This is something like the situation I was in when I was 19 and I have mentored people who were in similar circumstances. All of this is written in my shouty drill instructor voice, so please imagine me yelling and marching up and down like some sort of military hardass.

The first thing everyone thinks is "this is traumatic, give her time". This is fine, but so long as she's medically fit, not long. Get a therapist's advice, but really, days not weeks. The feeling horrible will not go away until you make it go away. She won't magically start feeling fine if you just wait, it seems cruel, but start now.

There are two essentials. Braille is not one of them, I would never put anyone off but I've been blind 20 years and have a job I love without it.

Learn computer access so your wife can come here and talk to us herself. If she can't see to read the screen, get NVDA or Jaws or Talkback on iphones or Voiceover on Android. It will be frustrating, but she needs to be able to use computers so work on it. It helps so much and no offence but we'd rather talk straight to her (as well as to you of course!)

Learn mobility so she can go places. As people have said you can get training with a cane if necessary. No, she won't want to use a cane in public, nobody does. She will in the end, usually after the first couple of bruised hips. There is a also technique to being guided by someone else without embarrassing both of you. And another technique about not being grabbed by people who are trying to help but aren't.

Do not let her get out of touch with her friends. They will probably go into giving her space mode which can cause people to just never call. If that happens, get her to call them (make her figure out how to do it on her phone, don't do it for her). Get her to go out for coffee and stuff.

Do not let her lie in bed or veg around at home in sweat pants. Even if she's not working right now, she has a job, which is to figure this situation out and boy is it ever a job. So get up, normal time, breakfast, dress presentably, yes makeup is possible, it's just a learning process.

Do not let her get out of shape, or if she isn't in shape, think about getting in shape. It makes literally everything else easier.

Do not let other people do everything for her.

Finally please be there for her in the mornings because she will wake up, and realise what the situation is, and it is not very nice.

What does she do for a living?

I'm not sure where you guys live but there have got to be local resources that can help you both, this is not something you guys need to deal with on your own. For example (I'm legally blind in my left eyes and impaired in my right) I have services through the state of Maine's DBVI (Department of Blind and Visually impaired) and on a more local level the IRIS Network, which provides all kinds of teaching for family and the person affected, assistive technology, safety tools etc. You must have something that is available to you. These things do require a referral from an opthalmologist though, but I assume she's being seen? You guys need to pursue assistance, they will help you with all these things.

Sending you both love and strength, this is a major transition and I know how overwhelming it is 💚

Learning Braille isn't nearly as important as it used to be. Her computer can read web pages aloud to her. Her smart phone can read text messages aloud to her. She can even point her phone at a street sign in Spanish and her phone will read aloud its English translation. Audio books and podcasts have made Braille sort of redundant. It's a cool skill to have and I wouldn't discourage anybody from learning it if they want to, but technological advances have made it easy to access written language without knowing Braille.

The tone of your OP tells me you already realize you're in this together. My wife has had to learn tips and tricks to support me just like you have to learn ways to support your wife. The hardest changes she'll have to accept are the emotional ones. Going blind is traumatic in ways I didn't expect. Be there for her when she vents, commiserate with her when she loses her job and her driver's license. Your steadfast love will comfort her.

Use the time left to see everything she wants to see and do everything she wants to do. Make a blind bucket list and create some visual memories. Having a blind bucket list gives a sense of purpose and control. It helps ease the transition from working to being unemployed. I'll share mine with you if you're interested and looking for ideas.

Living without eyesight gets boring. Remember that feeling we had as teenagers of constantly waiting? Waiting for the school bus, waiting for a phone call, waiting for a ride to the mall, waiting with your finger on the RECORD button for the radio to play your new favorite song, waiting for summer vacation? Blindness brings back those memories. She'll spend time waiting for a ride, waiting for her next ophthalmologist appointment, waiting for the genetic test results, and waiting for an answer from Social Security. Help her fill the time.

Finally, understand that there isn't a right way to be blind. Your wife doesn't have to get a guide dog. She doesn't have to wear dark sunglasses. She doesn't have to walk with a white cane. She doesn't have to learn Braille. Most people I encounter have no idea I'm blind. I don't try to hide it but I don't try to advertise it, either. If you looked at my house the only evidence you'd see that a blind person lives there is an elastic band wrapped around the salt shaker so I can tell it's not the pepper shaker and an elastic band around the shampoo bottle so I can tell it's not conditioner. Make the changes you *want* to, not the changes *expected* of you.

Does she use an iPhone or Samsung? I don’t know anything about Samsung but iPhone has voiceover, which is a built in feature that makes the phone and text on the phone accessible to the blind. I would start learning how to use it as soon as possible since access to a phone and internet will keep avenues open and prevent feelings of isolation and being disconnected from the world. It will also keep your wife independent which is very important.

Consider reaching out to charities, specific to the blind. They can be a great resource.

There are lots of resources out there, but I personally find the a lot of peace during trauma when I can hear others tell their stories. While not representative of the whole blind community, Molly Burke has some fantastic videos about her experiences and resources. I believe she is also close in age to your wife (27 or 28) so it might be comforting to listen to the stories of someone who already has some similarities, and with whom she may relate.

Do listen to others on this thread for more detailed advice! This is just something that could ease the emotional transition.

I work for a non-profit called Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired. We offer lots of online workshops—all for free—including:

* how to use features on the iPhone or Android devices;
* how to use a number of computer programs with screen-readers;
* how Alexa/Echo can be helpful;
* how to adapt your home and everyday living;
* info about guide dogs;
* info about employment and starting a business;
* tips for games and recreation;
* and, of course, braille (this is how the organization started, 100 years ago).
* There's a great series on adjusting to vision loss, too—both for the person with visual impairment and for family/friends.

Anyone can sign up for free at $1, and everything is completely free, always.

Hope this helps.

The state agency would obviously be the best place to start, but you could also contact the ACB, the American Council of the Blind, or the NFB, the National Federation of the Blind, in your state. I'm not a big fan of either for a variety of reasons, but if your wife's only blind and vibes with it, they can be great help for her to gain more independence.

Also, the facebook groups for blind users of x technology tend to be good, but also apple based. Most of us use iPhones because they're more intuitive than talkback can be, but obviously you don't need to go out and buy her a new phone this second. Whoever she gets linked up with should also help teach her to use talkback and NVDA or JAWS for her computer, assuming she's got Windows.

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Help her by encouraging rehab training. Check out LCB and CCB in Google. The sooner she goes the better.

May I ask what is wrong with ur wife whats her condition

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