Well, I took a little time off from... well, everything! From this blog, as well. I took a trip home to visit my family (where I sadly had to work and continue my school work, but spent most of the week relaxing in the company of my family), then came home to immediately hop in the car for an unexpected weekend in San Francisco with Hubby.
Now, I'm back! I spent most of yesterday just trying to adjust back to the correct time zone (read: napping), but I have so much going on this week with school and work, I just couldn't take any time off today. The month is coming to a close, so I have to get in my final hours for February, and I have several projects that need some serious work for school. I feel a little bit like I'm treading water in a wave pool, but I know myself, and I always manage to pull it off in the end. It just takes a little bit of focus, a little bit of caffeine, and a few reminders about what my ultimate goals are and just how much they mean to me.
I'd like to post something deep and meaningful, but I just haven't the time. Aside from that, there's not that much to say! The vacation(s) was(were) amazing, I'm still riding the high that is having my protective order extended to a year, and, for the time being, my PTSD symptoms are a distant thunderstorm--close enough to make out the rumblings of thunder, but not close enough to see any lightning or roll up the car doors.
C is amazing, as usual. She taught herself how to wheel her wheelchair around the airport this past week, and she wheeled herself around San Francisco a little bit this weekend, too. Now the hard part is keeping her hands off the wheels while she's being pushed! ;) She is happy and healthy, and has been eating like a starved dog these past two weeks, so I'm hoping to see a little bit of a growth spurt soon.
Things with Hubby couldn't be better. I am grateful every day to have him, and I couldn't have been happier to spend the weekend running around SF with him. He is truly a wonderful man, and he's lifted me up through so much lately, I can't imagine my life without him. I'm a little bit in love. ;)
Well, that's about all the time I can afford to spend on things not-work. Back to the grind!
Showing posts with label wheelchair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wheelchair. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Good Things
C got her brand new wheelchair yesterday afternoon, and today she took it for a test spin around the kitchen: She figured out how to do this all on her own.
I'm just about to go pick up the new kitty from the vet. I can't wait!
In fact, I don't have to wait any longer, so I WON'T wait! :D
I'm just about to go pick up the new kitty from the vet. I can't wait!
In fact, I don't have to wait any longer, so I WON'T wait! :D
Friday, February 10, 2012
What A Great Day!
Today was one of those rare days when I truly get to sleep in as late as I want. Of course, it didn't quite work out that way, because my phone rang at the much-too-early 10:30 and woke me up. How rude! ;)
I had some work to get done today (in fact, at 9pm, I still have a few minutes' worth left to finish), but that's no big deal. It's mindless work, done at my home computer, while sipping Starbucks and listening to music if I feel like it. I don't mind working a few hours a day, especially when I think about the paycheck I'll be getting at the end of the month! ;)
I left the house three times today. The first trip out was to go sell an amp that I haven't been using, so I started the day out by clearing a large item out of my house and getting a handful of cash in exchange. Nice!
The second outing was a total surprise, out-of-the-blue, last-minute trip for something WONDERFUL: We adopted a kitty! I was trying to look up whether it's legal to own potbelly pigs within city limits here (in furtherance of a drawn-out IM joke with a friend about what to give Hubby for Valentine's Day), and I stumbled across the local animal shelter's website with a listing of adoptable pets. I only checked the cats to see if our missing cats happened to be on there, but instead, I found this beautiful little guy, only a few months older than the kitten. I linked his profile to Hubby, who responded by saying he preferred this other (female) cat. I agreed that she was quite lovely, and he pointed out that there were only 30 minutes until the shelter closed for the day, so I'd better get going! Hubby's not the impulsive type, but I guess he sensed that the house has felt a little bit empty since our two adult cats disappeared... In any event, once I had the go-ahead from him, I immediately packed up C, jumped in the car, and drove to the shelter to meet this lovely cat face-to-face! She was just THE sweetest cat I have ever met, she took to C right away, and she seemed like she'd be a perfect fit for our home.... So I signed the papers!
