My wings have arrived!

When I started this blog I had no idea that I would consider cane training let alone embrace it wholeheartedly and love it.  However, since the beginning of this eye disease I have had fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.  I did not understand that cane training would make those fears, anxieties and uncertainties disappear or become more acceptable.

When I go out walking with my cane or navigate a place I have frequented often with my cane, I now have confidence, peace, and acceptance.  I literally feel like I have wings.  Can I see any better? No. But now that I have the cane I can look up while walking.  I can walk faster and actually get a cardio workout. I can see (in general terms, not details) people coming down the path and when I get close enough I can smile and say hello, forget the fact that I can’t see their face or identify them.  I have spent the last two years staring down at my feet afraid of tripping, running into someone, or some other catastrophic event because I can’t see well.  I have shied away from getting outside and doing much of anything because it is too exhausting to manage all the fear and anxiety.  But now I want to go out rain or shine, sleet or snow, warm or cold because with my cane I am NOT afraid.  It doesn’t “see” for me but it gives me enough information to process what is critical quickly and be o.k. 

There are so many things I didn’t think of nor imagine the cane doing for me.  For example, when I am out walking and the sun is starting to dip in the sky and you get that bright light where everything is completely washed out and difficult to see even as a normal sighted person, my cane helps.  If it starts to get dark and I am out and about walking I don’t need to rush home because vision is going to decline as the light does, my cane helps.  If I am in a new location with stairs, tile floors, obstacles I am not familiar with, the cane helps.  And most importantly when my brain is just tired of all the visual inputs I can close my eyes and continue to walk and my cane helps. 

I have missed two years’ worth of activities around me because I was so busy staring at the floor. I am looking forward to observing, to the best of my ability, all that is around me. If you have an eye condition that causes low vision, no matter how low, I would recommend you try it.  You can always do an evaluation and be assessed on whether it would help you or not, but take it from me you’ll be glad to just have the knowledge of what it “can” do for you.  I thought of about 10% of the things the cane could help me with and I had no idea of the 90% it would give me.  This has been by far the greatest gift ever.