macular degeneration, macular, diagnosis Vision LOSS – My Macular Degeneration Journey/Journal

Vision LOSS

We’ve had a comment on a previous page ‘Where All Roads Lead’ and I’d like to talk about it.

While I’m very happy that you are looking at all of the options, I can’t help pointing out that your idea of what life would be like as a blind person may in fact be very far from the truth. That’s usually the case anyway. Please don’t misunderstand: it’s great that you are looking for options and even more terrific that you are sharing your journey with all of us. But as a rehab counselor and a person who has been blind from birth, I can tell you that people generally have a view of blindness which is much, much, much more bleak than what is actually the case. Just something to keep in mind as you move along your incredible journey.

First of all, thank you for reading our website! Also, thank you for commenting.

I see the post you read was one of the earlier ones. Please read some of the later posts and you will see my attitude gets better. Accepting if not approving.

I did not mean to suggest blindness is the end of the world. What I am writing about is my personal experience.

Since I experienced my vision loss in February, the visually impaired seem to be coming out of the proverbial woodwork! Because I have now become a card-carrying low vision person – or is it P.C. to say person with low vision? – it appears I have fallen into a sphere of influence in which people want me to know about people they know who have sight loss.

Two people who have been blind since infancy have come to my attention. And, yes, they have done very well for themselves. Both have professions. Both have families. The lives they have led thus far have not been bleak. From your comment it sounds as if you fall into that group.

One of those people was quoted as saying he never much minded his blindness. However, he wondered if he would have reacted differently to losing his sight later in life. I think that comment was insightful.

The postings I have been doing – at least the earlier one – have, yes, been about sight loss but at the core they are about loss. Loss, plain and simple. Loss is a small death and it is mourned that way. Those earlier posts were about grief and mourning.

As a professional you may be aware of the stages of grief. According to the article posted by WebMD they are denial, bargaining, depression, anger and acceptance.

Acceptance is defined as the coming to terms with the loss and integrating that loss into the set of life experiences. It is the end stage of grief and it is tenuous. More loss can kick you right back to an earlier stage.

Many people don’t get to acceptance. They get stuck in an earlier stage. For example, sight loss and depression in older folks often go together. If sight loss comes to call, you might as well set a place for depression too.

When you lose a sense or a capability, you lose a part of yourself. It becomes necessary to grieve that loss and build a new self. Any loss of any kind is upsetting. That includes vision loss.

Bottom line? Intellectually, I agree with you. The view of blindness as a bleak and hopeless way to live is not true. Emotionally, I have some traveling to do before I get there. I still have a loss to mourn.

Next: YOU LOOK GOOD!

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