Monday, December 17, 2012

COOKING MY BUTTERBALL TURKEY UNTIL DONENESS

I have to re-pete this post. It's the one most people look up. I good another turkey breast last night. The instruction on the bag doesn't tell you how long to cook it, they only say to 170 degrees. I have a talking thermometer but I couldn't find it. I tried the small one I found. The dial didn't move. Then I used the medium one, the dial didn't move, so I dug some more looking for my big talking thermometer. I couldn't turn it on. I unscrewed the battery cover. The batter is attached to the panel so you can't just replace the battery. I put it back in and all it did was make static noises. I cooked the turkey for a total on 75 minutes. My son came in to cut the turkey after i ate a small piece. It was pink inside. Back in the oven for 20 more miniatures. I wasn't taking chances. The turkey was very good but I felt like Goldie Locks looking for bowl of porridge. Now I guess I buy a new meat thermometer and throw the rest away.
 
I don't cook much at all but one thing I like to cook is Butterball turkey breast. I've served them to my family for about eight years. I remember buying the breast with bone in and it was more than I wanted to deal with. Most of the time I pull the netting off and cook it frozen. Yesterday I cooked it thawed with the netting which stuck to the skin. I thought this isn't good for us with low vision so I called Butterball and they were very helpful. The woman I talked to said she cooks this often. She suggested pulling the netting away from the thawed meat to it won't stick and putting oil and seasoning on it. I'm going to try that method next time. The way I roast it is with olive oil and Shapley's seasoning with is a local seasoning from Mississippi. This is an affordable meal at $10 for the turkey. I've listed their instructions below with their contact information. 
 Thaw in Refrigerator (not at room temperature)
  • Place unopened roast on a tray in refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 days, or until thawed.
  • To thaw more quickly, place unopened roast in cold tap water for 3 to 5 hours. Change water every 30 minutes to keep turkey cold.
  • When thawed, keep in refrigerator until ready to cook.
Prepare Roast
  • Remove clear plastic netting and package. Refrigerate gravy packet until ready to use. Leave string netting on roast. Drain juices and lightly pat with paper towels.
  • Lift string netting and shift position on roast to make removal easier after cooking.
  • Cover roast with no-stick cooking spray. Additional basting is not necessary.
Visit our How-to section to learn the best methods for cooking your turkey.
Slow-Cooker Instructions:
  • Place THAWED roast, skin side up, flat in 8” diameter slow-cooker.
  • Add 1/2 cup water.
  • Cover, cook on low 7-1/2 hours to internal temperature of 170 degrees as measured with a meat thermometer.
  • After 4 hours, check temperature at center, ends and near top for food safety. Turkey must reach 140 degrees within 4 hours.
Microwave:
  • Place THAWED roast in microwave on a shallow microwave-safe tray.
  • Microwave at 30% power for 30 minutes, turn roast over. Microwave an additional 20 – 30 minutes on 30% power.
  • Remove from oven, wrap in foil, let stand 10 minutes.
  • Check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Temperature in center of roast should be 165 – 170 degrees. If roast is not done, continue cooking on 30% power checking temperature every 5 minutes.
  • Remove netting and slice.
NOTE: Microwave ovens can vary due to wattage, age and line voltage. Time can also vary due to initial temperature of product, size and shape of product, standing time. It is important to test for doneness using a meat thermometer.

1-800-BUTTERBALL (800-288-8372)
Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST (Central Standard Time)

Friday, December 14, 2012

ATTITUDE

To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.

Helen Keller

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

CHANGE IS ALL AROUND ME

I'm not sure why stores change their decor so often but they do quit often, too often for me. I went to several stores this week who changed their set up, floor plan or freezers. TJ Maxx changed the direction of the clothing racks in the center of the store. I suppose this was to see down the isles for shoplifters. Tuesday Morning changed the cashiers next to the front and added merchandise racks plus they now sale shoes. The most shocking change was Walmart who changed the freezer section. All the new freezers are black on the inside walls. Why am I so upset. I can't see anything inside. I know change is good and things always must change but marketers need to take into account a loyal customer will be loyal if they know where to find the merchandise and recognize the packaging. I've talked about this before. I can tell you what color my trash bag box is or my shampoo bottle is. when I working in  the building business caulk companies changed their label about every two years. I find things at home and at the stores by what color it is. This subject remind me of the book Who Moved My Cheese. The summary is below. Bottom line is adjust to change. 

