What would you do if your woke up blind?

[wisconsinguy]

Decades ago, I cared for an individual involved in an auto accident. Not this individuals fault. Was hit in the occipital area. Other than a minor headache, no other complaints, or injuries. Came out of this blind. Severed the optic nerve. I think about this individual often.

 

If this happened to you or someone you care about, what would u do?

[TruHart1]

Decades ago, I cared for an individual involved in an auto accident. Not this individuals fault. Was hit in the occipital area. Other than a minor headache, no other complaints, or injuries. Came out of this blind. Severed the optic nerve. I think about this individual often.

 

If this happened to you or someone you care about, what would u do?

 

I think I would be devastated at first but would seek help and see if there were any surgery which might be able to restore my sight. If that proved impossible I would seek professional help to try to adjust to being blind.

 

TruHart1 <---a bit ironic?

[+ azdr0710]

I'd certainly panic for a good bit.....then, as truhart says, would very quickly get hold of my eye doc and see what can be done.....

 

my eye doc has told me my optic nerve in one eye is about 85% gone or something like that.....pressure is being monitored and all is very stable for now....but he has said one good punch, baseball, or bumpy car wreck may be the end for that eye.....

[Kevin Slater]

A wonderful novel that explores some of this is Blindness by José Saramago. It may be a bit more metaphorical than what you're asking, but that makes it a captivating read. I cannot commend it highly enough.

 

Kevin Slater

[AdamSmith]

Reflecting on it, if it happened to me I think my reaction pretty quickly would be to try to cope by latching onto whatever I could do pragmatically to deal with it. Learn how to navigate the world -- cane, dog, find out the options and get going -- learn Braille, etc.

 

The imponderables of it I once heard addressed quite well by some blind elderly blues singer (can't recall the name) being interviewed on radio. The earnest lady doing the interview said, "What would you say is the worst thing about being blind?"

 

The old gentleman said right back, "Well, you can't see."

[+ WhamIAm]

A wonderful novel that explores some of this is Blindness by José Saramago. It may be a bit more metaphorical than what you're asking, but that makes it a captivating read. I cannot commend it highly enough.

 

Kevin Slater

 

+1. One of my top three favorite books.

[+ overeasy]

It would be a scary and daunting thing, and I'm not sure how bravely I could face it....but think I would do my best to think logically what steps I would need to take to either recoup my sight or make the most of the senses left to me. My last dog went blind rapidly due to a genetic thing (yes, I think it has import to me). We made an all-out effort to make sure there was no pain or discomfort involved. Yes, she was a little disoriented for a bit. But she soon was - to all who didn't know -- pretty much her old self. She could find her way around the house, get food and water, get out the doggie door to to business outside - and find her way back in, and always managed to meet me at the door when I got home from work. Not once did she give any sign of discontent or anger, just stoic acceptance and the desire to get on with her life. I hope that I could be that level minded.

[caliguy]

If there was truly no hope then I'd probably just kill myself. Death would just seem the logical next move IMO. I'd end up either a blind homeless guy or using my Mom for everything. Yeah, just what she'd want in her golden years. Scary how much you take it for granted.

 

One time I had a steel beam hit me along side the head and ended up in the hospital completely blind for two days. Not sure why I didn't freak out. Back then I guess I still believed everything that was told to me. The Docs said it would come back and it did.

[+ azdr0710]

If there was truly no hope then I'd probably just kill myself. Death would just seem the logical next move IMO. I'd end up either a blind homeless guy or using my Mom for everything. Yeah, just what she'd want in her golden years. Scary how much you take it for granted.

 

 

certainly an option.....I would very definitely NOT want to be a burden on other people or on public charity/welfare.....

[gallahadesquire]

I had a photorefractive keratotomy in one eye (just prior to LASIK coming out; I should have waited ...). During the procedure,

they warned me that I was going to lose sight in my eye for about 5-10 seconds, so I was WARNED.

 

It still freaked me more than a little bit, and I was warned of it and awake through the whole procedure.

 

At one point in my life, I thought that going deaf would be worse. I'm deaf in one ear now, and I've learned to cope,

more-or-less successfully (depends on who you ask).

[+ FreshFluff]

If there was truly no hope then I'd probably just kill myself. Death would just seem the logical next move IMO. I'd end up either a blind homeless guy or using my Mom for everything. Yeah, just what she'd want in her golden years.

 

But a son's suicide be harder on his mom (and other family members) than having to take care of him.

 

Scary how much you take it for granted.

 

Yeah

[wisconsinguy]

But a son's suicide be harder on his mom (and other family members) than having to take care of him.

 

 

 

Yeah

Don't know if this was a question or statement? There would be so many variables to this. There is also the 42 year old healthy, father of three who was playing tennis. Slipped, fell on the side of his head/neck and severed his cord at C2. Ended up a quadriplegic on a ventilator. He wanted to be removed from the vent to die. It was determined that psychologically he could make that decision. He decided not to. He wanted the choice. Regarding the son/mother issue. If this were one of my children, of course I would be devastated. All my kids WOW (walk on water). But on paper, it's a choice question. I can't measure someone's pain. Then there was a mom of three that OD'd and was dying. This was not her first attempt. Was trying to be as supportive

as I could. She looked at me and said, "I could just slap her face." To many variable to even start with.

[+ purplekow]

Many members of my family have a congenital eye disease which leads to blindness over a period of many years. My mother was nearly blind at the time of her death and I have a sister who can barely see at night. Retinitis pigmentosa is the name of the condition. i have not been afflicted with it. When my mother was dating my father, he proposed after the first or second date. Before accepting, my mother told him that she would eventually go blind. He told her that he would be her eyes. Blindness is an obstacle not a death sentence and i think to consider ending one's life when there is so much more out there and so many things to do and to leave this world of possibility and promise, would never be my option.

The suddenness of it, is given as de facto in the question, so one would expect that time of adjustment would be needed. I would miss seeing all the beautiful men out there, but I guess my tongue and my hands would be put to even greater use.

[+ FreshFluff]

It was a question; I had left out the "would" and the question mark.

 

But on paper, it's a choice question. I can't measure someone's pain. Then there was a mom of three that OD'd and was dying. This was not her first attempt. Was trying to be as supportive as I could. She looked at me and said, "I could just slap her face." To many variable to even start with.

 

I'm a bit confused. The woman who had OD'd said she wanted to slap one of her kids?

 

Mucht respect to you, WG. Your job is not one that can be left at the office at the end of the day, and it sounds like you really put your all into it.

[wisconsinguy]

It was a question; I had left out the "would" and the question mark.

 

 

 

I'm a bit confused. The woman who had OD'd said she wanted to slap one of her kids?

 

Mucht respect to you, WG. Your job is not one that can be left at the office at the end of the day, and it sounds like you really put your all into it.

Sorry about that. The mother of the lady that OD'd was standing next to me. She is one that made the comment. WG2

[+ WmClarke]

Decades ago, I cared for an individual involved in an auto accident. Not this individuals fault. Was hit in the occipital area. Other than a minor headache, no other complaints, or injuries. Came out of this blind. Severed the optic nerve. I think about this individual often.

 

If this happened to you or someone you care about, what would u do?

 

If it was someone I cared about, of course I would do whatever I could to help them.

 

But if it was me, I dont know how I would handle it. I'm very visual. I like to read, watch movies, play board games, was ch certain sports, etc. I'm a visual learner. It would be very difficult for me and I'm not sure how I would react. My adjustment period would probably be very long.

 

On the plus side, I live just a few blocks from an organization that supports blind individuals--I know that I have resources close by to guide me in my transition.