[Nfbk] NFB Philosophy

Thu Aug 11 07:42:50 UTC 2011

I hate to say it, and I mean this whole heartedly because I wear a medical
bracelet (not for blindness), that only a paramedic will actively look at
the bracelet. Hospital staff do not. I have a drug allergy that will
probably be fatal if I take it again. Numerous times I tell hospital staff
when being admitted or in the ER. Only half of the time will they put an
allergy band on me.

As for notifying them that you are blind, apparently this tends to go in one
ear and out the other. Before my great aunt passed away, she was in and out
of the hospital. She is also a diabetic so was not always very coherent. The
staff kept saying that she wouldn't eat by herself and wasn't drinking. They
would hold things out in front of her and then put them down on the table
like she didn't want them. We told them she was blind and you couldn't just
sit something around without making sure she knew where it was. Three
different times we visited her and had to tell them she was blind.
Supposedly, they were writing it in her chart each time we told them.

I have had procedures done at the hospital where I explained to them that I
was blind and extremely sensitive to light. Apparently, in medical school
those are not definitions that are covered. Most times, when coming out of
anthesia the nurses just cannot get it through their head that I am not
going to open my eyes unless you give me my dark glasses.

Now granted, I don't really care for the whole sign over the bed thing,
because it just might not make a difference, but I really hate when they put
things "over there" or "right here" on a table you can't see.

I do have to say that I have also had good experiences in the hospital. So
far, radiology has been pretty good. They don't take my cane before hand and
wait until after I am on the table or chair and then usually saying I am
going to put on this wall. Then after the x-ray, they say let me get your
cane. The MRI techs usually have me leave my cane with whomever came with me
and then offer their arm to take me to the table (about ten feet away from
the chairs and through a door).

Cindy

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbk-bounces at nfbnet.org 
> [mailto:nfbk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jennifer Hall
> Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 12:28 PM
> To: NFB of Kentucky Internet Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Nfbk] NFB Philosophy
> 
> 
> I agree with educating her.  My question is, "why the need to 
> walk into a wall-where is her cane or her service dog?". If 
> NFB has taught me anything, they have taught me that carrying 
> my cane helps me navigate & identifies me as a blind 
> individual.  Thanks for sharing this with us Cathy. Jennifer Hall
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Aug 9, 2011, at 3:32 PM, "Lora Felty" 
> <lorafelty at windstream.net> wrote:
> 
> > It sounds to me as though we really need to educate this 
> individual on 
> > NFB philosophy.  However, in certain circumstances I can 
> sort of see her idea about the medic alert bands being 
> beneficial.  This isn't to say that I think all blind people 
> should run out and get a bracelet, not at all.  I do know, 
> however, that when you are in the hospital for surgery or if 
> you are very ill, it is important that medical staff and 
> nurses know that you are blind.  In one instance, when I was 
> hospitalized and basically unconscious, a nurse came in to 
> check on me.  She pulled open my right eye, which has a 
> prosthesis, and shined a light into it.  She was quite 
> startled when there was no pupillary reaction.  Fortunately, 
> a family member was there to tell her that my eye was 
> artificial.  In another instance when I was being prepared 
> for surgery by the anesthesiolagist, he shoved a tongue 
> depressor with horrible tasting gel into my mouth without 
> telling me he was going to do this or letting me know if I 
> was meant to swallow it or spit it out. Also, there have been 
> times when I was so ill that I couldn't really communicate to 
> medical professionals that I was blind.  So, my point is that 
> when you are very ill and unable to communicate your visual 
> condition, the medical staff need to be informed some how.  I 
> think that firstly, it is the blind individual's 
> responsibility to inform medical staff, and it should be 
> individual choice, but on the other hand, there are countless 
> medical staff that one might come in contact with.  One time 
> when I was hospitalized a nurse put up a sign above my bed 
> that said that I was blind.  I really don't like that, but 
> that was a time when I was basically unconscious and could 
> not speak for myself.  So, I really don't know the 
> "right""answer, and I don't intend to get a medic alert 
> bracelet, but I do understand that one might be beneficial to 
> some blind persons in some circumstances.
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathy" <cathyj at iglou.com>
> > To: "NFB of Kentucky Internet Mailing List" <nfbk at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 2:22 PM
> > Subject: [Nfbk] NFB Philosophy
> > 
> > 
> >> Good Afternoon All,
> >> 
> >> I had the opportunity to listen to a message that was left 
> on the NFB 
> >> of Greater Louisville Talking Bulletin board. The lady who 
> left the 
> >> message is disabled, but not a member of our organization. 
> She ranted 
> >> on about what she thought was wrong with the NFB and what 
> we needed 
> >> to do to correct our mistakes. It was clear to me after 
> listening to 
> >> her message and having a telephone conversation with her, 
> she really 
> >> doesn't have a clue about what NFB stands for. Nevertheless, one 
> >> proposal she presented really got my attention. She believes that 
> >> blind people should wear medic alert bracelets. When I 
> questioned her 
> >> as to why she thought this would be beneficial, she 
> commented, and I 
> >> paraphrase, well we might get up off the stretcher or ER 
> bed and run 
> >> into a wall, or we wouldn't know what was available to us. 
> Obviously 
> >> if someone has a medical condition that is 
> life-threatening, or may 
> >> present itself in such a way that medical personnel may 
> misinterpret 
> >> the symptoms, one should wear a medic alert bracelet. Blindness is 
> >> NOT one of those conditions. The blind people I know 
> aren't going to 
> >> leap out of a bed and run into a wall. This is exactly the kind of 
> >> negative attitudes that we must continue of fight. I want to hear 
> >> your comments.
> >> 
> >> Cathy
> >> 
> >> 
> >> _______________________________________________
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windstream.net
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