[stylist] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #144- Blindness With Other Conditions

Mon Apr 6 04:16:11 UTC 2009

This reminds me of a book I read called 'sweet blood'. About this girl
with Diabetis. She had a thery that the original Vampire myths was
based on people with diabeties.

Helene

On 06/04/2009, Pat Harmon <pharmon222 at comcast.net> wrote:
> "I am a juvenile diabetic."  Since childhood, I have attempted to keep it a
> secret.  Unlike vampires, I draw my blood.  Like vampires, I do not want to
> talk about diabetes at parties, dinners, celebrations and important events.
> Like vampires demand blood, I can require sugar.  Few understand.
>
> Listen.  Everywhere you go, diabetes is on the menu.  At fine restaurants or
> diners, someone is discussing it.  The topic comes up, and I clam up.  I do
> not "care to share!"
>
> Even strangers believe in their right to ask me how much I can see and what
> caused blindness.  If I do not respond, I am the rude one or the snob.  If I
> tell others, they love telling strangers.
>
> Blindness secrets and personal privacy are difficult to maintain
> simultaneously.  I long to keep specific aspects of life a secret.  I
> require assistance with billpaying, grocery shopping, banking and
> correspondence.  As a divorced woman, I had to learn some skills again,
> following that period of dependence which occurs naturally in a partnership.
> Even with medicines, information comes in print.  Who should be permitted
> into my private life?  I am grateful to live alone, but struggles keep me
> developing new techniques.
>
> Who should conduct interviews at rehabilitation centers, whether I am a
> diabetic or a vampire?  Who has the right to ask me about my family and
> their approach to my disease?  Shouldn't counselors be blind in order to
> have some connection to my experience?  Often, sighted men and women are
> directors, administrators, teachers and cooks.  Why are there only three NFB
> centers nationwide?  Why are blind teachers and counselors still so limited
> in numbers?  Why are doctors, nurses, receptionists and assistants so
> unprepared for blind patients and clients?  As more blindness occurs, are
> more jobs going to become available?  In this economy, that is highly
> unlikely.
>
> When I first went to work as a teacher at a residential school for the
> blind, the board questioned my ability to be a reliable employee because of
> diabetes--not blindness.  I had earned the necessary credentials, but they
> questioned my health.  I was hired, but I regretted telling them about the
> disease.  The vampire probably regrets giving up that secret.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Robert Newman" <newmanrl at cox.net>
> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 10:03 AM
> Subject: [stylist] New THOUGHT PROVOKER #144- Blindness With Other
> Conditions
>
>
>> Fellow writers
>> RE:  Blindness With Other conditions
>>
>> Here is my newest THOUGHT PROVOKER. To dramatize my point, I borrow from a
>> contemporary genre. (As a VR counselor, I've not quite had this one happen
>> to me --- yet.) If you have not read the PROVOKER, it follows.  Recall
>> that
>> I collect responses and post them upon my web site for all the WWW to read
>> and learn from and that URL is- Http://thoughtprovoker.info
>> <http://thoughtprovoker.info/>   If you wish to receive THOUGHT PROVOKERS
>> sent directly to you, just write me and ask, at-  newmanrl at cox.net
>>
>> THOUGHT PROVOKER 144
>> Blindness With Other Conditions
>>
>>
>> "No, nothing else," answered Bill in response to my question- "Do you have
>> any other major physical or emotional or life style considerations that
>> you
>> are concerned that your oncoming blindness will negatively impact or in
>> reverse, will make your adjustment to blindness difficult?"
>>
>> I am a VR Counselor, this was my first visit with Bill. He is thirty,
>> rapidly going blind due to RP and had just lost his job as a truck driver.
>> My question reflected a major principle in achieving a successful outcome
>> in
>> adjusting to any major loss- you have to deal with the whole person.
>>
>> The strain in Bill's voice, the rubbing of sweating hands on his thighs
>> told
>> me my question had this guy reacting to something that he was unwilling to
>> share. In my mind, I couldn't help but speculate, was he an alcoholic or
>> an
>> AIDS victim, or.? And so to plant the seed, an opportunity for later, I
>> said, "Okay. And as we get to know one another, if in the future after you
>> get a sense of how the rehabilitation process works, please don't hesitate
>> to bring up any thing you'd like to talk about."
>>
>> Bill didn't wait very long and said, "Like I was saying, I've learned over
>> the years that for me to.ah, manage my life, I've had to become a control
>> freak. And I'm afraid blindness will.make me lose control."
>>
>> Finished, I walked Bill out to the reception area, where luck was with me.
>> Randy, my next appointment was early. "Bill, meet Randy. He also has a
>> form
>> of RP, along with being deaf. And hey, he runs his own vending business."
>>
>> Out in the hallway walking to the elevator, I still felt good that Bill
>> had
>> met Randy, a guy that had another obviously serious condition in life to
>> contend with and was doing well. At the open elevator doors, I shook
>> Bill's
>> hand. "I'll see you next week, at your place and we can talk more." And I
>> would have said more, but we were interrupted.
>>
>> "Bill, let's go," interjected a male voice with very "no-nonsense" tone.
>>
>> "Richard!" I could tell Bill wasn't happy  with this intrusion. Then to
>> me,
>> "This is my brother. Excuse me a moment." And taking Richard off to one
>> side, they talked.
>>
>> Back at the elevator, Richard said, "I didn't want Bill to come to you. We
>> take care of our own. I'll be."
>>
>> "Richard, stop!" Bill cut off his brother. "I'll meet you at the car."
>> Then
>> to me, he said,  "Robert, I apologize for my brother. We are a very close
>> and protective family. But ah, I don't mean to scare you, but if Richard
>> comes to your office or wherever, don't ask him in. He'll settle down."
>> And
>> with that he was gone.
>>
>> I did not see Bill again for two months. We had four rescheduled
>> appointments, bill calling in the day of each to cancel. Initially I
>> thought
>> denial was the major factor, but each successive call felt more like
>> escalating stress and near panic. It is interesting to note, at some point
>> in each conversation, he would refer to the "control" issue. Until,
>> unexpectedly Bill showed up.
>>
>> "I was going to stay away. But I remember you said blindness can be
>> managed
>> even if you have other ah, issues, that you can still control your life.
>> And
>> I can't allow myself to lose control." A deep breath. "I want to explain.
>> My
>> brother and I both have.ah, are." Another deep breath, then in a rush,
>> "I've
>> not hurt anyone --- I've kept control --- fear I'm losing it --- I don't
>> want to be like my brother."
>>
>> I had listened closely, was again puzzled, but excited to have Bill
>> opening
>> up. I thought, "Great, now we can get at those other key issues and work
>> with them along side his blindness. Now we can have the best chance to get
>> his life in balance; help him to get that control back that he speaks of
>> as
>> being so critical." In a sense holding my breath, I asked, "This is great,
>> Bill. So help me to help you. Tell me what you are dealing with?"
>>
>> He said, "I am a vampire."
>>
>>
>> Robert Leslie Newman
>> Email- newmanrl at cox.net
>> THOUGHT PROVOKER Website-
>> Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info
>>
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>
>
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