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THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND By J. D. CrabbsJdcrabbs@yahoo.com |
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I was born in a small town in Kansas. I am legally blind since birth and because of the nature of my condition; lenses or surgery would be of little help. My family treated me very much like any other child with normal vision. I attended public and parochial schools until the forth grade. I then went to the Kansas School for the Blind until I graduated from high school. College followed where I graduated with a degree in education from Fort Hays University in Hays Kansas. While in college I met and married the mother of my 2 children. My daughter bore 2 children, my granddaughter and my only grandson. My first wife, daughter, and my daughter’s daughter are now deceased. My son is the father of now my only granddaughter. I was married and divorced twice. After the last divorce I lived alone for the biggest part of the last 12 years. I am now retired and still live alone. Even though sometimes I think it is best that I live alone, it doesn’t do anything for the loneliness. In the last couple of years, I have been considering getting a pet for company. Even though I like cats, I did not want a cat as a pet. I know dogs are far more dependent but their loyalty is unmatched and I decided I would get a dog. Before I could do so hurricane Rita roared into southeast Texas and upset our tranquil world. Because of horror stories about pets forced to be left behind when people evacuated to safe haven, I decided not to get a pet. I would not leave a pet behind nor did I want to be placed in harm’s way. After evacuation, I returned home to discover my apartment had been destroyed and looted. Finally after moving twice I am now settled in a very nice complex designated for people 55 and older. The place is both comfortable and friendly. After many hours of conversation concerning pets with a very special lady friend, she suggested that I get a guide dog. I had never considered that because I did not think I qualified. I thought you had to be totally blind or would be within a short amount of time. She convinced me that I should apply and mentioned that I would never have to leave my furry friend behind sense he or she can go where I go. I applied to a guide dog school and after much effort and it took more time than I thought it should gathering data concerning my health, vision, hearing, scheduling an interviews, and evaluation of all that data. It took the better part of four months. Then I was rejected for reasons I did not completely understand or agree with. I was disappointed. I called my dear friend who was upset as well. She said encouragingly, “That is not the only guide dog school.” So I applied to another. Within two months of application I was accepted and on my way to training. The first couple of days the staff evaluated, measured, watched, and deliberated on matching each of us in the class to a dog or visa versa. The day they brought our furry friends to us, I do not know who was more excited, the dogs or us. When Archer (a black Labrador Retriever) was brought to me, he was a big bundle of energy. He was in serious need of a bath and a lot of brushing. I shared a room with a man that also got a black Lab. After the dogs spent the first night with us, our room looked like a barbershop that had not been swept for a week. After getting Archer cleaned up and getting rid of almost three puppies worth of hair, we settled down to the routine of training. On our first very long walk it happened. Archer stopped and pooped in the middle of the bike path. I didn’t know whether to be mad or just laugh. With a plastic bag I carried in my back pocket I picked up the evidence and we continued on. By the time we got back to the van to go back to the school, Archer was really dragging. I thought I was going to have to carry him because he had been pulling so hard. The next week we were walking down the street where many dogs had traveled and probably Archer too. We were waiting to cross the street and he hiked his leg and I felt something warm running down my leg. I was put out but not angry. I was becoming very attached to this black bundle of energy. He was just like a kid. About a week and a half to go in training, we were out on a long walk and we were on our way back. This walk had been kind of challenging for Archer because of obstacles he had to negotiate and lead me around. We approached a street crossing and I heard a barking dog on the other side. I tried to keep Archer focused by saying “no forward”. When we reached the far curb I told Archer “good boy”. At that same time he peed on my leg again. I was furious and very upset. In fact I was so upset I went to talk with the training director and told him that I was not going to take a dog home with me that continued to pee on me. I thought something was wrong with Archer. Maybe he had a bladder infection. If not I wasn’t sure I could put up with this little knot head. The next morning bright and early I got the trainer up and when I took Archer to the relief area the trainer caught a urine sample. After testing the sample for infection, it proved to be negative. Of coarse my friends teased me about Archer MARKING me. One of my friends said “ Archer was just telling that other dog (He is mine.)”. At the time I did not think it was real funny. After giving it a great deal of thought, I decided when my kids were little, they both had pretty well soaked me several times but I didn’t give up on them so I was not giving up on Archer either. He is my pal, friend, child, and companion. I love him. A couple of days before we were to go home a veterinarian was scheduled to come to check out the dogs in the class and give them rabies shots. Archer and I were not going to be able to be there because the executive director had asked me if Archer and I would attend a fund raising meeting and I had said we would. At the time I did not know that the vet was coming but that probably would not have changed my mind since I was later told that Arch would be taken to the vet at a later time. We went to the meeting and Archer was a model guide dog. I was so very proud of him. As the days passed and it was time to go home Archer and I were almost as one. He loved me and I loved him. We depended on one another. It was time to go. That day we discovered the ages of our dogs. Archer was 18 months old, the youngest of the class. I knew there was a reason for all that energy. December 7, 2006 At 4:00 AM one of my very best friends in this wide world picked Archer and I up and took us to the airport. We are off. Upon arrival we are met by one of the guide dog school staff members and taken to the school and given a room. They were ready for us and we were made to feel welcome. December 8, 2006 A staff member took us to Ohio State Animal Hospital to meet with a Dr. to see if anything could be done for Archer. I really liked the people there. The report was mostly very good but with a tiny bit of disappointment. The Dr. said he was sure surgery could restore Archer’s sight to almost perfect. However, he would not recommend him to be a guide dog any longer because replacing his lenses with implants would not give Archer the ability to focus on near and far objects, there by loosing his depth perception. Oh well, my little friend would not be blind but he will