[NAGDU] Questions for low-vision people

[Cindy Ray]

Hi Tracy and All,
I think this is a great couple of questions, and I am glad you have started
the discussion.
When I was a kid someone from TSE came and visited with us in a school
assembly about getting dogs. I had a teacher from the agency who used a dog,
too, and I was impressed, and my dad wanted to donate some dogs to the
Seeing Eye for them to train as guides for folks. When I graduated from high
school here in Iowa though and attended the Iowa Orientation Center, I saw
that people were getting along famously with canes, and I soon joined their
ranks. The climate here wasn't such that you would entertain getting a dog
much, though this has changed. I was pleased and proud to use a cane, and I
did not like the hype that seemed to go with having a dog. 
After I moved to Kansas I began having some pain in my right hand. I was
walking a lot. My husband at the time suggested that I should get a dog, and
I told him that people would think I was weird and that I would stand out
too much. He asked me if I didn't think that was the case with the cane, and
I had to admit he was right. I got a dog, but I have never completely
adjusted to the hype, so when I decided to stop using a dog, I thought it
would be a relief. However, hype remains, but this hype is of a different
nature. First off, the minute I go crooked in some places, people will
become anxious that I am going to run into something. Second, either I was a
lot better with a cane back in the day than I am now, or I have totally lost
sight of how that really worked for me. I think maybe it was the former, but
I don't have near the confidence I used to have with a cane, and I am way
more comfortable with the dog. I think I had to come to this on my own with
regard to my current situation. No one could really talk me into it. My
ex-husband did when I decided to get my first one, but I had just had a
little dog before that and had to euphanize her, and I loved having a dog.
Also, I was concerned that my hand wasn't going to allow me to continue
playing very long, and I was a musician. It is each person's personal
decision, and I think Julie nailed it when she suggested that, Tracy, your
husband would need to come to it in his own time. He will probably slow down
if he has some accidents before it gets serious, or he may decide to get a
dog. He may still be warring with himself about the implications of losing
more sight. Be patient, give him time, and breathe.
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com