Author: light2sight5153@gmail.com

We’re going to bring the pages closer to real time for the next several days to talk about where Sue is a year after her vision declined so much that she had to stop driving and stop working (temporarily).  First, let’s look at where Sue is in terms of her quest to become ‘super lab rat’.

The Waiting Game

Sue and her husband had a vacation in Iceland in September.   The stress of getting things done before the trip reminded her of the panic attacks she had when the sudden change in her vision caused her to stop working and driving.  In this page, she shares advice on what to do if you have panic attacks.  And she provides a song that will get stuck in your head for the day…

Grandma’s Reindeer

I looked up the definition of bittersweet: “both pleasant and painful or regretful.”  Sue’s enjoyed the summer but it’s time to say goodbye to it and to a furry colleague. 

Bittersweet

Sue continues to share what she’s learned from her BVS therapists.  Here’s an app that creates what sounds like an oxymoron: an audio label.

Talking Labels

In Andrea’s last page (for now) we get good news about the fate of her villain The Joy Thief.

MYopia, My Journey: Part 4 Jail the Joy Thief!

Andrea reminds us that even though retina specialists are intelligent and important in our journey, we must advocate for ourselves.

MYopia, My Journey: Part 3 Advocate for Yourself

In Part 2, Andrea tells us how macular degeneration has affected her life and introduces the villain The Joy Thief.

MYopia, My Journey: Part 2 The Joy Thief

We are very pleased to add Andrea, a member of our Facebook group, to our growing list of guest writers.   She tells us about her journey with Myopic Macular Degeneration.

MYopia, My Journey: Part 1

Sue first contacted Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS) in mid February.  She had an Orientation & Mobility (O&M) Therapist, a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT; Sue’s been calling her the ‘habilitation person’) and ‘the tech guy’ (not sure what his official title is) who helped her get back to work.  Now it’s time for…

Graduation

When I find something that I think Sue will be interested in, I send it to her and sometimes that results in a her writing a page.  This is Sue’s perspective on a…

Bucket List

We’re still in August with Sue’s pages.  It will soon be a year since her worsening vision disrupted her life, a year since we started the website, and we’ll soon both be writing about that.  In both cases, it is indeed a…

Ticking Clock

This is Jennifer’s last page…for now.  We thank her for her willingness to share her journey with us.  Here she tells the story of her Grandpa who gave her hope for her future.

Tales from the Wet Side: Part 5 Not Afraid

Find out why her future is so bright!

Tales from the Wet Side: Part 4 The Future’s So Bright

Jennifer is in her mid 40s and she wants to be able to work for 20 years or more.  She expressed her concern to her RS about her treat-and-extend schedule.    Here’s what happened.

Tales from the Wet Side: Part 3 I’m a Person, Too!

Jennifer tells us about the planning necessary to have a career and a family while dealing with the symptoms of and treatments for her wet AMD.

Tales from the Wet Side: Part 2 Making a Living

Sue and I are VERY PLEASED to introduce a new guest author.  She and Sue are both busy with their careers and activities.  Jennifer brings a new perspective in that she is about 15 years younger than Sue and has wet AMD as opposed to Sue’s dry AMD.  I know you’ll appreciate what Jennifer has to say.

Tales from the Wet Side: Part 1 Too Young

PS.  We would LOVE to have more people write for our website whether you write 1 page or more than that.  Do you like to do research?  Is there a topic you are interested in that we haven’t yet covered?  Send me a message at light2sight5153@gmail.com.

Sue has learned a lot through vocational rehabilitation.  She shares with us some more tips from the O&M therapist.

Odds and Ends

Sue has been working with the O&M therapist on how to use a white cane, how to go up and down steps, and using landmarks to get around.  She also talks about uses for her monocular.  Even a yappy dog can help in getting yourself oriented!

Bells and Whistles and Geegaws

Sue has been a School Psychologist in a school district for quite a number of years so it’s not uncommon for her to see current or former students when she is out and about.   It’s problematic now that she can’t recognize faces.  Some people may not have appreciated what was said but luckily Sue and I have good senses of humor and I can see a cartoon here, can’t you?!

“Hey! Sue is Going Blind!”

Sue is obviously an exercise enthusiast (aka ‘nut’ to some of us who are not ::grin::).  Before her vision loss, she didn’t have to think as much about what she can and cannot do as she has to now.  She’s had to consider that there will be things she can’t do.  Even so, at least in MY book, she is indeed…

Wonder Woman

This is Sue’s version of the airline instructions “put the mask on yourself first.”

Help!

One of the things that people with low vision can do is to learn not only how to use what vision they have but to use the other senses as well.  Sue ordered a monocular which is like half of a binocular so that not only can she listen to the birds, she can use it to see them as well.

Bird Listening

You may have heard the phrase “Is this the hill you want to die on?” and assumed it was referring to military operations.  Sue tells us why it’s a question we need to ask ourselves when we are faced with choosing our own battles.

Is This the Hill?