I am truly honored to share my blog with an incredibly talented indie author and fellow Rave Reviews Book Club member. This is Rhani D’Chae in her own words.
I was diagnosed with Diabetic Retinopathy about six or seven years ago, which was followed by cataracts and glaucoma. I’ve had over a dozen surgeries and procedures since then and I consider them a success because I can still see. This is how I measure everything that has been done; not by how much better my sight is, but by how much worse it isn’t. None of my doctors have given me much hope that my eyes will significantly improve but I’m okay with that, as long as I have enough sight to function. I think a lot of my animosity toward being completely blind is because I have a flash drive with over sixty works in progress and I have no idea of how to finish them without sight. I know, with technology being what it is today, that there must be a way. I just don’t know what that way might be.
I have 20/400 vision in my left eye and not much better in what I laughingly call my ‘good’ eye. When I type, I bump my font up to ‘theater marquee’ and use an array of magnifying glasses in addition to my bifocals. It’s a slow process, accompanied by a great deal of pretty colorful swearing and the occasional throwing of whatever is within reach. The cats have learned to duck, and they’re actually pretty good at it.
I occasionally get bleeds in my right eye and they completely obscure the vision for up to six weeks until the bleed clears. It’s a frustrating time because the amount of sight in my left eye is enough to keep me from walking into walls and that’s about it. I generally break at least one toe during a bleed and have broken my foot five or six times over the last few years. I’m clumsy on a good day but take my eye and I’m downright dangerous! If I bump my font to 48, I can still write during a bleed, but the text is fuzzy and very hard to read. Fortunately I am a touch typist, and I can usually get my seeing-eye son to help me as long as I dangle pizza in front of him. I thank God for this kid, because I would be lost without him, especially during those times when my sight is more obscured then usual. We get along fairly well, which is a good thing since I’ll probably be living on his couch once my sight is completely gone. I learned long ago to never let fear dictate my life, but I do think that once my eyes are gone, fear will be much harder to control, and at that point, I’ll need my son to help keep me from slitting my wrists with a butter knife.
I currently get shots in my eyes twice a month, and though I joke about the #eyeneedles, in reality they’re anything but funny. And again, my vision has not gotten better; I just don’t know how much worse it would be if I wasn’t getting the shots.
The last year has seen my vision drastically decline but it has also given me a much greater appreciation for what I used to take for granted. I wake up each day, grateful for what I can see while trying not to focus on what I can’t. It’s not an easy thing to do, and I have to constantly remind myself that God doesn’t afflict us with more than we can handle even though it may seem so at the time. I know that there is a plan for every life, and I just have to take it on faith that this is part of mine. My eyes will hold until they don’t, and in the meantime I will enjoy each moment of my sighted life as best I can. And when my lights do go out, I ask only to be at my computer, writing something amazing
Shadow of the Drill centers around a man whose life was destroyed by violence, who then embraced violence as a means to a very brutal end. It follows Decker and Rudy as they come face to face with their oldest enemies and attempt to close that chapter of their lives. The book contains graphic violence as well as sexual situations, and is not intended for young or easily offended readers. Shadow of the Drill is the first in the Drill series and the second book, Winter of the Drill, will hopefully be completed in the next month or two.
Thank you all so much for allowing me to share a bit of my journey with you today. To follow the rest of my tour, please visit 4WillsPublishing. Beem, you were a great host and thank you so much for having me!
REVIEW OF “SHADOW OF THE DRILL” at
Nonnie’s “RAVE” Reviews
BIO:
RHANI D’CHAE spent her teen years bouncing between WA, OR, and OK, but has lived her adult life in Tacoma, WA. She likes to read, though she doesn’t read as much as she used to due to diabetic vision loss, and is a fan of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Brian Lumley, and James Clavell. She loves The Walking Dead, and any zombie film with a high body count. Ms. D’Chae enjoys connecting with people on social networking sites, and loves getting feedback from those who have read her work, so please don’t leave without sharing your comments.
PURCHASE LINKS:
“SHADOW OF THE DRILL” by Rhani D’Chae http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GBHQZZU
CONTACT INFO:
Twitter: @rhanidchae
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rhani.dchae
Google +: http://google.com/+RhaniDChae
Website: http://www.rhanidchae.com
Review of Shadow of the Drill at NONNIE’S “RAVE” REVIEWS
***This tour was sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com To book your own tour, please contact us.***
The Indie Spot! 