I received the following message in my e-mail. I thought it was great and wanted to share with all of you.
A man in Topeka, Kansas decided to write a book about churches
around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco and started
working east from there.
Going to a very large church, he began taking photographs and
making notes.
He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was
intrigued with a sign, which read “Calls: $10,000 a minute..”
Seeking out the pastor he asked about the phone and the sign.
The pastor answered that this golden phone is, in fact, a direct line to
heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to GOD.
The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way. As he
continued to visit churches in Seattle , Dallas , St. Louis , Chicago ,
Milwaukee , and many cities and towns all around the United States , he
found more phones, with the same sign, and the same answer from each
pastor.
Finally, he arrived in Arkansas, upon entering a church in the
natural state , behold – he saw the usual golden
telephone. But THIS time, the sign read “Calls: 35 cents”
Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor, “Reverend, I have
been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found
this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to Heaven
and that I could talk to GOD, but in the other churches the cost was
$10,000 a minute. Your sign reads only 35 cents a call. Why?”
I love this part …
The pastor, smiling broadly, replied, “Son, you’re in arkansas
now … You’re in God’s Country. It’s a local call.”
American by Birth - Arkansan by the Grace of God.
And why do Arkansana go barefoot: When you’re in Arkansas
you’re on Holy ground!
My right shoulder has been hurting for about two years. At first it was just occasionally.
I used to knit all of the time. It was my favorite thing to do while just sitting around. I thought that I must have been holding my shoulder a certain way while knitting and causing this pain.
I stopped knitting, but the pain kept on. That obviously wasn’t it. But I had no clue what it was.
I went to the doctor for this problem several times. Every time I would go, they couldn’t find anything wrong. Finally my PCP told me that he thought it was bursitis, and to try taking IB Profin three times a day.
That did nothing for the pain, not even a little. I went back to my PCP and told him that it was still hurting. He then had me get a shot in the shoulder. I think the shot was cortisone and went into the shoulder muscle.
Still, it did no help. After a couple of weeks of waiting for the IB profin combined with the shot I received, I was still in agony. I had my husband call my doctor’s office and have them send me to a specialist to find the problem.
The appointment was scheduled for 3 weeks later, and the pain was off and on. But when it hurt, it was severe. I was hoping that the day I went to the specialist wouldn’t be one of the “no pain days”. I wanted them to find out what the problem was.
I finally went to see the specialist yesterday, and after looking at me and taking x-rays, he said it seemed to him to be tendonitis. I asked what could be done about it.
He said I had two options. He could give me a shot directly into the tendon, or I could try physical therapy. Maybe since my case is so severe, I would need to do both.
The shot, wasn’t pleasant, but I’ve had worse. There was actually one point when my husband said jokingly, “are you scared?” I said, “what? Of a needle?”
The doctor felt around on my shoulder and the muscles around it until he touched the sore spot. Then he injected something into that tendon. I don’t know what the shot was, I didn’t ask. Fingerspelling takes a long time and I know that doctors are very busy.
For now, the shoulder is not hurting. Since I haven’t really used it as much for a couple of years, it has gotten weaker. I need to strengthen my shoulder muscles again on that side.
I don’t know if it is just a “no pain time” or if that shot really did something. I go back to see him in a few weeks, and then we will see if I need therapy for the shoulder as well, or if I am doing ok. Hopefully this will do the trick and I can have my right arm back when doing things and not just half way. If this works, I will probably have to have a shot every so often, but that’s no big deal. If it gets rid of the pain it will all be worth it.
I can’t hear worth 2 cents, but I did pretty good here. I know this because my husband, Mr. Perfect Pitch, told me I did.
He has a computer set up that is only for audio recordings. He is fantastic at recording and mixing! So we decided to do a song together.
We ended up choosing the song “Whiskey Lullaby” that is originally sang by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss.
All of the music was played by Edward, and the vocals were by both of us. It’s not perfect, I’m sure. But remember, I’m deaf.
If you want to hear it, Click Hereand the song will stream.
Let me know what you think. Isn’t Edward great with music?
It took a long time, but I finally did it!
I read an entire book in braille. I’ve never done that before.
I am a very slow braille reader and I never had the patients to finish a book.
I would always switch over to an audio book, or have the speech of jaws read it.
Being Deaf-Blind now, there isn’t much I can do and enjoy. At least, not that I have found yet.
But reading is fantastic. I’ve always loved books, but when you’re Deaf-Blind it is even better!
You feel so much like apart of the book. There were moments in this book when I felt like I was right there with them around Christmas time in New York City.
It’s great reading, but it also gets emotional. This book I just finished was “Passion’s Promise” by Danielle Steel, and near the end I felt the shock that the character did, and even now, I still keep thinking about it.
My books become reality for me while I am reading them. I can’t see, but with the descriptions in books, it is like I can see it right in front of me.