 

Synopsis
Allegorically, Who Moved My Cheese? features four characters: two mice, "Sniff" and "Scurry," and two little people, miniature humans in essence, "Hem" and "Haw." They live in a maze, a representation of one's environment, and look for cheese, representative of happiness and success. Initially without cheese, each group, the mice and humans, paired off and traveled the lengthy corridors searching for cheese. One day both groups happen upon a cheese-filled corridor at "Cheese Station C". Content with their find, the humans establish routines around their daily intake of cheese, slowly becoming arrogant in the process.
One day Sniff and Scurry arrive at Cheese Station C to find no cheese left, but they are not surprised. Noticing the cheese supply dwindling, they have mentally prepared beforehand for the arduous but inevitable task of finding more cheese. Leaving Cheese Station C behind, they begin their hunt for new cheese together. Later that day, Hem and Haw arrive at Cheese Station C only to find the same thing, no cheese. Angered and annoyed, Hem demands, "Who moved my cheese?" The humans have counted on the cheese supply to be constant, and so are unprepared for this eventuality. After deciding that the cheese is indeed gone they get angry at the unfairness of the situation and both go home starved. Returning the next day, Hem and Haw find the same cheeseless place. Starting to realize the situation at hand, Haw thinks of a search for new cheese. But Hem is dead set in his victimized mindset and dismisses the proposal.
Meanwhile, Sniff and Scurry have found "Cheese Station N", new cheese. Back at Cheese Station C, Hem and Haw are affected by their lack of cheese and blame each other for their problem. Hoping to change, Haw again proposes a search for new cheese. However, Hem is comforted by his old routine and is frightened about the unknown. He knocks the idea again. After a while of being in denial, the humans remain without cheese. One day, having discovered his debilitating fears, Haw begins to chuckle at the situation and stops taking himself so seriously. Realizing he should simply move on, Haw enters the maze, but not before chiseling "If You Do Not Change, You Can Become Extinct" on the wall of Cheese Station C for his friend to ponder.
Still fearful of his trek, Haw jots "What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?" on the wall and, after thinking about that, he begins his venture. Still plagued with worry (perhaps he has waited too long to begin his search...), Haw finds some bits of cheese that nourishes him and he is able to continue his search. Haw realizes that the cheese has not suddenly vanished, but has dwindled from continual eating. After a stop at an empty cheese station, Haw begins worrying about the unknown again. Brushing aside his fears, Haw's new mindset allows him to again enjoy life. He has even begun to smile again! He is realizing that "When you move beyond your fear, you feel free." After another empty cheese station, Haw decides to go back for Hem with the few bits of new cheese he has managed to find.
Uncompromising, Hem refuses the new cheese, to his friend's disappointment. With knowledge learned along the way, Haw heads back into the maze. Getting deeper into the maze, inspired by bits of new cheese here and there, Haw leaves a trail of writings on the wall ("The Handwriting On the Wall"). These clarify his own thinking and give him hope that his friend will find aid in them during his search for new cheese. Still traveling, Haw one day comes across Cheese Station N, abundant with cheese, including some varieties that are strange to him, and he realizes he has found what he is looking for. After eating, Haw reflects on his experience. He ponders a return to see his old friend. But Haw decides to let Hem find his own way. Finding the largest wall in Cheese Station N, he writes:
Change Happens
They Keep Moving The Cheese
Anticipate Change
Get Ready For The Cheese To Move
Monitor Change
Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old
Adapt To Change Quickly
The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese
Change
Move With The Cheese
Enjoy Change!
Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!
Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again
They Keep Moving The Cheese.

Cautious from past experience, Haw now inspects Cheese Station N daily and explores different parts of the maze regularly to prevent any complacency from setting in. After hearing movement in the maze one day, Haw realizes someone is approaching the station. Unsure, Haw hopes that it is his friend Hem who has found the way.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

DAVE WHAMOND EYESIGHT AND EXERCISE

I went to a college football game this weekend with 80,000 other fans. We parked our car, took a shutter bus and walk and walked and walked. This was my for of exercise for Saturday. I also talked to someone who has less vision than I. He said he loves to takes walks most days. You always here people what a beautiful day it is. I've taken that for granted for too long. Get out there and exercise. It.s great for you physical and mental health. - Frances

[RESREPORT]  People with impaired vision take 26% fewer steps per day than normal-sighted individuals and are about half as active physically, which could increase their risk of chronic illness, says a report by Maryland researchers in Archives of Ophthalmology. Loss of vision affects mobility and balance, but rehabilitation programs rarely stress physical exercise, they said.

