[nagdu] loss of vision was speaking too soon

Mon Nov 9 22:31:58 UTC 2009

Julie,

Thanks!  You're absolutely correct.  I periodically tend to my own
sleepshade training, and it helps a whole lot.  My vision has within the
past year reached the point I can use a nice set of dark sunglasses to
achieve the same effect, so I can practice out and about without feeling
self-conscious.  /smile/  Would love O&M training under sleepshade; that
does not seem to be available here on any level that is useful to me.  Sigh.

Anyway, as far as I can tell, the problem is not with skills or training or
preparation for the next level or attitude or...  Any of those facets of
personal functioning and brain function I have under my direct or indirect
control.  The source of my troubles and the stress and aggravation -- and
quite a bit of embarrassment! -- that results from them really appears to be
the result of my own quirky brain and how it goes about rewiring itself to
adapt to the changing landscape that is vision loss.  Since I first started
loosing my central vision -- which is when my brain went into total freak
out mode, taking my autonomic nervous system with it -- I've learned quite a
few strategies and tricks to help smooth out the process.  And I have
learned the early warning signs so I can get a handle on things before they
get out of hand!  When they do get out of hand, I drop everything and lie
flat on my back for some intensive meditation; however, this takes time and
I try to avoid needing to that beyond my regular meditation routine.

Oops.  Moving away from guide dogs.  I can truly say that getting out and
walking with my guide dog is about the best cure I have found!  When I add a
stint at the dog park using my cane and focusing on my other senses to walk
around the hazards and manage the uneven ground there while she plays, the
effect is miraculous.  So that's convenient!  /grin/

Anyway, thanks for the advice.  If I ever do find a living breathing
instructor who can provide O&M and live skills training without wasting a
lot of time aggravating me to within an inch of my life, I will leap on that
opportunity whole hog!  I'm working in more time with more experienced blind
travelers, which is even more useful.  Also, more fun!  /grin/

I like how you describe how you enjoy and even rarely use your remaining
vision.  In periods of stability, I see my relationship with my own vision
in very similar terms.  I am definitely losing color vision, so I like to
walk around letting my dog deal with the travel logistics while I soak in
all the pretty colors.  /smile/  I am going to be very sad to lose that,
although it appears to be inevitable.  In familiar surroundings, I use my
vision on a limited basis to add information about my surroundings as a sort
of convenience.  /smile/  I have to be careful, though, because this can
lead to my sitting on Daisy.  /grin/

I also cannot seem to walk downhill without looking.  Even under sleepshade!
No, really, I have done that.  My personal O&M goal on that score is to be
able to walk up the very steep hill just behind the house for exercise and
still be able to come back down without making myself sea sick by early next
spring.  I figure if I can get enough of a grip to stop doing that to myself
every time, I will have learned to stop doing it to myself on a smaller
scale overall.  I live for the day.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie J
Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 6:50 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] loss of vision was speaking too soon

    Tami,

I think O&M instruction under blindfold would be really helpful for you. 
You'd only have to learn one skill set that could be applied no matter what 
your vision does.   I think it might relieve a lot of the stress you are 
experiencing when your vision changes.  that is stressful enough without 
having to learn new skills each time.

Anyway I found sleepshade training to be very beneficial.  I do still use my

vision when I feel it would be helpful or entertaining, but I have the 
security of knowing I have other skills to fall back on.   In the beginning 
it was a bit more challenging to flip back and forth, I had to consciously 
think about what would work best in what situation.  Now, though it's all 
very intuitive and very easy.    I have very, very limited vision though, so

your mileage may vary.  In any case I think sleepshade training wouldn't 
hurt.

JMHO a'course
Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 1:29 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] speaking too soon

> Loray,
>
> Yay!  Progress!  It may start with small steps, but it sounds like you're
> doing something that is helpful to him.
>
> Wow!  You are putting a whole lot of work into this dog.  High mantenance
> indeed!  You're taking a hard road, which you shouldn't have to, and there
> are no guarantees.  But it's good to see signs that your kiddo is gaining
> some confidence.
>
> Id on't know if I ever mentioned this.  One of the most useful articles I
> read when I was starting to think seriously about owner-trainer was by a
> trainer from the Seeing Eye -- I think it was Lukas Frank, even, but I 
> have
> long since lost the link.  It was a great article about guide dog 
> training,
> and one thing he said really stuck with me:
>
> The difference between a fairly average dog that graduates and goes on to 
> a
> successful career and a really bright one who doesn't is precisely this:
> Confidence!
>
> Okay, so I took that so much to heart that my once shy and apparently 
> timid
> poodle pup is now convinced that the world was invented to give her a 
> place
> to play soccer.  /smile/  Guiding me around is just something she does to
> keep her busy when she's not playing soccer.  In case anyone is 
> interested,
> playing soccer with a poodle is great for one's overall O&M.  If you 
> wonder
> why, get yourself a nice squeaky ball and a dog.  Try it!  /grin/  I'm 
> going
> through another phase of vision loss right now and am for no good reason
> stupid as a stump and clueless as to where I am relation to the world. 
> This
> happens every time, and it blows my adaptive skills all to bits for some
> reason.  Makes me crazy, but at least I think I've learned how to work
> through it so that it's not a months' long disaster.  Anyway, the physical
> and neurological propcesses involved in kicking a tennis-ball sized rubber
> squeaky ball you can't see are essentially those used in walking in around
> when you can't see where you're going.  Why the bit where I can't see 
> where
> I'm going even matters anymore is beyond me, but there it is.  Anyway, the
> kind of squeaky ball I use also makes a nice sound when it bounces, so I 
> can
> kick it around surprisingly well even in the pitch dark.  Mitiz poodle has
> figured this out and is really creative about giving me sound and other
> clues to help out.
>
> Anyway, I'm still absorbing everything I learned from training Mitzi, but
> I'm pretty sure that article was right.  Confidence is key.
>
> Sounds like Trice is beginning to get some.
>
> Okay, so I can't type, spell or use English.  Past my bedtime?  Apparently
> so!
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Lora
> Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 5:52 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] speaking too soon
>
> AnnaLisa
> He is doing a little better. Sometimes he is still scared of traffic even
> when he can see it. He still startles just not as badly nor as often.
>
> On Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 7:24 PM, AnnaLisa Anderson
> <annalisa at sector14.net>wrote:
>
>> Lora,
>>
>> Man, I'm sorry this keeps happening and that you got such a high
>> maintenance
>> dog.  How's it going with walking on the other side of the road?  Is he
>> doing better with that?  I sure hope so for your sake.  Good luck trying
> to
>> figure out the latest thing.  My thoughts are with you.
>>
>> AnnaLisa and Sundance
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> -- 
> Lora and Trice
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