Last month i started seeing a flashing light in my right eye - it reminded me of one of those decorative spinners you hang on your porch to spin in the wind.  A visit to my eye doctor explained this can be a normal part of aging and should fade away in a few weeks.  However, a closer exam showed spots at the back of my eye that he'd never seen before.  Since then i've had a whirlwind of visits to a retina specialist, lots of eye scans and have been died yellow twice for angiograms.  In between all of these visits, i've had a lot of time to reflect on how bravely several of my friends have handled their loss of eyesight over the years.  If i hadn't experienced their transition and witnessed them move forward with successful careers and raising children, i'm not sure how i would have handled the fear of going blind.  
As it turns out, my vision problems are improving and i should have a full recovery; for this i am thankful.  But i'm more thankfull for my friends and their support.  It's hard not to fear the unknown; it's hard not to let your self have moments of panic, or pity.  i've faced mobility limitations, every day i deal with the problems of being a short person in a world that's getting taller.... but facing the loss of vision was scarier.  So, thanks to all my friends who traveled that road and gave me strength.   

CDC Project Team Visits RTC/IL at the University of Kansas to Observe SuccessesTwo women who have participated in a course called Living Well with a Disability through the Kansas Disability and Health Program shared their personal success stories with visitors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in March at a meeting hosted by the Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL) at the University of Kansas.  Living Well with a Disability is a health promotion course that the RTC/IL provides in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Disability and Health Program with funding from the CDC.  "Hearing these personal stories gives meaning to the data and other information that we report to the CDC," said Glen W. White, Ph.D., director of the RTC/IL. Representatives from the Kansas Disability & Health Program will be onsite at the June Disability & Health Partners Meeting.  (In the picture above from left: Veronica Thigpen, Lynn Nieheus, Jo Turner-Moats, Clarence Smith, Wilma Christensen, and Dianne Bradley.)