Physical activity was assessed in 5,722 subjects from a 2003-2006 U.S. health survey, of whom 5,226 had normal vision, 351 needed glasses to see normally, and 145 had low vision that couldn't be corrected to normal. Normal eyesight was defined as 20/40 or better, which is the minimum driving requirement in most states. Activity levels were assessed with an accelerometer worn on the hip for approximately 14.3 hours a day over seven days. All subjects underwent eye examinations. Individuals with low vision took 5,992 steps per day compared with 9,964 for normal-sighted people and 9,742 for those with glasses. Average daily exercise was 9.3 minutes in low-vision subjects and 23.5 minutes in the other groups. The study is the first to report an association between visual impairment and objectively measured physical activity.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

TEXAS BOY LEARNS TO MANEUVER WITH LIMITED VISION

DALLAS, TX -- Does anyone really like tiramisu? Why are there so many Chinatowns? These are the questions on the mind of an 8-year-old boy.

But early one June afternoon, a different puzzle was at hand as 8-year-old Zach Thibodeaux walked, blindfolded, down his suburban street, his white cane only partly guiding the way. Making intermittent clicks with his tongue, he traced the sidewalk, his instructor just behind.

He paused, unsure . then reached out with the cane and found one of the stout, stone mailboxes common in his Lewisville neighborhood.

"Good," said Daniel Kish, founder of World Access for the Blind, placing a hand on the arched structure. "We don't have mailboxes like these where I come from. These are brick bunkers."

Last fall, Zach -- who just finished second grade at Mary Immaculate Catholic School in Farmers Branch -- was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, a degenerative eye disease that will ultimately render him blind. This month, he spent several days working with Kish, whose 10-year-old organization, based in Long Beach, Calif., aims to teach the blind not just to be functional but to feel able to pursue their dreams.

As part of his training, Kish and his crew teach a disciplined form of echolocation -- what bats use to "see" in the dark. By sending out sound waves in the form of carefully honed tongue clicks, Kish said, the blind can effectively sense what's around them, taking acoustic imprints of their surroundings as waves echo back.

"It's like putting clay into a mold," Kish said. "The sound is taking the shape of the environment."

Down the street, Zach -- whose task was to note nearby objects -- paused again.

"There's something to your right," Kish told him, guiding him back a few steps toward a rail-thin signpost. "You heard it after you passed it."

Kish himself is blind, though you'd hardly know it to see the confidence with which he moves around. He's hiked alone, mountain biked, gone solo-camping for days at a time. At 45, he travels the world, teaching and speaking about his craft.

We live in a visual society, where the idea of sound-oriented mobility is hard to envision. Kish's training, then, is about more than getting around obstacles; it's about overcoming them -- as well as societal attitudes that put limits on blind kids' potential.

"We see it a lot," said Juan Ruiz, one of two instructors who work with Kish. "Blind people have things handed to them. If I say, `Where's the trash can?' -- odds are somebody will say, `I'll do it for you.' That's the reality of the world these kids live in."

Kish also encourages risk -- the willingness to suffer bumps and bruises en route to independence, an attitude he said parents must foster in their blind children. He wants to give students the skills to move about as freely as he does.

Advocates for the blind caution that not everyone can be as uniquely talented as Daniel Kish. Echolocation should not take the place of a cane or guide dog, they say -- but used in tandem with those methods, it can be a valuable tool.

Austin software developer Nolan Darilek, blind since birth, said Kish's training is almost martial arts-like in its discipline, unlike any he's ever experienced. Until he began working with Kish, he'd consigned himself to striking objects with his cane, drawing attention as he gets around.

"I don't want to bludgeon my way through life," said Darilek, 30. "I want to move through it gracefully."

Many blind people develop some system of auditory navigation, but few have perfected and contemplated it as much as Kish, who lost his sight to retinal cancer as an infant. His prosthetic eyeballs are as lifeless as a wax figure's.

Still, he said, "my mom's biggest goals were that I get out of the house and pay taxes. . In order for me to be like everyone else, I had to be treated like everyone else."

The clicking came as naturally as blinking, he said, and he recalls a childhood free of limitations. He ran around with other kids and rode a bicycle, even joining other kids in a sort of bike destruction derby.

