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Friday, 6 May 2016

VISION OF HOPE BY FIONA CUMMINGS


Gosh I have been watching an amazing program on ITV. If my sister in law is reading this, please find it on play back?

 

 The program is a documentary that will change your thoughts. Will give you hope and remind you how lucky you are. Every week I watch this program, I cry my eyes out, not just a tear, oh no, a proper full on cry. Hub keeps telling me he is going to turn it off. I tell him no, and I mean no, it’s amazing. I cry because this program is by far the most wonderful thing I have ever seen when it comes to real life TV. It’s called “What would be your miracle?” And the show is a true miracle. Please try to watch it? The first one last week was about a lady wit Ushers and a little boy who couldn’t walk. The lady with Ushers, was totally blind and was quickly losing her sight. What happened to her was simply amazing. The little boy was born where he couldn’t walk. The week his diagnoses was told to his parents, his poor Mother was also given the devastating news that she too would have to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. But not with the same condition as her son. That was the cruel part. Well, again, what happened to him was what should be the impossible. Last night was a man who was ex forces. A fit sporting guy who couldn’t even feed himself. Well, watch and learn what happened to him after a revolutionary breakthrough wiring treatment. As for the little girl yesterday? She was born deaf and had cochlear implants inserted. This made me wonder about researching and writing todays blog. The program shows you with the people in the doctor’s room being switched on. Like a robot. All to do with microchips and wiring. Soon on the program is a lady with my eye condition, and from what I have read, I think I will need my handkerchiefs for that one. And not really in a good way, but will leave us with hope!

 

A cochlear implant is a small complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to those who are profoundly deaf.

 

The cochlear implant isn’t sadly a cure but will provide a prosthetic substitute which directly stimulates the cochlea. When the chip is out of batteries if you forget them, or if you go in the shower or swimming unless you wear the waterproof case, you are still deaf. The program made out like it was the wonder machine, and it is, it’s better than living in a silent world I’m sure. And when blind as well, I can’t imagine what that must be like. The device has to be adjusted all the time to get it just right and if that device breaks, and you are fitted with a new one, it isn’t automatically like the old one, you have to learn to listen all over again, but it must be a start, right? Surely things can only get better?

 

 So can the same be done for blindness?

A tiny video camera is fitted onto glasses and captures images and converts them into electrical signals which are fed to an electrode array what is surgically implanted in the patient’s eye.

 

But again, this doesn’t give sight, after a lot of practice, patient’s see flashes of lines and shapes. This is a crude way of seeing. Nothing close to how we used to see. Or reality.

 

So what do I hope for? Hmm well, a real miracle. Where something is done where I see like a sighted person. I have enough memory I think to remember what it was like to see. There are a lot of things I have never ever seen, so will have a lot to learn. As for someone who has never seen, it will take may be a couple of years to learn what everything is, like a baby who has to learn, but what is a couple of years for a life time? Personally, I would be happy to see like I used to. Not really enough to go clothes shopping on my own, but enough to see my loved ones faces and read letters. To see my dogs and colours I’m having painted on walls. Rather than to rely on the tin description.

 

Some days I think the only thing that will happen in my life time will be for those who are already with sight, and not for those who are blind, as we seam to take one step forward and three back. Everything is so slow. Come on, I have waited 48 years. Some a lot of you, longer. Will we ever have our miracle? If so, will it be stumbled on in the laboratory? Will it be a simple vitamin we are lacking, we know that it has been said that vitamin A, can help to slow down the deterioration of RP. But this has to be monitored and again, too late for me.

 

But this isn’t too late for me or you if you have RP or another conditions. Please take a look at this too? This is my future hope for ending this prison cell of darkness.


 

 If you are blind, you should still get your eyes tested for all sorts of reasons. And I would like to leave you with this amazing link that will make you smile for this whole family. I bet there are a load more people who ar blind in our world who could be given back sight? Not for those with RP but take a read please?

Forever the optimist


 

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