[Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
David Evans
drevans at bellsouth.net
Tue Feb 21 19:37:01 UTC 2012
Dear Mark and All,
The advice you gave is very true.
Every one of us has to shed our diapers or break out of the shell at some
point.
It is not an easy thing to do and is scary as Hell to most of us, but most
of us make it.
One thing is for sure, our parents are not going to be around forever to
watch for us and do things for us.
It is a Right of Passage, that we must , at some point do what we think is
best for us regardless of the fact that our parents like it our not.
You can not worry about them disowning you as Nature is going to do that for
them at some point anyway. The fact is they are going to pass on and leave
you behind and then it is all on you anyway.
Most loving parents are not going to disown their children and you can not
let the thought of that paralyze you and prevent you from taking charge of
your life.
I have met parents, who have told me, that the biggest fear they had about
their Blind child, was that they did not know what was going to happen to
their child after they passed on. They, did not even seem to realize that
they were the ones, holding their child back from becoming a confident and
capable Blind person, because they over protected their child by cutting
their food for them, picking out and physically dressing them, tying their
shoes, walking them everywhere, not trusting and having a little faith in
their own child to do anything for themselves.
They saw the solution to protecting their child as putting that child in a
cage and not letting them out to where they might get hurt.
As a result, we have non-functional Blind people who are trapped in the
shadow of their parents. Tied to them by Mommy's apron strings or Papa's
judgment and disapproval.There is an old saying that says,"Nothing grows in
the shade."
It is a scary thing to think about and can shake anyone who does not have
the confidence in themselves.
I agree that attending a good training center, and I do recommend and NFB
training center at that as I have mentored a few young Blind people since
becoming an NFB member.
Not all have had the problems cutting the apron strings, but the process is
much the same.
We must educate and motivate, step by step.and the first thing is changing
the mind set.
There are three things that all People dealing with a disability need to
have to be successful.
There: 1). Good positive attitude about life and Life in general, so that
when Life gives you lemons you know how to make lemonade, turn those
negatives in to positives.
This is important in learning when and how to overcome those barriers that
pop up in Life. You learn to find ways to go under, around over and through
them.
2). you need access to good rehab training, Adaptive equipment and
information that helped you to cope and compensate for that disability and
finally; 3). you must know someone else who has that disability who knows
more about that disability than you do.
This is where the members of the NFB come in.
It is the collective knowledge of the members of this great organization
that can provide over 50,000 mentors to draw on in helping you to figure out
what you can and need to do to be successful living with Blindness.
As for reducing Blindness to a mere nucence, here is the way it works for
me.
I have been legally Blind since the age of 16 because of RP. and I never
got any rehab training until several years after I become an NFB member in
1987.
I still thought of myself as sighted, with just a little vision problem.
It was not until I was picked to go to my first Washington Seminar in 1991
that I really got it as to what a powerful force the NFB was and how being
an active member could and would change me and my life.
I had "zero" skills of blindness and was so deep in denial that I would not
do the very things that would have helped me to remain employed and
independent. I had a chip on my shoulder the size of a pine forest and
thought I knew better than anyone else. They were not in my shoes. They
did not know hao I was feeling right?
Well I got my socks blown off by the NFB members I met and observed. I, for
the first time, saw just what confident Blind people could do and how they
used their skills to do the things I use to do as a sighted person. Reading
Braille like I use to read print, traveling about with their canes and guide
dogs all over a large city and conducting business the way I once did as a
sighted person.
They really impressed me and I found that I wanted what they had and to be
just like them.
I met NFB members who shared their knowledge and experiences with me and
advised me.
I just wished I had gone to an NFB training center back them instead of
wasting several years trying to teach myself and getting very poor training
and instruction from a very poor state agency.
If I had only knew then what I know now, that time I wasted with half way
measures would have been spent arming myself with good skills and more NFB
philosophy
Getting back to that statement about reducing Blindness to a nucence. I
think of a nucence as being something like a Nat that keeps buzzing around
your face and will not leave you alone.
