[nagdu] loss of vision was speaking too soon

Mon Nov 16 17:23:34 UTC 2009

Yeah, I'm that way, too.  Sometimes I use night walks with Mitzi as
"sleepshade work."  And last night we tookan early night walk with her on
leash and me using my cane.  For some reason, knowing that I can't see is
different than using shades to limit my vision...

DD and I have started taking walks with the dogs in the evenings; maybe I
can ease him into the notion of my wearing sleepshades then.  I can extend
the level of challenge I give myself if I have a pair of eyes making sure I
don't walk off a cliff or something.  Although I think my skills and
adaptation of my other senses are good enough I could do that without a
coach or spotter; I just haven't stretched my limits to catch up yet.  Food
for thought.  /smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Linda Gwizdak
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 9:57 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] loss of vision was speaking too soon

Hi Tami,
I also was trained under sleepshades during my cane mobility lessons.  I 
found it extremely beneficial to me and it sure comes in handy when I travel

at night - a time I have NO vision to fall back on!  I use these skills with

a dog or a cane.

Linda and Landon
----- 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 6:50 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
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>> com
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Lora and Trice
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>
>
>
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