In 2014, at 28 years old, my life changed overnight. An emergency surgery for a retinal detachment accelerated a reality I had been navigating my entire life. I had always been visually impaired and legally blind. I attended the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and grew up using accommodations. but this surgery marked a significant turning point. That experience reshaped not only my life, but how I understand money during disruption.
I was placed on medical leave and suddenly faced a steep financial shift. My income dropped to short-term disability and later Social Security Disability, supplemented by support from family and friends; resources that kept food on the table, but weren’t enough to pay down student loan or credit card debt, build savings, plan for retirement, or create any real financial buffer.
Like many people relying on disability income and informal support, my finances were constrained not just by numbers, but by the structure and limits of the support systems themselves.
During this time, I was also navigating additional surgeries and adapting to new ways of moving through the world, including learning to use a variety of tools: a white cane, assistive technology like screen readers, and braille intermittently as part of that ongoing adjustment.
That prolonged period of financial uncertainty, layered with continued medical intervention, fundamentally changed how I relate to money. Decisions that once felt straightforward became emotionally charged. Money stopped feeling like a neutral tool and started to feel tied to physical safety, access, and survival.
Although I had long been interested in personal finance; from reading Suze Orman in college, to budgeting with tools like You Need a Budget (YNAB), to discovering Your Money or Your Life, knowledge alone didn’t protect me from the effects of scarcity and uncertainty.
During this season, there were times when I felt emotionally and financially stuck, even while taking small steps to adapt. Research on stress and decision-making helps explain why this happens (for example, see this overview from Harvard Health Publishing (I’ll explore that connection further in a future post).
What mattered most in the moment was recognizing this truth:
Money struggles aren’t a personal failure. They’re often a human response to crisis, change, or survival within real constraints.
After relearning how to live and work with significantly reduced vision, I returned to the workforce in 2016 and joined the federal government. I built my career in human resources—a field I still work in today—and spent roughly two years working in federal employee benefits.
Returning to work brought structure and forward motion, but it didn’t erase the longer-term shifts in how I understood money. Instead, it clarified how financial decisions are shaped by context—by access and accessibility, health, capacity, uncertainty, and the need to adapt over time.
Returning to work brought structure and forward motion, but it didn’t erase the longer-term shifts in how I understood money. Instead, it clarified how financial decisions are shaped by context—by access and accessibility, health, capacity, uncertainty, and the need to adapt over time.
Returning to work doesn’t undo financial stress; it changes the context in which decisions are made.
That understanding led me to create Heth Financial Counseling, L.L.C.—a practice for people and couples navigating transitions such as burnout, illness, disability, or feeling financially overwhelmed, as well as professionals who look “fine” on paper but want more clarity, alignment, and understanding around their finances.
I don’t tell clients what to do with their money. I help them understand why they do what they do and build strategies that fit their values and lives.
Financial counseling isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity, alignment, and finally making your finances make sense.
Ready for a judgment-free conversation?
If you’re looking for an honest, judgment-free conversation about money, I offer a free initial consultation. Reach out when you’re ready, I’m here.
Site Title 