Well, my nucence was a Nat the size of a 747 jumbo jet in the beginning and
I had a hard time thinking of it as anything smaller than that, but as I
write this, I have come to realize that the nucence has gotten allot smaller
over the years to the point I do not much notice it anymore.
I still wish I were not Blind, but I Am just happy living my life and doing
what I want to do.
I am working again and have a job I enjoy and gives me a chance to help
people everyday .
If I can mentor someone, I am here to talk to and give my opinion, but I
believe very much in teaching a person how to fish instead of just feeding
them for a day by giving them a fish. If you know how to fish, you can feed
yourself for a lifetime, right?
I am now 65 years old, married with two grown kids and one grand child, all
obtained after becoming blind so you see, you can have it all.
David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
Palm Beach County Chapter President
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
> Desiree,
>
>
>
> I for one am a current college student. Like most college freshmin, I live
> in a dorm. It is not what you imagine it to be. I have never been the
> victim of hazing or other harassment, and for that madder, I can't think
> of anyone else at my school that has. This is not a community college, but
> a private university, and they would not tolerate that type of negative
> behavior.
>
>
>
> This is just a thought, but have you ever considered attending one of the
> NFB training centers. Even if you already have impeccable skills, city
> travel is very different than rural travel. I attended BLIND Inc. and
> highly recommend it.
>
>
>
> Also, the skills you learn at a training center will help you get a job,
> and there are far more jobs available in a big city than in small towns.
> Once you establish residency in some ware like MN for instance, the state
> rehab there is wonderful at paying for things like college or other
> training required to help you get a job.
>
>
>
> Also, if you go to a NFB center, they will pay for you to go to convention
> witch is a wonderful networking experience.
>
>
>
> Good luck,
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Desiree Oudinot" <turtlepower17 at gmail.com>
> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 2:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
>
>
>> No, my blindness wouldn't be nearly as much of an obstacle if I lived
>> in a city. But I do know also that if things don't work out if I did
>> move into an apartment, I would have no one else to turn to. I would
>> end up out on the street if I couldn't pay rent. I know if I go
>> against their wishes I'll be disowned. Also going to college is
>> certainly not in my plans. While I'm not ruling it out altogether,
>> maybe 5 or 10 years down the road, I want to be in a better place
>> mentally than I am now. I know that if I do it now, all that will
>> happen is I'll burn out. I definitely do not want to live in a dorm. I
>> know all about hazing and all that crap. If I do go to college, I want
>> it to be at a community college. The problem is, if I do that, I want
>> to go somewhere where I know I won't run into any of the a-holes I
>> went to school with around here. I even have one in mind, but being a
>> blind person, moving into a new city, and trying to maintain a job so
>> I can survive and go to college is just way more stress than I need.
>>
>> On 2/21/12, Johanna Baccan <24kjo at optonline.net> wrote:
>>> Dear Mike, and All,
>>> the talk is not for the purpose for getting students to go to Columbia
>>> They
>>> are already Medical students at Columbia deciding on what kind of Doctor
>>> they want to be. This is not my intention to get across that blindness
>>> is
>>> not respectable or have the sighted realize what we cannot do. I know
>>> that
>>> you do not know me but I am a good role model for someone who is living
>>> with
>>> Blindness. When the students meet me they will know that a Blind person
>>> can
>>> just about do anything. I am on a Web show on Thru our Eyes called
>>> Looking
>>> Good Without Looking. I am the Co-host. I am called the Make-up Diva.
>>> I
>>> train women if they choose to put on make-up. You do not have to see to
>>> wear make-up. As a matter of fact I put it on better than a sighted
>>> person.
>>> Our next show is this Wednesday night and I will send the link to the
>>> list.
>>> Our show is for Men, Women , and Teens. It is for full vision, low
>>> vision,
>>> or no vision. I am proud of my Blindness and how I cope. Yes, I have
>>> all
>>> the frustrations and stress that go along with it also . But I choose
>>> to
>>> keep going and learning to make my life and others around me better.
