Art, Vision Loss & Finding Humor in the Dark Trebs Thompson

ScrambledEggs&Ham Podcast
Host:   Bill Clark
Guest: Threbs Thompson
Topic: Art, Vision Loss & Finding Humor in the Dark

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Host:
Welcome back to ScrambledEggs&Ham. Today I’m joined by the inspiring Therese Thompson. Therese, thank you for being here.

Trebs:
Thank you for having me! My name is Therese Thompson, and I have peripheral macular telangiectasia—along with a couple of other eye conditions that are eroding my vision pretty quickly. I entered what they call the terminal stages of this disease about a year and a half ago, so the sight loss is a lot faster now.

But—I’m still loving life. I get to do really cool things. I was an arts fellow for the state of Delaware last year, and I’ve got a show coming up this year—provided we all survive the apocalypse here. (laughs) I’m about ready to gouge out what little good sight I do have left.

Host:
The last time I saw you, I was checking out your Facebook profile, and I noticed you’re walking with a cane now, wearing those very dark Hollywood sunglasses. So yeah—it looks like your vision has really progressed. How is that affecting your ability to create?

Trebs:
Vision loss like this is catastrophic. As part of being an arts fellow, I got a small grant, and I used part of it to go to Salem Community College in New Jersey last year. I took two different classes there and learned some techniques that I think will be safer for me as I continue working in glass.

Host:
Now, this is just something I’ve been curious about myself—especially with my own stroke history. Do you think working with glass could have affected your eyesight?

Trebs:
Not. I took up glass later in life. Looking back, I was already experiencing the early symptoms of vision loss before I even began working with glass. And the industry has worked hard to offer non-toxic alternatives. For example, instead of using traditional lead soldering, there are now non-lead options. So no, I don’t think it’s the cause—just unlucky genetics.

Host:
Wow. So, let’s talk about MACTEL. I’ve mentioned it on the show before, but for folks who may not know—can you explain how it affects your vision?

Trebs:
Sure. When it started, I just couldn’t read for pleasure anymore. Words stopped making sense. Then I noticed that straight lines were no longer straight—everything looked broken and wavy.

MACTEL, in simple terms, is the thinning of vessel walls in the blood vessels that feed the retina. Those walls weaken, kind of like mini-aneurysms, and leak blood into the eye. That leads to macular degeneration, which is more or less a byproduct of this disease.

Host:
Is there a cure for MACTEL?

Trebs:
There’s no cure. It’s rare—still under 5,000 diagnosed cases globally. But we are fortunate to have a generous funder supporting research.

Host:
I wanted to ask you—are you learning to read Braille?

Trebs:
I’ve considered it, but honestly, for people our age, the success rate in becoming fluent in Braille is pretty low. Plus, technology has made it less necessary. I use screen readers and AI apps that describe pictures, read menus, and even tell me what kind of bills I get back in change—all just with my phone or tablet. And I’m not even tech-savvy!

Host:
Wow, that’s incredible. Let’s shift gears—tell us something fun about you! I know you’re involved with comedy and improv.

Trebs:
Yes! I’m still doing improv. I even made it onto The Moth Radio Hour the summer before last. I had to put a l