"I was fearless, and I had the best bike -- a BMX," Kish said. "We'd go to an open space and all crash into each other and see who was the last one standing. These days, there'd be some old biddy coming out and telling us to stop because someone was going to get hurt."

Get hurt he did. Occasional run-ins with slides or poles required medical attention. But he was a regular kid, and he would go on to do his thesis on echolocation for a master's program at California State University, Los Angeles.

He'd planned on being a psychologist, but frustration over how few blind people moved as freely as he did drove him to want to do more. In 2001, he launched World Access for the Blind.

Kish's goal is to rewire the brain to rely on sound and touch, rather than sight, to construct images. More than 500 blind or low-vision students in 18 countries have gone through his program, which urges families to be active supporters.

"There are people who want echolocation as a miracle cure, relieving them of responsibility," Kish said. "In some ways it is magical. You're freeing the brain -- but it has to be supported."

Zach's sight has worsened since his diagnosis: By early last month, he'd lost 80 percent of his sight; now he can see just two feet in front of him. But he's excelled at Braille, and his mastery of the abacus has revived his math prowess.

After his mother, Johanna Uek, read about Kish in Men's Journal, she arranged to bring Kish to Dallas to work with Zach and to conduct a soccer clinic for local blind and low-vision children.

"This is going to help Zach be more social," Uek said. "I want him to know -- you gotta deal with what you got."

Zach's training included outdoor exercises in which Kish positioned objects -- a cutting board, a Styrofoam plate -- near, or away from, Zach's blindfolded face to develop his perception of them as he clicked.

Now Kish held the plate about a foot to Zach's left. "Tell me which side it's on," he said.

Zach clicked in either direction, then reached to his left and found it there. Before long, he was getting the hang of it.

"He wasn't able to hear the plate at all yesterday," Kish said, after they were done. "That's how quickly this can develop."

But using it to get around is something that will take time. Along with their neighborhood walk, Kish had Zach practice getting around a roller rink, a car-filled superstore parking lot, the labyrinth of a college campus building.

Darilek, the Austin software engineer, said Kish's methods have inspired him to consider activities thought to be limited to sighted people, even as some find it hard to imagine.

"That's one thing I'm encountering with my friends. I tell them I want to ride a bike, and they're freaking out about that. . Maybe it's a horrible idea. I hope not. But to live your life a slave to fear and horrible things that might happen to you is not the way I want to live."

Zach and 14 other blind and low-vision kids attended Kish and Ruiz's soccer clinic at a Farmers Branch park on a hot afternoon. The balls were filled with rattling beads that allowed players to track them as long as they kept rolling.

Afterward, as worn-out kids and families gathered for hot dogs in the shade, Zach described what he knew about echolocation and the technique behind a good click. "The brain lights up when it gets all that information," he said.

And a smile as you click produces one that is higher-pitched, he explained, reaching greater distances. Still, he knew he had a long way to go. "I can't bike yet," he said. "I'd freak out."

Kish had already made a mental picture of the park on this, his first visit, using barely audible clicks and his cane to get around, occasionally walking off to take calls on his cellphone. Now, sitting nearby, he asked where the ice chest was, because he could use another bottle of water.

He got up to go get it, but as he did, he found someone had already gotten one for him.

Friday, September 28, 2012

FONT SIZE

Google emailed again in reply. Not sure if this will work. Let's see if I can see it. Not sure how I like it or what I did. Thank you Google for your help.

Letter below.

Hi Frances,

It works this way. If you leave the font-size in its default setting while composing a post, it'll be bound to the size that you define under Dashboard - Template - Customize - Advanced - Page. Otherwise, if you've changed the font-size while composing a post, it will follow the specific size that you have selected for that particular post instead. I usually won't temper with the font-size in the post editor, as I prefer to apply a uniform rule using the 'Advanced' tab.

Cheers,
Yoga.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

WE NEED LARGER FONT

Well 200 percent wasn't large enough so let's try 300 percent.

DID IT WORK TO CHANGE FONT SIZE

This is 200 persent. Let's see if this works.

GOOGLE REPLIED TO MY QUESTION

I sent an email to Google about the font size issue. They replied within an hour. Here is there reply but I checked the design section but the font size within the post wasn't listed. I asked them to check into it and I will try to look at the settings again. Hi Frances, You should be able to change your font-size by going to Dashboard - Templates - Customize - Advanced. You can customize the font-size for each section.

