tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338919382024-03-13T11:03:18.882-05:00Literally BlindsidedWelcome! This blog reflects more or less my description of living with Usher syndrome, my CI (cochlear implant) journey, my guide dog journey, and any random thoughts I may want to post.Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.comBlogger279125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-67517212728188772872014-11-27T17:10:00.000-06:002014-11-27T17:56:21.991-06:00Everyday is Thanksgiving Day
blogbasics.com
I've read somewhere that life is what you make it. You can choose to give up and feel sorry for yourself or you can keep trying to make the most of Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-48148712802396904252012-04-06T19:28:00.003-05:002012-04-06T19:37:22.622-05:00Guide Dog MannersRules to go by when encountering a guide dog team.Source: Guide Dog FoundationDon't touch, talk, feed or otherwise distract the dog while he is wearing his harness. Do allow the dog to concentrate and perform for the safety of his master.Don't treat the dog as a pet. Do give him the respect of a working dog.Don't give the dog commands. Do allow the master to do so.Don't try to take control in Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-15292403902944303322012-01-22T20:08:00.003-06:002012-04-07T12:27:26.828-05:00Behind the Scenes Look at Guide Dogsglitter-graphics.comMany people assume the handler of a guide dog is blind. Some are visually impaired and have some vision. This is also true of white cane users. They are not all fully blind. Some think when they see a guide dog, it's called a "Seeing Eye" dog or "Leader Dog" but that is only if the dog came from that guide dog school. Not all come from Seeing Eye or Leader. So, in general Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-48962900127036457142011-10-24T14:51:00.004-05:002012-01-22T20:26:48.119-06:00The Right Thing Warwick LocksmithDoing the right thing isn’t always easy. Pride gets in the way sometimes or it is more that we are weak and want to ignore what is right for whatever reason. It is in our nature. And while it is in our nature, we can fight it, but just choose not to.I knew I had retinitis pigmentosa (20) in my twenties. I should have given up driving then. But I didn’t. I wanted to keep driving.Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-20654166665069161122011-09-17T13:44:00.005-05:002011-09-18T19:55:19.384-05:00Pride and Prejudice Sighted GuideNotice how the blind/visually impaired person in the above picture is holding on to the elblow like a claw? They are also a step behind the sighted guide. It is really a big help in big crowds and unfamiliar places. :) Over the past few years, I can see my own personal growth, though at times I can still go through moments of prideful, narrow-minded selfishness of not wanting/Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-14463045993429986262011-08-20T14:00:00.005-05:002011-08-20T15:05:52.964-05:00Another Driver
Glittergrapics.com
Where did my baby go? Driving already?
Flare got her driver's license early this summer. She has her own car. She's so glad not to have to ride the bus or taxi again.
For me, it's nice that there's another driver in the house, at least temporarily, considering she's a senior and will be moving on to college next year. So while it's nice, I know it's not permanent and I Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-18771049429146508812011-07-26T19:49:00.002-05:002012-03-12T21:38:48.392-05:00False Sense of SecurityFighter pilots go through intensive training, but they only are active for a few years until they are replaced by newly trained pilots. Why? It is easy to get a false sense of security. One is more sharp and aware when he is newly trained. Maybe it gets to be the same thing, over and over, that makes one get overconfident and too sure of what they are doing, making bad judgments and oversights.I Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-91290016071885665322010-11-14T17:10:00.005-06:002010-11-30T08:53:54.147-06:00Map Timeglitter-graphics.com Another mapping appointment for the CI (cochlear implant) came up fast. This was for the one month map of the new CI, "Repeat," and 2-year map of the first CI, "Pete". (The next map will be the 3-month map.) A map is the mesurement of sounds that are comfortable to you and what is too soft and too loud. You can increase or decrease volume and sensitivity when you want for Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-87975496710050922232010-11-05T08:34:00.010-05:002010-11-06T15:12:16.525-05:00Two-week Map of Second CIComparison of the processors I couldn't tell you whichone I liked better. Both are great products for me. In this picture, both coils and cables with the magnet is not shown.