April 28 - Tunisia

This year I spent my birthday in Tunisia.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever spend any time here, but it was a port of call for our cruise ship, so that was that. To be truthful, I even had to look at a map to see where Tunisia was located - the northern tip of Africa in case you are wondering.

I loved the land tour. Our guide was excellent with a good knowledge of modern day Tunis and the ancient days of Carthage. The ruins of the Roman Baths and the longest Roman aqueduct ever built were fascinating. How on earth did the Romans sculpt those columns and then lift them into place.

We also visited a local market or bazaar. This wasn’t quite as interesting for me and I found walking on the cobble stones and uneven steps to be very difficult.

One point if interest was our stop at the public washrooms.  As usual, the line up for the women’s was lengthy.  However, an attendant obviously noticing my white cane, took my hand and led me out of the women’s line. I thought I was being led to a handicap washroom - but no! Instead, the obliging attendant led my past the men’s urinals to a cubicle at the end.  As I do have some sight, I found this a little unnerving. I’m not sure what the men on the tour thought of my presence.

All in all though it was a great day, and a perfect way to spend my birthday.

April 23 - Low Vision Badge

At home, when I go about my everyday life, I try to avoid drawing attention to my sight challenges. When we are travelling, the opposite is true.  I use my white cane and I wear a low vision badge.  If we are travelling by plane, ship or tour bus, I register as a legally blind passenger.  I do this all for my own safety and to protect others.  I don’t want to bump into people or things that I can’t see.  I don’t want to trip or fall. Last Thursday, Lyle and I flew from Calgary to Montreal, connecting on to a flight to Rome.  In spite of preboarding with my white cane, wearing my low vision badge and being listed as blind on the passenger manifest and boarding card, I wasn’t given a safety briefing nor did I receive any other attention to my special needs.  The second leg of the trip started in the same manner.  Then about twenty minutes in, and observant flight attendant noticed by low vision badge.  Kimberley crouched beside me to ask if there was any way she could offer assistance, adding that she would alert other crew members to my situation.  This was helpful when the lights were dimmed or when the meal was served. I sometimes wonder if wearing my low vision badge is a bit of overkill - but obviously not.  It was interesting to me that it was the very smallest thing that was a signal to my sight disability. The picture below shows me sitting at a table in hour hotel and wearing my low vision badge.  We are in Civitavecchia prior to boarding our cruise ship tomorrow.   Sue with her low vision badge

April 14 - Vision and Travel

Over the past few days I have been chatting with friends about travelling. If you have been a reader of this blog, you might have guessed that travel is one of my favourite topics of conversation. I truly enjoy going to new places and having experiences that are out of the ordinary. In saying this, I must admit that Lyle and I both realize that we are fortunate to be able to travel as much as we do.

Anyway, as I was speaking with one friend, she explained that she was too nervous to travel any more because of her diminished sight. Now, I know that this friend has an eye condition that might mean even more decreasing sight in the future. I asked her if she wouldn’t want to use what sight she had right now before her ability to see decreased even further.

Seizing the present is definitely my own philosophy. Certainly there are some anxious moments when I am out of my comfort zone but to face the challenge is exhilarating in itself  - especially when the experience ends up being a positive one. Even with failure, I can feel a certain satisfaction in knowing that I have tried something new.

Traveling with my white cane has only served to add a new dimension to the travel experience. Perhaps I will write more about this in my next post because by next week we will be on the go again.

April 6 - Peer Support Groups

Yesterday at our support group meeting, our guest speaker was a retired optometrist. Dr. Perry gave a very interesting presentation about macular degeneration. It was good to get the facts and anything relevant in the terms of latest research. We learned of the difference between dry and wet macular degeneration and what we might expect with each. Dr. Perry stressed the importance of preventative and stabilizing measures. I think that we all learned something from his presentation and it was surely more gripping hearing it all in person rather than reading the same information on a brochure.

After the presentation, of course we had refreshments. In some ways that is the most important part of a support group meeting. The coffee time gives us an opportunity to chat and share with each other. 

While vision loss can be explained from a clinical point of view, the impact on the individual is very much emotional. Vision loss, whether it is sudden and dramatic or slow and gradual, can point the way to a different way of life. I believe that peer support groups can be an effective tool with this journey. Even though I lead our local support group, I gain as much from the other members as anyone else in the group.