tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46391208857517260432024-03-20T05:57:45.277-04:00Living With Low VisionCarolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-16481729557726866192013-04-20T12:57:00.000-04:002013-04-20T12:57:10.396-04:00Spring 2013 Update
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It’s been forever since I’ve done an eye update! Retirement is so much fun. I’m busier than
ever and I suppose it's a good thing that I'm not focused on my eyes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But, this is a blog about my eyes and I write it in hopes that it can help someone. Here is an update.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Last summer, after a few false starts with adjustments and
fittings, I received my bioptics, or my Jordi glasses, as I call them. These
are a wonderful invention and they<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTlUsr8QSgHKv05YQbeXG1MK6ytpXyHrlXiRPy-FXfsPB-hH8nVoysAFE_lZP_4ZZKY644uyFyfBxUpuZ9ZPhRu2aeU6UNhmUnkv9-aJP8-Zy9vqvB19Mb-n7hRMXCyxMZiY0dRl92Zk/s1600/Lelescope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTlUsr8QSgHKv05YQbeXG1MK6ytpXyHrlXiRPy-FXfsPB-hH8nVoysAFE_lZP_4ZZKY644uyFyfBxUpuZ9ZPhRu2aeU6UNhmUnkv9-aJP8-Zy9vqvB19Mb-n7hRMXCyxMZiY0dRl92Zk/s200/Lelescope.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am enjoying Homecoming at the Citadel<br /> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
served me well. I carried them to New
Zealand and Australia and fully enjoyed a new ability to see off in the
distance. However, driving with them was very scary for me. Because the telescope
part has a magnification level of 4X, looking through the lens significantly
reduces the field of vision. Instead of
seeing the road sign with the overpass above it, I was only able to see a small
part of the road sign. To read the whole thing, I would have to “dip” into the
telescope and then move across the sign. I missed everything else that was
going on on the road. Nevertheless, the bioptics were/are a significant
improvement, especially in strange places, in airports, at special events and
when alone (when I am without my seeing eye husband who can read for me!). <br />
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<br /></div>
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In November, I was honored to speak to the Lion’s Low Vision
Research Foundation (subject of earlier blog). I still want to do some kind of
volunteer work with them, but haven’t figured out how yet. Will work on that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In January, I had a little scare. I went to my regular eye
doc, Dr. G., and she thought she saw what could have been a hemorrhage in my
left, the better eye. Hemorrhages in the macula are indicative of the wet form
of macular degeneration. A common remedy is laser treatment to stop the bleeding
and/or regular injections directly into the eye to prevent the growth of the
blood vessels that could cause the hemorrhage.
A friend who has macular degeneration gets these eye injections
regularly and I don’t know how he survives it. It is a fear for me, and I hope
I never have to have it done. I panicked
and was severely frightened that I might have to have a shot in the eye. However,
after my doc dilated my eyes and examined me some more, she determined that it
was an artifact of sorts and nothing to be concerned about.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29J47Q9yIDSBGPwAN92Ac1Ccu7a6cufokuNnHW_QvTAoiKmxuGIF3VZnmEJ8j3R4kCWyYlIKA9C_0YR4GuKaYrEWrW2Bc03GoXPVq1YXYdkaNyZztiL37B5ErHTBb8OG0PxB4esnK3Do/s1600/Sightscope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29J47Q9yIDSBGPwAN92Ac1Ccu7a6cufokuNnHW_QvTAoiKmxuGIF3VZnmEJ8j3R4kCWyYlIKA9C_0YR4GuKaYrEWrW2Bc03GoXPVq1YXYdkaNyZztiL37B5ErHTBb8OG0PxB4esnK3Do/s200/Sightscope.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Binoculars flipped up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU4phTFPlp1jR4RzLm0DIsqOJQCnR-7rTcHjP06eTqQOrNKsXysIUNrhL0x2tAoteJMPnpzMqz3VbEvSTE8TlEomxMDEu7g_AMySVyGqG8VChKJVTisKmg2vxGJspaQFNlG0oFohT18Q/s1600/Sightscope2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU4phTFPlp1jR4RzLm0DIsqOJQCnR-7rTcHjP06eTqQOrNKsXysIUNrhL0x2tAoteJMPnpzMqz3VbEvSTE8TlEomxMDEu7g_AMySVyGqG8VChKJVTisKmg2vxGJspaQFNlG0oFohT18Q/s200/Sightscope2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Binoculars flipped down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During this visit, when we weren’t dealing with the
potential crisis of a hemorrhage, Dr. G. very ambivalently showed me the latest
and greatest glasses. She was hesitant because I had just spent money on the
bioptics and I don’t think she wanted to tempt me with the latest and greatest
gizmo to help patients with low vision. At the same time, she was very excited
about showing me what was going to be available. Well, I put the new ones on and was IN HEAVEN!
While my eyes were dilating, I wore the glasses and sat in the waiting room and
watched – read – the text stripe that crawls along the bottom of the TV screen
with the latest news. It was awesome! Dr. G. suggested that I come borrow the
glasses for a weekend. I told her it wasn’t necessary. If what they come up with is equal to these, I
want them! And the glasses are not horribly expensive – about 1200 dollars
compared to 2500. Hopefully all the bugs would be worked out by the time of the
next visit. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9pa_8PWU6PC_uKWA8RiCSO1JDB_R5_OHnNzlUvMp1IkfzfE_VACfH2do3is5vsoreal-R0eCVAejqV7LsR_gWc-fA4a4u3hBcADX7BYd-LooEZMWe9UHKP8JXMQc8tkU0pJTnjUIgCw/s1600/Summary+of+Eye+Pix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9pa_8PWU6PC_uKWA8RiCSO1JDB_R5_OHnNzlUvMp1IkfzfE_VACfH2do3is5vsoreal-R0eCVAejqV7LsR_gWc-fA4a4u3hBcADX7BYd-LooEZMWe9UHKP8JXMQc8tkU0pJTnjUIgCw/s200/Summary+of+Eye+Pix.jpg" width="200" /></a>In February, I went to my “new” retinologist at Wilmer. (My old doc, the one who I will always credit
with getting me on the road to rehab, moved his practice.) As is the protocol
with Hopkins, I was seen by several folks – students, residents, fellows,
technicians – before I saw her (or she saw me!). And they took a gazillion pictures. They did
a new test on me called an OCT. OCT means Ocular Coherence Tomography and it
measures the thickness of the macula. It wasn’t painful – more white lights and
sitting still. Not surprisingly, my results showed damage. It’s a fact
- I have abnormal eyes. This isn’t news to me. I just wish they weren’t so darned interesting
that everyone has to take a look!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAde18nh7EP5O9wW6-6jiEc1UXjJyyaIKOpdyCzSwUag8cvxXOlr7_0RHiO3zOmWn4zOHHGIZ_0mhQ-dY8hAj-WgYoUOvpo96MFUrR4122ka45NUUAEWbV35OuxGTzVBa2HrB8zW01NzU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-20+at+12.41.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAde18nh7EP5O9wW6-6jiEc1UXjJyyaIKOpdyCzSwUag8cvxXOlr7_0RHiO3zOmWn4zOHHGIZ_0mhQ-dY8hAj-WgYoUOvpo96MFUrR4122ka45NUUAEWbV35OuxGTzVBa2HrB8zW01NzU/s200/Screen+Shot+2013-04-20+at+12.41.28+PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a "normal" OCT. it shows<br />about 10 different layers of the retinal.<br />By measuring the various layers, the doctor<br />can determine damage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39hkDZwq3yFPizr4cELRJra8N7mx8OTb4mu5ykJkXdkoR9wbEH7b0PMD0lmWq6djSbv7DhQ542FkeWE5884vuBctsUsNwbChu6VRHPYzKpnrobLsVk6vxsKWlVCqCvXef0JnpA3GMF7E/s1600/Picture2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj39hkDZwq3yFPizr4cELRJra8N7mx8OTb4mu5ykJkXdkoR9wbEH7b0PMD0lmWq6djSbv7DhQ542FkeWE5884vuBctsUsNwbChu6VRHPYzKpnrobLsVk6vxsKWlVCqCvXef0JnpA3GMF7E/s200/Picture2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my eyes. See the variation<br /> in the lowest layer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuWKD7VxDTb2mqvK9RgyGxYPnGBumR_X0dhhmWSkZCurRN0UimaCxWPJgbNjiXnougMAGiahWJ7RMZScBFhKjknHgpw-1ue4G3lh3ktCjigbVgdU-BrgGOFMZgHAOWVDSZXjtTPbsV9I/s1600/Picture1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>The good news is that my new retinologist says that my
disease may not progress at all, and I may not lose any more vision! This is
much better than a previous prognosis of “a 2 to 10 year window” before the
progression stops. Keep your fingers crossed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In March, I returned to Dr’ G.’s office to be fitted for the
Ocutech Sight Scope, the new gizmo! These are regular glasses that have a flip
down binocular attached to them. The
binoculars are 2X power so the field of vision is significantly larger than my
bioptics. And they are lighter. The glasses arrived just in time for me to
attend, SEE, and enjoy a celebratory occasion for my nephew. I’ve had the
</div>
glasses for a week and a half, and, so far, I love them! And seeing street signs
is a breeze! I’m sure I’ll write more about these as I experiment with them.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tqlFsTVz1uh2FsXRa2PN5WpBf55m5mijIzJGmxvpiWNo8jsdkoutBA1NAVcDNWGcTHmd1_TmInkG-NPOCDHgKyHnOpwFt72yBegA9y9q9nOT_5HnEYrggU6cQcl-W4W9EsNnondR6xk/s1600/Sight+Scope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tqlFsTVz1uh2FsXRa2PN5WpBf55m5mijIzJGmxvpiWNo8jsdkoutBA1NAVcDNWGcTHmd1_TmInkG-NPOCDHgKyHnOpwFt72yBegA9y9q9nOT_5HnEYrggU6cQcl-W4W9EsNnondR6xk/s200/Sight+Scope.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearing the SightScopes<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, what is it like for me to see? I’ve tried to come up
with a way to articulate it. If you have 20/20 eyes, or eyes that can be
corrected with glasses to 20/20, we don’t see the same way. When I go into a
supermarket or a big box store like Lowe’s, all of the stuff is overwhelming to
me. It’s like my brain can’t absorb it all and everything blurs together. I can
see a sea of red and white cans and I know that they are Campbell’s soup cans,
but they are blurred together. It’s too
much and I feel over- stimulated. I can’t read the signs in the aisles. It makes a difference if it is a store that
is familiar to me or if I am walking into a store where I have never been. If I know my way around, I can do just fine. The same is true with airports. I’m familiar with BWI and I feel comfortable
there, but a “new” airport makes me uneasy. I have to look around for
bathrooms, baggage claim and ground transportation. If the airport is busy, I
am even more uneasy. Again, too much stimulation and it’s hard work to absorb
it all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do know that when I am wearing my brand new glasses,
watching TV is very different. I can read the guide now, and the colors and
detail are clearer. I wonder what I have been missing! We have a small TV in
our bedroom, and from a distance, I can barely see anything. I use it as a radio. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I generally do what I want to do, but I have limitations,
and I have to accept them. Driving is the prime example. During daylight, in
familiar areas and non-busy times of the day, I’m ok. I panic sometimes when I'm out and it starts to get dark. I have to leave, I say, and that's hard. I’ve often thought of another career, but I’m
not sure I would trust myself. For example, I thought it would be fun to be a
pharmacy tech or a nurse. But, I can’t count on my accuracy. I just can’t have it both ways and that’s ok. There's plenty of life to enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-29115025062591494232012-11-28T13:12:00.001-05:002020-07-12T11:16:38.031-04:00Safari for Sight with the Lions Club, November 17, 2012<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="Body1">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsuFYnXsbuUNsuHtklZS9I_u3NiLfcHqzwIKxSJ1P-VduPJkrv0Hh4iJt7hgTJ5ds07J8QhdRHccWctdPBytthc8Oq6Szl-6kHFoKMiIFOPXJ06FS5tCP0y2lzWobwdnsvMwPJ1-_thA/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsuFYnXsbuUNsuHtklZS9I_u3NiLfcHqzwIKxSJ1P-VduPJkrv0Hh4iJt7hgTJ5ds07J8QhdRHccWctdPBytthc8Oq6Szl-6kHFoKMiIFOPXJ06FS5tCP0y2lzWobwdnsvMwPJ1-_thA/s320/19.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> The Lions are a fun group. <br />
One of the leaders dressed up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Lions Club is the largest service organization in the world
with a strong history of performing charitable work for a variety of
humanitarian causes. Founded in 1917, the organization has more than 45,000
clubs in more than 200 countries and has more than 1.3 million members. In 1925, Helen Keller spoke to the Lions at
their International Convention and charged the Lions to be <i>Knights of the Blind.</i></span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGprjznHqA_CYbGWqu9xMEtsD11zRo5icNYV9eHgL9d5iFPofenj4bCgaKrzKdA6RZ4OJDHOM8M5VRO-BJIUBEbqItb0t2WM3bFIUJKo82wf7nPWTl41w5tgmaKGhuXqB_mKDCYhNTRw/s1600/16patz_CA1-articleInline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGprjznHqA_CYbGWqu9xMEtsD11zRo5icNYV9eHgL9d5iFPofenj4bCgaKrzKdA6RZ4OJDHOM8M5VRO-BJIUBEbqItb0t2WM3bFIUJKo82wf7nPWTl41w5tgmaKGhuXqB_mKDCYhNTRw/s200/16patz_CA1-articleInline.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helen Keller presenting award<br />
to Dr. Patz and his colleague.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In 1956, Hellen Keller presented an award to Dr. Patz for his outstanding work to prevent blindness. She told Dr. Patz "Never tell a patient there is </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">nothing more to be done. Rehabilitation is always an option.”</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Lions embraced the
challenge and today, Lions across the world work to improve or maintain vision
and conduct research into eye related issues. We have all seen and probably contributed to
the Lions’ eyeglasses collection boxes in doctors’ offices or optometry shops.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioaMdyPSY4509VEJMDtAagVQduu8M-TftwRUagS7igUxrycQug09Ecwq_ERXL0RVcQwweZF5sIBNmM1pXKae7qy2jZlewJxPoKts2Mou8ea0Qfj9fPbLUdphcmdJfZvCZdTfGLez2Apo/s1600/16patz_CA0-articleInline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioaMdyPSY4509VEJMDtAagVQduu8M-TftwRUagS7igUxrycQug09Ecwq_ERXL0RVcQwweZF5sIBNmM1pXKae7qy2jZlewJxPoKts2Mou8ea0Qfj9fPbLUdphcmdJfZvCZdTfGLez2Apo/s200/16patz_CA0-articleInline.jpg" width="139" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dr. Arnold Patz </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">with his Presidential </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Medal of Freedom</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dr. Patz went on to
become director of the Wilmer Eye
Institute and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work. He
also began a partnership with a multi-state
collaboration of Lions Clubs (Multiple District 22 - Maryland Delaware and the District of Columbia) that manages and supports
the Lions Vision Research Foundation (LVRF). This organization supports low
vision research and rehabilitation and minimizes the disabilities caused by low
vision and blindness. The objectives of the LVRF are met through a partnership
with the Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center at the Wilmer Eye
Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I have been a patient at the Wilmer Low Vision Center for about a
year, and my care there has literally opened my eyes. I was recently privileged
to tell my story at a meeting of the Lions Clubs and the LVRF. Here is what I said --<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My Comments...</span></i></b></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Good morning and thank
you so much for inviting me to share my story with you. I did some research on the internet and
discovered how important the Lion’s Club has been to help people like me and I
am truly grateful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xWhWxsOK8jTGd9fFiuiChZri9IKedyldq0P-qqF8s2Iw8lXiphQgGxUGch_LnBS8td1EGy3KbQp4gCl1UzFi8uP99JEXvnenERlmX8PNbxSPux8p9U9gdYsIX_P7fdgCuaIJMs_5dlA/s1600/11+Carol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xWhWxsOK8jTGd9fFiuiChZri9IKedyldq0P-qqF8s2Iw8lXiphQgGxUGch_LnBS8td1EGy3KbQp4gCl1UzFi8uP99JEXvnenERlmX8PNbxSPux8p9U9gdYsIX_P7fdgCuaIJMs_5dlA/s200/11+Carol.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">About 15-16 years ago,
on a Saturday afternoon, my husband and I went to Lens Crafters in the local
mall to get our eyes checked for glasses. My husband went in for his
appointment and came out with a new prescription. There was nothing unusual. I
went in for my appointment and wasn't so lucky.
