[nagdu] Disabilities and alert dogs

Sat Mar 5 07:14:32 UTC 2011

You know better than many folks that I'm not always philosophical when it 
comes to sharing my thoughts with people who have been hit with the stupid 
stick. However, since I'm in the cocoon of my apartment I can be more 
objective. I try to see where the person who says I'm faking, or I can see 
more than I can. If they know next to nothing about blindness they probably 
can't figure it out. I mean to say, maybe they expect to see dark sun 
glasses and some one smacking to everything. Think about it. Where are the 
positive blind role models on TV and in the movies? Yeah, where are the 
positive role models in mainstream media and Holly Wood that use a guide 
dog. They are few and far in between.

That reminds me. The other night I was fumbling around a large transit 
center. I came across a bus with an open door. I didn't see the ramp as it 
hit the ground and smacked my foot. Darned if the driver didn't get snotty 
with me. He had the audacity to tell me that I saw him. I pointed to my 
guide dog and over reacted, but didn't cuss him out. A security guard went 
and talked to him. When he pulled around to the other side where he was 
boarding passengers, his tone and tune did a 180 degree turn; so did mine.

Lisa and Bernie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lyn Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 11:21 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Disabilities and alert dogs

> Yeah, Mardi,
> I think it really sucks that the medical profession can treat us like crap 
> and not believe us when we tell them about what we know to be going on in 
> our own bodies.  Your story sounds like a real good lawsuit! But, glad you 
> are now doing much better.
>
> As a partially sighted person, people have told me I'm faking blindness. 
> It really sucks that people can't just believe us when we tell them things 
> we know to be true aboout ourselves. I know what that's like.
>
> Take care,
>
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mardi Hadfield" <wolfsinger.lakota at gmail.com>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 1:54 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] Disabilities and alert dogs
>
>
>> Hi every one, Disability is not always cut and dried. After I was a
>> passenger in a car hit by a drunk driver,I began experiencing seizures 
>> and
>> double vision.When I complained to my doctor,I was given an EEG to check 
>> for
>> seizures. Nothing showed up. I had a CAT scan when I was in the hospital
>> recovering from a blood clot in my brain after the accident, and that 
>> showed
>> up. Every time I would have a seizure,I was told that I was doing this 
>> for
>> attention.I was faking.I was told that my double vision would clear up 
>> with
>> new glasses. It did not. I was labeled a "NUT CASE"and no doctor did any
>> thing to find the real cause of my problems.They actually made me feel 
>> like
>> a nut case because of their attitudes.Because I was not given 
>> anti-seizure
>> medicine to control the seizures,they just got worse.I ended up having a
>> seizure while riding a motor cycle and further damaged my brain and
>> fractured my spine in 2 places and also had other severe injuries. It 
>> took
>> the doctors 5 years to catch the seizure on the EEG.Finally I got the 
>> proper
>> diagnosis and the proper meds which controlled the seizures. I was not
>> considered disabled before this or after the proper diagnosis as the meds
>> controlled the seizures.Still no one did any thing about the double
>> vision.When My seizures again started up and the meds no longer 
>> controlled
>> them,that's when I was considered to have a disability.By this time I
>> finally was able to get SSDI which made living a lot easier. My back 
>> became
>> worse and I had to use a wheelchair to get around,and my vision got 
>> worse.I
>> did not go and get my vision checked as I knew no one would do any thing
>> about it, so I just lived with it.Disability is not always easy to prove 
>> and
>> some doctors are real jerks!  I had trained a dog as a service dog for my
>> self and when my vision got even worse,I finally went to get it checked. 
>> I
>> was sent to a Retina specialist and was given the diagnosis of Cortical
>> Vision Impairment and Macular degeneration with macular leisons
>> (spelling?).I was legally blind!That is when I got my service dog also
>> trained as a guide dog.I have had 2 dogs that washed out as guide dogs 
>> since
>> then, that I discovered could predict and warn me of my seizures. They 
>> both
>> barked and jumped on me as their method of warning me. I trained them to
>> touch me with their nose or paws instead of the original method. I do not
>> take these dogs out in public with me as one dog is not good in public 
>> due
>> to him being abused before I got him,and the other because I can only 
>> handle
>> 1 dog at a time. I need the guide dog more.I do consider these dogs as
>> service dogs but they only work in the home.My seizures have been better
>> controlled now and I have better doctors now who listen to me.Disability 
>> is
>> even harder  to prove to the government these days.I consider myself very
>> lucky now as I am old enough to get social security by age and they can 
>> not
>> take it away by saying that I am no longer disabled.I am not the only 
>> person
>> to go through all this crap as I have met quite a few others.I no longer
>> feel like a nut case and life is much better these days.Sorry for the 
>> long
>> post but we were talking disability and I wanted to share that getting
>> diagnosed with a disability can some times be a long drawn out process. I
>> can not change my past experiences. I can only go on from here. This List
>> sure does help me when I get to deep in my own self pity as I remember 
>> that
>> there are many others who are out there with problems,some worse than 
>> mine,
>> and we are all trying to help each other.I am so glad I found this List.
>> Have a great day Mardi and Shaman and Nala,retired.
>>
>> -- 
>> http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
>> http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com
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>
>
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