The only downside to the adoption is that she hasn't been spayed yet, and the shelter won't release an animal until it's been altered, so I called up our vet and made a surgery appointment. They're going to spay her on Tuesday, so the shelter will drop her off to be boarded overnight at the vet Monday night, and, once she's recovered from surgery Tuesday afternoon, I get to bring her home!
Because Hubby picked her out, and because my rule has always been female dogs and male cats only, I let him name her. Lady Gretchen Jameson McFluffington, 3rd Duchess Poofyhuntershire. Yeah, I married a strange one. ;) He actually chose Florence, but I vetoed that in favor of Gretchen. The vet said her name was too long for the file, so they're simply calling her Lady Gretchen and ignoring her title of nobility. That's okay, I think we can forgive them for that!
Lady Gretchen Jameson McFluffington, 3rd Duchess Poofyhuntershire.
The third venture out of the house today was to have a rare, delightful dinner out with Hubby and C. We rarely go out because C tends to get overly vocal at the dinner table, and we don't have a sitter, so when Hubby offers it up, I grab at it with both hands!
The highlight of the day was absolutely adopting Duchess Poofyhuntershire, but that wasn't the only bright moment in my day. I also received the copy of the Extended Protective Order in the mail--documentation that my abuser cannot come near me or C for an entire year (after which point, I suspect he'll be in prison for his pending felony charges). Although it's been official for two days, it was really reassuring to get the paperwork in the mail. I feel like framing it and putting it up on the wall!
Yet ANOTHER positive thing happened today (I know, it seems impossible for this much good to occur in a single day!) when I contacted the Disabiliy Resource Center at my university. As it turns out, my mental health diagnoses qualify me for disability services and accommodations. Things like untimed tests, or taking tests in a room without classmates, things to help ease stress about assignments and exams... All of these are good things that I have struggled all my life without, but am finally self-aware enough to ask for assistance with. Maybe the next time I'm too depressed to go to class for three weeks, I'll get some leeway instead of a D in my dance class! ;) It will be nice to have my disabilities documented and respected for what they are.
OH, and I got the call today that C's custom wheelchair is ready and can be picked up Monday! WOOHOO!!
On that note, I'm going to finish up my work for the night and wrap up this wonderful day with some television in bed. I get to sleep in again tomorrow... Here's hoping the rest of the day is as great as today was!
I had some work to get done today (in fact, at 9pm, I still have a few minutes' worth left to finish), but that's no big deal. It's mindless work, done at my home computer, while sipping Starbucks and listening to music if I feel like it. I don't mind working a few hours a day, especially when I think about the paycheck I'll be getting at the end of the month! ;)
I left the house three times today. The first trip out was to go sell an amp that I haven't been using, so I started the day out by clearing a large item out of my house and getting a handful of cash in exchange. Nice!
The second outing was a total surprise, out-of-the-blue, last-minute trip for something WONDERFUL: We adopted a kitty! I was trying to look up whether it's legal to own potbelly pigs within city limits here (in furtherance of a drawn-out IM joke with a friend about what to give Hubby for Valentine's Day), and I stumbled across the local animal shelter's website with a listing of adoptable pets. I only checked the cats to see if our missing cats happened to be on there, but instead, I found this beautiful little guy, only a few months older than the kitten. I linked his profile to Hubby, who responded by saying he preferred this other (female) cat. I agreed that she was quite lovely, and he pointed out that there were only 30 minutes until the shelter closed for the day, so I'd better get going! Hubby's not the impulsive type, but I guess he sensed that the house has felt a little bit empty since our two adult cats disappeared... In any event, once I had the go-ahead from him, I immediately packed up C, jumped in the car, and drove to the shelter to meet this lovely cat face-to-face! She was just THE sweetest cat I have ever met, she took to C right away, and she seemed like she'd be a perfect fit for our home.... So I signed the papers!
