Coping with Lost Things, Like Vision

Dumb Bunny here. You don’t have to call me Mrs. Bunny; dumb is just fine.

Why Dumb Bunny? I left my purse in the shopping cart last week. I was hurrying to not inconvenience my ride. I had something in each hand. If both hands are full, you must have everything; right?

I looked all over the house, the office, the car. I called the store. Nada.

Jesus lost and found

I was telling a friend about my predicament. The money is one thing but do you have a clue what I was going to have to replace? Credit cards, ID cards, medical cards, oh, good grief!

My friend suggested, “Jesus lost and found.” She said it could only be done if you were desperate. (I qualified there!) Close your eyes, think about the object and say “Jesus lost and found” three times.

Nothing to lose so I tried it. Two days later my husband suggested we stop at the store and I ask in person. My purse was locked away in a drawer. Nothing was missing. A girl had turned it in minutes after I left it. The clerk I had spoken with knew nothing about it.

Doing my part

Divine intervention? Dumb luck for Dumb Bunny? No clue. I was always told God looks after fools and children. Maybe it was a little of each.

Now, all the time I was muttering “Jesus lost and found” - and yes, I was talking His celestial ears off the whole time until I got my purse back - I was doing what I needed to do to rectify the problem on this plane of existence. The Lord helps those who help themselves.

Getting by on my own

I now have all new credit card numbers. I have a spare medical card, a new swipe thingee for checking in at the gym. I had a good start on taking care of everything I could take care of. Do I appreciate that He might have intervened on my behalf? Absolutely, but I could have done the job in an inferior but still good enough fashion to get by on my own if I had needed to.

So, why am I writing about my lost purse on a lost vision page? I certainly don’t expect “Jesus lost and found” to work on my dead photoreceptors! Some things are gone for good.

Falling prey to beliefs or "cures"

No, I guess I want to point out a couple of things. Number #1 is this: This little exercise that found my purse could be seen as being based on faith or as an example of superstition. Superstition is defined as a widely held but unjustified belief. Superstitions can lead you down the wrong path and cost you valuable time and money.

Those of us with progressive vision loss can become desperate and fall prey to beliefs and “cures” that are pretty closely related to superstition. Every time I go online to research what is happening in the development of new treatments, I discover the first half a dozen or so options are ads. Some of them are pretty far out there and cost more than the time and energy it took me to do Jesus lost and found. We are talking big money for some of these.

Ask questions

Bottom line on bullet #1? Please be careful. Ask your medical professional about any treatment you may hear about. As of now, there are no treatments for dry AMD. The premier treatment for wet AMD is still anti-VEGF shots. Anything else, be suspicious, especially if they do not take your insurance as payment.

Helping those who help themselves

The second bullet point is back to God helps those who help themselves. We are pretty sure we will lose at least part of our central vision. Things can be done to prepare for this eventuality. What damage control can you do now? Research blind and visual services agencies? Check out transportation options? Remember, it has been said worrying is planning without the plan. Have a plan for coping with your loss. No sense being a Dumb Bunny!