One of the first big changes my eye condition brought with it (after losing my driving licence) was the realisation that I could no longer stay in my then current home.  Despite it being possibly the perfect house to live in as my sight deteriorated (a bungalow, great external lighting and a bus stop close by) it was nowhere near any of the services that I needed (shops, hairdressers etc etc).  This wasn’t a problem when I move in as I could drive then, but with the near non-existent bus service not only was getting to and from work adding an extra 4 hours to my working day, but I was becoming ever more socially isolated.  Oddly, when I bought “Taigh Beag” (named by me – Gaelic for Little Home) I knew it wasn’t going to be my forever home despite loving everything about it.  

One of the things I both like and dislike about myself is how practical a person I am.  I knew the only solution to my then current situation was to move house but I didn’t want to.  At that point in time, RP had taken my driving licence away from me (something I was immensely proud of myself to have achieved at first sitting and when I was predicted not only not to pass at first attempt, but not to ever pass) and the career change I was so near to completing.  Losing my home seemed like the final insult.  It should be me who decided when and if I moved house, not a decision forced on me at the whim of a faulty gene.  

As ever with me, practicality won out and I put my house up for sale.  It took a year to sell.  So desperate was I to move that at one point I consulted a psychic to see if they could tell me why it wasn’t selling despite the positive viewings and feedback.  All she could come up with was ‘there’s something blocking the sale’ (Really? Tell me something I hadn’t worked out for myself!) with her having a vision of my front door.  I went home that day and spent hours in the front garden tarting everything up….but still no sale until the day I knew it wasn’t possible for me to feel more desperate or isolated than I was…and then finally my estate agent called  – unfortunately it was with a ridiculous offer but I grabbed it with both hands.  I now believe that it was me blocking my own sale of the house by not really wanting to move – it was only when I felt forced to give up on my home and accept my situation that an offer finally came in.  So I could add taking a significant financial hit to the growing list of things RP was progressively stealing from me!

Moving to the town I live in now was absolutely the right decision as I’m now much closer to public transport and services but I often think of my Little Home and ironically it would have also been perfect for my guide dog with its secure garden.  

Since diagnosis I’ve maintained that it’s not just your sight you lose when you get a diagnosis like I did….in my case I lost a home, a financial investment, a career and my independence.  I’m lucky to have a great view from my flat and in fact that was what sold the flat to me.  I take time to look at it everyday as I know some day in the future that will be taken from me too.

My diagnosis has brought some positives….first and foremost my beautiful guide dog who will always be so much more to me than a mobility aid and also the friends I have gained directly and indirectly from my association with Guide Dogs.

And my beautiful guide dog has helped me move on in lots of ways, ways I never expected nor was prepared for.