Adapting

I didn't find it particularly hard to adapt from being partially sighted to being totally blind. Of course I was completely devastated about the sight loss but I knew how to use my other senses so looking after myself, four young children and the home came naturally to me. I believe this was due to the fact that I had spent my life around totally blind kids from a very young age.

I remember in the infant’s class we had all these plastic objects around the walls and part of our lessons was to walk round and feel them. This was so the children who had very poor sight or no sight could learn to identify everyday objects such as, bananas, umbrellas, boats, cups, cars and all kinds of things. Although I could see these objects I had to use my hands. The kids who were totally blind soon had to learn to walk around the school without help and they did! One of my brothers only has only ever been able to see light and dark so being blind was just a normal thing for me.

Some of my pet peeves...

I know there are things that blind people can't do. But there are a lot of blind people around who don't even try. It really is frustrating to me when I am with blind adults who spill food down their tops every time we go out (saying that I think plenty of sighted people do that too!). And how when their only disability is being blind, why do they need their food cutting up? I know we are all different and have different levels of abilities but eating and showering, these are things we do from a very early age so to me it is inexcusable when I hear blind people saying they can't do these everyday things without assistance.

While I'm on my high horse… In December I had to go and see a specialist as I have lost part of my hearing in my left ear. The doctor talked to my niece about me or at least he tried to, as opposed to talking to me directly. He couldn't accept that I could put eardrops in my own ear. I find doctors and nurses are some of the worst when it comes to communicating or guided blind people. I know that I'm not on my own in saying this.

Sometimes when I or one of my friends go shopping and we give the cashier the money they will give the person with you the change. It's no wonder we have the comics making humorous sketches about blindys because there is a lot to laugh about. I'm not the sort of person to get loud or obnoxious about sighted people treating us like our brains don't work instead of just our eyes but I don't accept the “does HE take sugar” attitude and will speak and act for myself.

I will now climb down from my high horse all by myself! :)

I had a lovely walk today with Bee. I haven't had a guide dog for a few years and it is such a wonderful feeling putting my trust in one again. Two of my four children have Wagner's syndrome and unfortunately my youngest son's sight is deteriorating. He is getting his first guide dog this week and purely by chance the dog he is getting is Bee's sister. We live hundreds of miles apart and the trainers don't know each other, it is spooky how it happened and my son's dog is called Bumble! So we will have Bumble and Bee! How cute!

B x