My optometrist looked in my eyes for a long time and she called in the
other doctors in the practice to take a look too. She was calm, but I knew
something wasn’t quite right. She called Wilmer and sent me over right
away. At Wilmer, we were met by a
resident who was also a research student. He took me right away and spent about
five hours looking in my eyes. Before sending us home, he told me to come back
on Monday to see one of the Bresslers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Monday, I returned to
Wilmer and met Dr. Neil Bressler. He took his bright white light, shined it in
my eyes, moved it across the retina and told me I had what is called patterned
retinal dystrophy. He told me that my vision would probably get worse over time
and there were no effective treatments. No medicines; no surgery. Not a pretty
picture. I had a progressive eye disease
that was incurable. He said it was similar to macular degeneration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My 75-year old neighbor,
Weezie, had macular degeneration and I watched her stop reading, watching
television, driving, going out, and doing the things that she loved to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVcaMoa9m1-OcMoaWKwDNcP5vzilGRpAFHy8QbcTmV7BU1TmSXYQGySDfIuZjiFfg1xt82mlzKAo6U4jpZjQcaimhSL7lo0CiyGWq34Fm6_YuGEKpE4tJJdjlde-hAxB4SxUw89XdJEY/s1600/crowd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVcaMoa9m1-OcMoaWKwDNcP5vzilGRpAFHy8QbcTmV7BU1TmSXYQGySDfIuZjiFfg1xt82mlzKAo6U4jpZjQcaimhSL7lo0CiyGWq34Fm6_YuGEKpE4tJJdjlde-hAxB4SxUw89XdJEY/s320/crowd.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the next few years,
I had series of visits with a variety of retina doctors. These appointments
were depressing and not very useful. Every time l went, the doctor shined the
white light in my eyes, said “hrumpff”, “no change” or just a “yes” and left
the room. He or she didn't offer much help, advice or even hope. Finally, I just stopped going. I have often
suggested that retinologists have personalities akin to a flea. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="Body1">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because my visits didn’t
really produce much, I stopped going these specialists and I became resigned to a
future similar to the one that my neighbor Weezie was experiencing.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not surprisingly, my
vision got worse. When I read the eye chart, I couldn't see all of the big
E. I missed the top part of the E or the
bottom or the middle. I couldn't tell the difference between X's, M's, N's, W's Y's and Z's. And, I got 3's,
S's, B's, O's, D's and 5's mixed up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My ophthalmologist
wasn't happy about my boycott of retinologists and insisted that I go visit
one. Reluctantly I made an
appointment. I pretty much knew the
routine - the pictures, the drops and then a wait for the doc and that darned
white light. However, with this visit
there was something very different. The
retinologist came in and did the white light exam. Then he looked at me and
said "<i>How are you dealing with this</i>?"
Six words that I will never forget. I
braced and said "Fine, I'm getting along just fine." I didn't say a
word about how I was afraid that I would have to stop driving because I
couldn't see street signs, that it was difficult to thread a needle, that I
couldn't do my crafts, that reading was a problem. I had washed my hair more
than once with conditioner rather than shampoo.
"I'm fine," I said. And
then he very quietly and gently said, "When you are ready I have someone to
help you...."<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3mmeXlRD3BDCOa7nHtITPU1OKa4DAQOpMaArurtNnF1x1ZG6kscuQN7TdJQHr_3IGSRhzvCZMTASnTUPmaJQyyUIkF50FPmmx_rYk3KAGumx89Ipc_2EvjQ1h2GnYTwAX1XonpAulE0/s200/13+Carol+Jordi+Good.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="193" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Midway through my talk,<br />
I put on my Jordi Glasses.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3mmeXlRD3BDCOa7nHtITPU1OKa4DAQOpMaArurtNnF1x1ZG6kscuQN7TdJQHr_3IGSRhzvCZMTASnTUPmaJQyyUIkF50FPmmx_rYk3KAGumx89Ipc_2EvjQ1h2GnYTwAX1XonpAulE0/s1600/13+Carol+Jordi+Good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Six months later, I went
back for a follow-up appointment and at the end of the white light exam, he
said again "How are you dealing with this?" This time, I was prepared
and said "Not very well."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so, my journey
started. This retinologist put me in touch with a low vision doctor who was
wonderful. I had only one appointment
with her and she helped me with some very basic concepts - "<i>Big, Bold and Bright</i>," she said,
and she showed me some magnifiers. Every
time I said "I can't do this" or "I can't do that" she said,
"Yes you can. let's figure it out. " There just wasn't enough time in
a 45-minute appointment. I called her
for a follow-up so I could get a new glasses prescription and learn more, but
she sent me back to my ophthalmologist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I wanted a good eye
doctor that could coordinate all of my care and help me “deal with this” in the
best way possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I began to
investigate other options. That's how I came to The Low Vision Center at
Wilmer. I made an appointment. When I
arrived, I saw Jim, a rehabilitation therapist.
"What do you like to do?" he asked. "I do beadwork and I like to knit. But I
can't thread a needle anymore." He showed me some different lamps and what
a difference a bright light can make. I had some clip-on magnifiers to help me
with close-up work, but I wasn't using them correctly. He showed me that if I put the magnifier on
the distance portion of my glasses instead of the bifocal part, I could hold my
work farther away and my neck and shoulders wouldn't get tired. That simple trick along with proper lighting
was all I needed to enjoy my knitting once again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After I saw Jim, I saw
Dr. Goldstein. She asked me a bunch of questions. I told her I had problems
seeing street signs, night vision was difficult, and I had fallen a few times
because I didn't see a step. The worst
thing was that when I got off of an airplane I couldn’t read the sign that
pointed me to Baggage Claim or the restroom. Dr. Goldstein was clearly putting
the pieces together to figure out how this vision issue affected my life. She examined me and fitted me with new
glasses. The surprise was that she
wanted me to come back in a month so she could check the prescription. What kind of eye doctor does that? It was
also sort of neat because Dr. Chan was there. Dr. Chan was a low vision fellow
working with Dr. Goldstein. (I now know that LVRF funds this position.) Dr.
Goldstein explain what she was doing to Dr. Chan and even had Dr . Chan help
examine my eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A month later I went
back. I saw Jim again and this time, I brought my knitting and all of the
over-the-counter gizmos that I had collected over the years. I had prescription beading glasses, reading
glasses of all strengths and several more kinds of clip-on magnifiers and
handheld magnifiers, etc. etc. I had accumulated all kinds of stuff to help me
see better. Talking through it all affirmed what Jim had already figured
out. All I really needed was a few of
these things and someone to show me how to use them. I pulled out my knitting
and Jim watched me and verified that I knew how to use the clip-ons. He showed
me some other gadgets and gizmos that could be helpful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-ewQahDyz3ko6FyxZzMCIg7LamjkTufHa4zupAiOF7UctEdzdFLOtw7VgheT4LBSRSCZKKtxr_UNIW8jRbnGOV4K1vNm5pzoiS8fE2SYglusRH4gKYXy7vMdpSbJBsTt83uMuy8_yz0/s1600/18+Team+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-ewQahDyz3ko6FyxZzMCIg7LamjkTufHa4zupAiOF7UctEdzdFLOtw7VgheT4LBSRSCZKKtxr_UNIW8jRbnGOV4K1vNm5pzoiS8fE2SYglusRH4gKYXy7vMdpSbJBsTt83uMuy8_yz0/s400/18+Team+Shot.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">My Team: Jim, me, Judy Goldstein and Kat</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I went into see Dr.
Goldstein. She checked my glasses and
they were fine. And then, she showed me various tools/instruments that could
help me with my distance vision. ... and street signs and problem in airports.
She pulled out these glasses that looked like Jordi wore in Star Trek. I put
them on and after a few tries, I was reading book titles on the shelf across
the room. It was amazing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dr. Goldstein introduced
me to Kat, a low vision occupational therapist.