The only downside to the adoption is that she hasn't been spayed yet, and the shelter won't release an animal until it's been altered, so I called up our vet and made a surgery appointment. They're going to spay her on Tuesday, so the shelter will drop her off to be boarded overnight at the vet Monday night, and, once she's recovered from surgery Tuesday afternoon, I get to bring her home!
Because Hubby picked her out, and because my rule has always been female dogs and male cats only, I let him name her. Lady Gretchen Jameson McFluffington, 3rd Duchess Poofyhuntershire. Yeah, I married a strange one. ;) He actually chose Florence, but I vetoed that in favor of Gretchen. The vet said her name was too long for the file, so they're simply calling her Lady Gretchen and ignoring her title of nobility. That's okay, I think we can forgive them for that!
The third venture out of the house today was to have a rare, delightful dinner out with Hubby and C. We rarely go out because C tends to get overly vocal at the dinner table, and we don't have a sitter, so when Hubby offers it up, I grab at it with both hands!
The highlight of the day was absolutely adopting Duchess Poofyhuntershire, but that wasn't the only bright moment in my day. I also received the copy of the Extended Protective Order in the mail--documentation that my abuser cannot come near me or C for an entire year (after which point, I suspect he'll be in prison for his pending felony charges). Although it's been official for two days, it was really reassuring to get the paperwork in the mail. I feel like framing it and putting it up on the wall!
Yet ANOTHER positive thing happened today (I know, it seems impossible for this much good to occur in a single day!) when I contacted the Disabiliy Resource Center at my university. As it turns out, my mental health diagnoses qualify me for disability services and accommodations. Things like untimed tests, or taking tests in a room without classmates, things to help ease stress about assignments and exams... All of these are good things that I have struggled all my life without, but am finally self-aware enough to ask for assistance with. Maybe the next time I'm too depressed to go to class for three weeks, I'll get some leeway instead of a D in my dance class! ;) It will be nice to have my disabilities documented and respected for what they are.
OH, and I got the call today that C's custom wheelchair is ready and can be picked up Monday! WOOHOO!!
On that note, I'm going to finish up my work for the night and wrap up this wonderful day with some television in bed. I get to sleep in again tomorrow... Here's hoping the rest of the day is as great as today was!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Custom Wheelchairs
Although my daughter can walk short distances with her butterfly-covered pink AFOs, long distances just aren't in the cards for her right now. She tires easily, and she's just getting too big to carry around like a baby. Besides, she's not a baby--she'll be 4 in less than two months, so it's really time for me to stop acting like she's an infant.
Last year, we got her a pediatric wheelchair for Christmas. The thing is huge compared to her runt-sized frame, but it has a seat belt, it rolls, and it does the job. We use it for long days (like our 3-hour visit to Shriners Children's Hospital on Tuesday), sporting events, trips to the mall or other events that require a lot of walking, and for travel. (There is NO WAY I'm carrying this child through an airport while lugging around a diaper bag and carry-on. It's just not happening.) The wheelchair has been great. It has saved us a world of trouble and made our last few trips to San Francisco and Oklahoma a breeze. Unfortunately, the doctors told me on Tuesday that it simply will not do for Ceili. She needs a smaller, more lightweight wheelchair with a custom seat.
...A custom seat. For a wheelchair. I didn't even know such things existed! She needs something small enough to cradle her tiny body that will support her where her lack of a spine (okay, sacral agenesis and caudal regression) cannot. Easy! ...Or so I thought.
With the current wheelchair, we just shopped around online and picked from the three or so options for pediatric wheelchairs. Now there's a prescription involved, and insurance, and a medical device company that has to work with her physical therapist... It's insane!
The first place I found that carries wheelchairs in our area very politely told me that they do not contract with our insurance, and they referred me to the only company that does. Company B told me that they don't do custom anything, and I have to call back Company A and have them get special authorization from my insurance company if I want anything other than a wheelchair exactly like the one my daughter already uses. So I call the first company back, and they're very helpful (this was a long and tedious process, but everyone was really nice along the way, which was a pleasant change from the norm in our medical misadventures). After an hour of failed fax attempts, the prescription finally made it into their office, and I was told that someone from their company would be in contact with the physical therapist at Ceili's preschool to set up a time to discuss Ceili's wheelchair needs and to fit her for a seat.
