These are all very nice and enjoyable assignments, but it is tiring. In between, I’m also asked if I’d like to write professional articles, and the OOG in OOG Association would love to have some more columns. Meanwhile, the beautiful late-summer weather is drawing me outside. During my long walks, I have plenty of time to think about the content of my lessons and my writing.
Talking with Someone in a Similar Situation
In the middle of this busy period, Maaike from the OOG in OOG Association called to ask if I’d be willing to talk to someone who had eye removal surgery a few weeks ago and will soon be receiving an epithesis. He has many questions about seeing with one eye and what it’s like to wear an epithesis.
The timing isn’t great, but I’d like to help. Back then, I would have appreciated having someone to talk to. I agree to do it. A few days later, the fellow sufferer contacts me by email. I answer many of the questions by email. It feels good to be able to help.
We’ll schedule an online meeting. We’ll talk for an hour. It’s a wonderful, engaging, and open conversation about the things that concern us as people with one eye. Getting used to seeing with one eye, people’s reactions to the fact that you have (or have had) cancer, wearing a patch over your empty eye socket, and the process of making the prosthesis.
Memories
During our conversation, a lot of memories come flooding back to me—many things I hadn’t thought about in a long time, if at all. That initial period of fatigue, feeling a bit disoriented, and preferring not to have too many people around you. I tell him that it took me a while to get through that, but that things have gradually gotten better. And that the feeling of fatigue sometimes comes back when I’ve been very busy. My fellow patient soaks it all up like a sponge and says several times that he really appreciates being able to talk to someone who knows what it’s really like.
With my busy schedule, meeting in person is really difficult, so we exchange a few more emails and set up another online appointment because talking “in person” is more convenient anyway. We’re pretty much on the same page about how to deal with what happened to us, and once again we talk openly and calmly for an hour.
This gives me energy
I tell Maaike that things are going really well with my peer support partner. She says, “If it’s taking up too much of your time, you really should let me know.” Smiling, I say, “It won’t always be like this, but this connection with my peer—with the wonderful conversations and the joy it brings—doesn’t drain my energy; it actually gives me energy!” Maaike smiles too as she says, “I can feel a column coming!”
Well, Maaike, here you go!
Anita Hol Bubeck
