The day I woke up from the injury I sustained in the line of duty, (performing military ground operations in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom) little did I realize about the severity of my visual injury. The pain I was immersed in due to a recent craniectomy ultimately overruled the fear of the possibility of never again being able to open my right eye. At that time, they just told me that the pain was due to the swelling produced by the recent surgical intervention and that we should wait for it to decrease in intensity and for me to arrive in the United States to identify the magnitude of my situation. I did not have to wait long to discover in the crudest way that my vision would never return and that this was my new reality. Even so, I left with some residual vision in my 'good eye' that actually had been in awful condition with a full thickness macular hole in my left eye retina. For that reason, I did not hesitate to participate in the West blind rehab program at the Palm Beach Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center at the end of 2009. I feel that it really was not a bad experience, but regrettably, my macular condition degeneration is progressive, and almost immediately after I left that training, my vision was declining more and more to the south.
In this sad stage of my personal road to recovery, I found myself plunged into a deep depression and lack of hope, which was seriously affecting the core of my family. For that reason, I declined multiple invitations to attend The Central Blind Rehabilitation Center (CBRC), located in The Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital.
It is in these moments of despair when the light comes from where you least expect it. Apart from the family support that any wounded soldier can receive, the help of our friends and veteran friends is also relevant. We can identify with each other- in my case, it was because of the constant determination of my friend the st. Joel Taveras, who never let go of the line and whenever he came back from his training sessions, he would tell me how good he felt and how relevant it would be for my staff to recover the power to attend this program and get the most out of it.
The Central Blind Rehabilitation Center (CBRC) is a 34-bed residential facility at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital. They receive applicants from over 50 VA hospitals in 14 Midwest states. The CBRC is one of thirteen VA Blind Centers located across the US and in Puerto Rico.
The typical day at the CBRC starts at 5:30 am when the nurses knock on each door of our private rooms and make contact verbally with each of the trainees. Breakfast is in the dining room at 7:00 am, where we are assigned to a specific table. We recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag followed by a daily prayer regularly chaired by the mayor of the program (chosen by the group once the mayor, in turn, finishes his training). Then, a 7 class, 8 hour day that runs from 7:45 am to 3:45 pm Monday through Friday. Classes can include training instruction in any or all of the following areas:
• Orientation & Mobility; teaches safe travel skills with a long cane, or utilizing the latest technology with GPS or other similar assistive devices. I was provided with a new rigid cane that was more suitable for walking on outdoor terrain, and a device called the Miniguide. The Miniguide uses ultrasound echolocation to detect objects in its vicinity, vibrating based on the distance to objects. The faster the vibration, the closer the object. A headphone jack can be used to provide sound feedback. The Miniguide supplements the information provided by a guide dog or cane- an interesting alternative for visually impaired or blind users.
• Living Skills/Communications; develops skills in activities of daily living, including meal prep, shopping, reading, and record keeping for day to day operations.
• Visual Skills; depending on your vision condition, Visual Skills teaches you how to best use the vision you have with tips and devices that can be very useful. In this workshop, I was trained in the use of the Orcam 0.02 and in the use of Opteclec ClearReader + to determine which of the two devices is more innovative and practical- it is challenging to decide. Due to the great help available for me, I have mastered and understood the maximum of their functions. With the ClearReader+, basically you can choose between 59 available high-quality, naturally sounding male and female voices in 31 different languages to read text aloud. By using the easy to operate buttons, you can match the language of your document with the correct voice easily.
The Orcam My eyes 2.0 Reads any printed or digital text: newspapers, books, restaurant menus, signs, product labels, computer, and smartphone screens – all become accessible to you in an instant. It recognizes simple hand gestures- ideal for use at work or at school, at home or on the go. Suitable for all ages, and any level of vision loss, Real-time identification of faces. Following a quick one-time entry process, previously stored faces of people who are important to you – family members, friends, co-workers – are seamlessly recognized and announced by your own voice tag once they come into the OrCam MyEye 2.0 smart camera's view.
Up to 100 faces of individuals can be stored. Great in social situations and gives independence. Identify products. Identify Money Notes. Color Detection. Telling Time !! … This is why I love it so much!
• Manual Skills; develops non-visual organizational skills through adaptive arts activities including leather work, wood-working, or home mechanics. In here, I chose to take Guitar lessons every day.
• Access Technology; introduces you to the latest technology which may be computer software with speech output or magnification. This may assist you in a variety of ways, including word processing functions, communicating with friends and family through e-mail or social media, or returning to school. iOS devices are also introduced. In this workshop, I was able to receive complete training in the use of apple software Voice Over of the Apple company. I learned the keyboard to be able to input the codes that would provide total dominion of the brand new Apple MacBook Pro that I now could call my property!! I was also trained in the use of the accessibility feature included in the new iPhone XR, in the use of Apple TV, and a device that provides access to the national library of the Congress. I can not only download all the audiobooks that I want, but it also serves as a GPS. I can ship new ones and record them for future use, and of course, all the devices belong to me, provided by the program!
A typical day may also include sessions with Psychology or Social Work, which may take the form of a group class with other Veterans experiencing similar issues or may consist of a one on one meeting. During evenings and on weekends, several recreational activities are offered, which can include golf outings, baseball games, bowling, movie night in the dining room, or horse-back riding, to name a few.
Finally, shopping trips are scheduled for every Saturday to venture into the community to pick up personal needs or wants. Nursing is always available to help with health-care management or medications, with whom I want to emphasize that I have been able to develop an excellent relationship based on respect and trust.
In conclusion, beyond all the technological devices that today facilitate my life as the wounded veteran of war that I am, I understand that the most significant fruit of this experience is the security in myself that flows into the center of my being ... something that I honestly was not or had lost in the arduous road to recovery but in today's day for me it is a treasure, and I hope never to lose it again.
Hugo Gonzalez, (U.S. Army Retired Specialist)