have to stay at home when we go to people places. He also told the guide dog school staff member that because Archer’s condition was hereditary, the school should not use any of the offspring of Archer’s parents. The Dr. said he would mention this to the school management. When we returned to the school I was feeling pretty good. That is until I met with the man that is second in command. The man in charge was gone for the day and was not available. I was told that Archer could not be used as a guide any longer and therefore I must relinquish his harness. I was OK with that. Then came the bomb. The school would only pay half of the cost of surgery. There is no way I could pay that amount even if it were only one fourth of what I had been told what the cost would be. Then they asked me if I wanted another dog. Well, at this point I felt betrayed. I didn’t feel welcome any more. I was afraid that if I could not come up with the funds, Archer would be euthanasia. I had to think. I had to get out of this hostile environment. At the present I thought it was hostile. I called some friends and asked if they could pick us up. They did and for the weekend I was with warm and loving friends that offered some very valuable advice. I was back in my angry scared mode again. On Monday I took out the letter I had received from the director of the school and reread it and there was no mention of partial payment on behalf of the school or myself. In fact it said they would take care of it. So I called the director and after some negotiation we agreed the school would pay for the surgery, shipment of Archer home after surgery, and I would get another dog. I was elated. My prayers were answered. God’s plan was coming to fruition. There were some minor changes but that was because I had just misunderstood. Because I had to be at the school that very day to start training with another dog, a staff member picked us up because we had no transportation at that time. I was feeling much better again. When we got back to the school, Archer was taken to the kennel so he would not interfere with the training of the other dogs and I could concentrate on my new dog. I met my new classmates and later we were introduced to our new charges. I instantly fell in love with Miss Bea. She is a small yellow Lab, a bit timid and I thought she was a little thin but we were going to get along famously. Wednesday evening and again on Thursday morning OSU Animal Hospital called me and reported on Archer’s recovery. They said early on the pressure in his eyes and increased but had returned to normal and stabilized by morning and he was doing fine. I wanted to see him so very badly but I was told I had a job to do so I guess that takes priority. I know, I have some feelings of guilt, betrayal, and abandonment for my boy but hope both he and God will forgive me. One of the students in another class had a dog that could have passed as Archer’s twin. We both speculated and when she got her paperwork on Grant, she told me his birth date was February 21 2005. The same date as Archer’s. What are the chances of them not being siblings? On numerous occasions I inquired about the progress, health, and condition of Archer but little was forth coming except “he is doing fine”. This secretive attitude of the school prevails on a personal level, training, dog history, and departure schedule. I found that to be an insult to my intelligence and just plain juvenile. I wanted to know when he was scheduled for his follow up evaluation and when he would be coming home. I was still worried that something would go wrong. Finally late in the day before we were to go home, we received the packets of information that contained the date of birth of our dogs and little else concerning the history of our dogs. Mostly it was about the Alumni Association, health care plan for the dogs, and identification of each team. Again there was no real history of Miss Bea in the packet. Another classmate and I had speculated whether Miss Bea and Arnie, her dog, were siblings. It is not so. Arnie was almost 3 years old and Miss Bea was only 18 months. In the wee hours of the next morning 4 students and their dogs of which Miss Bea and I were a part, went to the airport accompanied by 3 staffers. We are going home but Archer is still here. I trust God to look after him. Upon arriving home, we are met by Ed, the same best friend that we last saw when we left a little more then two weeks earlier. Thanks Ed. Thanks for being such a good caring friend. As soon as I got home I called the guide dog school and left a message for the director to call me to let me know when Archer was to have his follow up appointment after surgery. On December 26, 2006 I received his very much-appreciated call and he told me Archer’s appointment was scheduled on Friday December 29 and depending on the results of the exam, I would then be notified of date and time of his return. Now Miss Bea and I are patiently awaiting the return of our other family member. January 3, 2007 Finally I received an email from a staff member of the school containing the information I have long expected, Archer’s shipment schedule. He was coming home and would arrive at the Beaumont airport at 10:00 AM on January 4. Yeah!!! Now I had to plan the introduction between Archer and Miss Bea. I called Ed and he agreed to take me over to the airport to pick up Archer. I had originally planned to take Miss Bea to the airport but it was raining and I did not want to introduce them in the rain so Ed and I went alone. When they finally brought out the crate that contained Archer, I was as happy as a kid at Christmas but had some reservations too. I was afraid Archer would be mad at me for leaving him for a month. Before they could set the crate down I poked my fingers through the door and he about licked them off. He was as excited as I was. When we got the door opened he jumped into my arms licking and whimpering with gladness to be in the arms of his master. We both cried for joy. “Lets go home” I said. Along with Archer, and his shipping crate came a small envelope containing 2 small bottles of prescription eye drops and a hand written note on a scrap of paper with the directions for use of the drops. There were no medical records or written instructions from the vet. By the time we got home it was not raining so I had Ed keep Archer in the car while I went in to get Miss Bea. When I brought her out we got Archer out of the car and they checked each other out and it was love at first sight. In fact I am wondering if they had known each other in the kennel at the school. They are both fixed so they are just buddies. Now my apartment is only half as big as it was. Sharing with two four legged bundles of energy is exciting, crazy, maddening, never dull, and never lonely. I love them and can’t imagine how I got along without them. Now when we go for a walk around the block, which is more than a mile, Miss Bea is in harness on my left and archer is on his leash on my right. I hook Archer’s leash up first which settles him down and then put Miss Bea in harness and then we are on our way. Archer and Miss Bea like to play ball and neither has learned to catch the ball but they both have come close. Click Here to read the continuing story about Archer (C) 23006 |
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Phone#: 614-538-0988 Email: sharethevision@columbus.rr.com
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