Now I can’t hear, but when I read, I don’t even think of that. I hear the voices of the characters, the music, or whatever it is that I am reading under my fingers.
I have a friend who is Deaf-Blind that has a line in her signature. “I read with feeling.” This is so true, we feel it not only wit our fingers, but also our souls.
Yesterday went well. There wasn’t a crowd, but it wasn’t dead.
I want to thank everyone who made it out. It means a lot! We were able to sell a few more books and have a lot of books on hand right now. I think about 500 or so.
If you would like one be sure to go to the get a book page and you can order one directly from me.
I have set up buy it now buttons since not many people wanted to go through Lulu.com and this should work well.
You may pay with Paypal if you have it, or most major credit cards as well without having to sign up for anything.
Be sure and visit the book page and get yourself a copy of the book and tell others about it.
The day has finally come. Tomorrow is the day that I’ll be doing the book signing at the Library.
Everyone is expecting a lot of people to be there, so I hope it goes well. I’m sure I’ll get to see a lot of people that I haven’t seen in years.
I am very excited about tomorrow. Others may have done this a lot before, but ZI haven’t. This is my first signing!
If you’re in or near Piggott, Come to the Library from 10-noon if you can and show your support.
I’ve mentioned before about how much we blind people rely on guide dogs to keep us safe.
While I was at Guide Dogs for the Blind getting my first guide dog, there was a man who spoke to the class. He told his story.
He was a survivor of the attack on the world trade centers. His guide dog got him all the way out of that building just in time.
Every time I read their story, I am so touched. To put your whole life into those dogs paws. A lot of people don’t believe we do it, but we really do.
Yesterday was 9-11. It was the day that so many lost loved ones 8 years ago. I know America has caused its own problems in other countries, and I feel for any of the families and friends for people who have died over there, but 9-11 killed a lot of people and I just remember that day so well. It was life-changing for a lot of people.
I was sitting in speech class in the 9th grade. I was working on writing a speech due at the end of the week. A student stood up in shock disbelief and said that one of the twin towers had just been hit. I’m not sure if he was listening to the radio, saw it on the computer, or how he knew.
We all stopped and then turned on the TV in the classroom and watched the tragedy.
There were several teachers and students there that had friends or family that worked in the WTC, and they were very worried. They didn’t know what had happened to their friends. They tried to call and find out, but never was able to get a hold of tem.
It was an emotional day, and reading this story brings more emotion. Maybe because I’m blind and I know the impact that these dogs have on us. Without them, we have to rely on other people. People are not always reliable either.
Imagine being in the center of a large open area and someone putting a blind fold on you and spinning you around so that you would lose your direction. Then they let you go and tell you to find the street, the car, the bench, etc. You literally have no idea which way to even start to look for it. You want help, even if its just a little.
This is the daily life of a blind person. If it is not a familiar environment, we are constantly lost and need to rely on others to give us correct directions. There is what we call “sighted guide”. That is where a blind person takes the elbow of another person in front of them and to the side, and walk wherever the sighted person goes. Many sighted people are not the best guides. Some don’t even stop for steps or curbs. If you are not expecting those things, it can really make you lost your balance for a bit. Some even turn corners too sharp and run the blind person into things or into walls.
Using a guide dog is great. You are still relying on someone else, but this dog knows you and what you need and will do anything to keep you safe.
This story about the man and his guide dog shows that. You can read it here.
It really is amazing, but these dogs our like part of us. For those that are unaware, do you see the importance now? The dog is so much more to us than just a guide or a pet.
When I found out I was finally pregnant, I was so happy. The day my son was born was one of the happiest days of my life.
I was only blind, and could do anything! Nothing could stand in my way.
Until the doctors at the University of Arkansas’ Medical Science told me what was coming.
The schwannoma on my hearing nerve had grown a lot and needed to come out, leaving me completely deaf as well as already completely blind.
My son was two weeks old, I did not know what I would do. I knew nothing of how to do anything without my hearing. Let alone take care of a baby.
I managed the best I could. I had to ask others how to do it. But asking around I quickly discovered that deaf-blind can mean from low vision and hard of hearing, to deaf and low vision, to me, to someone who is completely deaf and blind, which is where I knew I’d eventually be. There are not many deaf-blind parents who are completely blind.
There is one lady that is completely DB and she told me a few things she did. But really I had no help with this. It was up to me and Isaiah to figure this out and prove to everyone that a deaf-blind person could be just as good of a parent as others.
I started to sign the few words that I did know when I would speak to him when he was around 4 months old. I would just simple sign “milk”, “nap”, “mommy”, etc. I just needed him to learn short words to sort of give me an idea.
I could still hear fairly well whenever Isaiah started speaking his first words. If I didn’t know what he was trying to tell me, I would ask another hearing person around me such as Edward or my Mom.
