Same boat, different cause. It sucks. But it gets better. I was very destroyed when I found out. My whole family was. Meeting blind people on here has probably helped the most. There is a huge difference between knowing that blind people lead normal happy lives on an intellectual level and having first hand interactions with people who are blind and doing just that.

The grief stage is really hard. And I know that at least for me, it will probably keep coming back everytime I lose some part of my vision, some part of my abilities that are tied to my sight. It's a day at a time thing. But I am pretty much back to feeling like me 99% of the time. I just keep thinking 'I'm not dieing, my life is just going to be different.' I don't know if that helps, but I hope it does.

I was diagnosed the macular degeneration about a month ago. I can't offer any advice yet as I'm just beginning this journey as well, but I understand what you're going through. The people on here have been incredibly supportive and helpful.

One bit somebody did recommend - start learning braille NOW. There are bracelets you can order that have the braille alphabet on it so you can work on it while waiting places. I'm still not sure my fingers will ever gain the sensitivity needed to read it, but I'm trying :)

My mother was in your shoes in her mid/late thirties with a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa, while raising 4 kids as a newly single parent.

She survived and managed to finish her bachelors and get her master's degree, and she's one if the biggest softies you'll ever meet. All thanks to a community of people who focus their talents on helping the visually challenged learn to cope with their newly discovered disability.

And as my mom loves to remind all of us: she's a person with a disability, not a disabled person!

My point is that I know it can be a terrifying prospect, but there's a huge community out there who are there to help you with your transition. You'll never be alone, no matter how dark the future might seem.

Blindness isn't the end; it's only the start of a new adventure!

P.S. She uses different counts of hair-ties wrapped around the bottles to distinguish shampoo vs. conditioner vs. body wash if the bottles feel the same :)

PM me if you ever need to talk, or if you want to me to connect you to her for support.