Doing What We Can With What We Have

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Believe you can and you’re halfway there. It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."

I am finding in each passing year that I need to continue learning. I believe it is something about being older and wiser. So it was no surprise when I came across Mr. Theodore Roosevelt's words.

Reading those words, I paused to really ponder what he was trying to say. My life with a diagnosis of myopic macular degeneration has been a constant learning process for sure.

Entering a new challenging time

When that diagnosis became a part of my world back in 2019, I knew I really had a lot to learn.

My life lessons started many years ago. I have learned how to take care of one’s health. It is in the scheduling of appropriate health examinations as time goes by. It is in having the twice-yearly dental and vision appointments that became an important part of my world.

I remember the particular eye examination in March of 2019 where I entered into a new and challenging part of my days. It was the words "myopic macular degeneration" — these words became an intricate part of my life lessons.

Doing what I can with what I have

Just as Mr. Roosevelt advised, I really need to do what I can with what I have. It is in believing that I can succeed that takes me halfway there. I have learned, quickly, that retina specialists really do know their trade.

My initial appointment that March day began with many firsts. There was the initial eye exam, followed by the OCT scan, and then ultimately the retina specialist examining all the results. Then the official, life-altering diagnosis: "You have myopic macular degeneration."

Finding success, even if just halfway

In what felt like a quick minute, I had my first eye injection. I was completely putting my trust in the medical world — quite confidently, feeling certain, totally believing in the science of the world and praying for the success of it all.

My experience was that it took a number of future injections before the somewhat positive outcome was experienced. All this to say, the injections halted the bleeds, thankfully. However, the damage had been done and cannot be reversed. I am thinking, as Mr. Roosevelt said, my success in this endeavor has brought me halfway there. And I will take that.

Maintaining a positive mindset

I truly believe that a big part of my life lessons do center around always striving to improve. I am trying to do what is better. I find that it is in "not trying," in not believing in the resources available, that is the real failure. It is important to take these actions regardless of limitations or perfect circumstances.

I feel with the power of self-belief and positive mindsets, my goals can be met. I will always be on the lookout for positive directions in a life living with myopic macular degeneration.

I honestly believe it is so much worse to have never tried; that is not success.