[nagdu] note from the moderator re: my day from yesterday

[Mardi Hadfield]

 Right on Lynn!!! I too am a partial and have had the same experiences. My
visual impairment went undiagnosed for almost 25 years as it came out of a
brain injury suffered in a car accident.The doctors never considered that
it was a brain problem. They just kept telling me that there was nothing
wrong with my eyes.I was considered a faker or a nut case.They kept giving
me new glasses and told me that would clear up the double vision.Well, it
did not clear up so I just  stopped going to the doctors and lived with the
condition.I had trained  my own service dog as I was in a wheelchair due to
my spinal stenosis.When my vision became so bad,that I was having a real
problem getting around safely I did go back to the doctor.I was diagnosed
with macular degeneration.I was told that I was legally blind.I was seeing
with double vision and every thing was blurred and hazy.I was sent to a
specialist and got the diagnosis of Cortical Vision Impairment and Macular
Degeneration and beginning cataracts.There is still some discrepancy as to
the cataracts.I just trained my service dog to guide me, with the help of a
private trainer. My vision has gotten worse now. I have no trouble letting
my current guide dog do his job. I have full trust in him and he has proven
himself many times.I do use my vision to see things up close.I still get
the occasional comments that I don't need a guide dog if I can see,but I
have given up trying to explain, as those people don't really care to hear
it any way.If  some one were to ask for an explanation of what legal
blindness is, I would explain it to them.I do believe that people should be
less judgemental of each other as no one really knows what it is like
unless they have been there or experienced the same things.It would be a
lot easier to get along in this world if we did not judge each other so
much.As the saying goes, "Live and Let Live." Have a great day, Mardi and
Shaman and Neechee,GDIT.