Together Kat and I walked around Hopkins Hospital and experimented with
the different telescopes and bioptics. She
would ask me to find an office or particular place in the hospital and to take her
there. After practicing with different styles and magnification strengths, I
settled on a pair and was given a loaner set for a two weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After the appointment,
my husband picked me up at the hospital and we went to a Subway to get some
lunch. I put the loaners on and for the first time in ages, I could read the
menu! These glasses were too cool. I ordered the same sandwich that I usually
got, but at least I had choices!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I ordered the bioptics
and Kat and Jim and Drs. Chan and Goldstein taught me how to use them. In addition to reading street signs every
time I was in the car (my husband calls me a GPS on steroids), I was able to
see my nephew walk across the stage and graduate from high school. In a month or so, I'll take lessons and learn
to coordinate driving with use of the bioptics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so, my journey
continues. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having low vision is not
a death sentence. I can do anything I want. I may have to find a workaround and
I may not get a perfect result, but I can do it. Education of the public is critical. Somehow, the word needs to get out to all of
the Weezies of the world that help is available and accessible. There is no
reason to accept the status quo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The work that you do to
support low vision services and research is so important. There are easy and inexpensive fixes, like
clip on magnifiers that have given me back the ability to do hobbies and enjoy
life. What is important is that we have people to teach patients how to use
them. We need more clinics like Wilmer's Low Vision Center to work with
patients and we need more Dr. Goldsteins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you so much for
inviting me and letting me tell my story. Thank you for all that you do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was really a great day, and I learned so much! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For more info about the Lions Vision Research Foundation, click <a href="http://www.lionsvision.org/">here. </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After the morning presentations, Lions were given a tour of the Low Vision Center. Click <span style="color: yellow;"><a href="http://youtu.be/v1LaYfIExLU%20to">here</a> </span>to see a video of Dr. Chan describing a low vision examination.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-89030274760541262852012-03-31T11:22:00.001-04:002012-03-31T11:23:37.000-04:00My Jordi Glasses are Ordered!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XmSPTbkrD1NCYvR-TL3hE-yMhLLS-VuHrEO7GCHT3PUTyaSOia9EhtbhN_xuwxZzMgjAv9c0YaXh8XLzboqwDLXMIkJ3-rVQnQd1LGB9d45SA-dmmQisNPnA4LEvPzPcrfoehnHBEWM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-31+at+11.18.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XmSPTbkrD1NCYvR-TL3hE-yMhLLS-VuHrEO7GCHT3PUTyaSOia9EhtbhN_xuwxZzMgjAv9c0YaXh8XLzboqwDLXMIkJ3-rVQnQd1LGB9d45SA-dmmQisNPnA4LEvPzPcrfoehnHBEWM/s200/Screen+Shot+2012-03-31+at+11.18.01+AM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what they look like! Mine will be blue!<br />
They are the Ocutech VES-Sport!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Woo hoo! The other day I was measured for my bioptic glasses! I’ve had a loaner pair from Wilmer for the past two weeks and I have to say that I LOVE them. When I wear them, I can see so much! Street signs, Power Point presentations from the back of the room instead of the front, menus posted on the wall, restroom signs, faces of people playing basketball in the park behind our house, signs inside the metro. I even saw detail on our 55-inch HD TV that I've never seen before! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VCkbXYiJfK3EmDcaHNBVGIdmpyKKjRa5Ph_HD4gchAr-BAQlYZfoymxgLkNDSiWrThDNkjrDkWVqN3n8m6oQ46UJhtbqm1_oQkRfzh37MnKPgG4huYkPo9twiehKx4GcgBz-akwLVHI/s1600/geord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VCkbXYiJfK3EmDcaHNBVGIdmpyKKjRa5Ph_HD4gchAr-BAQlYZfoymxgLkNDSiWrThDNkjrDkWVqN3n8m6oQ46UJhtbqm1_oQkRfzh37MnKPgG4huYkPo9twiehKx4GcgBz-akwLVHI/s200/geord.jpg" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new here - Geordi La Forge</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">My sweet husband was so tired of me narrating our road trips that I thought he was going to kick me out of the car: "Did you know that Exit 17B is before Exit 17A”, “Checkers Cheeseburgers $1.89”, “Left turning vehicles”, “Hey, look, there is the sign for the light rail”, “Did you see that sign for the aquarium?" He said I sounded like a GPS with runaway software – the only thing I didn’t say was “Recalculating.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Body1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I wore the glasses every day and practiced aiming my better eye out the telescope’s small hole to bring into focus a small, but very clear field of vision. It’s a little tricky, but after a while the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> muscle memory develops and it becomes as easy as looking in a rear view mirror.</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The only problem with the bioptic glasses was that occasionally I got so involved with all the things I could see, that sometimes I didn’t always watch where I was going. Several times, I almost walked into something or fell. I didn’t, though, and I also didn't feel the least bit self-conscious about wearing these weird looking things in public. <o:p></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenAKebrUhRd-BnteUcky-5ESQyF0Q_YW-TfYZqitMyVFepxLMkVJKlhX42I1DGx3oe7RgI0cCCszh9rMHjfhK8UzVGpgO15heLzrbekthRkM_3Y3gRjhIvAsOQhXsTHN2nciiMIq7dcI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-31+at+11.07.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenAKebrUhRd-BnteUcky-5ESQyF0Q_YW-TfYZqitMyVFepxLMkVJKlhX42I1DGx3oe7RgI0cCCszh9rMHjfhK8UzVGpgO15heLzrbekthRkM_3Y3gRjhIvAsOQhXsTHN2nciiMIq7dcI/s200/Screen+Shot+2012-03-31+at+11.07.13+AM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now I can see the subway menu when<br />
at the cash register.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I call them my Jordy Glasses, in honor of Geordi La Forge, the Chief Engineer on the Starship Enterprise, who wore a VISOR (Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement). Jordy, my preferred spelling, is an acronym for “Joint Optical Reflective Device.” OK, that’s really just “Jord,” but it’s my blog and my eyes, so I’ll take a bit of license if I want to. While discussing this with my low vision therapist (LVT, since we’re doing acronyms today), I learned that there really is such a thing as a “Jord(y)”, and of course it was developed at Hopkins! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUI6z9hm1GlFuDtSBoQOajN2NvZR1lKmG0yFSv9Vgv6zE2WF-atZclVsD4rZU9fwQvSE-12M90oqFoDMaBHhLZF9c-TMfa3RlMKbQnqW-Os_elcUhrZDVnAPUhd-nD8E6yM7Ijl_Bhtec/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-03-31+at+11.08.19+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUI6z9hm1GlFuDtSBoQOajN2NvZR1lKmG0yFSv9Vgv6zE2WF-atZclVsD4rZU9fwQvSE-12M90oqFoDMaBHhLZF9c-TMfa3RlMKbQnqW-Os_elcUhrZDVnAPUhd-nD8E6yM7Ijl_Bhtec/s200/Screen+Shot+2012-03-31+at+11.08.19+AM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I sit on the metro, I can read this sign.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Anyway, back to the “fitting.” First, it was necessary to show the LVT and the doctor that I really was making progress. They both agreed that I was. In fact, with my better eye and the telescope I was able to read the 20/15 line on the Eye chart. “Astonishing” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The “carrier” lenses will be my distance prescription on top and the lower bifocal will be speedometer distance. I chose silver frames since I wear a lot of black AND since I had no color choice with the white cane, I chose a classy metallic blue for the telescope. If I’m going to be a Star Trek character, I might as well be a fashionable one!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></div><div class="Body1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Next steps: I’ll get the bioptics in a month. First I’ll practice some more. Then, I’ll take driving lessons (at my age!) to see if I can integrate the telescope safely into my driving. This little gizmo will make a world of difference - not just in my vision, but also my independence. Stay tuned!<o:p></o:p></span></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-11885370463692213032012-01-18T12:46:00.001-05:002012-01-18T12:50:38.607-05:00Back to Hopkins and the Wilmer Eye Institute...<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTpVsaVA_Ka2_pMENDAA8iMWXPeJONwWHJAucLCgXywGMJyECGqZTWKFZw0q_K0jvzcQOt5hW3xDEJF1CW57KSPQadXVAeCF-JQCz5uL7cWFUwhDFx2Sxc_DSliMJhwmbEBerp5YNUQY/s1600/Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTpVsaVA_Ka2_pMENDAA8iMWXPeJONwWHJAucLCgXywGMJyECGqZTWKFZw0q_K0jvzcQOt5hW3xDEJF1CW57KSPQadXVAeCF-JQCz5uL7cWFUwhDFx2Sxc_DSliMJhwmbEBerp5YNUQY/s200/Jesus.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_u7VnwO3Hc7RRRGHhkDLBodBDULqxnDihmDFf0FOpwXfxn7fT8bi_aGmuSj-lFpOJRF32_MhZr4Aq-_ummhdj-z_18V9OmNDd5QBxYXgNblZljTW_GCizhaJzKPVZ9dqn6DHSXrCvwU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-16+at+6.52.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_u7VnwO3Hc7RRRGHhkDLBodBDULqxnDihmDFf0FOpwXfxn7fT8bi_aGmuSj-lFpOJRF32_MhZr4Aq-_ummhdj-z_18V9OmNDd5QBxYXgNblZljTW_GCizhaJzKPVZ9dqn6DHSXrCvwU/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-01-16+at+6.52.43+PM.png" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Wilmer Eye Institute at the Johns Hopkins Hospital is perhaps the most renowned eye hospital in the world. Wilmer has the best doctors and it does the most research. If you have an eye problem, Wilmer is the place to be. People who know Johns Hopkins are familiar with the iconic Dome on the original building, and the huge statue of Jesus inside. It’s the centerpiece of Hopkins, which today is an enormous conglomeration of buildings that takes up maybe 15 city blocks. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBa-Ogv9_6V0oUnUuVs7PQdudHrMtsCv7Q2ObptpOB6ZI_U9hKDH5JHi9jVJOooRiRLzo1_7zvTCArA2GIUNP7GQBSc-AdXVByKtQatDwBi43UzNVWbJNBaz3DO4Y5SRMfok1QEWdOdg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-16+at+7.17.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBa-Ogv9_6V0oUnUuVs7PQdudHrMtsCv7Q2ObptpOB6ZI_U9hKDH5JHi9jVJOooRiRLzo1_7zvTCArA2GIUNP7GQBSc-AdXVByKtQatDwBi43UzNVWbJNBaz3DO4Y5SRMfok1QEWdOdg/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-01-16+at+7.17.31+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a map of the Hopkins Campus in Baltimore. The upper circled area<br />
is the Wilmer Eye Institute. The new building to the left house the Wilmer<br />
operating rooms and research areas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The entrance to the Eye Institute is just past the statue. It sort of sets the stage. Going into Wilmer, you have the feeling of going into an old-fashioned bank with very high ceilings. Patients line up in a queue in a roped area and wait for a registrar. There is even a sign there that says (in large type) “Please wait for the next available registrar.” There are nine registration stations and people move through them quickly as the registrars shout “next.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4uto0ZNnWaYBzAujvhHtZhezSNBoYInLfE0Bm8dt5K9TolflPHilERZplFCz8UzAVcmYwSE-EttGst1V8qrMq-6_hhcbWfE6IbVgN6s1NEF34RsWGmwBOOPCIwbgkkv_HcQEtY8QiBs/s1600/Reg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4uto0ZNnWaYBzAujvhHtZhezSNBoYInLfE0Bm8dt5K9TolflPHilERZplFCz8UzAVcmYwSE-EttGst1V8qrMq-6_hhcbWfE6IbVgN6s1NEF34RsWGmwBOOPCIwbgkkv_HcQEtY8QiBs/s320/Reg.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The registration area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I visited Wilmer about a week ago for the first time in years. I remember my many visits to their retina clinic and at first blush, this visit wasn’t much different. So many patients. The registrar said they see more than 400 patients a day! Even though they now have a newer and bigger building for research and surgery, I went to same old place and registration was the same. On the high walls, there are pictures of doctors caring for patients in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Johns Hopkins is practically the birthplace of modern medicine, and everywhere you look there is a strong feeling of historical significance, almost reverence. When you are there, you know that you are not in any ordinary clinic. In the Wilmer “Dome”, there is even Dr. Wilmer’s examining chair where he examined the eyes and prescribed eyeglasses for eight consecutive US presidents, from Grover Cleveland through FDR.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My experience last summer with the State of Maryland’s Department of Rehab Services was very positive, but there was/is no continuity to that service. And, unlike so many of their clients, I have the means to pay for my own eye rehab. I wanted to develop a relationship with a doctor who understands my disease and who can prescribe glasses. The retinologist who I see twice a year doesn’t do glasses, and neither does the low-vision doctor I saw earlier. I also figured that if they ever discover a cure for what I have, Wilmer would probably be where they discover it. So, I made an appointment, and had copies my records sent to the Dome. Still, I was a little leery, because if you remember from earlier blog entries, my previous care at Hopkins, though medically very good, was not very helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbW5y3SQ6NXudDnC9dsnPslko0qsBGZTh1TXQYqYHoI2WQl-Giv4uuMTgo48eh5T0QmXWWbwPfuhh-mAKHBZDVrAN8rkF5mA9QCCQm9ghxLefwdzC8nTpQPUN3jdbkUTqCInpaEyMM1pU/s1600/Lions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbW5y3SQ6NXudDnC9dsnPslko0qsBGZTh1TXQYqYHoI2WQl-Giv4uuMTgo48eh5T0QmXWWbwPfuhh-mAKHBZDVrAN8rkF5mA9QCCQm9ghxLefwdzC8nTpQPUN3jdbkUTqCInpaEyMM1pU/s320/Lions.jpg" width="297" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I registered and made my way to the elevators to go the third floor. As I turned the corner, I noticed a glass case that was full of low-vision gadgets and gizmos with a sign that said “Low-Vision Rehabilitation.” Hmmm. This was different. I stopped and looked. I didn’t remember this from 15 years ago or even 10 years ago. I went up the elevator and then followed the (large print) signs for low vision, and came to another registration desk. After all, this is Hopkins! I checked in again, and was then ushered into a waiting room where there was only one other person. This, too, was different. The places I’ve visited in the past were always crowded. After a 10-minute wait (another big difference), a guy named Jim came out and called my name. He was a low vision specialist, and we started right in. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jim checked my close-up vision and asked what kind of devices I was using. I pulled out a variety of magnifiers – standing, portable, loupes, clip-ons, etc., etc. We went through them one by one, and immediately he taught me something I didn’t know. I’m not sure I can explain it, but when I use magnification, it effectively enlarges the area around the blind spots, and that’s what allows me to see more – it’s not so much making what I’m looking at bigger, but instead enlarging the field of vision. Jim said he would guess that after using a magnifier for a while, my eyes get tired, and he was absolutely right. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jim said that because of the disease I have, my eyes work overtime and it’s not surprising that at the end of a day, I feel like putting ice cubes on them. I can help the eyestrain by holding things very close up to my eyes, but if I do that for long enough it will cause shoulder, neck and back pain. Jim said the goal was to find the just-right combination of magnification and lighting that will get the best use out of the vision I have left, with the least amount of fatigue.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We played with the light using my clip-ons and other gizmos. I knitted with and without light, with magnification on my distance bifocal and with magnification on my close-up bifocal. I am learning soooooo much.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I asked Jim how long this service had been at Hopkins and he said years. This included 10 – 15 years ago when I was a patient. No one referred me or even told me about it, I said. Jim wasn’t surprised, but he added that retina doctors are getting better about referrals. Maybe I’m not the only one doing consciousness-raising.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1b6622N6Lm8Aid39cn8wp7Ab_vdno-0NDKTgxqI6MCWoTt1AO_pn47EHNXhM_s_4cCs2LccvoAr1NiVig8tMapgIKD-7B-hDHSl_ne1jAt0vaykSrNChby7rPFjRxLSC73uuQPWy9ks/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-13+at+5.53.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1b6622N6Lm8Aid39cn8wp7Ab_vdno-0NDKTgxqI6MCWoTt1AO_pn47EHNXhM_s_4cCs2LccvoAr1NiVig8tMapgIKD-7B-hDHSl_ne1jAt0vaykSrNChby7rPFjRxLSC73uuQPWy9ks/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-01-13+at+5.53.03+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you ever wonder how silly we look when we get our eyes<br />
examined?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After an hour or so, I moved into the doctor’s office. I don’t know if this doctor is famous, but she is certainly well-respected. She’s an optometrist and not an ophthalmologist. This is ok. I want someone who can give me the best possible glasses and help me see the best I can. She checked my peripheral vision, contrast, everything. I looked as hard as I could to read every letter and line and I moved my head all around to see around the blind spots. She was patient and let me take my time so we could get a good evaluation. I think it’s an F, I’d say, but it may be an E. She had all the notes from the Hopkins retinologists of years past, and from my new one, and had read all of them. I learned that I have “eccentric viewing” in my right (bad) eye. That means that a person looks slightly away from a subject in order to view it peripherally with another area of the visual field. The internet says I’m using my rod cells instead of my cones. In my better eye, I tilt my head to the left in order to view something straight on. I never noticed. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, the doc was great. I brought up my worst fear and asked her if I was “legal” to drive in Maryland. The thought of giving up driving is scary. How will I get where I want to go? Who will take me? I will become such an imposition if I ask my hubby and friends all the time to pulleeeezzze take me to the bead store, the yarn store, the nail place, etc. Yikes! I’m not ready for helpless!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a half hour and some definite anxiety on my part, she said yes, I was legal to drive. She was comfortable that because I had already made decisions about driving at night, in bad weather, heavy traffic, etc., and that because I had asked the question, that I would know when it was time to stop. Like all the other doctors, she also assured me that I probably will not go blind. Just be careful, she said. (My husband says I’m actually a better driver now, because I know I have to pay constant attention. Amazing what fear can do.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We talked about the impact of my low vision on my being and how just working all day to see makes me tired. She understood, and made me feel like, yeah, it’s ok to just sit still and close my eyes now and then. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She gave me a new prescription for glasses and we scheduled a follow-up appointment. I’ll go back in about 6 weeks, after I receive my new glasses. Next time, she wants me to bring my bead work. We’ll also look into a bioptic telescope to put on the lens for my better eye, which might help me see street signs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so, I’m back in the Hopkins system for my low-vision rehab and corrective lenses. And this time, I feel good about it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1ic9ppFLxBiheTZfxrbTa3E1wgFbyQddyVsmVZ7H_TwsbDjXoSm38FLF50WFOfIGucjwn9QXsQoG4nG-Rc77Jk6N6AvfgjOWPWNiAeZyUb5bjHPTXOUyOl3t9k7PgWfzYC7i5lAKK7k/s1600/Bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqHq2uKfcRwW10ENCoxAinCJe3sieZr_kfFp5yrYKybq4dBfoYGFsI8zyhfSRdGNG1_aPsky2ZVbKzmGir8CQyKZCuqye4vovSEu5u0-Y8TuuysbMVASgaI_SVfUoD2EVAJgLYPJf-Hw/s1600/Chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqHq2uKfcRwW10ENCoxAinCJe3sieZr_kfFp5yrYKybq4dBfoYGFsI8zyhfSRdGNG1_aPsky2ZVbKzmGir8CQyKZCuqye4vovSEu5u0-Y8TuuysbMVASgaI_SVfUoD2EVAJgLYPJf-Hw/s320/Chair.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the history of Wilmer includes Dr. Wilmer's “Examining Chair.” <br />
Dr. Wimer examined the eyes of eight sitting U.S. Presidents. In<br />
2001, they took the chair off the shelf so President Bush could<br />
sit in it too!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDF-bRKyYgdipNM9FNU-caD17_aO-R-GLjNBCyI4YHYdeXtPrTM5SQfc2G0o1LU6XPDINPICZlBiIX2j9j5FUF2dq2jQHANgLEHwgYzrNh363910vaO4n_OfkHHxuIOKL6q0fdjCKdoM/s1600/Bush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDF-bRKyYgdipNM9FNU-caD17_aO-R-GLjNBCyI4YHYdeXtPrTM5SQfc2G0o1LU6XPDINPICZlBiIX2j9j5FUF2dq2jQHANgLEHwgYzrNh363910vaO4n_OfkHHxuIOKL6q0fdjCKdoM/s320/Bush.jpg" width="202" /></a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-44740151415072945772012-01-11T20:01:00.002-05:002012-01-11T20:15:10.419-05:00What was I thinking?<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What was I thinking? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflWcmEPV6bBuLDS4LKwVRdubL83sVjtLB5Kdqpb9uNg_IwN57Z7GHfkf5-bTPyfKZHygDo2IDbyWBdWrpwitFJwae53b3hhF9pF3YxfcrfVI1DsnkbB97cV7QgYlVb-jSgLXPXEHbciY/s1600/GLove+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflWcmEPV6bBuLDS4LKwVRdubL83sVjtLB5Kdqpb9uNg_IwN57Z7GHfkf5-bTPyfKZHygDo2IDbyWBdWrpwitFJwae53b3hhF9pF3YxfcrfVI1DsnkbB97cV7QgYlVb-jSgLXPXEHbciY/s200/GLove+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overexposed picture that shows the pattern.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A couple of weeks ago, a friend told me about a brand new knitting shop not far from our house. Since I enjoy knitting almost as much as beading, I had to check it out. It was delightful! They had samples hanging on every wall, and I wanted to make them all. The next day I attended a lecture by a man named Ron, who was describing a kind of wool called Buffalo Gold. The yarn, he said, was the second warmest wool available. It doesn’t pearl up or shrink, and if you get it wet, it will still keep you warm. He went on to talk about the American Bison and how the wool is produced, etc. etc. Meanwhile, he had this wonderful pair of fingerless mittens. I put them on and they felt soooo good and they were soooo pretty. I wanted to make them right away.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ron didn’t have many colors of yarn and so I picked a hunter green. I checked my gauge by knitting a 2-inch square, bought some double-pointed size 3 needles, took my yard and pattern and I was on my way. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumTX-qbZAt21CNeZD9r_2FmWAL45R6I-utmD8EI_uDRqPizfBcRGct2ILIxaDo9rC-_ahpKuGO1vIAxKLTH1cgYcF0Izd7D17PIu8ZiaV7vUPFKCpBUqq3T2xagetNx61b2vdOJrUvW8/s1600/GLove+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumTX-qbZAt21CNeZD9r_2FmWAL45R6I-utmD8EI_uDRqPizfBcRGct2ILIxaDo9rC-_ahpKuGO1vIAxKLTH1cgYcF0Izd7D17PIu8ZiaV7vUPFKCpBUqq3T2xagetNx61b2vdOJrUvW8/s200/GLove+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ai-yi-yi!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A day later, I sat back, totally frustrated. What was I thinking??????? The yarn is beautiful, but it has a little fuzz on it and if you aren’t careful it will split. Hunter green is a great winter color but it’s dark and hard for me to see. Size three needles make a tightknit fabric but the stitches are teeny tiny! And the gloves, gorgeous as they were, have a right twist with every K2 in stockinette and then an alternating left and right cross cable every 5 rows (for the non-knitters out there, what this means is,it's a fairly complicated weave). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHIj440TuH8AvHNUMa4EzChh622M9pmRxTBlipnMMkBl5MVs8BPnVIOiGFLy80QtWQ81ZSb3YmD9kS1-rgN8BLmbh_a3bdkD9CtvWr2nFvGTBOlv4MjQ53jh4SztrtzBvwAqz5CYhE_o/s1600/GLove+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHIj440TuH8AvHNUMa4EzChh622M9pmRxTBlipnMMkBl5MVs8BPnVIOiGFLy80QtWQ81ZSb3YmD9kS1-rgN8BLmbh_a3bdkD9CtvWr2nFvGTBOlv4MjQ53jh4SztrtzBvwAqz5CYhE_o/s200/GLove+3.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One is almost complete!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It was slow going. I would knit a stitch and rip out a stitch. I completed a row and pulled out a row. Pretty soon I got out the light and the optics. The little clip-on spectacles that I hated six months ago are now my best friends. They clip right over my glasses and have a couple different positions. When I position them in front of the distance part of my bifocals, I can hold the knitting farther away from me. When I get into trouble or have a difficult row (those cable stitches), I move them in front of the lower part of my bifocals and move the knitted fabric closer to me. Focusing farther away is easier on the eyes, but harder on the back; focusing closer is easier on the back, harder on the eyes. I’m learning that using these relatively inexpensive clip-ons (A whole set from Amazon costs about 20 bucks) gives me flexibility. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSWjrCpcCOBjPUvNgtgoW17VQ4Nzq6_WUGiXiPxRo4rqTClwR0q3rcLOW_xJuacqld-vtWuSzpy2tFnDu6iEjKOOAwQG3njfA7i_thQoeIQHl8VVZoAPcfVuW1Ah0dY5005SnMbUWDIY/s1600/Board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSWjrCpcCOBjPUvNgtgoW17VQ4Nzq6_WUGiXiPxRo4rqTClwR0q3rcLOW_xJuacqld-vtWuSzpy2tFnDu6iEjKOOAwQG3njfA7i_thQoeIQHl8VVZoAPcfVuW1Ah0dY5005SnMbUWDIY/s200/Board.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My work space for the bead class! See the<br />
loupes and the clip-ons. The charlottes are<br />
those teeny tiny beads in the front on the left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the middle of my knitting project, the Baltimore Bead Society sponsored a bead show with a class by one of my favorite instructors. I haven’t worked with little beads for over a year -- Just too frustrating. Well, I thought I'd give it a try and signed up for Amy’s 6-hour class. Again, what was I thinking? Size 15’s and charlottes! I packed up my special needles, Ott Light, clip-ons and my special, special eyeglasses with the telescopic loupes that look like what the dentist wears. Off I went awaiting what the day would bring. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I started slow, but within an hour had caught up with the class. I used to be the “fastest” beader in all the classes. It no longers matters. I was enjoying the new relationship I had with the beads. The meditative and therapeutic quality of the beads was back and I had achieved bead-nirvana once again.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What I had learned is that yes, I can still do what I want. I may be slower and the results may not be perfect, but I can still do my knitting and beadwork.</span><o:p></o:p></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-87032052529511674092011-11-23T12:20:00.000-05:002011-11-23T12:20:55.604-05:00Not the Best Report from the Retina Doctor<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Oh my, went to the retina doc today and it was a so-so report. My left eye is stable, but I’ve lost some more vision in my right eye. It no longer meets the requirements for driving. For the first time, a doctor has brought up the subject of driving and the need to start planning for a passenger-only future. Fortunately, my left eye is still plenty good enough to pass the driving test so I don’t have to cross that hurdle just yet. When do you make that very hard decision? And how? Again, the doctor affirmed that most likely I will not lose all my vision, and will retain the ability get around.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I wasn’t surprised by this discussion. The other day I gave a presentation at CMS on Security Boulevard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finished at 4:30 pm and I was anxious to leave – I wanted to leave so I wouldn’t have to drive in the dark. Everyone stood around talking… and talking… and talking. Finally, I said “I have to leave – I can’t drive in the dark.” It was dusk when I left, but the sun set quickly. And there I was, in the car, in the pitch black dark. I drove carefully and was confident that I could get home safely, but only because I had made this trip so often before. When I looked at the signs, I couldn’t see them, or the letters were all jumbled up. Glen Burnie became Gen Bunn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I got home, I said to my husband that it was a tough drive home, mostly because I knew/acknowledged that there was a change in my vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, I wasn’t surprised when my right eye saw three less fewer lines on the Big “E” chart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Because of the vision loss, the doctor wanted to do a <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Fluorescein Angiogram. It is a very unpleasant test. The technician injects a dye in your arm, then quickly takes pictures of your retina. The dye lights up the blood vessels so they can be seen easily. It also make you nauseous. The doctor looks for any leaks in the blood vessels. He (or she) is also able to compare it to any previous pictures. I asked the tech if she would send me the pix and she did. On the left is someone’s normal retina. The next two pictures are my eyes – left and right or, in opthalmologist-speak, OS (oculus sinister) and OD (oculus dexter).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcf-V9J_SlmHap6EeRo_DIbzS33lZn61IAtPn8eX55gQB-Pqixzm4Z13nTN0HOUoy0Hb8mHtwvC3_3qGPy-4Zi2YqzAhIDIkheaNpkFYL8ZL8nTyfD7LjMUnO5IzgtMU5WrCUcFimbfs/s1600/Normal+eye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcf-V9J_SlmHap6EeRo_DIbzS33lZn61IAtPn8eX55gQB-Pqixzm4Z13nTN0HOUoy0Hb8mHtwvC3_3qGPy-4Zi2YqzAhIDIkheaNpkFYL8ZL8nTyfD7LjMUnO5IzgtMU5WrCUcFimbfs/s200/Normal+eye.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Normal eye. Macula is to the left<br />
of the optic disc. Click to enlarge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In all three pictures, there is bright white spot called the optic disc, the area where the blood vessels converge. I use to think that was the pupil or optic nerve. Thank goodness for a retinologist who takes the time to explain this stuff! In all three pix, there is a darker or black area not too far from the optic disc. This is the macula or the part of the eye that is responsible for central vision. I used to think that because it was dark, it was a “bad “ or damaged spot. Not so.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwCcPYnSE7lsGs35ua8zmSjmQvPXzY1aouZ_NJqlY0eJ-Ze0vqQrR-GpWmLl_dRDlHnYPnjXrVOA184qAUlSwL2wsSeXxoboGQDc6O6wrpH3wDRJbnjJEuCm3jkYIJOzpn8qBm2NQbI4/s1600/Benner_C_OS_FA_EARLY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwCcPYnSE7lsGs35ua8zmSjmQvPXzY1aouZ_NJqlY0eJ-Ze0vqQrR-GpWmLl_dRDlHnYPnjXrVOA184qAUlSwL2wsSeXxoboGQDc6O6wrpH3wDRJbnjJEuCm3jkYIJOzpn8qBm2NQbI4/s200/Benner_C_OS_FA_EARLY.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left or better eye. Lesions are to the<br />
right of the macula. Click to enlarge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbdOo704OFjyVlME2T9nTZ5TRyLMQ2d_TL1SqPnzAB6Kas-5fOV85kViWlTNT9Dw7PC6giyAqPtYQrMqpluPL6LI0hEwVbKevXVD-EpCYsMNbehgl4bxk5T1_HAhKu6oBxi-vkMdYFqg/s1600/Benner_C_OD_FA_EARLY-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbdOo704OFjyVlME2T9nTZ5TRyLMQ2d_TL1SqPnzAB6Kas-5fOV85kViWlTNT9Dw7PC6giyAqPtYQrMqpluPL6LI0hEwVbKevXVD-EpCYsMNbehgl4bxk5T1_HAhKu6oBxi-vkMdYFqg/s200/Benner_C_OD_FA_EARLY-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right or bad eye. Lesions are in the<br />
middle of the macula. Click to enlarge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What you see in my eyes is quite a bit of scarring or thinning of pigment to the right of the macula in my left eye and smack dab in the middle of the macula in my right eye. Again, looking at this, you would think my left eye is much worse than the right. But while the damage is greater, it is in an area of the retina that doesn’t matter, or that doesn’t affect my vision. This is pattern retinal dystrophy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I have some stuff to process after this visit.<span> </span>The driving is ok for now, if I am careful and drive only in the daytime, but the issue looms large. My husband and I have to decide where to retire. So much for a farm in the middle of nowhere – I’ll need to be able to walk to the store or take public transportation. Earlier I suggested to him that we live in the middle of a shopping center, near a bead store. Oh, what to do...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And, as an aside, my cousin sent me this picture. LOL!! I may be losing my sense of sight, but not my sense of humor!</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.5in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6yvmo1iVKdB46prX7t5YVMREShETZQEuJrT4dTYaISyl-7pHUbCYE2GXx4XEZ4R1foefXGL5EUi75v6VN9z_3kzLXkgo6vostKKm0GDJebhicK39Pg6g1Fjl5w4H-xuwwpD9h7zmwu8/s1600/Blind+Driver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6yvmo1iVKdB46prX7t5YVMREShETZQEuJrT4dTYaISyl-7pHUbCYE2GXx4XEZ4R1foefXGL5EUi75v6VN9z_3kzLXkgo6vostKKm0GDJebhicK39Pg6g1Fjl5w4H-xuwwpD9h7zmwu8/s640/Blind+Driver.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.5in;"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-73425186281957195722011-10-29T18:34:00.000-04:002011-10-29T18:34:19.001-04:00Busted! Unmasked! Out of the Closet!<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I’ve kept my eye problems pretty much away from work, and the cane away from people I know. It’s just really hard to use the cane in front of them. I do use it in the subway or in an airport (it makes people nicer to me!). But up to now, it’s been strictly for use with strangers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-z2yArrK6vSuUGNWO13GRFmdjUeMgV1wF2_Y75qHgtoum6Vgb97C1_e3Dp43qjCQ8BksD0mf3WhwfCdWM6gSocyOwt48Tz1dfGSAv3ehgrgbQITpe-FHY-XIi-j2Fgl2Nl2EXNmRJTo/s1600/Balloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-z2yArrK6vSuUGNWO13GRFmdjUeMgV1wF2_Y75qHgtoum6Vgb97C1_e3Dp43qjCQ8BksD0mf3WhwfCdWM6gSocyOwt48Tz1dfGSAv3ehgrgbQITpe-FHY-XIi-j2Fgl2Nl2EXNmRJTo/s320/Balloon.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cane on the left is a mobility cane and the smaller, <br />
thinner one is on the right. These are my co-workers<br />
Patrick and Kathleen rescuing the flyaway balloon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So the company where I work had its annual meeting last week. Several of us were sitting in the staff lounge talking and watching two people standing on chairs trying to capture an escaped helium balloon. They were using an umbrella and not having a lot of success. I looked over and said “I have just the thing you need,” and pulled my “identity cane” out of my pocketbook. I opened it up and gave it them, and it helped to isolate the balloon in a corner, but wasn’t quite enough to pull it down from the ceiling. I said, “wait a minute” and then went to my luggage and pulled out the “mobility cane.” With the two canes, they were able to grab the balloon and bring it down to earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVL4PHtXYtbUuNJJJWtXpRg3L6W0xDrGOZhbzJqqF9BNBj9wIJA80kcF7MXFDcsTUQ-Cr7xGMK0JGz16SnGuRInu2nVMAzFgAvpkzBh3nugToiDr3R1CH5YY7F_lpfX3_DurMmtHJot-E/s1600/White+Canes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVL4PHtXYtbUuNJJJWtXpRg3L6W0xDrGOZhbzJqqF9BNBj9wIJA80kcF7MXFDcsTUQ-Cr7xGMK0JGz16SnGuRInu2nVMAzFgAvpkzBh3nugToiDr3R1CH5YY7F_lpfX3_DurMmtHJot-E/s1600/White+Canes.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top folded cane is an “Identity” or “Symbol” Cane<br />
and fits easily in my pocketbook. It’s about 7 inched<br />
when it’s all folded up. The bottom cane is the mobility<br />
cane used to tap, wave or sweep to look for obstacles.<br />
Both canes are great for capturing balloons!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">No more hiding the cane from my colleagues! Some folks looked at me in disbelief. What? Why? Whose is it? It’s mine. I have some visual issues, I said, suddenly realizing what I had done. I explained the difference between the identity and mobility canes. The identity cane is thinner and lighter than the other. It means “I have a visual impairment. Please get out of my way.” It’s good for finding my way on steps or an escalator and for checking depth of curves and divets in sidewalks. The mobility cane is much sturdier (for sweeping or tapping) and means “I have a visual impairment. Get out of my way or I’ll hit you.” It’s the one that you usually see people tapping the ground with. Anyway, caught off guard, I showed people how to use the canes and there was real interest… and so, I’m busted… out of the closet…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As for the meeting, it was a gathering of 10,000 people who came together to learn and share new ideas for the elderly. There was a blind architect who gave a talk about design considerations for people with visual impairments. The number of people who have eye problems increases daily as more and more of us get older.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdb3me5fqHMDOsji9M7p38Y31k0FWEU7R3BaL0URlmR8pb12Q-_kKKCjKb8ziaCr-5haagzoVQLJbtVZald1umbvffJNS6yhtYijqhTVBilEQpqx1StcqqjFC_QASnKrdhyphenhyphengKatt4tRc/s1600/curb_cuts_Americans_with_Disabilities_Act.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdb3me5fqHMDOsji9M7p38Y31k0FWEU7R3BaL0URlmR8pb12Q-_kKKCjKb8ziaCr-5haagzoVQLJbtVZald1umbvffJNS6yhtYijqhTVBilEQpqx1StcqqjFC_QASnKrdhyphenhyphengKatt4tRc/s200/curb_cuts_Americans_with_Disabilities_Act.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The American Disabilities Act requires<br />
curb cuts to have a colored tactile surface<br />
to prevent people with visual impairments<br />
from walking in to the street.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">He had some great suggestions. Make sure that the grab bars in the shower are a contrasting color to the color of the wall, to make it easier to see – showers are not usually well lit. Change the texture of a stair rail at each end (that way it lets the walker know that he or she is at the end). I was fascinated to learn that when the government required cities to make curbs accessible for wheelchairs, it inadvertently made it likely for people with visual impairments to walk into the streets because they didn’t realize the sidewalk ended. So it then required textured concrete, sometimes painted yellow, on the edge so that a foot or cane could detect it. Why yellow? It’s the last color to go. I spent some time talking with this guy, and we both agreed that there needed to be more education available about vision and visual impairments. It was good that he was there at the meeting and talking about this incredible need and making people in the aging field aware.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And without even planning it, I sort of opened the door about my own issues as well. I guess it was inevitable, and when it finally did happen, it wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as I had worried it would be. </span><o:p></o:p></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-54583099191652839032011-10-10T14:11:00.000-04:002011-10-10T14:11:05.540-04:00Support Group for the Blind and Visually Impaired…<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">With all of the rehab appointments I’ve had, I somehow got on a list that got me invited to attend a support group for people with low or no vision. I decided to try it out.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The group meets at a nonprofit organization that provides services for the blind and visually impaired. I pulled into the parking lot at the same time as two MTA Mobility buses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realized that all the people on the two buses were going to the same meeting that I was, and thankfully there were a lot of people. Lots of people! All different colors, sizes, shapes. Nearly everyone had a cane, and it was amazing for me to see this. I ran to the door to hold it so that these folks could pass through. I followed them into the lobby, where after a few minutes a man with dark glasses driving a scooter and holding a white cane came to greet us. “Follow me,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What a parade we were! I quickly learned that if you can't see, you make noise, and these people made quite a bit. “Go Left.” “Now Right.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Straight ahead.” “Did I hit someone?” “Who's behind me?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Keep going.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the folks had talking wristwatches: “11:00 o’clock,” they all announced at more or less the same time. (I had seen these in the catalogues, but had never actually heard/seen one.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I sort of followed the pack and not quite knowing what to do, I helped guide people as we walked along. Along the way, we stopped so someone could "show" us where the bathrooms were – all by verbal direction and description. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It was, pardon the bad pun, a real eye-opener. It was the first time I had seen a group of blind, near-blind, or going-blind people. I looked at people’s faces, and at their eyes. Their canes were all different sizes compared to their height. My cane comes up almost to my neck. I saw that some canes reached all the way to people’s ears, and some were shorter. I also noticed how people were using their canes. My WC Lady is pretty strict about technique. When the cane is to the left, the right foot is out. These folks were waving their canes any which way, and it didn’t seem to matter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We made our way to what is normally a dining room room and the 50 of us sat around a large table. I was probably one of the youngest and most sighted. Within minutes, a man across from me leaned over and stared into my face. He squinted his eyes and scrunched his face. I wasn’t quite sure what the protocol was, so I just responded by letting him look. Finally he said, “You have glasses on. That means you have vision. How much do you have?” Well. It was quite the icebreaker. He had lost most of his vision about five years ago. He said that some days are better than others. Mostly he sees objects and movement. Sometimes he can see more, and sometimes less. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I talked with him and with others who were sitting around us. There were about four or five people who had organized this meeting. All of them had visual impairments, and all had canes. Up until now, I always felt conspicuous with a cane; now I was feeling conspicuous without one. I had my smaller cane, an identity cane, in my purse. I pulled it out and opened it. I wanted my big cane - I wanted to look like every one else! I wanted to be a part of the group.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Refreshments were at the front of the room and one of the organizers explained where everything was - from right to left - the coffee, the hot water and tea bags, sweeteners, fruit, cookies, muffins and brownies. A married couple was sitting close to me and they were discussing what they wanted. Again, I wasn’t sure what the protocol was – was it ok to ask if I could get them something, or would that be considered a breach of etiquette? I could see and much more easily navigate the sweeping canes! Finally I did ask, and they gratefully accepted. While waiting for the meeting to start we had a good conversation. Both had been blind since they were young, went to school together, married and adopted four children. Now they are grandparents. The gentleman said that he could see until he was about four, but he doesn’t remember what it was like.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The meeting started and we all went around the room and introduced ourselves. This was overwhelming for me. So many of these people had lost their vision only recently or within the last five years. And they talked about going through a grieving process and a loss of independence. Their words touched me in a very raw place. When it came to me, I said I was new to all of this. I had felt alone, and in just the last half hour, I was feeling so much better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When the meeting proper started, we talked about what kind of a group it would be. Would it be sharing challenges and how to overcome them, or would it more of a social group and participate in bowling (yes, bowling), dancing and other activities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point, one of the organizers called for a vote and asked for people to raise their hands. Not quite a hand raising group! Everyone laughed! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 0in 25.0pt 50.0pt 75.0pt 100.0pt 125.0pt 150.0pt 175.0pt 200.0pt 225.0pt 250.0pt 275.0pt 300.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">At 1:00 pm, all the talking watches went off and the meeting was over. I bid farewells to my new friends. It was an amazing experience. I was comfortable with these folks – they had traveled or were traveling the same journey that I was on, and I can learn from them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I’ll be on vacation and won’t be able to go to the next meeting. But I’ll be back.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-1540129069425847152011-10-07T14:25:00.002-04:002011-10-07T14:28:46.463-04:00Those Pesky Escalators…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeDwH6eOkwl2qhZAUw_CDHgHlkk4eLpOmDXqAXAPM8B3V3GghPt2jI-CArDZQjS1YpgFMyQvkH-HyrxcDQOQsbzE9IpY4IaQgqfmWq0nvZYzqQtF0lMNPUACecmESDTwgYS4LHvM_gSQ/s1600/Elevator+for+Blog+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeDwH6eOkwl2qhZAUw_CDHgHlkk4eLpOmDXqAXAPM8B3V3GghPt2jI-CArDZQjS1YpgFMyQvkH-HyrxcDQOQsbzE9IpY4IaQgqfmWq0nvZYzqQtF0lMNPUACecmESDTwgYS4LHvM_gSQ/s200/Elevator+for+Blog+18.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the escalator at Woodley<br />
Park in the DC Metro. Steep, but<br />
flat too me and dark!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Lots of people with low vision suffer a lack of depth perception, especially in dimly lit places or at night. This makes escalators particularly difficult for us. Just looking at them can be a problem. Lots and lots of parallel lines and all those comb-like protrusions on the treads. When I look up or down, the steps look flat and they run together. And, just like I see squiggles on the Amsler grid, I see squiggles on the steps of escalators. On a very, very long escalator, this can make you dizzy. And a good many of the escalators in the Washington Metro are very long. In fact, my metro stop in DC, Woodley Park Station, boasts 342 stairs and is the third longest escalator in the DC system (Wheaton is the longest in Metro and is the second longest escalator in the world).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lFOZSaJ4WxWS-J5QcXQLUrl9HLyZSaGF0_6mTDKVKA3AdR5o_0BUYuoSZ0jbmJeeguq1JsmF_k4rG1zTnEHS7EDJ-xJi7DiuHxyb_-jOHhKTdbGqbtxnTKroYjsGApA6xN_C9t-wec4/s1600/Down+No+Stripe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lFOZSaJ4WxWS-J5QcXQLUrl9HLyZSaGF0_6mTDKVKA3AdR5o_0BUYuoSZ0jbmJeeguq1JsmF_k4rG1zTnEHS7EDJ-xJi7DiuHxyb_-jOHhKTdbGqbtxnTKroYjsGApA6xN_C9t-wec4/s200/Down+No+Stripe.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty scary! Notice the<br />
distortion from the camera.<br />
This is similar to what I see<br />
as a result of the blind spots<br />
or scotomas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It seems like someone along the way had an idea to make escalators safer. You’ll notice that many escalators have painted yellow stripes on the steps. When I’m on an escalator and there is a yellow stripe on the edge of the step, I know right where to put my foot. However, it’s not all so simple. Hard to believe, but the yellow stripes are not consistently placed on the front of the steps. Sometimes they’re on the back of the step, sometimes on the edge, and sometimes not at all! It’s insanity and confusing! Take a look! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjo3Cx7qzNu1erXKz_cwfy_oh6TWd2EoU2z6IwS6HYMmVGyXp92zPnBOfbOhiJq6-VfUHkYWaM49PvOT9n6XzZwTV3PyrqlGw4Uv6rm6_IzCcXsIum9DN7E7uTEf4q-sLdSjNPfNJt8c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-10-07+at+9.36.56+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjo3Cx7qzNu1erXKz_cwfy_oh6TWd2EoU2z6IwS6HYMmVGyXp92zPnBOfbOhiJq6-VfUHkYWaM49PvOT9n6XzZwTV3PyrqlGw4Uv6rm6_IzCcXsIum9DN7E7uTEf4q-sLdSjNPfNJt8c/s400/Screen+Shot+2011-10-07+at+9.36.56+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are two escalators, side-by-side. One has stripes on the edge<br />
of the step and the back; the other has stripes only on the back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My workaround, of course, is to use the elevator, if I can find one. If I do use the escalator, I use the cane, partly to help me find the steps, but mostly to say to others “Hey, be aware. I have a visual impairment. I may need help and I’m counting on you!“</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3KoOdW5_0rOqlpbHL-GxC-6AqMlL9YM4Bz-3gph6l2zL8ZQIQbsXNuHO3VeC2NXX-4eBfUkO8dqLx1SNcXuHwEhacRYskTgLVxnhA6956gSFZCFQCdStELtu05e0FQh7yDOLJwWfIwc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-10-07+at+2.18.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3KoOdW5_0rOqlpbHL-GxC-6AqMlL9YM4Bz-3gph6l2zL8ZQIQbsXNuHO3VeC2NXX-4eBfUkO8dqLx1SNcXuHwEhacRYskTgLVxnhA6956gSFZCFQCdStELtu05e0FQh7yDOLJwWfIwc/s640/Screen+Shot+2011-10-07+at+2.18.25+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These three escalators are side-by-side at the Seattle, WA airport. The first one has stripes consistently<br />
in all the right places. The second one has no stripes on the edge of the step<br />
and the third one has stripes on some steps and no stripes on others. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
</div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-41439804250663845572011-09-29T19:50:00.000-04:002011-09-29T19:50:00.400-04:00Tap, Tap, Tap... the White Cane Arrives...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflvc9hVHj_epZ1CDSgT1E3_3SkAsTrYkjbam38QZFsyZyAW8SFlAkEzbNsDKmiWNvvzedn-5VWqiofEynbEn8klfvpocwwcpw9kg9-zmzPDR42xnrZoR102se2uTlI9Mg5JpBYPKkDuo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-29+at+7.42.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflvc9hVHj_epZ1CDSgT1E3_3SkAsTrYkjbam38QZFsyZyAW8SFlAkEzbNsDKmiWNvvzedn-5VWqiofEynbEn8klfvpocwwcpw9kg9-zmzPDR42xnrZoR102se2uTlI9Mg5JpBYPKkDuo/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-29+at+7.42.07+PM.png" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right now my cane is folded and <br />
in my purse more than it is<br />
straight and in front of me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It was morning and my husband had invented an errand to get himself out of the house – I was just a bit crabby and beside myself. The White Cane Lady was supposed to arrive at 10, and I was increasingly anxious as the moment approached. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I positioned myself in the hallway so I could look out the front window through the slats in the shutters, without being seen from the street. I waited and waited. Right on time she drove up. No cane in sight. She went to the trunk of her car, rummaged around a bit and pulled out what I instantly knew was a folded-up cane in a plastic wrapper. My heart was pounding. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Being presented with a white cane was going to be a life-altering event, something akin to being pinned with a Scarlet “A,” only worse.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I went to the door and let the WC Lady in. “I’m very, very anxious,” I said. Not missing a beat and ignoring any hesitation that I had, she said “Let me show you how to open it.” Out of the plastic, she held on to the top part of the cane and said “hold it close and upright so you don’t hit anybody with it.” She let it go and poof it was 44 inches long. Just like one of those those self-erecting tent poles. “Now, you try,” she said. It took a couple of times, but I managed. She showed me how to hold it - like you would a golf club with the index finger on the outside pointed downward. I did ask her if I should be wearing sunglasses and she said no, they only do that on TV.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">For the next hour and a half or so, I was too absorbed to be anxious. The cane becomes your vision from the waist down, the WC Lady explained. It’s not a crutch or a substitute, but rather an extension of your senses. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">She showed me how to store the cane in the car when it is extended. We drove (she drove, not me) to the supermarket, and I learned how to get out of the car with the cane. In the store, I walked up and down the aisles, looking straight ahead, not down at my feet. It makes perfect sense. I’ve been bumping into things for some time; I realize now that it was because I was looking down and not in front of me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I started seeing with my ears too. I learned that the aisles with canned goods are quieter than the ones with boxes of sugar and cake mix. I learned to listen for the sound of a cart coming towards me and going away from me. Somehow, carrying the cane helped sharpen all my senses.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I had a problem getting used to the rhythm of walking with the cane. It takes some practice. With the left foot out, you move the cane out to the right side to protect the right side of the body with the next step. Right foot forward, move the cane left. Left foot forward, move the cane right. Tap, tap, tap. All I could think of is line dancing and I don’t do that well, or the cha-cha-cha and I don’t do that well either. I did practice coming to the end of an aisle and “bumping” the cane into the dairy section. I started to get the hang of it, but it will take practice. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When we left the market, it was time to cross the street and get back to the car. At the crosswalk, we stopped and listened. To a truck, an idling car, a moving car, no cars. If I’m not crossing the street, I learned not to look at the street. Because of the cane, drivers, will or should be anticipating my next move. If I’m not crossing, I don’t want to act like I am. Phew, this was hard work. I couldn’t imagine how young Helen Keller did this with both no vision and no hearing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When I got home, I realized that I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself any longer, that I had paid the utmost attention to my lesson and that I had learned quite a bit. It’s true: this wasn’t just about waving a white cane, it was very much about listening and becoming aware of the environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The WC Lady came back a few days later. This time we went to the light rail station. I learned how to go up and down steps and cross the train tracks. Using the cane I found holes near the tracks that could have tripped me. At the ticket machine I went to put in money for the full fare and the WC Lady stopped me. I was now qualified for the disabled fare, she advised.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Hmmm… I immediately wondered if there was a disability fare on the commuter train between Baltimore and Washington DC. (And there is, by the way. From now on, my roundtrip ticket to DC is 6 bucks and not 12!)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The light rail came and I used the cane to find and navigate the steps. We sat down and other passengers started to talk with us. How odd. I had a white cane and I was laughing. We rode to the airport, and along the way, my teacher was pointing out different things to me – I became aware of the number of stops we traveled. She noticed the inconsistency of the person announcing the stops. She asked if I could identify and use the STOP request button, which is really a tape. Talk about feeling like you are all thumbs!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When we arrived at the airport station, she watched me get off the train. Sweep the cane more to your left, she said. Cover the space in front of you to approximate the width of at least your shoulders. Don’t be so robotic, she said. I noticed the change in texture where the sidewalk met the door jamb, and then felt the waxed slickness of the airport floor. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">There was no one in the international section of the airport so we chose to practice on the escalator there. Up and down the escalator we went. I held the bottom of the cane against the second step up in front of me. When I no longer felt a step, I knew I was at the top of the landing. Wait until you feel the little bump, and then step off. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Coming down the escalator, I reversed the procedure. When the tip of the cane hits the bottom of the escalator, wait for the bump and step off. I went up and down many times. And people were getting very confused watching me go up and down. My guide walked away once and I was all alone going up and down, up and down the escalator with my eyes looking straight ahead. Even I was ready to laugh!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We walked over to a more crowded section of the airport and I deliberately stood with the cane, smack dab in the middle of travelers. One person with a ton of luggage walked directly towards me all the while looking up at an arrival/departure board. I had to duck and dodge to avoid a major collision. We walked around some more and a few people politely moved out of my path. We went to my problem area, the pesky escalators with the inconsistently placed yellow stripes, and we/I practiced more. Feeling quite good about my excursion, we went back to the light rail station and came home. It was obvious to the others on the train that I was “in training” and it was all ok.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The next morning, my husband and I went out for a walk and I took my cane to practice. Cane to the left, right foot forward; cane to the right, left foot forward. Again, and again. When you sweep to the left, the distance between the cane and the left foot is greater than the distance between the cane and the right foot. The left foot is going to go where the cane just swept. The whole idea is to check out the space where you are about to walk. Got it?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">All right, so my training wasn’t so bad. I felt very safe and secure with the WC Lady. I even felt empowered. My husband even commented that I seemed to be paying more attention to my surroundings, which was true; normally I’m lost in thought. Can’t do that any more. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">WC Lady and I plan one more visit. We are going to go on the commuter train to DC, take the DC metro and walk to work. In the meantime, I am on my own.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I began to carry the cane with me everywhere I went -- to work, when traveling, and doing errands. But I carried it folded up, in my purse. I was just too afraid to take it out and use it. A crazy fear, but a big one. Afraid of being looked at, of being vulnerable, of being pitied… you know, the Scarlet “A” thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I took it to DC one day and bravely opened it before I got off the train. I figured I’d try it out walking the platform in Union Station and on Metro. I was very self-conscious. I didn’t notice any difference. At the airport, most people had been very polite and considerate. Here, they ignored me, bumped into me, and on the metro, not one person even thought to offer me a seat. It’s very hard carry a brief case, a white cane and hold on to a pole to maintain balance. I was not a happy camper! At least I tried.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I went to New York and went out to dinner with my work colleagues. When we left the restaurant, it was pitch black and I was in totally unfamiliar territory with a couple of blocks to walk. If ever there was a time to use the cane, this was it, but I just couldn’t. I still couldn’t use the cane in front of people that I knew. That old Scarlet “A” again. I said out loud that I wasn’t comfortable walking. My colleagues became uncomfortable. One asked if I wanted his arm. “No.” “Carol, are you ok?” “Yes,” I said. It was a long walk back to my friend’s apartment. What was this stubbornness all about?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The next day I went to the train station with my friends. Their train left before mine. It was 5:30 pm on a Friday afternoon and the place was mobbed. Waiting for a train at Penn Station in New York is something like a rugby scrum. Everyone clusters around the big board that lists the departure gate numbers. They don’t announce the gate until just a few minutes before departure, at which time a huge mob rushes to the gate. This time the white cane helped, but not in the way you might expect.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I took out the cane, opened it, held it close to me but made it very visible, and approached the information desk. “I can’t read the board. Can you tell me what gate the 6:00 pm Acela will leave from?” The clerk did a double take; they’re never supposed to give out the gate number before it’s announced, but seeing the white cane, he said quietly, “Go stand by Gate 9.” So I walked over to the Gate 9, sweeping the space in front of me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And that was just the beginning of the good things the white cane did. Once I was at Gate 9, people took notice, and several asked if they could help. Someone carried my luggage down the escalator for me, and that allowed me to focus on the steps. I swept (left… right… left…) my way to the train, got on and took a seat. I left the cane open and visible and had it leaning on the seat beside me. My seat-mate was very friendly, and we chatted off and on. About an hour in to the trip, she asked if I wanted something to drink. Yes, that would be lovely and I tried to give her some money. No she said and returned with a diet coke. We had a delightful talk – I extolled the virtues of Apple for all of its accessibility options, only to learn that she worked for Microsoft!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Back safely in Baltimore, I got off the train, still using the cane, and swept my way over to hop in the car and go home with my husband.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A couple days later, I was in the airport awaiting a flight to a conference in Las Vegas. I was using the cane. I was standing in the Southwest boarding line when I heard a familiar voice and discovered an old friend standing right behind me. He already knew about my eyes and had always been sympathetic, but as soon as I realized he was there, I folded up the cane and put it away. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In Vegas, it would have been great to walk up to a Roulette or Blackjack table with the cane, but I didn’t. I only used the cane once – when I went to see the Lion King by myself. I needed to ask the usher to help me find my seat. And I did take and use a portable illuminated magnifier to read the PlayBill.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Finally, the other night I was in DC with some folks who had read the earlier entries to the blog. Several were interested, and asked questions. I had the cane with me but it was folded up, though it was visible sticking out of my purse. I’m not sure why, but even though I’ve been thoroughly “outed” (by myself, mostly), it is still difficult to actually use the cane in the presence of people I know. Sometime I take it out and show people how it’s used, but then I fold it up and put it away again. The urge not to be different is a powerful instinct. This new existence will take some time to get used to.</span><o:p></o:p></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-3688999125392231552011-09-25T12:41:00.001-04:002011-09-25T13:28:56.258-04:00My world crashes and then comes up again...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEreXqwCmG1LPnzccVTmZpQe0kKVUI0fefhUA7fRvI0tFfsLjLpFycbjMXdZUcNev7yDzhSjDnebwvLKa6RUGdgPcjWYFGw2qGmgJMKFqMV1DvPHpgGrzjph3LdjIkihq_rg22FFQTgI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+12.47.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEreXqwCmG1LPnzccVTmZpQe0kKVUI0fefhUA7fRvI0tFfsLjLpFycbjMXdZUcNev7yDzhSjDnebwvLKa6RUGdgPcjWYFGw2qGmgJMKFqMV1DvPHpgGrzjph3LdjIkihq_rg22FFQTgI/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+12.47.16+PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illuminated Portable Magnifier<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I left Dr. Low Vision’s office, went home and ordered three different magnifiers: a portable one, a standing one and some spectacle clip-ons that could be used over my regular glasses. It took about 3 days for them all to arrive. The two magnifiers were illuminated and worked well enough, but it’s awfully hard to read a story when only the left side, or the right side, or the middle of a paragraph appears in your field of vision. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You really have to get used to moving the magnifier around.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqSOQPLmlkWw0_8BDr7NjHujKq7OXFzZ8feZGRuRjhzg-_hCXMFznMqN7OutDmLA5WKhC0E6QTaiKelAoR34P5elhGm072oZugTk_bAzFqYs02neVkzWE5hKJuErOrAJylAvAgVGD1kA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+1.23.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqSOQPLmlkWw0_8BDr7NjHujKq7OXFzZ8feZGRuRjhzg-_hCXMFznMqN7OutDmLA5WKhC0E6QTaiKelAoR34P5elhGm072oZugTk_bAzFqYs02neVkzWE5hKJuErOrAJylAvAgVGD1kA/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+1.23.41+PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good idea, but not for me!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I was so excited when the clip-ons arrived. I opened that package immediately; I had the beadwork ready to try them out. What a let-down!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plastic lenses weren’t any better than the stuff I already had. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was starting to wonder if all this effort would be worthwhile after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A few days went by, and I received a call from a rehab counselor from the Division of Rehab Services. She said she had a referral from Dr. Low Vision, and that I needed to complete some paperwork. Then we would set up an appointment and get moving with the evaluations. She mentioned an “O and M” evaluation and I said “What’s that?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ms. Bureaucrat said “Oh, to see if you need a white cane.” <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Major meltdown!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Who said I need a white cane?” I asked in a high voice that was getting higher by the minute. “I don’t need that! “ Ms. Bureaucrat said that Dr. Low Vision had ordered it and that I should talk with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said I would. Nevertheless, we set up an appointment. All I really wanted was the machine that would allow me to do my beadwork. I hadn’t bargained for a white cane!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I stomped around the house for a few days and was very unhappy about this white cane business. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did I say or do that made Dr. Low Vision think I needed a cane? Finally, I decided to send her an email.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My question, in milder form, was basically “how dare you refer me for an evaluation that includes a white cane?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And her answer right back was “<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">When I asked about your comfort getting around in dark or unfamiliar areas, you indicated a bit of uncertainty…” And then, in typical Dr. Low Vision style, she said, “there is a lot more to a mobility eval than the white cane. There are other tricks the O&M (orientation and mobility) person can teach you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ok, I thought. But I still stomped around some more. The seriousness of my visual impairment was sinking in. Maybe I did need a white cane and maybe this eye thing was more serious than I thought. In my opinion, I could still see well enough for most things; the idea that I was so nearly blind as to require a white cane was not just shocking, it was – well, sort of insulting. My self-image was under attack, and I did a lot of stomping around and venting my resentment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A week later, my husband and I drove to Annapolis again, this time to meet with the Rehab Counselor. She explained that DORS (Division of Rehabilitation Services) was a service available to all Marylanders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explained that I was working and made a decent salary. Doesn’t matter, she said. The purpose is to keep me working. The evaluations and recommendations are available to all Marylanders regardless of income. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She asked a billion questions (later, my husband would say she was “thorough”) and said she would gather the information to determine the degree of my disability. In the meantime she would set me up with a rehab team, including a specialist in orientation and mobility. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ugh, the white cane thing again. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was defensive again. I’m not disabled, I can drive! I can just imagine driving into a parking lot and then getting out of the driver’s side with a white cane! She then told me that people with visual impairment do this all the time. They use their canes to test depth and changes in the terrain, especially in low-light conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We left her office and went home to await the rehab visits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first appointment was with the dreaded White Cane Lady. She came to the house and we sat in the living room. She asked me questions – I told her I had problems getting around in dark and unfamiliar places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My commute to Washington is hard – maneuvering around all the people on the train platforms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I get on an escalator, I hold on for dear life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talked about the yellow strips on escalator steps, and how they are often misplaced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Curbs can be tricky, as can almost any terrain that is uneven. Airports where the floors are shiny can be tricky. She measured me for a cane and we made two more appointments. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My next visit was from a computer guy. He came to the house and we/he adjusted my laptop and iPad to enable all of the accessibility features. The Mac is even more amazing than I thought. In addition to the zoom in and zoom outs, you can change contrast, font size, colors, etc., etc. It will also read the dropdown menus aloud to you. And the iPad has special zoom features too. We made another appointment so I could try out a variety of the CCTVs, the special camera machines that really, I MEAN REALLY, enlarge print. After the tech left, I felt very enabled!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3bl7SaviAkB3ZU8c4Cdg5rCvmUrTX4MlrwVld6DdjJkFVzlMf86UfPL6fGY0E8b-tExa94J_ioEHJ7N9WSSOEMZ0L5OR4R66uvj4x44QxRSD5LvyvMuRceMdZ2c3YF71q33GeoUyI8g/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+10.28.16+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3bl7SaviAkB3ZU8c4Cdg5rCvmUrTX4MlrwVld6DdjJkFVzlMf86UfPL6fGY0E8b-tExa94J_ioEHJ7N9WSSOEMZ0L5OR4R66uvj4x44QxRSD5LvyvMuRceMdZ2c3YF71q33GeoUyI8g/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+10.28.16+AM.png" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are phenomenal for stringing beads<br />
and also for hiding the ends of yarn<br />
when changing colors</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My third visit was from a rehab specialist who knew all about special gizmos and gadgets. She had quite a goodie box with her that included orange dots to mark settings on the TV remote and microwave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can use one of the raised dots to stick on a button, or the orange material around a dot to highlight a button. Much to my husband’s dismay, we walked all around the house marking settings on the washer, the dryer, the oven, and anything else that had a tiny number on it. She brought big-eye needles for sewing and she showed me how to use dental floss holders to use as beading needles. Brilliant! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Fi1RFUIakNsqio33B1g_C8gRzTw-DPUKNg-FksxoUSOBbAFsF_r_5K7VBn9-x5Ikxly5ShRAuHU2iEoo7i61N9ALXB5E_41JzkLZODiPy0lDzD7FhNVEo1pSVFA87RAGyUliZGhv3kw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+12.44.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Fi1RFUIakNsqio33B1g_C8gRzTw-DPUKNg-FksxoUSOBbAFsF_r_5K7VBn9-x5Ikxly5ShRAuHU2iEoo7i61N9ALXB5E_41JzkLZODiPy0lDzD7FhNVEo1pSVFA87RAGyUliZGhv3kw/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+12.44.10+PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These tools would make any beader, jeweler,<br />
sewer happy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz96-ThruO8Jn9bvxyT5jgcD39QTvCNgv1thzkC6LMqU1PqOHnDBrAum8hLS9EkNEHNjTgoKdjTCrZzSypUg_GWm4C5HwCwu1GGefFOywfvsXqKCR3vLq5-vZRNXvWadHvCP-xU6IHPA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+12.44.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz96-ThruO8Jn9bvxyT5jgcD39QTvCNgv1thzkC6LMqU1PqOHnDBrAum8hLS9EkNEHNjTgoKdjTCrZzSypUg_GWm4C5HwCwu1GGefFOywfvsXqKCR3vLq5-vZRNXvWadHvCP-xU6IHPA/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-25+at+12.44.42+PM.png" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">She told me about some simple tricks like putting a rubber band on the shampoo bottle (to differentiate from the conditioner) or a diet soda (to differentiate from the beer), to have a special shelf in the fridge for the stuff I use all the time, and to put labels on salad dressings and other things I use. She showed me special pens (I won’t use anything else now), check writing guides, talking clocks. There are knives that help cut even slices of bread or tomato. There is something to help a person who has a visual impairment do just about everything. From this amazing catalogue, I ordered a pair of scissors and a pair of pliers that had magnifiers attached, and a combination lock that is based on directional movements rather than tiny little lines and numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I was feeling pretty good again, but I was still dreading the white cane visit. I don’t want a white cane. I don’t need a white cane. I really, really, really, really don’t need a white cane. Honest.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-70259673789589759182011-09-23T13:59:00.001-04:002011-09-23T14:16:28.556-04:00Big, Bold and Bright...<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Retinologist Number 5 referred me to Dr. Low Vision, an ophthalmologist who specializes in helping people with visual impairments. I filled out a series of papers – questionnaires, data sheets – all in big print – and made an appointment to see her. The appointment was only a month away, but it felt like an eternity. For 15 years, I’d been grappling with my “interesting” eyes and suddenly there was a whole new dimension: I could do something about it. I had now acknowledged that I needed and wanted help, and I was going to get it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">On the day of the appointment, I gathered up my Kindle (I wanted the doctor to check the settings) and all my other eye paraphernalia. Together, my husband and I drove to Annapolis. Dr. Low Vision sees patients at several different doctors’ offices, and stays booked up well in advance. The first appointment I could get was at an Annapolis office. We arrived a few minutes early, and were people-watching in the waiting room when we saw a 50ish woman walk in dragging two wheeled cases. She had on a comfortable long dress (like I wear) and a streak of blue in her hair. We guessed instantly that this must be her; if she’d been a patient she wouldn’t have had all the baggage, and if she’d been a drug company rep she’d have been more fashionably dressed. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sure enough, in a few minutes the woman came out with a folder in her hand and called my name. This was Dr. Low Vision.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">She had my medical record and all the pictures from Retinologist Number 5, so there were no bright lights in the eyes this time; all she had me do was read the standard eye chart. I liked her already. Within minutes, she was going through her sack of goodies and pulling out all sorts of gadgets and gizmos. “Big, bright and bold,” she said, “That’s what we’re after.” For the next hour, I was like a kid in a candy shop. I tried a variety of different magnifiers. I learned that there are lots of different kinds and that choosing the right one is almost like being fitted for glasses. I learned that I should ignore the manufacturer’s “power” rating like 3X or 4X, and look for the diopter value. “Power” rankings are like women’s dress sizes – they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Diopter values are standardized across all brands, and give you a much better idea of how well they will work for you.