I had a very challenging and exhausting day. Started off meeting my instructor this morning to walk around the apartment complex under sleep shades. Doesn't sound so hard. But nothing is easy under sleep shades. We had to find out what building we were at, which involved trial and error. Then we had to cross many driveways and parking lots. Every time I would go to cross a driveway I would veer so far to the right I'd miss the sidewalk on the other side and start wandering a parking lot. Happened like 4 times. SO annoying. We then had to get back to the center so I had to catch the bus and train all under sleep shades. Ok you'd think all this was done for the day but no...we made a travel run towards the end of the day to find a specific store on Broadway. SO back to the train station (where I once again started wandering a parking lot) and caught a bus at a new station for me. Then took it to the correct block where we proceeded to be unable to find the stupid store. Can you just picture how you would go about walking down a street to find a business you were looking for. We walked into what smelled like a car shop (great place for the blind to go) and asked directions. No one was helpful and ignored us. We then wandered into a car wash. I was so frustrated by this point I was ready to throw my cane and scream. If I could see I would just find the dumb store. I started to walk along a sidewalk that actually went above the road level by a good amount of height. Wasn't paying attention and slipped over it right smack into the guard rail. Good thing for the rail but ouch!!! Now I have a huge bruise on my leg. I really smacked into it. By this point it was 4:25 and I had to be back to teach my class by 5:30. I literally began a nice panic routine and just started to completely shut down. By now my instructor realized I was probably at my limit and could take off my sleep shades. Besides 4:30 is when we are done for the day and are allowed to remove our sleep shades. Ugg the store was were we first started walking on the block. We barely missed it. Nonetheless we had no time and had to catch a bus back. We will have to try the route again to get to the store another time.
I barely made it back to teach in time and was pretty much out of it during class. Lots of odd sentences and incoherent speech. Gave my students a laugh. At least the math was right. More proof English is a second language for me and math is a first. HAHA!!!
NO more big travel routes on days I work. NOOOO!!!
The process of learning to live with blindness & hearing loss
I am using this blogging site to keep friends and family informed about my life for the next 7 months or so of blindness training at the Colorado Center for the Blind. I have Usher's syndrome which results in hearing loss and progressive vision loss. Now the state of Colorado is paying for me to go through an extensive training program. There will be lots of challenges ahead for me and I am both apprehensive and excited!!!! The training consist of being blindfolded 8 hours a day 5 days a week and learning how to function completely without sight.
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