“Shari,” I heard my name being called while Hubs and I were in the waiting room. I was in the middle of looking at my left processor, the older one, the Freedom, to double check that I had the T-coil on because it did sound Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-72263112518972104092010-10-16T00:01:00.002-05:002010-10-19T17:27:01.576-05:00AlvinationThe Nucleus 5 drf.com One month post-op, my new implant gets mapped for the first time-the hook-up, switch-on, turn-on, activation, etc. It’s called different things, but it all means the same thing: It’s being mapped for the first time in the newly implanted ear. A map is the comfort zone of the cochlear implant (CI) recipient. It is the adjustment of how the certain low to high tones and Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-24772037264760732062010-10-02T18:15:00.004-05:002010-10-02T18:33:06.956-05:00Post-Op RecoveryWednesday nightAfter coming home a few hours after surgery (yes, it is considered an outpatient procedure),I was only able to sleep 1 ½ to 2 hours at a time. I slept downstairs on the couch for the next week and a half.Hubs cut up some watermelon and made cucumber salad. That was pretty much what I ate for the next two days.I did not have any bouts with nausea since leaving the hospital, except Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-9225071920734719322010-09-16T18:49:00.008-05:002010-09-17T21:46:02.586-05:00The Other Side (Second Implant)Evening after Cochlear Implant SurgeryPre-OpI went to my local doctor for the CI surgery. I needed a physical, blood pressure (BP) check, chest x-ray, and CBCs (blood count) for anemia, kidney function, and infection. Within two hours, I got a phone call from the doc. Everything looked good. The info was faxed to Froedtert.PreppingI got two phone calls the night before. One was from the nurse Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-19862957937032525062010-06-22T22:19:00.009-05:002010-06-23T07:08:20.134-05:00HLAA 2010 in MilwaukeeHotel-Room With a View (Lake Michigan) Wednesday, June 16-(the day before)I had gotten a crash course on cellphone usage. I never used a cellphone before. The landline phone was much better for me to hear with than the cellphone is. Angel added all the phone numbers for me.So, the most I remember is how to send text, just barely.I was done packing and was ready to head out to Milwaukee for the Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-1477860525581720132010-06-07T17:52:00.005-05:002010-06-07T18:08:05.463-05:00Back In JailSound boothEr…the sound booth. Actually, the sound booth at this center isn’t as small as others are so it didn’t feel like “jail".Went to get a second evaluation for the other ear to see if it was a candidate for the cochlear implant (CI).Tests galore (single word, sentences, sentences with noise in the background, sentences with a million conversations going on in the background, and on top of Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-48098533404331687522010-04-19T15:42:00.002-05:002010-04-19T15:56:32.368-05:00New MappingThe morning of my 18- month 20-month mapping (my mappings are two months behind because my audiologist was on maternity leave last summer) was going to be a long one.Why? Because I was asked to participate in a research on bimodular people like me. Bimodular means that I wear a hearing aid (HA) in one ear and a cochlear implant (CI) in the other. How effective is it? How much of a difference doesSharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-75504968126309618292010-04-05T19:34:00.003-05:002010-04-05T21:36:31.752-05:00I Would Like to Buy a HamburgerFrom this blogger's desk:Hello, guys. I thought it was about time to put you up to date with what’s going on since the last time I posted.Let’s see…I have been febrile with cabin fever and I am enjoying the early “summerlike” days we had last week. Shorts. Sitting on the front porch relaxing, watching (but not really staring) at cars that whiz by (sometimes I get a little anxious when I see a carSharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-12402907396832900692010-02-14T14:35:00.005-06:002010-02-15T06:16:06.003-06:00To Be Honest..or is it TMI? CCTV from Independent Living AidsSorry. I am repeating myself here, I know, but I’m sorry I that I have been neglecting the Blogosphere. I apologize to my regular readers. That said, here’s an update:Now that I “graduated” my caning lessons back in July or August, I have been gaining more independence. I can walk with my head up and for the most part, ignore curious glances. And it’s been nice Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-87970884159234806792009-11-04T16:59:00.003-06:002009-11-04T17:51:44.950-06:00Testing: 1, 2, 3....From the University of Maryland School of Medicine website This picture is similar to the hearing testing room I was in, except that to me, the rooms were very dim..Well, I had my one-year mapping last Friday, Oct. 30. Actually, it was postponed two months because my audiologist was on maternity leave. So now all my appointments will be two months behind. For the not-so-cochlear-implant (CI)Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-4298027121267172112009-10-14T15:48:00.001-05:002009-10-14T16:06:06.489-05:00My Baby GirlI thought I'd poke my head in the blogosphere doorway and say "hi" and get you caught up a bit.As I made this post, I did a lot of walking down that proverbal memory lane. Take a walk with me....Here is "Onyx" at four months old. We just got her at the shelter. She had an ear infection, eye infection, tummy troubles, and since she was just dropped off that day at the shelter, she was spayed. The Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-27132699395848649162009-08-19T14:43:00.003-05:002009-08-19T16:05:37.898-05:00BlindophobiaAs a young child, I remember seeing a person use a cane and thinking to myself, I am glad I just have a hearing problem. Blindness must be worse.Of course, little did I know that I would have a vision deteriorating disease that would slowly eat away at the edges of my peripheral world. But I often think of my thoughts and how I may have cursed myself. But maybe that’s what everyone else thinks, Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-63082143503705154112009-08-02T20:33:00.003-05:002009-08-02T21:21:01.222-05:00Let's Rollglitter-graphics.com I’ve been going for walks to the waterpark, library, nearby stores, and just walking the dogs. I’m not regularly doing these things, but they add up. I just grab the cane and roll.About a week ago, I was walking Onyx and I usually, by habit, look ahead as I walk to make sure nothing’s in my path. But I was distracted by Onyx’s constant stops to sniff at something. (I really Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-23850791904612924282009-07-03T07:01:00.003-05:002009-07-03T07:17:51.000-05:00Out of TouchI know it’s been awhile. I keep saying that over and over, I know.glitter-graphics.com There isn’t a whole lot I can add to the caning lessons except that I’ve crossed a six-lane road at a busy intersection. That was scary. I learned that it’s good to time the traffic lights to see how long it takes to cross the street and how much more time you get when you press the button thingy to get the Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-23712613441462646942009-05-23T07:55:00.000-05:002009-05-23T07:55:00.415-05:00My White Knightglitter-graphics.com It’s funny where thoughts lead meRemember how I came up with a name for my CI (cochlear implant) ?. I was thinking about rabbit ears, then I remembered Peter Cottontail, a children’s book about a rabbit. So Pete (or Petey) was the chosen name, and as an added bonus, if Pete were to have a brother…a CI in the other ear…it was going to be named “Repeat”. Pete and Repeat... (I Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-5222166853673756352009-05-05T16:13:00.002-05:002009-05-05T17:14:32.900-05:00I've Got My Groove Back rehabmart,comThe most recent session (No.3) was even better than the last two.I learned some going up/going down the stairs techniques with the cane.I still had a problem with my start up. No, not like a person who doesn’t know how to use a standard stick-shift vehicle, but I tend to take a big step with my left foot and swing too far to the right. That made me “off-beat”. (Now, now, be nice. I Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33891938.post-47786645640657024192009-05-01T17:07:00.001-05:002009-05-01T19:37:32.561-05:00Operation Raising CaneI have session two behind me. (I used “raising cane” in the title in reference to learning…kind of like raising kids. You make mistakes and learn.)First thing we did was to go a few blocks away, to an area nestled out in the neighborhood jungle. I felt self-conscious, hoping that no one would recognize me from my “good weather” jaunts with the dog(s). (Yeah, “coming out of the closet” is a hard Sharihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14743533586969447238noreply@blogger.com6