FONT SIZE

Alter looking at my post I decided it should be larger. Let's see if 175% is large enough. The post above is 150%.>

NEW BLOGSPOT

I've been blogger for a few years now and Google changed the design of BlogSpot. I'm writing this post to see what my text looks like. I tried to call Google but they don't have a "live" or real people who answer the phones in their Customer Department. I hope I'll find a solution to the dilemma.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

WALMART'S CRAZY RETURN POLICY

I have a grip about Walmart. They don't accept returns on books or magazine  after 24 hours plus you have to have your receipt. I bought a book in Oxford which I thought I could read with my 5x magnifier but the pages were tinted on the edges. I went to return it without knowing their policies. I asked "How would I know about the 24 hours. It's not posted anywhere".  I explained that if I went to look for the receipt I might not be able to return the same day since I don't drive. I got no sympathy. So I called my son who was home to look in my suitcase and bags from the trip. He did find it and brought it to me. It wasn't the money but the principle of the policy. I wouldn't read something and return it for credit. I did notice the associate looking at the binder to see if I read it. Most trips I make to the store result in an item having to be returned. I often pick up the wrong item.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Audio Books For Those With Vision Loss


Audio Books Macular Degeneration
Many people with macular degeneration or other types of vision loss, will alternate from reading their favorite books to listening to their favorite books. Sometimes, listening is a welcome change to the strain of trying to read. Simply find yourself a comfortable spot to sit, put up your feet, close your eyes, and listen.
Audio Book Devices
There are several different audio devices that can be used, depending on the type of technology that works best for you. It can be anything from an old cassette player, CD player, MP3 player, iPod, iPhone or an electronic reader. Books on tape are not available from stores any more, although you may find used ones on line or perhaps at your local library. If you, your friend or loved one has not entered the digital age, like my father-in-law who has wet macular degeneration, books on CD are a great alternative. CD players are inexpensive and small enough to be portable. Free books on CD are available from many local libraries and depending on your branch, may even mail them to you.
An iPod, iPhone, or  MP3 player can be used to listen to your books. The touch screens make them easy to navigate and there are many more options for audio books on line than there are CD’s.
Free talking books are available from cooperating library services to U.S. residents and citizens living abroad whose macular degeneration or other vision impairment makes it difficult to read standard print.  The local cooperating U. S. libraries mail the audiobooks, magazines, and audio equipment directly to enrollees at no cost.
Audio Book Quality
There are different levels of audio book quality – depending on the reader, the recording equipment and the studio. Purchased audio books are read by professional performers and you will find that the quality of the reader makes listening to audio books more enjoyable.  Most free audio books use volunteer readers, some of which are really good and some are well, a bit boring.
Audio Book Costs
There are several ways to help reduce the cost of listening to your audio books.  Books on CD clubs, free talking books, or downloaded books all provide every genre of books available. Purchasing books on CD is the most expensive. Call your local library to see what kind of selection they offer and if they provide any type of delivery service.  You or your loved one may qualify for free books on tape through  the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. The reading device and audio books are delivered to eligible readers by postage-free mail and are returned in the same manner.
Find out if you or someone you knows qualifies for free books on tape:
Free Books on Tape
Leslie Degner, RN, BSN
Better Health for Better Vision
www.WebRN-MacularDegeneration.co

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Monday, August 27, 2012

MEET CHARLIE COLLINS OF VISION DYNAMICS

Charlie Collins interview at Vision Dynamics. The one stop shop for people with Low Vision, Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy , Retinitis Pigmentosa. A hands on solution center for all your needs.



Contact him at:
http://www.visiondynamics.com/
or
Charlie Collins
Phone: (203) 271-1944
Fax: (203) 271-3997
Email: support@visiondynamics.com

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Hyundai donates $100,000 for Marshfield Clinic pediatric projects Grant supports cancer research

