Beth cares for her disabled husband
Posted on Jul 29, 2007 and filed under Blogathon 2007, Charity
Beth, or more affectionally known as Sassy Southener is the main care-giver to her 31-year-old husband. She drives him wherever he needs to go, she helps him around in dark conditions, and if he can’t read, she helps him. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I vowed in sickness and in health. And no matter what, I will help him until the day I die,” says Beth.
You see, Beth’s husband was born with fairly bad eyesight. It wasn’t really noticed until he was around 4-5 years old. At the moment, his condition consists of macular degeneration (not age related, he’s only 31), he has Vitreous Detachment, he’s severely near-sighted, he has floaters (what appears to be little flicks of light), and he is extremely sensitive to light. All these lead to him having bed-ridden headaches on occasions. And all his doctors and specialists have told them that there was nothing more they could do other than monitor his progress.
In 1997, Beth’s husband underwent an eye surgery with the hope to correct his severe near-sightedness. The first surgery he had shaved his cornea down, and the second surgery was a laser in hopes to correct the loss of night time vision. The surgeries worked for about 6 months. Then, over the years, his conditions worsen.
In spite of his poor eyesight, Beth’s husband continues to be her biggest inspiration. “Even though he’s faced with this, he doesn’t allow it to bother him. He doesn’t get angry, he accepts it and goes on with his life. I on the other hand find it hard to accept. I worry about if he will be able to see our kids graduate high school, college, then get married.”
So what are the issues that Beth faces as the main care-giver to her disabled husband?
I have a lot of issues with society in general. First they look at my husband and because you can’t see his disability, they think nothing is wrong. It bothers me that we have waited 3 years on his disability and it has been denied and now in appeals. But there’s people out there that has no disability what so ever who got in with no problem. And one thing that really gets me is people tell me to go get a real job. I have one. I take care of my family. It’s not an easy job.
So what can the general public do with regard with the issue mentioned above?
Don’t assume because you can’t see someone’s disability that they don’t have one. It’s the smallest things that can change someone’s life forever. It breaks my heart to see my husband not be able to do the things that he used to do. Fishing, driving,.. just living life to the fullest. And now he does the best he can with what he can do. I struggle everyday online just to make ends meet for us. It’s a daily struggle, but I do it for my family. The love I have for him can not be measured in words. He’s my best friend and I will be by his side thick and thin.
Do drop by Beth’s blogs and leave him comments and encouragements, pretty please?? Beth’s blogs are at:
