[Blindtlk] Responses of Medical Professionals.

Thu Mar 3 00:02:11 UTC 2011

My eye doctor told me, that since I was totally blind, that it was 
unnessery, for me to see an eye doctor. RJ
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michelle Medina" <michellem86 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 6:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Responses of Medical Professionals.


> Mary,
> Right up my alley this email was!
> As I wrote in the 'to cane or not to cane' message, I was born with a
> very rare birthdefect called a Tessier Cleft. And while I've had 2-3
> experiences where doctors asked me about my vision *I have no vision,
> the cleft runs the length of my face and upinto my nasal cavity and
> where my eyes should have been*, for the most part they do stay on
> track.
> However, having said that, I've had 66 reconstructive surgeries to
> close my face, attempts to repair my hard palate, and surgeries to
> build up bone structure and the like, I was treated like an odity.
> I've always gone to teaching hospitals, that's where my plastic
> surgeon has always worked, all the medical inturns and pre-med
> students and basically any student or doctor who wanted to, has been
> allowed to come and 'look' at me. I've learned over the years to deal
> with it, but 'dealing' with something and 'accepting' that something
> is a certain way are different and I'm feeling emotional pain just
> writing this. For a long time I believed I was part of the 'freak
> show' and once when we were walking past a 'freak show' at a circus I
> joked to my Dad: 'Hey Dad! I should be up there! Wonder how much money
> they make?'
> So it's still part of my life and probably always will be. The only
> thing that makes it better is that I'm learning to lessen its affect
> on my feelings as I get older and encounter more good people then bad.
> Not 'bad' so much as those who lack understanding and would rather
> point, laugh and stare, or, when I was a kid, would rather punch, kick
> and spit on me then get to know me. I went to public schools. I
> wouldn't trade those experiences though, they taught me a height of
> empathy and compassion for others I couldn't have gained had I not
> gone through the surgeries, the schooling and the like.
> Michelle
>
> On 3/2/11, Mary Mc Gee <mmcatitude at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear Fellow Federationists;
>>
>>             I've read with interest all the posts about experiences at
>> health care providers' offices.  I have some experiences I can throw into
>> the mix.
>>
>>             First, I'll say that, because the cause of my blindness is
>> albinism, I had a unique appearance that was impossible to hide when I 
>> was
>> younger.  I was a student at the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School for
>> ten years and, during that time, I went to the University of Iowa for 
>> free
>> eye care-at least "they" called it eye care.  It was more on the order of
>> eye study because every med student, intern, and ophthalmology resident 
>> had
>> to come examines the "albinotic eye" before I received any low vision
>> glasses, etc. that would actually improve what little vision I have.  I 
>> felt
>> like a zoo or circus animal on display because I was a condition rather 
>> than
>> a person.  It hurt a lot and I'm not simply talking about all the lights
>> shining in my eyes, but also the emotional pain it caused.
>>
>>             As an adult I've had some doctors who have been very nice and
>> some who haven't.  The number of nice ones directly correlates with my
>> various degrees-all doctors and staffs are nice now that I put "Attorney" 
>> on
>> their intake forms.
>>
>>             But, when I first came to Des Moines in 1976, visited a
>> neurologist because of migraine headaches.  He spent more time looking at 
>> my
>> eyes than he did taking a history of the headaches.  I went to one doctor
>> whose office staff handed the intake form to my driver too complete until 
>> I
>> complained.  One time, when I went to an orthopedic surgeon's office for 
>> an
>> expert consult to prepare for trial, I was greatly surprised that she 
>> spent
>> fifteen minutes asking about my vision instead of my client's treatment. 
>> I
>> simply told her that, if she billed for those extra minutes, she wouldn't 
>> be
>> paid, because I would deduct that amount of time from my bill back to the
>> client.  She didn't argue and even apologized.
>>
>>             I'm fortunate that I currently have a sensitive, caring group 
>> of
>> physicians.  I'll have to admit, though, that the trauma of the past plus 
>> my
>> attorney's skepticism is quite hard to eliminate when I meet a new one.
>>
>>             The Iowa Department for the Blind has been doing a PR project
>> with health care providers to educate them with the hope that fewer 
>> people
>> will have unpleasant experiences when they need help.
>>
>>             I'd be interested in hearing if any of you, like me, were
>> treated as a medical oddity at any time.
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Mary L. McGee
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> "FUCK YOU FOR KILLING ME!!!!" SHAUN MORGAN - "NEEDLES"
> "THESE STAND FOR ME, NAME YOUR GOD AND BLEED THE FREAK!
> I'D LIKE TO SEE, HOW YOU ALL WOULD BLEED FOR ME!" -LAYNE STALEY -
> "BLEED THE FREAK"
>
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