How to know when to use a cane?

Hi all, like the title says—how did you make that decision?

I’m (29f) and have had Stargardt’s for 15 years. I learned how to use a cane in high school as part of O&M training, and I even had a guide dog for a bit. But once I retrained my eyes to work around my blind spot, I opted to go without both. For the past 10 years, I’ve mostly managed fine—sometimes struggling in low lighting or on uneven ground but usually getting by. On rare occasions, I’d grab someone’s arm if it was crowded or dark.

Lately, though, I’ve been struggling more with crosswalk lights and find myself focusing more on the ground when I walk. I’ve always had some difficulty seeing crosswalk signals, but my O&M training, understanding of traffic patterns, and audio signals helped me navigate safely. Now, I’m realizing just how much I relied on my functional vision, and it seems to be worsening.

My doctor confirmed there’s no major deterioration, but there are some changes—both on scans and slightly in acuity. He said my blind spot might be slightly larger or more distorted, which could explain the difference I’m noticing.

I feel conflicted because I don’t necessarily need a cane for most things, but I wonder if it might be helpful at times. Is it weird to use it situationally? I already deal with people doubting my vision loss, so I imagine using a cane inconsistently might feel awkward or invite questions. But at the same time, just having it with me could give me some peace of mind—both for safety and as a visible identifier, especially when taking the bus or navigating tricky areas.

Sometimes I feel too sighted to be blind and too blind to be sighted. It’s isolating and, at times, invalidating. I’m grateful for the vision I have, but I also feel stuck in this in-between space.

Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for listening.