Comments on: Choosing Blindness Over Sight http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/ Australian Author & Freelance Writer Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:20:30 +0000 hourly 1 By: janet http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-2268 janet Wed, 17 Aug 2011 06:49:00 +0000 http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-2268 Hi Nataliya, Good luck with your project! It will be great if you can find some people in this situation. Janet Hi Nataliya,
Good luck with your project! It will be great if you can find some people in this situation.
Janet

]]> By: Nataliya http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-2267 Nataliya Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:20:48 +0000 http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-2267 Hello everyone, I am a filmmaking student currently working on my Year 1 film project that deals with problems of a blind person regaining his eyesight at 25. I have been researching this topic for quite a while now and haven't found much material, as this seems to be very rare. I would appreciate if anyone could assist me in this research or maybe share their own stories and experiences of regaining ability to see. Many thanks in advance! Nataliya Los Angeles Hello everyone,

I am a filmmaking student currently working on my Year 1 film project that deals with problems of a blind person regaining his eyesight at 25. I have been researching this topic for quite a while now and haven’t found much material, as this seems to be very rare. I would appreciate if anyone could assist me in this research or maybe share their own stories and experiences of regaining ability to see.

Many thanks in advance!
Nataliya
Los Angeles

]]> By: janet http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-277 janet Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:44:00 +0000 http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-277 HI Danielle, Many apologies for not responding earlier, but I've changed my setup here and now I don't get an instant notification when comments come through. How wonderful to hear about how Ava is adapting to her new world. It's great you have managed to "see" the situation through her eyes. She sounds like an energetic and fun-loving little girl, and you're right, nothing will stand in her way, particularly with your great attitude. It is interesting how people think she should be pitied. I suppose it's natural, but for those of us with no vision, we don't feel cut off from the visual world at all. Sure, there'll be some frustrating times, but doesn't everyone suffer from frustrations in life? I'm going to check out your website. I've got another site devoted to retinoblastoma issues. You can check it out at www.beyondthereddoor.com. All the best, Janet HI Danielle,

Many apologies for not responding earlier, but I’ve changed my setup here and now I don’t get an instant notification when comments come through.

How wonderful to hear about how Ava is adapting to her new world. It’s great you have managed to “see” the situation through her eyes. She sounds like an energetic and fun-loving little girl, and you’re right, nothing will stand in her way, particularly with your great attitude. It is interesting how people think she should be pitied. I suppose it’s natural, but for those of us with no vision, we don’t feel cut off from the visual world at all. Sure, there’ll be some frustrating times, but doesn’t everyone suffer from frustrations in life?

I’m going to check out your website. I’ve got another site devoted to retinoblastoma issues. You can check it out at http://www.beyondthereddoor.com.

All the best,
Janet

]]> By: Danielle http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-261 Danielle Fri, 27 Jul 2007 23:41:43 +0000 http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-261 Great article! My 3 year old daughter lost both eyes to bilateral retinoblastoma, left at 17 months old, right at 22 months old, and had systemic chemo, subtenon chemo, laser & cryo done to the right eye before enucleated. As sad as it made me at first to realize my daughter will never get to see again, that sadness did not last long, she is a very bright independant child and can see things, just differently. I do not wish she could see. The only thing I wish is for her health and happiness. There is no reason at all she cannot live a full happy life without sight. I have had many people ask me about why she hasn't had an eye transplant and well you know the answer to that, they have also said oh the poor thing and I don't look at it that way at all, I do not feel pity for her, she enjoys life just as much as her 4 year old brother. I really can't see her wanting vision later on even if they could figure out a way to make it possible, she would have to learn everything over by sight. It is amazing how well she gets around, everyone that meets her thinks she can see! Take care. -Danielle (mom of Ava) http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/avaries Great article! My 3 year old daughter lost both eyes to bilateral retinoblastoma, left at 17 months old, right at 22 months old, and had systemic chemo, subtenon chemo, laser & cryo done to the right eye before enucleated. As sad as it made me at first to realize my daughter will never get to see again, that sadness did not last long, she is a very bright independant child and can see things, just differently. I do not wish she could see. The only thing I wish is for her health and happiness. There is no reason at all she cannot live a full happy life without sight. I have had many people ask me about why she hasn’t had an eye transplant and well you know the answer to that, they have also said oh the poor thing and I don’t look at it that way at all, I do not feel pity for her, she enjoys life just as much as her 4 year old brother. I really can’t see her wanting vision later on even if they could figure out a way to make it possible, she would have to learn everything over by sight. It is amazing how well she gets around, everyone that meets her thinks she can see!
Take care.

-Danielle (mom of Ava)
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/avaries

]]> By: Seeing With Sound: More on Artificial Vision - Insight Out http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-133 Seeing With Sound: More on Artificial Vision - Insight Out Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:57:31 +0000 http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-133 [...] my post Choosing Blindness Over Sight I raised the issue of the brain’s ability to continue “seeing” both when vision [...] [...] my post Choosing Blindness Over Sight I raised the issue of the brain’s ability to continue “seeing” both when vision [...]

]]> By: glenn http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-119 glenn Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:27:17 +0000 http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-119 Hi Janet, Fascinating material. I remember a conversaton with two ophthalmologists about the possibility of artificial vision, and was amazed to learn that everyone's eyeball uses the same language to communicate (via the optic nerve) with the brain. But understanding this doesn't mean its easy to collect the information and package it up so that the same information is delivered. A related insight into how the brain works can be found in the story of the gentleman who has a brain implant that enables him to control a mouse pointer using thoughts. The article is can be read here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/brain.html?pg=1&topic=brain&topic_set= Glenn. Hi Janet,

Fascinating material. I remember a conversaton with two ophthalmologists about the possibility of artificial vision, and was amazed to learn that everyone’s eyeball uses the same language to communicate (via the optic nerve) with the brain. But understanding this doesn’t mean its easy to collect the information and package it up so that the same information is delivered.

A related insight into how the brain works can be found in the story of the gentleman who has a brain implant that enables him to control a mouse pointer using thoughts. The article is can be read here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/brain.html?pg=1&topic=brain&topic_set=

Glenn.

]]> By: Peter Meijer http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-116 Peter Meijer Sun, 08 Apr 2007 09:28:19 +0000 http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-116 Hi Janet, Thank you for this extremely lucid discussion about the loss of sight and future options for limited artificial vision, as also discussed in the recent and fascinating Australian broadcasts. Your blog entry was a great read that I have passed on to others. Best regards, Peter Meijer Seeing with Sound - The vOICe http://www.seeingwithsound.com Hi Janet,

Thank you for this extremely lucid discussion about the
loss of sight and future options for limited artificial
vision, as also discussed in the recent and fascinating
Australian broadcasts. Your blog entry was a great read
that I have passed on to others.

Best regards,

Peter Meijer

Seeing with Sound – The vOICe
http://www.seeingwithsound.com

]]> By: Choosing Blindness Over Sight - Beyond The Red Door http://janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-114 Choosing Blindness Over Sight - Beyond The Red Door Sat, 07 Apr 2007 05:57:19 +0000 http://www.janetshaw.com/blog/choosing-blindness-over-sight/#comment-114 [...] If you’d like to read it, click here [...] [...] If you’d like to read it, click here [...]

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