Becoming more routine: Another visit to DR. Walsh

 He is definitely one of the nicest doctors that I have ever met and engaged with. Next to Dr. Dani Manis, my family physician, Dr. Scott Walsh is right up there.

He is so very pleasant.  Kind, gentle, and engages directly with me. He always fills my visit with lots of humor!

I have been going to him now for many years for my dermatitis affliction. Things have improved so much since I first went to him. If only we could have more doctors in our medical profession like Dr. Scott Walsh!

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured for ever.

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A refreshing experience: The clinic that pays attention

On the whole, almost every doctor that I have met fails to get it when it comes to providing documentation in an alternate format.  That is, when it comes to providing instructions for tests.  So, just imagine my delight and pleasure when I was recently asked if I wanted my doctor’s office to send me my colonoscopy instructions in Word format!

What a pleasant surprise and all of my instructions: the Covid test form, the instructions for taking the medication before my test, and the email itself were all sent to me in alternate formats. Hats off to the Toronto GI Clinic.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight loss coach and author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

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And like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/donnajodhan
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Post Covid challenges: New rules at the Sunnybrooke Hospital

I discovered this on my last visit and although I understand why they are there, it still makes my visit somewhat of a challenge.  But, as they say, rules are rules.

It is a good thing that Stephie was with me.  We had to hand sanitize at the entrance to the hospital. Then we had to wear our masks through the visit. I had to wear my mask even when I was with the doctors.  I can only hope that this ends soon.  Not a very friendly environment for someone who is vision-impaired.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight loss coach and author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/donnajodhan
and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

 

A new path: Going with Mom to the doctor

Now that my mom's hearing is starting to deteriorate, I am happy to accompany her whenever she has to visit the doctor.  I listen intently as the doctor speaks to her and whenever I feel that she has not heard a question or a response I am happy to jump in and help her understand.

Mom is extremely patient and never loses her cool.  She never raises her voice and does her best to hear what is going on.  Her doctors are also very good to her and are happy to repeat themselves whenever necessary.

So it is a new experience for me; she sees and I hear.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
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My perspective: They are the good doctors

As a rule of thumb, most doctors lack a lot in the bedside-manners department when it comes to dealing with patients who are blind and visually impaired. I can tell you that over the years I have met many more who fall into this category as opposed to those who do not.

However, I am here today to highlight two wonderful doctors who are shining examples when it comes to the good ones who exemplify above and beyond bedside manners.

First:  Doctor Danielle Manis, my family Doctor since 2006.  This wonderful lady Doctor really knows how to deal with patients who are blind and visually impaired.  She has a very gentle demeanor.  She is ever ready to explain things to me.  She tells me exactly what she wishes me to know and before handing over prescriptions and requisite forms to me, she is very attentive to explain them to me.

Whenever she calls me she always says, "It's Dani Manis calling." She always escorts me from her office to the reception area when we are finished and she is always sure to say hi to whoever is with me. 

Then there is Doctor Everton Gooden, a truly wonderful ENT specialist who I met in October 2015.  From the word go I knew that this very soft-spoken doctor would be golden and I was right. 

From his office to the operating room, and then to the recovery room, Doctor Gooden has always been very sure to explain things to me.  He is very thorough at all times, telling me exactly what he is going to do and how he is going to do it. 

After my surgery in April 2016, there he was in the recovery room checking up on me and explaining things to me.  Then when I went to his office to have the packing removed a week later, there he was again explaining every step to me as he went.

These are the good doctors.  They exhibit the finest of bedside manners and as someone who is visually impaired I sure appreciate it all the way.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit  jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author
There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minutes mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

My experience: At the hospital

A few months ago I had to have some nasal surgery and I was accompanied by my mom and my friend, Sue.    As someone who has had several major surgeries I have had the opportunity to see how both nurses and doctors, along with other medical staff, interact with me as a blind person.

The staff at this particular hospital has always been very good when it comes to interacting with me.  They talk to me directly and ask me questions directly which is such a relief and joy for me.

There is nothing worse than having staff that finds it necessary to interact with those accompanying me rather than with me directly.  The nurses were very good at explaining things and my surgeon was extremely good when telling me what was going to happen. 

The pre-surgery and after surgery interactions all went very well.  Hats off to the North York General Hospital in Toronto, Canada.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit  jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author
There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minutes mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.takeanother5.com
And available for download from iTunes and Google music play

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

At the doctor's office

I am ready to admit that I would not venture into any doctor's office if it is the first time that I am visiting said office.  Why?  Well, here are my reasons.

I need to learn my way there.  I need to familiarize with the layout of the office.  I need to get to know the secretaries and doctors.  I need to let them know that I am blind and require assistance to negotiate the office.

