Ask a Blind Mom 5/16/2012
I wanted to answer more of the questions my blog followers have asked on my Facebook page. You have asked some really good questions and it has been really fun to take some time and answer them.
Dawn Dahlsrud Reneau asked: "How do you know where your toddler is and that they are not getting into anything? Also how do you keep such a positive attitude?"
For the most part they make enough noise that I know exactly where they are. It is when things get quiet that I know they are getting into trouble. As awful as it is if my little 4 year old is being quiet and wont answer me, I just tell him I am calling the Cops to come find him and he comes running to me.
Brand tells me I have a heightened sense of hearing. He always tells the joke that I can hear a mouse fart in the neighbors garage. He is just mean, I think that I have always had great hearing. One time in the middle of the night I could hear water running. I had brandon get up and check the sinks in the house. He told me there was no water running anywhere in the house. I could still hear water running. So I made him go out in the back yard and check the hose. He assured me it was not on. After listening to running water another hour or so I made him go out and check again. Then he realized that the neighbor had left their hose on and it was flooding their back yard. So maybe I do have good hearing but it is not the Super power that my husband seems to think it is.
As for keeping my positive attitude, I just have to be positive. I had to make a choice shortly after loosing my sight that I could wallow in my sorrow and suffer for the rest of my life, or get up and face my trial head on. I decided that I wanted to be happy and that I refused to let the darkness overtake me. Life is so much easier if you just choose to be happy and positive. I feel that it is a choice we make each day to get up out of bed and embrace life. I simply choose to be happy because I absolutely refuse to waste my time being sad and bitter.
Shanny Reimer-Haider asked: "How did you become blind? And one stupid question...how do you know if the carpet is clean when you vacuum? Or does your hubs do it? Also do you see shadows or nothing but blackness?"
The story of how I lost my vision is a long one. I hope to share the whole story on the blog at some point. So I will give you the Readers Digest condensed version. I got a bacteria in my brain called Nocardia. It caused me to have terrible headaches and eventually I was in a coma for a few weeks. When I woke I was paralyzed on my left side. I had to learn to walk again and had a lot of physical therapy. Eventually I got out of the hospital but was on IV and oral antibiotics for years to fight the bacteria. About six months after I originally woke up from my coma the bacteria started to get imune to the antibiotics they were using and they did a brain biopsy and changed the antibiotics. The new antibiotics worked but caused added swelling in my brain. This caused damage to my optic nerve and caused me to lose my sight. So my eyes are good and so is my brain. The problem I have is the wiring between the two is damaged. That is the short version. Most of the story is covered in The Doctors Episode I was on.
I do the vacuuming. I vacuum in a pattern. I go in strait lines and side step as I move across the room. When I make my way across the room I turn and then vacuum the area I was standing and work my way back across the room. So I basically do it all twice.
My right eye is completely black. I dont see anything out of it. I have a very small pin hole of light perception in my left eye. I can only see dim shadows, but cant tell what anything is at all. If it is a bright room I can sometimes see shadows but it is not enough to make out any shapes or objects. So basically I see nothing.
Sandi VanderBeek Rowe asked: "Do your kids try to take advantage of the fact that you can't see? Do they lie to you about things, thinking you won't be able to find out about it? On the lighter side, do they play jokes on you?"
So far they really dont take advantage of me. They try to sneak things by me sometimes like treats, but they are usually really good to ask. Most of the sneaking around they do involve snacks and food. There are things that happen sometimes that they wont tell me about. Then Brandon will come home and find spills or messes that they try to keep from me, but that is really not much of an issue. Kids are kids and they make messes but my kids have been really good to help me most of the time.
My kids will be really quiet sometimes to try and hide. It is kind of a little game to them some times. I always find them because their giggles give them away. I have really amazing kids. I think the Lord has really blessed me in that regard. They are just so much fun.
Kari Westenskow Mclaughlin asked: "What was the name of your favorite neighbor that lived across the street from you at sunset ridge? The one that asked you the dumb question about the miners caught in the dark mine? The one that thinks your the most amazing woman in the world?"
Of course Kari you were my favorit neighbor. We miss your family so much. It was always good to have another set of eyes across the street to help me watch out for my little ones.
Jodi Lyn Peterson Webster asked: "You are very lovely! How do you get your make up on so well?"
When i first lost my sight Brandon tried to help me put eye liner on. It took all of about 30 seconds to realize that that was not a good idea. I dont know why but I just kept doing it from that day on by myself. At first i would always stand in front of the mirror and do my makeup. That is where I always did it before and it just felt like that was where I needed to be. One day Brandon asked me why I stood in front of the mirror, he told me to go set on the couch and be confortable while I did it. I had neve reven thought of it before. I think Brandon just wanted to get me out of the bathroom so he could have an easier time getting ready if you want to know the truth. Now I do my makeup anywhere. They show me doing my makeup and getting ready on The Doctors Episode I was on.
Well folks thats a wrap for tonight. Keep the questions coming and I will do my best to answer them. Dont ever be worried about offending me. I am an open book, and have no problem talking about things. Good night!