[Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina Doctors

Tue Feb 21 22:46:20 UTC 2012

Chris,
PLEASE don't take this the wrong way, but if I had paratransit I'd be
using it. If I had to depend on a flying dinosaur, I would use it!
Smile. So in other words, I would use ANYTHING.

On 2/21/12, Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
> Michele,
>
> Do you guys have a paratransit system? I know it's not the
> regular transportation, but if you can't hire a driver but have
> paratransit, I'd take advantage of it.  I live in a semi-rural
> area here in Maryland, and we have paratransit, although we don't
> have any regular public transportation, unlike Baltimore.
>
> Chris
>
> Chris Nusbaum
> Email and Google Talk/Keychat (on the BrailleNote) ID:
> dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
> Skype: christpher.nusbaum3 or search for Chris Nusbaum
>
> "The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The
> real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that
> exists.  If a blind person has the proper training and
> opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a mere physical
> nuisance."
> -- Kenneth Jernigan
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark J.  Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com
> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> Date sent: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:04:44 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina
> Doctors
>
> Michelle
>
>
>
> I would agree that not being able to drive a car when you live in
> an area
> with no public transportation is a hindrance.  Have you ever
> considered
> relocating to an area with public transportation? I know that
> that is a
> logistical nightmare and nearly impossible in some situations,
> but getting
> there, is well worth it.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michelle Medina" <michellem86 at gmail.com
> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 9:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Encouraging Medical Students To Be Retina
> Doctors
>
>
>  Johanna,
>  First off, allow me to say that I was born without eyes and
> therefore
>  have never had eyesight.  However, if you will accept my word
> for what
>  it's worth, the story goes that you 'can't miss what you do not
> have'.
>  I'd venture to say at least partially that this is a falsehood.
>
>  I live in a rural area and am unable to drive a car.  Most
> people
>  think: "So what.  You can't drive a car, big deal."
>  What they think and sometimes say is NOT how I feel.  I feel
> like it's
>  a huge deal.  There is no transportation *no buses and noone
> available
>  to drive me somewhere to catch a bus* even that isn't the route
> of it
>  though.
>
>  My best friend is also legally blind though she does have some
> sight.
>  We used to sit in what would have been her car on her sixteenth
>  birthday if she would have been able to get her license and
> crank the
>  stereo in the dead of summer with the windows down just to
> imagine the
>  feeling of freedom, the roadtrips we would take, the growing up
> we
>  would have done over the course of a spring break or a summer
> spent
>  roadtripping around the country.
>  Ovbiously, as blind individuals we can still do this, however,
> to me
>  it is the 'absolute freedom' of getting up and leaving exactly
> when I
>  Desire to versus waiting for someone else.  It is the 'absolute
>  freedom' of walking into my parents room and saying: "I'm going
> to
>  visit Elias now, I'll be back in a couple of hours!" versus
> waiting
>  for one of them to drop me off.  It's getting out of the car and
>  walking into Walmart and reading the labels on food products and
>  picking out what I believe to be the healthiest choice versus
> going in
>  with a companion whose in a hurry, or waiting at the customer
> service
>  desk for an hour and 15 minutes.  *Note: our Walmart doesn't
> have
>  shoppers as I said I'm in a rural place, and I like alot of
> people
>  live off of SSI so don't have the money to buy a label reader*
>
>  Ultimately though, it isn't about money anyway, or even
> convenience,
>  though I would find these things convenient, who wouldn't?
> Smile.
>
>  It really boils down to the feeling I got the first time I tied
> my
>  shoes or the first time I rode a horse by myself or the first
> time I
>  Brailled up something without needing any help.  It's that "I
> can do
>  this!!!" feeling that I get.  That feeling of as I said before,
>  absolute freedom and excitement that I didn't rely on anyone, I
> did it
>  myself!! And I'm sooooo proud of myself for doing whatever thing
> it
>  might be, ON MY OWN! There's nothing like that feeling.  You
> can't buy
>  it or have it given to you or find it in a food or pill or even
>  another person.  You can only find it within yourself.
>  And if I had my eyesight and could experience the glory of a
>  sunset/rise, or of looking into someone's eyes and seeing
> through to
>  the depths of their soul, or laying eyes on my baby daughter for
> the
>  first time, or the person who would become my romantic partner I
> can
>  only imagine the exhilaration and excitement and utter pleasure
> it
>  would bring me.
>  Michelle
>
>  On 2/20/12, Johanna Baccan <24kjo at optonline.net> wrote:
>  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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>
>
>
>  --
>  Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
>  confinement of your aloneness
>  to learn anything or anyone
>  that does not bring you alive
>  is too small for you.
>  ~ David Whyte ~ (House of Belonging)
>
>  Sadie Marie Medina!
>  Original birthdate unnone.
>  First birthday with us: 2/15/2009
>  Welcome home baby!
>
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-- 
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
~ David Whyte ~ (House of Belonging)

Sadie Marie Medina!
Original birthdate unnone.
First birthday with us: 2/15/2009
Welcome home baby!