Finding Michael

I just got off the line with Mike from Ogden. Mike’s a guy with a disability, whose disability has progressed to the point that now he needs a power wheelchair for getting round. Mike is currently on Medicaid which should be the program designated to get such equipment but because Mike received a manual wheelchair about a year and a half ago he thinks he is ineligible to receive another piece of equipment for another three and half years. Mike was giving my agency’s name and number because someone has heard that somehow my program has access to used power wheelchairs. This thought is partly true. We run a website which has a webpage where we allow people who have used equipment and wish to sell, trade or donate that equipment, these folks are welcome to list that equipment on our webpage called the “Salesbank”. Many folk “out there” operate under the notion that our program actually has equipment to give away. I quash that thought quick as possible, and explain what my program offers and other programs which might assist him either obtain a ‘loaner’ device or a way of procuring a whole new piece of assistive technology.

I referred Mike back to his Medicaid officer, telling Mike to let his officer know that his disability has significantly progressed in the year and a half since he got is manual chair that now he needs a power wheelchair or his mobility. This can be pretty intimating for lad like Mike—I know I have had to deal with my share of governmental bureaucrats in my life with a disability so I also referred the guy to his local Independent Living Center, who one, might have power wheelchair which Mike might use until he resolves his issues with Medicaid and two, has one of the IL staff act as an advocate for Mike to make sure the consumer does not get the “consumer around” . Now, I don’t know if his IL will come up with such a beast, but I feel they should. Most IL’s have a “loan closet” of sorts. A room stuffed with assistive technology usually donated by a family of a person with a disability after they croaked. Most of this equipment is pretty darn good some of the equipment is brand new. The IL usually has enough stuff to ‘loan’ the equipment out indefinitely if need be.

I was on the phone with Mike for at least thirty minutes. I gave out some great information which I think was right on the caller’s needs. I ended the call with Mike committing to carry through and make contact with the referrals I gave him. I disconnected the call and returned to my “In” basket to try to get something done on the grants project looming over my head when my phone rang and I connected the call to my headset and I immediately recognized Mike’s voice. It was deje vu. Mike started the call exactly as he had done before…I broke into his litany informed Mike that we had just finished a conversion and he had calls he had to make, it was like a scene from Finding Nemo. I quickly reoriented Mike to the data on his tablet of paper, or what ever he was using, he located the numbers and quickly disconnected the call. It’s been 45 minutes and Mike has not called back maybe I connected maybe I didn’t but I am sure I’ll do it all over again tomorrow one way or the other.

Delima

I have been trying to figure out how to do this post for a couple of days now. Remember, last week, when I posted about our office being broke into and my program’s computer being ripped off and the other office’s computer projector
being taken? Well, since the incident the office has seemed to be in a low boil.

Because we are a State office, anytime like the break in, or the threatening phone call has to be reported to the “mother ship” and the “mother” gets all involved in the disguise of Risk Management who begins to tell us what we are going to do or at least gives us strong input of choices we might choose. Edicts started flying: “No one stays in the office by alone” which means I leave then office at 5:30 p.m. instead of 6:00 p.m. and the doors to our office are to be locked: All this because we have the Consulate of Mexico in the offices above our offices. Oh and the coupe de grace, we are strongly considering’ moving to another building, a State building somewhere out in Egypt, in an area of the City I don’t think is anymore safe then the area we are currently in.

The problem I am having is I like this office space, in this building in this part of town with or with out the Mexicans and if it were not the Mexicans it would be the homeless drifters and if not the homeless drifters it would be the local supporters of the local professional basketball team: The Chokers. The problem is that in all likelihood we will be moving into a heartless, soulless drab government building into a cubical! A cubical with State droids walking all round like a scene from the Matrix.

The upside of the solution is the earliest we could move into the property suggested by Risk management would be a little over a over, as I understand. A building is being vacated by a sister agency, who is going to a brand new building. I guess the old building needs to be cleaned up and what ever. A year is a long time, actually, a lot of things can happen in a year, a lot of things.: A lot of things to the building, the neighborhood, the job or even me. Maybe this is a wake up call for me to appreciate how good I have things right now. To enjoy my ‘window on the west’, excellent public transit accommodations and great facility with international flavor and intrigue just upstairs.

You know, I labored under the idea the boss liked these things too, the items in this building that liked but I feel she is going to cave but more to the idea that we are paying for way to much space here then we need and the gave that the folks from Risk Management are offering her a deal a price at significant dollars per square feet less then we are now paying. Money, now there is a concept I can understand but I still don’t have to like ‘move’ decision. And again, a year is a very long time and new pandemic may make the who issue a moot point.

Lazy ?

