Guide Dogs, Part Three

Well..... it's been a while, and I do have my excuses.

1) I had to do some pretty intensive training with my guide dog.
2) I had to put a lot of time and effort to sorting out my work situation.
3) I started a new job!
4) It was Christmas!
5) It was New Years Eve!
6) My laptop has died a death!

Hopefully you will all understand that all the above combined made me put the blog on a bit of a back burner! I'm here now though, and fully intend to stay!

So..... Guide Dogs Part Three! From the list of excuses above, you will have probably guessed that I now have a Guide Dog! I'll try not to rush into how amazing he is just yet, and continue nicely from that post about Guide Dogs!

After the initial assessment an appointment was made for Dee to come out again for us to go out on a walk, for her to get an idea of how I walk, my pace, the sort of roads I use etc. The day came around and Dee arrived. First off we just walked down my road with her besides me chatting away to each other.

She then asked if I'd mind doing a short handle walk. This is where the assessor (Dee has a shorter version of the handle on a Guide Dogs harness, I held one end, Dee got down on her hands and knees and off we went! Naturally I'm joking, she didn't get on her hands and knees! we just carried on walking her slightly ahead of me and winding about a bit. I actually felt a bit of a plank during this bit as the road I was living on at the time was, and probably still is a busy one! But needs must, I'm pretty certain it helps to match me to a dog, and isn't just an exercise in looking a bit silly!

After about ten minutes of this and me feeling a bit smug cos Dee told me I was very good at following the harness (understandably I guess most people with some remaining sight find it hard to 'let go' of the responsibility of looking after themselves!), we then did an exercise where I stood at a cross road looking straight ahead and telling Dee when I could see the car she told me was coming. That was a real wake up call for me to be honest... It took a long time from Dee telling me, to me actually seeing it!

We then sat by the river, it was a beautiful sunny hot day and talked some more about the possibility of me getting a dog.

She told me that someone else from her office would be coming out to do another walk assessment and after that I would be invited out for an overnight stay in a hotel to meet some dogs, and to work with them.

Thats all for now folks!

Ouch!

I don't make a sound when I have fall, or trip, or bash my shins or stub my toes on something, or burn myself.

I don't scream, shout, yell, wail, swear, groan, moan or make any other noises of pain.

I just take a sharp intake of breath.

I've walked slap bang into a tree, and just took a sharp intake of breath.

I've stubbed my little toe so hard I pretty much ripped the whole nail off, and just took a sharp intake of breath.

I've burnt myself on an oven, and just took a sharp intake of breath.

I've reached to grab the banister at the top of the stairs at my Mum's house, missed it and went flying over, and fell about ten feet to the floor kicking out some of the rails and very nearly missed landing on a friend, but fortunately(?) missed them and crashed to the wooden floor, and just took a sharp intake of breath.

I've whacked my head on shelves, door frames, getting into cars, handles and god knows what else, and just took a sharp intake of breath.

I've been on many walks, fallen down little rabbit holes, turned my ankle and just taken a sharp intake of breath.

I've had tree's jam their twiggy branches in my eyes, and bizarrely up my nose, and just taken a sharp intake of breath.

I've walked straight into so many low walls, barriers and bollards, and just taken a sharp intake of breath.

I've tripped over curbs, wonky pavements and even litter, and just taken a sharp intake of breath.

I've tumbled down a flight of concrete stairs and just taken a sharp intake of breath.

It's not because I'm tough as old boots and don't feel any pain from what happens, far from it... I actually have one of the lowest thresh holds to pain ever.

It's shame! Think about how mortified you are when you fall over, how you hope no one's seen you and you leap back up and carry on as if it didn't actually happen!

I suppose..... I've subconsciously trained myself not to make a sound so as not to draw attention to what I've done. Because then, I don't have to explain to random strangers '

I'm not clumsy, I'm not a pleb, I'm partially blind'

'Yeah I know I don't have a stick or a dog...... But I am!'

Most of the time it works. But sometimes, the mishap that has befallen on me is too big to pretend it didn't happen. The looks of shock, and awed

'Didn't it hurt???'

'Yes it frickin' did!!!!!'

'But you never made a noise!!!!!!!'

I'm lucky, so far (touch wood), I've not had a serious injury as a result of all that stuff..... Bruises, grazes and bumps for the most part.

And I'd love to say that these tend to happen mostly in the dark, where I can honestly not see a thing!

But........ A lot happens in broad daylight.