[Nfb-seniors] New to this...

[David Evans]

Dear Ray,

I have been legally blind since the age of 16 and I have never let it stop 
me from doing what I want do.    I just do things in a different way.
I have learned, over the years, that there are three things that every 
person facing a disability need to have.
They are: (1). You need to keep a positive attitude so that when Life gives 
you lemons, you know how to make Lemonade and turn those negatives in to 
positives.  (2) You need access to good rehab training, adaptive equipment 
and information that will let you cope and compensate for that disability. 
(3). You need to know, and have friends, who know more about that disability 
than you do.  This is why the NFB is so great as it has so many wonderful 
people in it that lead by example and are more than willing to share what 
they know and what they have with anyone.
Just ask your questions, we are here to listen.

David Evans, NFBF and Jack the guide dog.
    P.S.  I use saws and routers to cut wooden doll furniture and things. 
There is also a blind person's Chess group and they play by phone and 
computer e-mail as well as in person.
I know several blind musicians and know that if you want to keep playing, 
you can.  I play instruments and don't read a lick of music.
As an Nuclear/Aerospace Materials Engineer, my motto has always been: "the 
difficult we do immediately; the impossible just takes a little 
longer."----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Raymond Juliano" <rayj1941 at gmail.com>
To: <nfb-seniors at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 25, 2009 1:25 PM
Subject: [Nfb-seniors] New to this...


> Hello,
>
> I am new to this, but thought that I would get involved just in case I 
> lose
> what remaining sight I have yet in one eye.  About two years ago I 
> sustained
> a CRVO of my left eye.  It has caused a marked loss of visual acuity in my
> left eye along with narrow angle glaucoma.  Thus far my right eye seems to
> be o.k., altho during a visit with a retinal specialist at the Mayo 
> Clinic,
> he took photos of my right eye and it is showing some narrowing of some of
> the retinal vessels where they cross over each other which could lead to
> another occlusion of my right eye that would produce blindness in my right
> eye as well.  I have had eye injections, lazering, and a number of 
> surgical
> procedures in the past two years and will have a silicone oil bubble 
> placed
> into my right eye on Dec. 3rd. to try and control the frequent bleeds I 
> have
> been having in my left eye.  The oil bubble would remain in the eye 6-12
> months or possibly indefinitely depending on how I tolerate it.  At the 
> same
> time my retinal doctor would suck out the old blood and possibly do more
> lazering to try and control the neovascular glaucoma.  I also have a tube
> shunt in the eye for the narrow angle glaucoma which seems to be 
> controlling
> the pressure.
>
> I can't imagine anything happening to my right eye or I would be legally
> blind.  I am so grateful every time I open my right eye and can still see
> out of it.  I love to read and I write poetry and song lyrics for the
> guitar, and I also play the piano.  I love music, and I know I would
> continue to play even without my sight, but it would probably be a 
> difficult
> adaptation.  I also like to play chess and I play about 20 games online at
> gameknot.com and I was wondering if I would be able to continue to play
> chess if I could not see the moves.  I know that some of the great chess
> masters play blindfolded games, but I am not now nor will ever attain that
> level of expertise, at least not in this lifetime.  I also like to do 
> scroll
> sawing, which I don't know how I would be able to do if I could not see. 
> I
> also do hypnosis, and I think I would be able to continue to do that, but 
> it
> would be good to be able to have continued access to the many hypnosis 
> books
> that I have collected over the years.  I am currently working full time as 
> a
> nurse anesthetist at a small critical access hospital about 25 miles from 
> my
> home, but plan on retiring from anesthesia within the next two years or
> sooner depending on the stability of my sight.  At the present time there 
> is
> no known long term cure or treatment for what I have short of a retinal 
> stem
> cell implant, altho my doctor feels that I cure or treatment will be found
> for my CRVO within my lifetime.  I tell him I hope they hurry up as I am 
> not
> getting any younger...lol...I am 68 years young and I don't plan on
> retiring, but refiring as Art Linkletter suggests doing.  I hope to have
> some time and vision to be able to enjoy some retirement before my time 
> here
> is up.  I have a wonderful wife, a dog, a cat, four adult children, and 
> five
> grandkids.  I live on a 4000 acre walleye lake and I love to fish.  My 
> wife
> is a writer and photographer and we like to travel and enjoy life up here 
> in
> the U.P. of Michigan.
>
> Thanks for taking the time to read this and responding.
> Sincerely,
> Ray Juliano
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