important to DIY the coping with your vision loss. Finding friends and acquaintances on or off-line will help you view what’s happening through other people’s perspectives. Read blog posts or listen to Youtube videos of people who have successfully progressed on the coping journey. As someone who enjoys fitness, I love hearing how some of our USABA athletes talk about the paths they have taken and the type of workouts they do.
It’s very common for people going blind to accept the hovering hands eager to do everything or to just give in as if their abilities have waned along with their sight. This, however, leaves you in a static bubble that neither you or anyone else can willingly pop. Instead, adjusting to your vision loss through the questions asked of or to someone else will sharpen your skills toward knowing what to expect. Then, you can better approach each change with boldness, armed with the right questions to ask when navigating life’s contours.
https://hadley.edu/podcasts/insights-sound-bites/how-would-you-help-if-it-wasnt-you
Boldly Blind 