>>> I
>>> just joined the NFB a year ago. Yes I heard they were Radical. But
>>> when I
>>> joined I found it to be not so. Desiree forgive me if I spell your name
>>> wrong. You see by being involve with the NFB we all want to help one
>>> another with problems that each other may have . One or many of us have
>>> been through it and we can help one another. Please ask us questions so
>>> maybe we can help. I used to drive 34 years ago and I still miss it
>>> terribly. I too have to depend on friends, and family for rides. You
>>> know
>>> that there is a talking cash register. Get with a VR counselor and see
>>> what
>>> kind of jobs are around you. By the way where do you Live? They may be
>>> able to connect you with a job that uses a talking cash register. There
>>> is
>>> a lot more technology out there now then there was for me 34 years ago.
>>> Keep fighting and do not give up. If you have not already gotten your
>>> degree than do so. Yes, there are many small minded and mean people
>>> out
>>> there. You have to rise above it. I know it is not easy. Getting
>>> back
>>> to my talk. All over the country there are places that are doing
>>> research
>>> . These places need Retina Doctors and Researchers to continue what
>>> has
>>> been started. There is stem cell research, gene therapy research,
>>> retina
>>> cell transplantation research, and retina doctors that are needed to
>>> continue this. Don't worry Mike I will let them know also the
>>> techniques of
>>> blindness. We all can do almost the same things that the sighted do.
>>> But
>>> with technology we get the same result but the way we get it done is
>>> different.
>>> Sincerely,
>>> Johanna
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On
>>> Behalf Of Mike Freeman
>>> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 10:19 PM
>>> To: 'Blind Talk Mailing List'
>>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina
>>> Doctors
>>>
>>> If you were African-american (and I don't know whether you are or are
>>> not
>>> and it truly doesn't make a difference), would you consent to give a
>>> talk on
>>> what you're missing out on by not being Caucasian, especially since the
>>> purpose is obviously to get more specialists to go to a prestigious
>>> medical
>>> school?
>>>
>>> Were I you, I'd refuse because going through the "ain't it awful"
>>> routine,
>>> even if in a worthy cause, hurts the blind in that it concentrates upon
>>> what
>>> the sighted think we *can't* do rather than showing them that
>>> ultimately, it
>>> is respectable to be blind.
>>>
>>> Mike Freeman
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>>> On
>>> Behalf Of Johanna Baccan
>>> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 5:43 PM
>>> To: Blind Talk mailing List
>>> Subject: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors
>>>
>>> To All:
>>>
>>> I was asked by Dr. Steven Sang one of the top Retina Doctors at
>>> Columbia
>>> Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, new York to speak to Columbia
>>> University Medical Students. He wants me to encourage them to become
>>> Retina
>>> Doctors and Retina Researchers. I am a 54 year old woman and have a
>>> unusual form of Stargardt's Disease and have been visually impaired for
>>> 34
>>> years. I know that we all have mastered some if not all the Techniques
>>> of
>>> Blindness. But my talk is going to be on what it would mean to regain
>>> my
>>> vision and what I have missed out on for 34 years. I would like to hear
>>> from all of you to let me know what it would mean to you to have or
>>> regain
>>> your vision. What struggles have you had. There has been a declined in
>>> Medical Students to become Retina Doctors and Researchers in this
>>> country.
>>> As a whole the Blind Community seems to function in a way that people
>>> don't
>>> realize how difficult it really is. So instead of talking how I
>>> mastered
>>> the Techniques of Blindness I have to talk about the reality of vision
>>> loss.
>>> These students are exposed to other patients with diseases that are much
>>> more visible and pronounced then our vision loss. At times my
>>> particular
>>> eye disease has been called a Hidden handicap. Because to look at me
>>> even
>>> though I use a cane I do not look visually impaired at all. Any
>>> suggestions
>>> or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Johanna Baccan
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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>
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