MARSHFIELD -- Three years ago, Heather Adler received news no parent ever wants -- or expects -- to hear: Her daughter had cancer.
Abigail Adler was 4 years old when her parents took her to the doctor to check on what they thought was a lazy eye. It turned out the left eye had a tumor and needed to be removed.
"We thought, 'Why our child?'" Heather Adler said.
Fortunately for the Marshfield family, the cancer didn't spread, and it went into remission after eight months of treatment. Abigail now has a prosthetic eye, but she has handled it all with optimism and "high spirits," her mother said.
"We need to be aware of, no matter what age, children can get cancer," Heather Adler said. "We need to raise more awareness."
To that end, Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a joint effort of Hyundai Motor America and its more than 800 dealers nationwide, announced a $100,000 grant Friday to the Marshfield Clinic for childhood cancer research.
The grant is part of $7.1 million Hyundai is donating this month to 71 pediatric cancer research projects and groups nationwide. September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
By the end of 2011, Hyundai Hope on Wheels will have committed $43 million in donations to pediatric cancer research since its inception in 1998.
Part of the grant to the Clinic came from regional Hyundai dealers' sales.
"Every time a car is sold, a portion goes to Hope on Wheels," said Don Scaffidi, owner of Scaffidi Hyundai in Stevens Point. "It's wonderful -- this money will hopefully go toward finding a cure (for cancer)."
The funds also will be used to foster communication and teach coping skills to patients and families, said Dr. Michael McManus, a pediatric physician at the Clinic. Doctors will work with patients both in-person and through videoconferencing.
"It's a privilege for our oncology team here at the Marshfield Clinic to care for these children and watch them grow up," McManus said during a press conference about the grant.
Abigail and several other cancer survivors attended the press conference, and afterward dipped their hands in paint and placed their imprints together on a poster.
"These children and their loved ones have gone through so much and are true heroes," said Dr. Karl Ulrich, Clinic president and CEO.


Abigail Adler, 6, with help from Sarah Long, a post-doctoral fellow in pediatric psychology, puts her handprint on a poster Friday after the Hyundai Hope on Wheels grant check presentation at the Marshfield Clinic. / (Laura Schmitt/For the Wausau Daily Herald)

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The ‘Art’ Of Prosthetic Eyes Doss Tannehill Ocularist

I've had three prosthetic eyes fitted over the past 10 years. I'm getting my fourth prosthetic eye at the end of May. I had an eye lift at the end of March because I have the largest prosthetic that can be mad but my eyelid still droops. It looks so much better now. Here is some info below about it.

Where did you receive your schooling and training?
I’m a Kamehameha Schools graduate and I went to college at Colorado State. I learned ocularistry from my dad.
How long have you been an ocularist?
I started going to work with my dad when I was 8 years old. Our main business was contact lenses, and he was quite an innovator. After I graduated college, I started doing ocularistry it’s been 39 years.


Are you one of the few ocularists on the island who make prosthetic eyes?
I’m the only one who lives and works in the state who does this.
At what point does someone come to you after losing an eye?
If the eye is removed which is called an enucleation usually six to eight weeks after the surgery the patient will come to see me, when the healing is completed and most of the swelling is down. For people who have diabetes or who are older, that process can take longer.
Is it common for diabetics to need an enucleation?
Diabetic retinopathy is quite common in Hawaii, as diabetes is very prevalent. And oftentimes the eye will become blind, at which time I can fit a thin prosthesis called a sclera cover shell over that eye, or if the eye has to be removed, then I fit a regular prosthesis.


Doss Tannehill with patient Sarah Johnson and mom Jae. Leah Friel photo lfriel@midweek.com
When might the eye need to be removed?
If there’s pain or pathology. But if those things are not there, there’s no reason to remove the eye. You get less sunkenness and better motility when the eye is there, albeit blind and usually shrunken. You get a better result from my end, and the patient doesn’t have to go through the trauma of surgery and losing a body part. That’s huge.
The eye is part of the body, and the subject of losing it is so private that most of them don’t want to talk about it. It’s a very personal thing. When you talk with someone, you look each other in the eye, so it’s about judging someone’s character.There’s also psychosexual connotations -
when you make googoo eyes at someone, you look them in the eye. When you have loss or disfigurement of an eye, patients feel like there’s a loss of self-esteem.
Even though in their logical mind they know they’re no less of a person. It’s a far bigger loss than fingers or sometimes arms or legs. Eyes are what we use to communicate. It’s not nearly so much about the loss of vision, because with sight out of one eye you can still do many things. In fact, there was a guy who played professional football with one eye.

To what extent do you help patients deal with the psychological trauma?
I talk to them about it and I encourage them to get counseling if they’re struggling. Usually you can tell when you’re fitting the patient and painting the iris, I say “Look at me,” and they don’t want to. But once you break the ice and let them know you’re on the same side I say, “I’m not going to insult you and tell you I know how you feel. I don’t know how you feel, I have two eyes. But I probably know a little bit more about how you feel than the average guy on the street because of what I do for a living.”

