[nagdu] loss of vision was speaking too soon
Tamara Smith-Kinney
tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Tue Nov 10 19:28:25 UTC 2009
Marion,
Thanks! And I have just extended my plans for using sleepshades or some
equivalent through a few extra levels of vision loss!
I was very fortunate to receive some early O&M sleepshade training when I
was at about the 20/40 stage, since there happened to be a highly qualified
instructor in my area. His career took him to another state. By that time,
he had given me enough of a foundation to use in building the O&M skills I
needed to maintain my busy, travel-intensive lifestyle and build on those
skills as I grew to depend upon them more and more.
The fact that I do not have access to O&M instruction consistent with my
real needs is something I simply have to accept and adjust for. I'm not
point this out to argue with you! I cannot state strongly enough that, in
Oregon, if you do not live in the right place and are not a properly
dependent newbie blind willing to wait for help to come to you so you can
learn how to get out your own front door, you are well and truly screwed.
This has little to do with NADU; nevertheless, this is a good excuse to make
public comments for the search engines. /grin/
Anyway, as far as my frustration and -- I hate to admit it! -- anxiety
during RP progressions is concerned, I can only confess and accept that I am
causing my own problems all by myself. Gr! Argh! For some reason, once my
brain catches on that it suddenly can't see things the way it used to, it
promptly loses the skill set I have built up so I can function the way I
like to.
That's a clumsy explanation! And I need to quit while I'm ahead here. Oh!
Too late! /grin/
I know a few others who do attend to their own sleepshade training in a far
more dedicated fashion than I do myself. I'm finally good enough that I can
do so here without fear of death; it was far less dangerous to zip around my
old neighborhood and nearby downtown Portland where there are sidewalks and
stoplights and stuff. /smile/ I still take every opportunity to harness up
and go on new or just really dangerous routes with sighted friends. I have
to keep reminding them not to give me instruction or tell me how to manage
unless I ask, but these casual, friendly walks do wonders for both Mitzi and
me!
Good luck with your new pup -- not that you need it. /grin/ I can only
imagine that starting out with a new model guide dog after your long-term
work with Louiza, you will have plenty of entertainment making the switch.
/smile/ Good luck to Merry, too, with her new dog and new adventures in
work and education.
Tami Smith-Kinney
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Marion & Martin
Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 1:49 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] loss of vision was speaking too soon
Tami,
I agree with Julie. When I first did my O&M training in the late 70s, I
had a lot of residual eyesight - about 20/40- but very little peripheral
(about 10 degrees. I did the vast majority of my training under sleep
shades, including a drop off in downtown wPB.
Even now, with only a little motion and light perception, I will be
using sleep shades during my upcoming guide dog training. I have already
told the trainer this and he is excited to work with me under these
conditions.
Peace!
Marion
----- Original Message -----
From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 9:50 AM
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
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nagdu:
>>>
>>>
>>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blindhistory%40gmail.
>> com
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Lora and Trice
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
>> .net
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/julielj%40windstream.
net
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nagdu:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/swampfox1833%40verizo
n.net
_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40comcast
.net
More information about the NAGDU
mailing list