#6 Gratefulness

[a_natural_beauty]

This may sound like a pretty basic one, but in so many ways it isn't. Not to me. I'm grateful I still have my senses for the most part. One thing you guys may not know about me is I do have a hearing loss in my right ear. I wear a hearing aide most of the time when I go out in public, but sometimes loud noises make it worse so I avoid those times when I can. And I do have bad eyesight but my glasses that I never go without help me!
I think about this from time to time - I'm glad my senses that aren't that strong aren't completely lost. I'm glad I can independently be on my own and take care of myself. The world is already a scary place at times and I feel it would be a-lot more scary if I were blind or fully deaf for example.

Comments

[matt_zimmer]

I don't know the technical term for it but it's known as "water on the brain". Brain fluid was pushing against my optic nerve. I needed brain surgery to have a shunt put in to relieve the pressure.

[a_natural_beauty]

Oh gosh, I'm sorry to hear that. I had a sister named Darcy who passed away from Water on the brain. She lived to be 6 months old.
That sounds very serious. So you were born with that?

[matt_zimmer]

Must have been. I don't believe my condition was ever life-threatening, although maybe the doctors were downplaying it to me. I'm sorry to hear about your sister.

[a_natural_beauty]

Yes, that could have been the case with the doctors. It's sad how common that is.
Thank you.

[matt_zimmer]

The reason I never got the sense it was life-threatening, is the doctors were pretty excited as I was being treated. My vision loss was, I guess, a great learning experience for interns who had never seen anything like it. I like to think if it really WAS serious on my end, they would have used a little more discretion there.

[a_natural_beauty]

Well that's a blessing! I'm glad you got treated, too. :)