You literally look at them and paint one eye to match the other?
Yes.

How realistic is the prosthesis?
If there’s been no lid or facial damage and it’s just a problem with the eyeball and you have a good surgeon, you can expect a good result. The people the ocularist is trying to “trick,” are the ones you meet for the first time, not family and friends. They know they went through the whole ordeal with you.

Are you working with an empty socket, and does the eyeball still move and look natural?
When the surgeon removes the eyeball, they want to fill up some of that space, otherwise the prosthesis is going to be heavy. They attach the existing extraocular muscles to the implant to get motility within the socket. The tissue that’s inside of your socket is mucus membrane, the same thing that’s inside of your mouth.
The most commonly used implants nowadays are made out of a coral that’s only found in Tonga and is very much like human bone. The doctors sew the muscles to it so you get a lot of motility in the socket.

What kind of care or upkeep is needed?
The eye needs to be cleaned and polished every six months. Once a month, take it off and take a look to be sure there’s nothing different going on in your socket or your eye.

Does it last for life?
For seven years, and not because the prosthesis falls apart, it’s because the socket with the eyeball will change, necessitating a refit.

When someone comes to you, what next?
I take an impression by injecting alginate. If you’ve ever had an impression of your teeth, it’s the same stuff; ours is more refined. Also in that first visit I paint the iris.
With the impression, I make a wax pattern and I fit it for size and symmetry. Then I make a mold and put the iris that I painted in there surrounded with white plastic, which is like your sclera, the white part of your eye. The next time they come in I put the veins on and paint the sclera, and then I put it back in the mold with a clear overlay and process it. Next time they come in I deliver it.

Can you talk about your work with patients from Kalaupapa who had Hansen’s disease?
You know what, they’re all gone (chokes up). This brings out my emotions. My dad used to go there and fit them because there were plenty, but the last one died a year ago. Neat people, many of them. That’s a chapter that’s closed. Another one that will be coming to a close in time will be the 100th Battalion, 442nd special guys. The young ones are in their late 80s, so that will be another group I soon won’t be working with anymore

Monday, August 20, 2012

Legg enjoying basketball from an entirely new point. of view

Less than 10 months after the rare ocular melanoma that cost her left eye and nearly her life, Meredith Legg hasn't lost her ready smile and her enthusiasm about practically everything.
"I have to wear glasses the rest of my life," the former USC Aiken basketball standout told Mid-Day Lions Club members. "But that's okay. God gave me two eyes, and I've adjusted to having one. I am careful when I drive, because I really have a blind spot!" Legg said to laughter.
Lions International supports many sight programs and services, and Legg thanked the members for their support -- the cards, letters and flowers "and your outpouring of love."
Legg had completed her senior season at USCA in early spring last year as the program's all-time leading scorer. She was a few weeks from finishing school as an honor graduate with a business degree and had a job lined as an accountant with the URS Corporation.
She was shocked when she suddenly lost the sight in her eye, but that occurrence almost certainly saved her life. A specialist in Philadelphia found a tumor and used extended and painful radiation treatments to remove it, although the eye was lost permanently.
Legg returns to the specialist every four months to undergo tests with the understanding and acceptance that the cancer could return. She did graduate with her class last spring and has settled in at URS.
She and her family members had been through this kind of ordeal before: Legg's older brother was 18 when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He has been in remission for five years and Legg knew she could get through it too.
"I was in a state of mind knowing I could die at 22," she said. "I didn't want to take my life for granted. I was an emotional player on the court, and I had to learn a bit of calming down, that it could be worse. God had a reason for this, and I don't know if I have to understand or explain it."
Legg attended a Pacers' game Wednesday night. There's a Meredith Legg award now for courage in the face of adversity. She was the first recipient. And there she was in the stands, trying to send out mental messages to her friends on the court just one more time, but knowing she has to let that part of her life go.
She loved the Pacers, loved basketball and wanted to play forever, perhaps even professionally somewhere. She has found a new way to keep up with her sport, however, coaching a group of 9- to 12-year-old girls at Mead Hall. Now Legg realizes that God gave her those skills, that gift to share with others.
"They bring me absolute joy," she said. "They want to tell me about their whole lives. At this age, they have to learn basketball the right way, and I've always said, 'You can't pick it up and run with it.' I love it, and knowing I can make a difference really helps. We're doing really great."
Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.