Caledonia Argus

Student learns about living blind

Posted: 2/10/04

By Shannon McKinney
Argus News Reporter

ìYou have a pretty outfit on today,î says Tressa Young to Fay Gengler of Caledonia.

ìDo I?î she responds.

ìYes, itís maroon.î

ìOh, I meant for it to be black,î says Gengler.

Despite the mix-up, the pink in her maroon sweater matched well with her pink pants.

Wearing an unintended color is just one of the many quirks of living life blind.

Each week, Young, who is a nursing student in her senior year at Winona State University, learns a little bit more about Gengler and her life as a blind home maker.

Young visits Gengler for an hour each week as part of the nursing program to gain experience working with someone in the community.

She helps Gengler set up her medication for the next two weeks: six pills in the morning and five at night.

While Tressa works on the medication, Gengler talks about the last week like the weather and how there has been three funerals at St. Maryís Church.

She switches to, ìI love to eat really good cold weather food, spare ribs and sauerkraut.î

Much later in the conversation Gengler mentions that she accidentally cooked up spare ribs and stew meat. ìI didnít intend to have spare ribs and stew meat, I was hoping it was pork chops. I didnít know Iíd eaten them all up,î she said.

Itís Youngís job to check on any aches and pains that Gengler might have, similar to a visit from a public health nurse.

Gengler complains about her hearing aids. ìIím going to have to go over to the hearing aid specialist. It shouldnít squeak like this. It just makes me mad.î

Gengler would like to teach Young more about being blind, but an hour every Thursday does not allow a lot of time. Last fall, another student from Winona State assisted Gengler each week for several weeks. She said, ìI was trying to show them different things. When itís nice, Iíll show her (Tressa) cane travel. I use it here in the house and it gets me around faster.î

Gengler begins talking about how to tell the difference with money. ìIf itís folded the long way, itís a dollar; in half is a $5; dimes have ridges.î

Gengler has been blind for 27 years and was born with congenital cataracts. Being accidentally hit in the eye with a ball made her good eye bad. She had to use the weaker eye to read with. She eventually lost all sight in 1977.

However, she still sees colors. They flash and are bothersome to Gengler.

Young asks questions like, ìHave you had any falls lately? How has your memory been?î

Young inspects Genglerís feet because one has a pad for the corn on it. She also checks for swelling.

Gengler has a health aide visit her five days a week for two and a half hours a day. She helps clean and cook around the house.

Gengler fried eggs for breakfast this morning. Sitting on a chair in the living room, I noticed an egg shell that had fallen to the kitchen floor, obviously unnoticed by Gengler. When the health aide came in to make lunch, I watched as she picked it up without a word and threw it away.

Young warms up her instruments to check her pulse and take her blood pressure reading. ì72, thatís good,î says Young of Genglerís pulse.

ìMy left shoulder hurts,î says Gengler, ìIt bothers me when Iím laying down.î

ìHave you tried a heating pad,î says Young.

ìIím not quite going to do that,î says Gengler.

Gengler gets up in the morning around 7:30 a.m. The health aide comes in the morning. Then she takes a nap from between 1 and 3 p.m., but wakes up in time to watch Dr. Phil at 3:30 p.m.

People will come over in the afternoons to read the mail, the church bulletin and The Caledonia Argus. She usually goes to bed after listening to the 10 p.m. news.

ìHow often do you see the doctor,î says Young.

ìI donít like going if I donít have to,î says Gengler.

ìDo you see a dentist?î

ìTwice a year, is that necessary?î

Switching once again to another topic, Gengler talks about the time last week when someone, who was helping put her clothes away, and didnít put things back exactly where sheíd left them.

ìIf they donít put them in the right place, I could just kill them. It took me awhile to figure out where they were,î said Gengler of clothes that had been inadvertently placed in the wrong drawer.

ìDo you look forward to talking to Tressa when she comes?î I asked.

Gengler paused for a few seconds thinking about what must have seemed like a silly question.

ìI kinda like it,î she said.

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