Everything is Fixable

I hear myself telling my clients this short message. I received it 25 years ago when I was an intern at a health clinic.

A change in perspective

Trying to be perfect was very important to me. When I had made some mistakes on my documentation, my supervisor at the time told me this: Everything is fixable. Much to my surprise, I was so relieved as this was my first job after graduating my master's program. No one had ever expressed to me those forgiving words. Today, I use those words frequently with my private practice clients. When life seems out of control, I view it as "fixable."

My vision is not fixable

However, I have come up against something that has not been fixable. My life is becoming narrower in that I do not have the luxuries of "comfortable driving," reading a book, being able to read my client's expressions, cleaning my house... I could go on and on. As I am typing, my mistakes are many.

This disease has become more and more challenging

I am 78 and have lived a full life with many rich relationships, and my eyesight doesn't seem to prevent me from being invited out for the evening or a cinematic opera on Saturday morning. But I must tell you that this disease has become more and more challenging. The endless trips to the ophthalmologist's office, the fear of losing my driver's license (I had to take the tests), the inability to read what is on the television, the endless supply of magnification tools, and the self-care that I need are presented to me on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis.

Hope for a fixable future

I wish there was an upside to all of this, and I believe I have adjusted as well as anyone could. But, how I wish there was a miracle cure that we all could be given. I wonder about hearing aids, too. I am not quite there, but nothing surprises me today.

So, not everything is fixable, but I still have hopes that we will soon have that fix for all of us.