It's Sunday Morning and I still have not blogged since Wednesday!! Either I am too busy, tired or not round the system , or out of the mood. Well, this entry is something and I want to get back today at some time and crank out 500 words about the result of all the legal an illegal stuff which has been happening at the office but now I think I'm going to the hospital...for some breakfast.

Mid-Week

Its like 75 degrees right now outside my window a I wait for the clock to hit five thirty when I will fling myself out the doors from my office like a scene of Bart Simpson being let out of school. I had the meeting with one o my four funders today and it does not sound good but definitely there was a silver lining to the possible funding cut. If we were to find that “silver lining” it would men a lot more work for this little office of one and half people but could also mean more fun. We would be using a lot more technology and INTERNET stuff. We would be doing more on line broad casting and interviewing. The funder said this could have great potential. we’ll just see. One of the first things we’ll do is to start a blog about the agency we are talking about and invite people who use the services to blog their own responses to the quality of services they receive. This was sort of a green light to really play at work.

So the week is almost over and the worst of it is done. I have yet a newsletter to help write and get out and a broadcast to host come Thursday morning and then it is the weekend. I am looking forward to a nice quiet weekend

Short moments of time

Short moments of time is all that we ever spend together. I had to be at work this morning to “tumble” numbers. To get year end data together is some readable form that my boss can use to pry more funding from State agencies we serves and others whom we might in hopes that our little agency will not “wink” out of existence, being the latest victim of a failing economy. I should have stayed home to send off my daughter and her little family who are heading back to Salem today now that the family convergence is complete. Any other week of the year, just about, I would not had a problem taking half a day off to see Shelly away.

Actually, as it turns out Shell and Dustin planned to leave as early as possible and so my crashing round the house was for the best since then ended up leaving just minute after I left the house this morning. But as I was speeding down the street in the pre-dawn darkness, I wondered if our parting was to “light” or should I be suffering more at our parting like in the great movies: Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story or Old yeller? I was thrilled to see the kids especially the newest granddaughter, Riely, who just wowed us. Riely smiled and smiled for everyone—she truly is a people baby and a good baby. At 14 months she is brilliantly energetic and funny. On the verge of speech, Riely cutely signs, dances and loves images of out dog cinnamon which we have hung round the house. But no, there was no lump in the throat or fear I would never see the kids again. I will—maybe not as much as I would like, if they lived in the same city as I but we will. We’ll text, email and cell phone each other and even set our the camcorders to talk and see each other via the INTERNET. We have done that a little in the past but maybe we should get back into the whole virtual visiting. It’s not like having the soft clutching hand hold on to your little finger as she scouts round your power chair but almost as good to her being there.

In a weak moment we suggested that Dianne and I would host a meal for newly weds and family at our house on Sunday following the wedding. We did it we held a spaghetti dinner, with rolls, salad, garlic bread angel hair pasta, pre-made meat balls and sauce I cooked for hours. Strawberry pie, reese’s peanutbutter cake left over from the wedding champagne and vino and representatives of at least three different families. We think the number was 17 in all but we are nut sure. We put in the extra leaves in the table and brought in the long table from the garage—it was crowded but fun they way family functions should be. I was pleased there was little stress and enough food.

So it’s done, the convergence is past, relegated to the collective conscience of those who attended and participated in these events, a pile or receipts somewhere and thousands of digital images which will document these events form time and all eternity.

Today is Charles's wedding, this evening at 6:00. The fam has more or less congregated and so far so good. There is a few underlying currents of stress but nothing Earth shattering. we so far have had one family gathering yesterday evening at a local pizza place. A little chaos but good food and good conversation. Special thanks to mark and Kristy for providing the family with the pizza and the experience.

Shelly and Dustin arrived about middle of the afternoon and we yammered for a couple hours before the group left for The Pie Pizzeria. I like the The Pie but the "pie" as a university hang out and hot spot. "The Pie" has now transitioned to a family spot at a couple of places round the valley or maybe the West as it transitions. Of course to us the guest of honor was Riley, our newest granddaughter. Riley is 14 months now and she is doll. Riley definitely knows how to smile and to work the room She was able to woe us even after hours of traveling in a small SUV I was so engrossed in the tyke that I forgot to take images. Hopefully I'll get images someday and tomorrow . The little family intends to soend the next two nights with us. I wish I could write more but feel the pressure toi start tumbling numbers for my year end report--which is due Tuesday morning.

Blog Neglect and I am Sorry!