This is the formula that has always worked for me.  I always find that it is best not to surprise staff and doctors alike for the first time whenever I go in for a visit.  True it is that most people are now much more aware as to how to interact with someone who is blind but I do not take any chances.

Not every doctor would be like my family physician, Dani Manis.  Or my dentist, Gordon Yaser.  Or my ENT specialist, Everton Gooden or my Gynaecologist, Nathan Roth.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit  jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author
There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

My sleep apnea machine

Well, what can I say! I finally had to bite the bullet and admit to myself that it was time to listen to my doctor and get a sleep apnea machine. At first I was very hesitant because I was not sure if I could handle it. But like everything else and for the first time and when you have to depend on someone else to show you how to do things because you are unable to read the instructions yourself because you are blind! Thanks to my friend, Gabriella, and a great staff member at the sleep management clinic named Joy, it all worked out in the end.

I must say that everyone was very good to me from start to finish and they were particularly aware of me as a blind person and did their best to show me how to use my sleep apnea machine. From the very start when I went in to be tested for sleep apnea, the therapists were extremely attentive and mindful and they explained everything to me in great detail.

The doctors were great. The staff at the sleep management clinic were fantastic, and my friend Gabriella! What more can I really say about this fantastic friend and lady! She stayed with me all the way making sure that I knew how to operate my sleep apnea machine and I have even named the machine after her, Smile. I would readily say that being blind is no hindrance to being able to use a sleep apnea machine.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

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This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"Each time we raise our voice at someone else we are engaging in bullying! Each time we raise our hands to slap or punch someone else we are also engaging in bullying and each time we engage in actions to either manipulate or force someone else to do what we want we are also engaging in bullying!

There is no room in this world for bullying and each day we fail to take action against bullying it is another day that we allow others to bully us and our kids. Our heros and role models are the ones who have made us proud, those brave young men and women who gave their lives for us in past wars and those who continue to do so. They are not the ones who choose to be racists and those who believe that their bad behaviour in public is acceptable.

I write and record audio mysteries that are being used at such events as murder mystery evenings as well as at public awareness and team building events. I promote understanding, tolerance, and problem solving and my audio mysteries continue to be broadcasted around the world and you can listen to them anywhere! On the plane or train! In the car or right there in your home! On your i device or computer!

Please join my campaign against bullying (CAB) by supporting my efforts to keep on writing and recording!
If you truly care then you will certainly dare!"

Both ends of the medical spectrum

So, what am I talking about today? Well, it is as I have said: both ends of the medical spectrum. At one end you have the doctor who genuinely feels that there is no hope for his blind patient and at the other end there is the one who honestly believes that in my lifetime something or some breakthrough is going to come along and restore my vision.

I have seen both ends of the spectrum. Seven years ago I had the misfortune to run into Dr. William Dixon who told me, "You have reached the end of the line and in your lifetime there won't be anything for you." A few months ago I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Kraft who told me, "You never know! You're still young and something is going to come along and change things for you."

I judge no one and I criticize no one, but how different can attitudes be in this field! On the one hand you have a doctor who holds out no hope for you and on the other you have another who is the opposite.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and share my blogs with others.
Come visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca.

The Doctors' Hang-Ups

Now, I would like to start this blog entry by tempering my statement so that I am not misconstrued. Like everything else, there are good doctors and there are not-so-good doctors. There are friendly doctors and there are not-so-friendly doctors. However, there is one disconcerting thing that I have found, in general, even with the good doctors: They definitely have hang-ups when it comes to their blind and visually-impaired patients.

There are very few doctors that I have met in my life who truly believe that I work for a living, that I look after myself, that I attended university and obtained a master's degree, that I am capable of thinking and speaking for myself, and that I can understand and make decisions for myself.

My opinion is shared by many other blind and visually-impaired persons. So often, whether they are aware of it or not, doctors on the whole seem to give us an impression that they do not really consider us to be level-headed human beings. In fact, we often feel that we are being treated as sub-par individuals.

I have met doctors who were quite surprised when they learned that I work for a living. I have met others who practically fell out of their chairs when they learned that had I attended one of the best universities in the world and graduated with an MBA.

These hang-ups are very real and exist way beyond the doctor fraternity. Maybe it is time for us to impart some awareness to our doctors. If any doctor is reading this, yes, I am blind. But I also can think for myself, hear, do things on my own, and I work for a living. The only thing difference between me and a "mainstream" patient is that I am unable to see.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your accessibility and special-needs business consultant, wishing you a terrific day and enlisting your support to help doctors get rid of their hang-ups towards blind persons. To learn more about blind persons please visit www.nfb.org.