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[Rosemary] My name’s Rosemary Thorndycraft. I’m 64 years old.
When I was 13 I was diagnosed with short-sightedness, Myopia
and when I was 17 I was diagnosed with Glaucoma.
I had successful operations on each eye and
I was able to live a very independent life until I reached my very early fifties,
when the scar tissue of the Glaucoma started to make my eyesight deteriorate.
My vision now is very poor, I see patches of things
and not the complete picture.
I find I don’t enjoy shopping anymore. I can’t go and look for somebody
that I’m trying to buy a birthday or Christmas present or anniversary present for
because I can’t see what’s in the shops.
I’ve been helped from RNIB with products for getting around with mobility and things like that.
I use a symbol stick.
You don’t feel your way with a symbol stick you hold it in your hand
and it shows other people that you’ve got eyesight problems.
Indoors I‘ve also got some RNIB products that help me to be independent.
I’ve got a digital radio, talking scales in the bathroom
which I always make sure the bathroom window’s closed so that only me hears the answer!
But when I’m cooking I use talking scales in the kitchen.
[Talking Scales] 6 ounces
I do do food shopping. I’m fiercely independent to still carry on
and do my food shopping and because I tend to stick with familiar
cakes and familiar things that I’ve done for a long long time
I know where the ingredients are in the supermarket.
I get slightly frustrated if the packaging changes.
I’ve always supported different charities and I’ve always tried
to do helpful things. Cake making particularly as fundraising.
I can follow a recipe with my illuminated magnifier which was given to me
through the social services of Ealing.
RNIB gave me all the advice of how to go ahead and get that.
I’m really thrilled that I’m able to do that with the use of reading recipes with the magnifier
and getting the quantities correct so that it’s a halfway decent cake
and not one that’s got too much of one thing
and not enough of another in.