[NFBMT] Braille Monitor Article

[Dar]

That was a swell article  


Dar
Every saint has a past, 
Every sinner has a future 


> On Mar 1, 2018, at 2:06 PM, Jim Marks via NFBMT <nfbmt at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> 
> 
> Today's Braille Monitor includes an article I wrote.  Here it is:
> 
> 
> 
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1803/bm180311.htm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The Dentist and the Eye Doctor
> 
> 
> 
> by Jim Marks
> 
> 
> 
> Jim MarksFrom the Editor: Jim Marks is known to many Federationists for his
> work in the Montana affiliate, having served for several terms on its board
> of directors and as the affiliate's vice president. For a number of years he
> was a wise voice on the National Federation of the Blind Scholarship
> Committee. For his paid work, Jim served as the director of disability
> services for students at the University of Montana flagship campus in
> Missoula and has long been an advocate for helping young people become
> independent. He has been the treasurer of the Association on Higher
> Education and Disability (AHEAD) and has been the chairman of the
> organization's special interest group on blindness and visual impairments.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In this article Jim discusses two trips: one to his eye doctor and the other
> to his dentist. It turns out that his blood pressure was higher when
> visiting the former than the latter, and many who have gone blind under the
> care of a doctor will have a clue as to why. Few blind people harbor
> long-term anger at their doctor because the medical community could not
> preserve their sight, but many are angry because that community had nothing
> to offer but the door when blindness was assured. Here is what Jim has to
> say:
> 
> 
> 
> They say the blood pressure cuff reveals a lot more than the numbers. Sure
> proved true for me. In the last few weeks, I've visited both the eye doctor
> and a dentist. Both took my blood pressure. At the eye doctor's, my numbers
> were very high. At the dentist's, my numbers were very good. You wouldn't
> expect this because there is little to fear at the eye doc's, while the
> dentist often includes some uncomfortable procedures. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So, here's the deal. The last time I visited the eye doctor was in 1985. I
> am blind, and the eye doctor could provide no treatment that would improve
> my vision. My experiences with vision treatment were pretty good except that
> the medical world knows nothing about how to function with blindness and
> does nothing to educate itself or its patients. Sometimes, eye doctors
> provide low vision aids, but these still focus on vision, not blindness.
> When the treatments to preserve or improve vision fall short, the eye doc
> has no rabbits to pull from the medical hat. When I first became aware I was
> losing my vision due to an eye disease, I remember placing a huge amount of
> faith in the abilities of the medical world to keep me from going blind. At
> the time I internalized all the negative prejudices and stereotypes about
> blindness. For me it was all about the cure. at least hope for the cure.
> When my eye doc booted me to the curb, that quest for the cure evaporated. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I turned to the alternative techniques of the blind and positive attitudes
> about blindness in order to live the life I want. That approach was cemented
> deeply in my being, and the medical world insofar as vision goes faded into
> my past. That is, it did until I recently needed to verify my blindness as
> part of my application for Social Security Disability Insurance. My
> blindness documentation dated back to 1982 when my eye doc declared me
> legally blind and referred me to blindness vocational rehabilitation
> services. My blood pressure numbers at the eye doc's revealed that I harbor
> a great deal of emotion about the puny overlap between medical vision
> treatments and blindness. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> For example, a technician at the eye doc's administered a field test. I
> cannot see any of the flashing lights, so I sat through two cycles of the
> test just waiting for the conclusion. Frankly, it pissed me off. My anger
> came from those long dormant emotions and was not directed at the staff. All
> were very kind and professional. But I am blind, and the way I define my
> life really has very little to do with the medical world. So, my blood
> pressure told the story, and I am still marveling at just how difficult a
> simple visit to the eye doc was for me. I was my usual cheerful self on the
> outside, but I was boiling on the inside. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now that the moment is behind me, I can reflect on it and understand better
> who I am and where I am going. I won't be going back to the eye doc anytime
> soon. Some blind people must do this to prevent abnormal eye pressures and
> other health issues. I have cataracts on top of the retinitis pigmentosa
> that causes my blindness, but I will not get them removed unless a health
> issue crops up. Right now, I have light perception, but I am so good at
> being blind that I own it, control it, and direct it. Being able to see has
> very little to do with most of life's important endeavors. I choose to be so
> positive that I forget I am blind. Anyhow, thanks for reading through this
> wandering reflection.
> 
> Jim Marks
> 
> Blind.grizzly at gmail.com <mailto:Blind.grizzly at gmail.com> 
> 
> (406) 438-1421
> 
> 
> 
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