Hey, I know I’m sorry I have neglected the blog but I do have a life too and that life I getting pretty crowded right now. Stresses at the office, new and grander then ever before and sounds like those stresses will only get greater as the year progresses. I am still struggling to acclimate to my new power chair, which is coming along but still is challenging. The Tilt function has continuously worked since my visit to the wheelchair shop a couple of weeks ago. I signed taxes yesterday which will be electro-mailed today. I am waiting for my new cushion and today I am supposed to go up to the university for a dr’s appointment about my but. My step-son(long story) is getting married this weekend an the fam is converging. I am playing friendly tug a war with daughter and her family, and where will she sleep( a who’s house) and all the other issues family gathering can cause. Then this week the county started tearing up the bridge and road I use to access my train—morning and night pushing me to explore other training stations with in rolling distance from my home. And this morning I woke to torrential rain and I wavered and woke Dianne and begged her to drive me to the station which she did…maybe snow tomorrow.

Trust Issues

I’m trying to stay upbeat and believing in my new powerchair but this is a challenge. I think I have mentioned the issue once before of the powerchair freezing the tilt mode. I was hoping against hope that this was a fluke, something which just happened. But now the frequency of the problem seems to becoming more and more frequent which is not good.

Thursday at the office, the day of my last broadcast I was tilting and the chair froze. What I have been ding is waiting a few minutes and the chair usually would begin operating again but it did not do begin to operate even after ten minutes. I eventually called the shop but when I jut as I got the tech on the phone mysteriously the chair began operating. I should have just left the chair in the up position but like the idiot I am-- I immediately launched into another tilt and this tilt stuck( ninety minutes before the broadcast). No matter what we did the chair would not function. The tilt function has an override feature which will not allow the chair to move forward or any direction for that matter. For some magical reason, about 45 minutes to broadcast the chair started operating and continued operating perfectly the remainder of the day. When the broadcast was done I booked back to my office and called the shop and scheduled an appointment for the following day. Mathew, the tech I talked with, said the problem was most likely small and should be easy to isolate and fix.

So yesterday, Friday, my day off, the first day of my weekend I am up ready to go so as soon as I think I can get way with it I head to Magic Rest, I take my van because I had a number of things to do. I ran into Josh, the head tech who had be cycle through my tilt function ad luckily the chair seized. Josh tinkered. There are two “sensor strips or pads” and these strip are pretty sensitive. If there is something on the pads the chair stops working, like child’s hands, tails and what ever else might land there. If the cover of the pads become ajar this can cause the problem too. Josh did some adjusting and the seat seemed to work. Josh did leave me this the caveat that if the problem continued then make an appointment and the tech’s would do an in depth search of th chair and it’s sytems to find out what the real problem is. This all seemed to make sense to me and I am easy so I was out and finished my errands and went on home. I decided to tilt back as soon as I got squared away in the house. I went all the way back and sure enough the seat froze. The whole chair froze, of course, and stayed that way for at least a half hour. It was late in the day and I finally for the chair to begin working a little so I would cycle the chair back and forward. Some times the chair would almost come back to the corrected seated position.

Finally, I got the seat to almost to where it should be but the seat was don enough I could drive my chair to where I needed to go and I was able to transfer back to my manual wheelchair . In the safety of my manual wheelchair I messed with the power chair, specifically the power strips and the seat started working correctly. Today I have not had any problems. So hopefully its fixed but I will still take the chair in for an inspection. But the issue of trust is what’s on the line—you gotta trust your chair just like you gotta trust you car or your pharmacist—its all trust.

Peeper Terror

Don't Tread on Us!!

I wish I knew how to make recordings off my telephone. If I did, I would record the message which was on my answering machine this morning when I got to work. And really the message was not that explicit it was the tone of the little jerk who was leaving the message which I found the most intriguing.

Long time readers will remember about a year or so ago I wrote a post about how the Mexican Consulate had moved into the building and how, it seemed, every Mexican national was J-walking across he street infront of my office. Well nothing has changed much since then except the flags above our building have never really been changed or taken care of and are looking pretty ratty now days. I have even noticed this from time to time but have never been motivated enough to do anything about the flags neglect. Ill, apparently this neglect has also been noticed by a few other folks in the community. One Alfred P. Dorkus, to name one (note the name has been changes to protect ME in case Dorkus ever runs into this blog, a long shot I am sure but one can never be too careful especially in Utah. Of course Dorkus lives in a small city in ah County, probably the most conservative county in the Country, and of course the call was time stamped on my answering machine at 2:25 a.m.!! So, I have a mental image of this red neck, sitting in some redneck bar until they kick him out. Somewhere in the evening he has become aware that the consulate and the ratty tatty American flag flying over our building and cannot stop grinding his teeth over this overt national discretion, even though he was a religious draft dodger, dope smoking his way to being a world class dead beat dad, and that he and his posse was going to do some thing about it.

