Tag Archives: blindness

Trust

Posted on January 1, 2017 | Leave a comment

Bailey’s been through a lot this year. We met his folks several years ago, then less than a year ago they moved next door, and had their first child.

Bailey is an older, completely blind, dog. I took care of him when they moved in next door, and when they are moving out this weekend. He spent much of his time watching the door. He wouldn’t eat, or drink water except for a few treats and my burger.

Before his folks picked him up for a last night in their old home, he started goosing me, following me around even all the way to our master bedroom. Then he asked if he could jump up on the sofa with me, judged the height with his paw, and laid down.

I moved five feet to pick up my phone to call my husband (in the bedroom on his laptop) to say he was sleeping on the sofa and he started barking as if I left him. He came back twice more. Mom came to pick him up late afternoon and he went home and came back and made himself at home. It’s a good situation.

Last time they moved, I took care of him and sat there on the floor telling him his parents were coming back. I did the same today, no floor. Imagine a brain that tests the sofa’s height before asking to be allowed up. Trajectory. Now do 1,000% more by moving everything out, including furniture, today. He’ll be OK by tomorrow and I made Spaghetti Bolognese for his folks for tonight. We’re off to an annual dinner and I have to make trifle. Limoncello Pannettone with whipped cream, lemon curd and a ton of berries in a decorative bowl.

The founder of a certain major software/hardware company had a large home in Silicon Valley. He replicated the entire home for a summer retreat, down to every piece of furniture, placed exactly as in his primary home. He was blind.

Bailey wouldn’t eat today, until I crumbled up half my hamburger and fed it to him by hand. His home is being torn apart to go to a new one. In the end, he trusted me again. He is able to reconnoiter our home in five minutes, but as he ages and with the confusion of moving, he tends to bump into things, lightly.

I’ve an idea for a new invention! Happy New Year! Dee

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Puppies and Kittens

Posted on July 13, 2015 | 1 comment

I know they’re born really tiny and are trained to deal with their litter mates for food (milk). But they are blind. They do all this scrambling around for food then do their business and pile up upon each other to sleep. As a human I’ve never done that but understand the togetherness.

That is not what I had in mind a few days ago. My husband was home and we decided to take the dog for a walk together late afternoon as when he’s in town we do “shifts.” I do three, he does two. To go out together was a nice change and reminded me of another couple in town that I admired from behind, a few hundred feet away. walking their dogs early in the morning and I hoped we could have more walks together as we age.

When we finally met I ended up knowing this couple, as they’d hired my father 35 years ago. Their dogs are gone now and I don’t see them on the trail. There’s a history that is not mine to tell. Oh their old dogs were very sugary and spicy.

I tripped off the sidewalk I got installed right across the street on the way home and went down before I could see or say anything. I hit knees, hand, shoulder and then my skull cracked on the pavement. I’ve not been able to somewhat open my eye at all for three days but now it looks awful and I’ve a big goose egg but my vision is intact and it just needs time and care.

Walking across the street in comfy shoes with little tread is an issue, as I’ve also had rheumatoid arthritis for 30 years. I was lucky this time. It’ll take a few weeks to heal but walking around half-blind made me think again of Helen Keller, who I read about often as a child, a heroine and admired along with her teacher, of course.

Tonight I got up at midnight because I couldn’t open my eye. I carefully bathed and rinsed it and it’s open, not all the way. I can walk the dog with the right shoes but wouldn’t take out my car. It is a very limited circumstance and yes, blind people will attack me for taking this stance but standing in your shoes for several days with only one eye and spatial relationships off, plus bruises all over your body may let you know that I care. Miss writing, but wanted to tell you why I haven’t been in touch. Cheers! Dee

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