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Realising you’re reliant on a long cane
This was never meant to happen. Back in 2016 I started to lose my sight, by 2017 I was registered as partially sighted and began using a long cane. It was a Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) at the hospital who suggested using a cane as it would allow me to maintain independence. After a few training sessions from a rehabilitation officer, that was it. I became a long cane user.
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Cane Adventures: 2 years later
I've now officially been using a long white cane for two years. It's honestly flown by, and I actually nearly missed the fact it has been this long! However, in some ways, the fact I didn't realise what the date symbolised truly shows how the cane has become part of my life. It's almost as if I've stopped counting the months of its existence and just seen it as an everyday item.
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The day I nearly stopped using my long cane
Having a disability can come with a whole host of new emotions and using a mobility aid is no different. Much like the unpredictable nature of having a disability, having a mobility aid also can be a rocky ride. I’ve always seen it as a bit of a love-hate relationship, but what if you want to shove it in a draw and forget it ever existed? Sure, a mobility aid can be empowering and give you independence, it can be the thing that means your life can carry on as ‘normal’. For the most part I’d agree, but let me tell you a story. It’s a pretty normal Saturday, the…
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Cane Adventures: 18 months later
When you use a cane most of the time it is often a shock to look back and see how long it has been. This time was no different, and here I am writing an 18 month review. In some respects it feels so much longer, it is part of my normal and I’m not sure what I would do without it. On the other hand, the changes that have happened over the last 18 months that mean I now use a cane still feel new and not quite right. This review couldn’t have come at a better time. In recent month I’ve realised those new to my blog might…
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Cane Adventures: 12 months later
It seems very odd to say that I have had my cane for a year, because it really doesn’t feel like that long. Initially, I had intended to wait until October to write this post due to not really using my cane until then. However, I guess not using it, and the reasons behind that, are all part of the journey that I have been on. Also, it is the 150th anniversary for RNIB and I felt this post could work alongside the stories they have been publishing and follow that theme. I had briefly known about getting a cane before I was first introduced to one, but even then…
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White Cane Vs Yellow Stick
This blog post was first featured on the Our Disability Community: Having multiple mobility aids can be tricky, especially when both are needed. Yet it can be even harder when you can only use one at once. I’ve used a walking stick for about 4 years and it is safe to say that I’ve relied on it fairly heavily. Aside from giving it a name (Peppa and Albert) it has allowed me to walk further with less falls- not to mention the fact it was purple and then yellow! Then the long cane made an appearance last October. With my eyesight deteriorating and being registered as partially sighted in March…
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Giving the Cane a Chance
Like any new mobility aid, the cane was going to take some time to get used to. I may not have liked the idea of it all to begin with, but I felt the same when I started using a wheelchair and a walking stick- there seems to be a theme here! Yet, this felt slightly different, entering a new medical world of visual impairment. After being registered as partially sighted in February, it was advised that using a white cane would be beneficial due to how my visual impairment affects my sight. I am not going to lie, this was a shock. If you have read previous posts on…
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Taking that step, using a white cane
In a previous blog post titled ‘When two pairs of glasses are no longer enough’ I mentioned that my vision had continued to deteriorate. As a result of this, I am now registered as partially sighted and it was recommended that I received training on how to use a long cane. Now, before this diagnosis I had limited knowledge on the world visual impairment and using a white cane. I was under the impression that there was one type of white cane, it was used by people who had very little or no vision and that it was a simple mobility aid to use. Oh how I was wrong! Safe to say I…
