It’s not About the Game

For the last 10 years, I have gotten together with a group of gals once a month. We eat, drink, and roll. We play Bunco.  Not to be confused with “Stop, drop, and roll” ‘cuz your ass is on fi-yah!  OK, that might describe a few of the nights we have played! More margaritas ladies? Shhhure! Hey, it happens to the best of us! Ha ha!

Anywhoooo…. We all look forward to that night…but, it’s really not to play the game anymore. It’s a night for laughter, catching up, and friendship.

Through the stages of my vision loss, I will admit there were times that I did not want to go. Sure I can eat and drink, but it was hard for me to play, hard to see the dice, and to keep up the laughter. I was uncomfortable trying to be “me” for the sake of the party.

It was Bunco night the evening I got the call from my doctor and was told I tested positive for LHON. The call came just minutes before I was picked up to go. I went…maybe a little in shock. I knew nothing about LHON, except that there was no cure.  I didn’t tell my friends that I just got a diagnosis on my vision loss that night. The diagnosis that took 7 months to figure out. I did tell them that I could not read the dice anymore. Little did I know that reading dice was the LEAST of my LHON worries…Little did I know about the unexpected Life I had ahead of me.

I didn’t know if I would stay in the group. I felt like I was playing, but I was not participating. I felt like a Bunco burden.

Well, my fabulous friends did not leave me by the wayside! Every effort is made to help me participate in a different way. They surprised me with new visually impaired dice…. which unfortunately only worked for a short time. When we play, someone at the table reads the dice for me. They tell me to keep rolling, stop, if I got 3 of a kind, snake eyes, or a BUNCO!! They mark my scorecard and I never have to keep the table score! …I was never very good at scorekeeping. You have to pay attention and crap like that!  I’m usually too busy talking… surprise, surprise…HA!  Anyway, it all works!

I played Bunco last week. I ate, drank, and rolled. I laughed, caught up, and shared some GGB humor. Oh, and get this… I WON the big money! ME! The girl who can’t see the dice finishes with the most “buncos”! Well, that’s what they told me…BOOM! Starbucks is back in business! Ha ha!

These women have been a big support to me in many ways. When I was unsure about my place in the group, they said “You’re stayin’ and playin’!” My girls didn’t leave me behind. Good friends stay by your side and with some help, I’m still rollin’ as a…Girl Gone Blind.

*This blog is dedicated to my beautiful Bunco ladies…also known as”The Real Housewives of Mira Mesa”! Thank you for your friendships XO