I had to have a someone serious chat with some people after I lost a good deal of vision earlier this year.

The gist of it was 'Stop treating me different, I'm still the same person and my life isn't over". Admittedly I had to have the same talk with myself a few times though.

Maybe that kind of chat would help the people who are throwing pity parties for your sake?

My mum is just like you. She has a “oh for heavens sake just get on with it” attitude to life! She won’t be told that she can or can’t do anything. Me on the other hand is a bit of a worrier!! She gets around the pity parties by just not telling anyone. Or telling them a really watered down version of the truth ie “I can’t see too well in the dark” you’re not obliged to tell people so maybe be looser with the facts. Like “I may go blind, I may not. We’ll have to wait and see!” Or talk up how clear your central vision is (if it is?) ?

They are pushing their fears on you. They want to talk about what you can't do not what you can and will still be able to do.
Everything gets pushed out to the extremes. If you trip and fall the world is too dangerous for you. If you tie your own shoes you are incredible. With time it will settle down. Many of my friends comment how often they forget that I only have 5% vision in one eye. A few months ago a friend tossed his motorcycle keys to me and asked me to run to the hardware store. I didn't catch the keys or even notice that they were flying at me and I haven't driven in 20 years!

34 here, diagnosed with doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy 4 years ago.

I kind of knew it was coming. My grandmother is severely sight impaired due to it. Her mother went blind too, my mother's eyesight is dimming. Then the optician saw that my fovea looked "dull" during my routine eye test and referred me on to be checked out.

I never really had the "oh God, what am I going to do?" Monent because I was already resigned to it.

Instead, I'm going to learn braille and get used to other adaptive technology while I have my sight.

I totally get the frustration with the pity parties. I'm very open about what is happening and while some people are dine with it, others practically fall to pieces on my behalf. I tackle it by making a couple of terrible jokes and being very "ah well, it is what it is, I'll manage" about the whole thing. It really takes the wind out of their sails when they are expecting me to join in their histrionics and instead I am calm and even flippant.

I was diagnosed with RP when I was 20, the doctor at the time said I will be blind by the time I’m 30 I am now going on 46 I still have a fair amount of sight in my left eye is pretty much useless, but I don’t see the point in having a pity party for myself as this is something that I can’t control all I can do is make life better and adapt my life and my surroundings to make it easier for me to live

I was born blind and this is a non disabled thing and it sucks.

I’m glad you aren’t worrying.