Losing my vision and becoming suddenly disabled was not on my 2026 bingo card.

Nor: *becoming unable to run errands/cook/shop for groceries *losing the ability to pay my bills *having the threat of losing my house hanging over me nor *standing in line behind the growing group of Americans having to ask for help via Go Fund Me….but here we are.

How It Started: In February it started to become evident that I was having trouble reading my computer screen for work. I kept making the font bigger. Adjusting the light, but it didn’t help much and neither were my glasses anymore. The eye strain and headaches were a daily issue. I made an appt with an eye doctor and while I was waiting it got so bad I had to start using PTO because I couldn’t stand the light, strain and headaches. The eye doctor stated I had rapidly advanced and thick cataracts in both eyes; severe on the right, moderate to severe on the left. My vision continued to worsen. They referred me to a specialist. Then the hell of scheduling, voicemails, emails and paperwork began in ernst. It took til mid April to get a surgery date: May 7th.

The Month of May: Because I don’t know how to do this stuff, there was paperwork confusion and it took from February till May for me to get pay sorted out and receive my first check. My phone had been disconnected due to non payment. So when the clinic left a message saying my last doctor visit’s blood pressure check was too high for their liking and I’d need to get cleared again by my physician, I had no idea and I showed up at the surgery at 6am excited to get this nightmare behind me. But nope.

It took a week to get a Dr’s appt where I was put on blood pressure meds. It took another week to GET the medication due to some weird pharmacy snafu. It took an additional week for me to be on the medication long enough to get back to the Dr to see if it had lowered enough to have surgery. It had. I’d been cleared for surgery again.. The new surgery date crushed me: JULY 28!!! My vision continued to worsen.

The Month of June: My paid leave allotment ended on May 22. I am now on UNPAID leave. My job is secure and my insurance is too, THANK GOODNESS, but I have no more checks coming in. My vision is pretty much non-existent. My surgery date is almost August. I will not be able to return to work until mid of August. I will not receive my first paycheck from work until September. I have zero income until then but each month's mortgage, phone bill, etc to pay still.

Today and Forward: I can’t describe what it’s been like to suddenly go blind and become disabled. It has disrupted my life. My best friend/housemate is also disabled and doing her best to step up and handle the things I can’t do any more, but I know it’s a lot. This has been one of the most stressful, vulnerable, confusing, and frustrating times of my life. I am out of options. I really need some support. I know things are tight for a lot of us, but if you can even just a little help me get through this I would be deeply grateful. I will be SO GLAD when this is behind me.

~Laura