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I learned about sunglasses. I tried on all different colors of sunglasses, and learned for the first time that the colors were for more than just fashion. Brown lenses increase contrast, especially in overcast hazy light. Yellow increases depth perception. Gray is good for color. Who knew?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">She adjusted my Kindle. I had already changed the font to the sans serif to make it more readable, but she widened the line spacing and it made all the difference in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We talked about escalators. Escalators all have a yellow stripe on each step, but about half of them have the yellow line on the inside edge, not the edge you’ll fall off if you can’t see where it is. She agreed it makes no sense. For my part, I’ve started using the elevators.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We talked about driving . . . sigh . . . and she said, “we’ll keep you driving as long as we can.” I talked about my crafts and she recommended some clip-on magnifiers. She was wonderful and had an answer for just about everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Mid-way through the appointment, she left the room and came back pushing a cart with a machine on it. It had a small camera and a large monitor. I looked at it and said, “I don’t need that!” She turned it on, put a newspaper crossword puzzle under it and then left the room for awhile. I started playing with the buttons and I couldn’t believe that I could read the clues and see the numbers on the little boxes. I could also put my hand under the monitor and write with a pencil. When the doctor came back into the room, I told her I thought the machine was way cool. It would help with reading paper and print (I’m all Kindle when it comes to books), <i>AND</i> I could do my beadwork under it! OMG!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I suppose it was a therapy session as much as an eye appointment. Dr. Low Vision was my vision from heaven. I thought about a former neighbor who had low vision, and became completely housebound because of it. I thought about Retinologists 1 through 4 who were so focused on my retinas that it never occurred to them there was an actual person attached to those eyeballs. Every retinologist should know about low-vision specialists, and should make it a point to tell people about all the stuff that is available. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How do people learn all this, I wondered? I’m an expert in health care delivery and in aging and I didn’t know any of this! And then it dawned on me – most people don’t know.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Dr. Low Vision gave me a catalogue with all kinds of neat gadgets in it. She made some recommendations for me about magnifiers and also referred me for rehab services through the State of Maryland. I wasn’t quite sure what “rehab services” meant except that I was very interested in the machine that might help me continue my beadwork, and Dr. LV told me they could help with that.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I left the office with a big smile, ready for the next step of the journey. </span><o:p></o:p></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-80150210027156428212011-09-21T14:24:00.003-04:002011-09-21T14:52:06.327-04:00Six Little Words -- How are you dealing with this?<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Some have asked me “How did this all start?” It started innocently enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">About 15 years ago, my husband and I had afternoon appointments at Lenscrafters to get our eyes checked for new eyeglass prescriptions. My appointment was about a half hour before his – we each had different doctors. Well, he was in and out with a new prescription, and I was still in the examining chair. My doctor clearly saw something in my eyes that concerned her. She called in the other docs and then at 5:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon she called the Wilmer Eye Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital to schedule an emergency appointment for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When my husband and I got there, a very nice M.D. / Ph.D. ophthalmology fellow was waiting for us. For the next five hours he put drops in my eyes, shined white lights in my eyes, took pictures of my eyes and asked me to read letters that were 20 feet away. Finally, he told us we should come back Monday morning to see the experts. We left exhausted, hungry and uninformed.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My vision was ok to me. I thought this was a very painful waste of time – much ado about nothing. Monday we went back to Wilmer and the doctors were again very interested – not in me, but my eyes! They examined and examined, conferred among themselves, told me they had diagnosed me with pattern retinal dystrophy and sent me on my way.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">At that point, we switched from the shopping mall optometrist to a Wilmer ophthalmologist for our annual visits. Every year, I would go for my exam, the ophthalmologist would panic and send me back to the retinologist at Wilmer. I would dutifully visit the retinologist, she would affirm my diagnosis and I would be on my way. Nothing could be done about it, she said. She was very nice, but unhelpful. Come back next year, and we’ll tell you how much more your vision has deteriorated.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Eventually that retinologist moved away and I stopped going to Wilmer. My vision started to deteriorate. I started missing parts of words and things were especially blurry. I kept getting new glasses, always thinking that the glasses would help me see better. I love beadwork and I tried a million different magnifiers to help me. Nothing really helped. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I started seeing a new retinologist and it was a horrible experience. I went into the waiting room and there were probably 50 people waiting. After waiting an hour, I was called by a technician who gave me drops, then called by another one who took pictures, then was shuffled into an exam room where I waited for the doc. He came in, shined light in my eyes and was out the door before I could ask a question. I figured he saw maybe 200 patients a day – a real Medicare factory. I went back twice and then gave up.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Because the retinologists had a doomsday attitude, so did I.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Last year, my opthalmologist encouraged me strongly to go back to the retinologist. I said I wouldn’t go back to the old one and so he gave me the name of a new one. Retinologist Number 5, I’ll call him.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My husband came with me. It was a smaller office. I was seen on time. Number 5 examined my eyes and showed me the pictures. He showed me the blind spots and told me that I had a two- to ten-year window of progression. Then he asked, <b>“How are you dealing with this?” </b><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">No one had ever asked me that before. I was completely taken aback. Instantly, I blurted out <b>“</b>I’m fine.” He then softly said “When you are ready, I have someone who can help you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Six months later I went back for another visit. Short wait, lights in the eyes, pictures. No change, Number 5 said. And then those words again: <b>“How are you dealing with this?” </b>This time it wasn’t a surprise. With tears in my eyes, I said “Not very well.” I didn’t tell him, but I had signed up to go my annual beading convention and I wasn’t taking any classes where I would have to work with small beads. I couldn’t see them any more.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I had also washed my hair with hand lotion a few times. I misread an airplane reservation for my husband and he missed his flight. I had stumbled on an escalator at a subway stop, and banged up a knee. I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable getting around in Washington. I found myself making up reasons not to go places if I had to drive – even familiar places. The highway signs didn’t say the same things that they used to.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So this time, when Number 5 asked that piercing question, I said I was ready.</span><o:p></o:p></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-85815178984563813382011-09-20T00:36:00.001-04:002011-09-20T09:43:11.943-04:00Pattern Retinal Dystrophy or Multiple Scotomas<div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvGF6AqnoVDrXNyz98Q778w1mm9jX64dhwwUu5vr7Lmyt7CwKh3R2Wz_6m4C4eX4h61bh2r4x_DN5VQwqDLyR3HkFLJ7WEoBtibCcJ-EJn0WpfOvLdrKbSnWgiG31JS69ac8hNiB80A8/s1600/Carol+Mac+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvGF6AqnoVDrXNyz98Q778w1mm9jX64dhwwUu5vr7Lmyt7CwKh3R2Wz_6m4C4eX4h61bh2r4x_DN5VQwqDLyR3HkFLJ7WEoBtibCcJ-EJn0WpfOvLdrKbSnWgiG31JS69ac8hNiB80A8/s200/Carol+Mac+%25282%2529.jpg" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I see with my right eye</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So, what is my vision like? Fortunately I have two eyes and one is significantly better than the other. I have multiple scotomas in both eyes but the right one is much worse. Scotoma are blind spots on the macula. The macula is the part of the retina that permits central vision, what you focus on and what you want to see. Imagine looking at a person’s face and seeing only a grayish blur. My left eye compensates some, but it distorts the upper right corner of what I see. When I look at a street sign with both eyes, I simply can’t see some of the letters. Lombard becomes Lombd. My brain compensates some: Cradle Rock becomes Candle Rock. When I take an eye test I can’t see all of the big E; when we move down a few lines, I can’t see all of the letters. I have to move my head around to find the letters and even then it’s hard to tell what belongs where. Straight lines become squiggly. Going down an escalator with all those silvery metal lines is really scary. There is little depth perception. Reading is a blurry mess. I’s, X’s, H’s, M’s and N’s get mixed up. R’s, S’s, B’s P’s and D’s do too. Threading a needle at 62 years of age is really hard; with blind spots, it’s just about impossible.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Right now, there are no cures or fixes. What I have is genetic. My dad had it and some of my siblings do too. It is similar to the dry form of macular degeneration. Glasses don’t help - you can’t correct what you can’t see. My right eye corrected is 20/120. The other eye is 20/60. You need anywhere between 20/50 and 20/70 depending on the state in at least one eye to drive. So, I pass that test. BUT, I oly drive in the daytime, in good weather conditions and where I know where I am going, and not dependent on street signs.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">There is test that you can take to see if you have “macula issues.” Close or cover one eye, and stare at black dot on the Amsler grid. If all the lines stay straight and perpendicular, you’re good to go. If you see some curvy lines on the chart, time to go to the eye doctor. Check both eyes! A sudden change from straight to curvy can mean development of “wet” macular degeneration – a leak or bleed under the macula. This can actually be helped – all the more reason to go to the eye doc immediately if it happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdk33fUp6eIXkrySoJGpgHpK72h7NeX8YuxRZknJaQGP442D5jtUZimSoXIIZhXjT_BF-fe96iqB3NOeogJhycYyYKYAk6mXJvUt8nLBkGSk1Up6LURUjkVUMOZJ8byXrr4utJznRs8gc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-19+at+9.45.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdk33fUp6eIXkrySoJGpgHpK72h7NeX8YuxRZknJaQGP442D5jtUZimSoXIIZhXjT_BF-fe96iqB3NOeogJhycYyYKYAk6mXJvUt8nLBkGSk1Up6LURUjkVUMOZJ8byXrr4utJznRs8gc/s200/Screen+Shot+2011-09-19+at+9.45.19+PM.png" width="200" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Amsler Grid to Test Eyes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">There is an excellent app for the iPad and iPhone called Macula Tester. it allows you to test your eyes by marking the curvy areas, take a picture and track your the progress. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc4J-mjNsZ3SfIDIJFgnmLVi8apqTBOEswd0sz62HavZn0i4xdhp4UajCsueAWDvO9ZNmZAkv0OBgQ4pk7XYAyIQKrAo7SNvCSIQDWdKyLAlRGlGWw3YGDNjNlm8NbxbZbURLpDArxmg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-09-20+at+12.23.39+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc4J-mjNsZ3SfIDIJFgnmLVi8apqTBOEswd0sz62HavZn0i4xdhp4UajCsueAWDvO9ZNmZAkv0OBgQ4pk7XYAyIQKrAo7SNvCSIQDWdKyLAlRGlGWw3YGDNjNlm8NbxbZbURLpDArxmg/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-09-20+at+12.23.39+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">These are the blind spots in my eyes.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So, this is my story. My eyes don’t capture everything, especially in dim light. This is a form of “low-vision.” Magnifiers hel</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">p, but they don’t fill in for the blind spots. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">BUT, with the right doctor and resources ...</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4639120885751726043.post-76049354760697700782011-08-13T14:46:00.003-04:002011-08-14T10:38:26.057-04:00Introduction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the past few months I’ve been learning to accept - to deal with - the notion that I have low vision. I am partially sighted, visually impaired, physically handicapped and even disabled. The other day, a woman from the Department of Rehabilitation Services delivered a White Cane to me. It has been scary, humbling and at the same time eye-opening, literally and figuratively. I’ve had my “disease” for years and no one ever suggested there was a significant problem or that anything could help me. The doctors all got excited when they looked in my eyes and they studied them for sometimes hours. Everyone wanted pictures of them. When I asked questions about my eyes, I didn’t get much of a response - just a “there’s nothing we can do” or “I think you should go to the retina specialist.” When I went to the retina specialist, my poor little eyes barely saw the expert doctor, much less heard anything he had to say, if, in fact he said anything at all! Later, one of my new docs would suggest that retinologists have the "personalities of fleas." How right she is. It was this doctor that put me on a new course (I’ll talk about her later.). What boggles my mind is that so little information is available to people like me and to the public at large. We hear of people with low-vision, but they are old and frail. They stay inside and use big round magnifying glasses. They give up reading and doing the things they love. They become invisible...and they wither...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am a lucky one. I am on a journey now - accepting and learning. This blog is my way to share my experience and maybe help someone deal with his or her own visual issues or help a friend or relative. Enough for now.</span><br />
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Carolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13043674194724613073noreply@blogger.com1