At this point, I'm allegedly out of the process. All I do is sit back and wait while the company talks to my insurance company, meets with the PT, designs and builds my daughter's wheelchair, and then sends me the chair and the bill. Typing it out in one nice little paragraph really undervalues the struggle I went through to get to this point in the game. I was on the phone or hovering over a fax machine for nearly four solid hours yesterday, desperate to get the ball rolling before the holiday hit and everyone went home for the long weekend. It was crazy stressful and made my head spin.... But so do most things involving Ceili and doctors, to be fair.
So what have we learned so far about Ceili without me having to write up her medical history for you? She's visually impaired (legally blind due to bilateral colobomas of the iris, retina, and optic nerves); she has caudal regression, sacral agenesis, and scoliosis; she's small for her age; she uses assistive devices for mobility (AFOs and a wheelchair); she has cognitive delays. That's just the tip of the iceberg, really... But this blog isn't about listing all the things that make my child atypical, so I won't throw any more at you. We'll just continue to let things creep up naturally in my posts.
Last year, we got her a pediatric wheelchair for Christmas. The thing is huge compared to her runt-sized frame, but it has a seat belt, it rolls, and it does the job. We use it for long days (like our 3-hour visit to Shriners Children's Hospital on Tuesday), sporting events, trips to the mall or other events that require a lot of walking, and for travel. (There is NO WAY I'm carrying this child through an airport while lugging around a diaper bag and carry-on. It's just not happening.) The wheelchair has been great. It has saved us a world of trouble and made our last few trips to San Francisco and Oklahoma a breeze. Unfortunately, the doctors told me on Tuesday that it simply will not do for Ceili. She needs a smaller, more lightweight wheelchair with a custom seat.
...A custom seat. For a wheelchair. I didn't even know such things existed! She needs something small enough to cradle her tiny body that will support her where her lack of a spine (okay, sacral agenesis and caudal regression) cannot. Easy! ...Or so I thought.
With the current wheelchair, we just shopped around online and picked from the three or so options for pediatric wheelchairs. Now there's a prescription involved, and insurance, and a medical device company that has to work with her physical therapist... It's insane!
The first place I found that carries wheelchairs in our area very politely told me that they do not contract with our insurance, and they referred me to the only company that does. Company B told me that they don't do custom anything, and I have to call back Company A and have them get special authorization from my insurance company if I want anything other than a wheelchair exactly like the one my daughter already uses. So I call the first company back, and they're very helpful (this was a long and tedious process, but everyone was really nice along the way, which was a pleasant change from the norm in our medical misadventures). After an hour of failed fax attempts, the prescription finally made it into their office, and I was told that someone from their company would be in contact with the physical therapist at Ceili's preschool to set up a time to discuss Ceili's wheelchair needs and to fit her for a seat.
At this point, I'm allegedly out of the process. All I do is sit back and wait while the company talks to my insurance company, meets with the PT, designs and builds my daughter's wheelchair, and then sends me the chair and the bill. Typing it out in one nice little paragraph really undervalues the struggle I went through to get to this point in the game. I was on the phone or hovering over a fax machine for nearly four solid hours yesterday, desperate to get the ball rolling before the holiday hit and everyone went home for the long weekend. It was crazy stressful and made my head spin.... But so do most things involving Ceili and doctors, to be fair.
So what have we learned so far about Ceili without me having to write up her medical history for you? She's visually impaired (legally blind due to bilateral colobomas of the iris, retina, and optic nerves); she has caudal regression, sacral agenesis, and scoliosis; she's small for her age; she uses assistive devices for mobility (AFOs and a wheelchair); she has cognitive delays. That's just the tip of the iceberg, really... But this blog isn't about listing all the things that make my child atypical, so I won't throw any more at you. We'll just continue to let things creep up naturally in my posts.
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