When Isaiah was 9 months old, we moved to North Carolina. Edward had gotten a job. I would be alone with Isaiah all day every day. This was not a problem because I am a confident parent.
My hearing began to get worse as the weeks passed. My balance got worse as well. It was hard for me to walk around and play with him, so I would get in the floor and crawl around instead. He naturally stayed close to me so that we could play.
After always signing short words while speaking to him, he picked up on those signs very quickly. When my hearing began to get worse, he used them a lot to make his point known.
Instead of saying, “ I want milk.” He would sign, “milk” Then I would ask him if he wanted milk. He would sign, “yes” His sign is not in complete sentences, but that is ok. At least I knew what he was saying.
When he doesn’t know the sign for something, he will get his point a crossed to me in some way. He will act it out, bring it to me, or drag me to the room it is in and have me pick him up so he can reach it.
Kids adapt so easily, and Isaiah doesn’t think of me as deaf-blind. He just knows that I am the one who takes care of him, it may be different than other mommy’s but he doesn’t know that. All he knows is that I’m his mommy, and we love each other dearly.
There are no instruction manuals to being a deaf-blind parent. Many would assume tat we can’t do it, but I am hear to show we can. Isaiah and I made things up as we went along. We didn’t know what would work for us, but with trial and error we found things that did. Whenever we found something that worked for communication or otherwise, we stuck with it.
Now we are back in Arkansas near my parents. Isaiah enjoys spending time with them, and it is good for him. He has worked it out in his head that I am the only one he needs to sign to. He does it naturally. He will talk to others, and does not do the things he does with me. Isaiah has gotten very smart because of this. I believe that this has opened another area of his mind, already. He gets the experience of a deaf-blind person from me, blind from Edward, and hearing-sighted from my parents and others. He can adapt to anything!
He is very bright, and because of this brightness things might be a little more difficult for me. His mind wants to do things that his hands and body can’t and causes frustration. I want to encourage him to learn, but yet I want him to be safe or do things the right way.
This journey of parenthood is not over. It has only begun. Isaiah and I have several years to work out anything and find things that work. Being a deaf-blind mother is more difficult, but it can still be done. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
President Obama’s healthcare overhall would do a lot of people a lot of good.
Take me for example. I currently have Medicaid, which is government-runned, and if they do approve something then it has to be within this state, or the out-of-state establishment has to enroll in the Arkansas Medicaid program. That is a lot of work, and the out-of-state place usually never gets paid anyway, so they choose not to waste their time.
Medicare is nationwide. Someone on Medicare in New Jersey can go to California or any place that takes Medicare in the country (which almost all places do). If this were the case with Medicaid I wouldn’t be trying to raise these funds for the ABI.
I can not get private insurance either because of NF2 being a pre-existing condition. I would gladly pay a monthly price for coverage if they would let me. But under the current healthcare system, I can’t even do that.
I really have nothing. For all intense and purposes, I might as well be uninsured. Arkansas Medicaid stops covering just about everything when a person turns 21. I am now almost 23.
I had to go to a wheelchair because Arkansas Medicaid would not cover physical therapy for me since I was now 21 or older. I need physical therapy to work on my balance so I don’t fall every time I try to walk.
It is not only me. There are plenty of people in my family and others I know who work hard, but do not get insurance coverage through their work. They are usually struggling to try to make ends meet, and can not afford private insurance. So they go uncovered. My Mom is one of those who is not covered at all.
I don’t think I’ve seen her go to a doctor more than two or three times.
No one should have to go through this life without medical insurance, and no one should die because they can’t afford a treatment. They also should not have to go broke trying.
I used to love to use the computer, and did it easily even without my sight. Jaws for Windows gave me that ability.
Now I honestly can’t stand using the computer and dread looking on Google for something.
Even before, I could still understand my speech of Jaws. What I couldn’t understand I would read in braille. Braille was a supplement though. I did not use it all of the time, and completely without speech. I did more of a mix and match type thing.
I am still doing that, except my braille display has about five cells that are messed up so I read things that aren’t really there. It would be $416 to fix it, and I can’t afford that.
So I am wearing my headphones. I hear Jaw but I don’t understand it too well. Have to make it repeat a lot and read word by word slowly and sometimes make it spell a work so I can get a better idea of the word it’s saying.
This new difficulty with computers is the reason I have no been posting as much. Writing it is no problem, but I have to spell check it and read over it before I post it and that takes a lot of work.
I am also working on more sign language, and teaching Edward some signs. I am finally getting actual signs through his thick head!
My Dad also has started to learn sign language. If all anyone can ever do is only fingerspell, that is good enough. At least it’s a way to communicate and is better than not having a clue what the person is saying.
So even if I don’t use the computer much anymore, I stay busy with learning more sign language, being with Edward, and trying to care for Isaiah.