So get this, this fool Dorkus, not only calls my 800 line and leave this veiled message of death and destruction to my office if we don’t fix this problem immediately but he also finds my email and the email of everyone at this office and the email of all the big shots in state government and does the same to them. I mean was Dorkus even the least bit thinking? Did he not think that someone in all these folks would take him the least bit serious and call law enforcement. I did not pay much attention to the phone call but when I played the call to some of my office mates they all did take the call serious and my boss instructed me to call the cops and report the call.

Since the call came in through my 800 number I got to be the complainant, the cops talked to me first and go my take on everything, then the special crimes unit arrived, wondered round took pictures from across the street of the flags in question and then Officer Bob spent a lot of time cruising the asking questions and writing stuff down. I bet he was here over two hours—must have been a slow crime day because we got a lot of attention.

I am tired now, and I started this day tired. Tomorrow I will try to get pics of the new flags TOMORROW SHOULD BE WRMER THEN TODAY!

Weekend?

Why is it every time I think am going to have some time for myself I find myself slam blasted back in to child rearing?! Its not that I am complaining, ok well maybe I am complaining a little, but I am beginning to see pattern develop here.

The coveted never ending three day weekend, by never ending I mean, one week after another that I am currently enjoying as a State employee. So, last week it was Spring break and Anakah was over Wednesday night home on Thursday night and Friday night. Now, don’t get me wrong Ani is great and tons of fun but she can be high maintenance at times: Anakah likes to be watched as she play her video games, my video game, and draw with pastels. Ani has been perched at my foot with her set of pastels dutifully sketching out beautiful pastel pieces of art right along with me. Bunnies, spring flowers, tree and clouds are sketched, perfected, dates and signed and the drug into grandma for validation along with my creation. We sort of have this un spoken agreement that we will both do the exact number of creations—we start and finish about at the same time. Ani’s creations are concrete real things the way they should look, where as mine are much more abstract—a lot of drawing a picture then wiping the whole image off leaving just a breath of a memory of what had originally been.

Maybe if the spring has not had such a hard time catching on in the Inter-mountain region I would have been better able to flee the house and be outside either in my garage or taking my new chair out for a run. Actually this statement is not really true because each day An was at the house we did take off in the fridge winter spring we seem to be suffering through this year. On Friday we motored down to the cousin’s to pick up the van which was have a wheel repaired. We rode the bus and wonder round Murray where Anakah showed me where she has ballet and other old buildings of the city . Of course we stopped at Beans and Brew, KFC. Yesterday we went to Sunshine market, the local hippy high end which has recently opened in our neighborhood. And again, we were out in the snow, rain and cold air in a train ride which would never end. I was trying to find a bus which would drop us off closer to the house but I had forgotten a lot of bus routes stop operating all together on the weekends. So there back and forth train ride punctuated by a tri to the hospital where Ani could use the bathroom and gift shop and restaurant if the nine year old had been able to wear me down. All this time Anakah was running beside me or riding on the back of my new chair. She tried sitting on my lap but she is really too big for lap sitting anymore, the weight of a nine year old and her head now occludes my vision. I think Anakah was exhausted by the time we got home yesterday afternoon. I was and I had sat all the way Anakah had run the entire distance.

So maybe the lesson is accept the fate of constant involvement, Grandma did her time the firs nine years and now its my turn or term, what ever. I need to see my “constant three day weekend” as a chance to be part of my granddaughters life that I might not always have access to.

The Fool of April

Yesterday was t truly a dark day. Generally, I don’t believe in dark days or ‘having a bad day’ or what ever and yesterday being April 1st sort of made sense if I was to be fooled by the gods yesterday would have been the day.

Remember I had my follow up appointment at the University Wound Center scheduled for yesterday at 11:00 a.m. Brent, the sales-guy and Randy my PT were also going to meet with me following the wound clinic visit and discuss the issues I was having with the new power chair: the Quantum. I had worked late the night before attending the Spinal Cord Injury Forum and manning an information table and had gathered a number of hours over my time so I decided to take the morning off and hang at the house with Dianne and then travel up to the University together since Dianne was going as my medical advocate and service provide which she has been during this battle of the decube. We have figured if she can go with me of these appointments and get the benefit of these professionals working on my body we will significant limit the ravages of aging with a disability. Anakah also joined us since she is in the middle of spring vacation. And were looking after her for the next couple of days.

I started the day sleep deprived, we had stayed up late , for a work night, and I was dragging. But we scooped Anakah up and stopped at Denny’s for a couple of Grand Slams. We got lost once on the drive up to the medical center and all of the sudden the all the time we thought we had pro-actively generated was quickly dissolving. Dianne had slept poorly and was dragging too and I could sense stress mounting as we wandered the “avenues” of North East Salt Lake and finally found ourselves back on tack for the University Medical Center pulling into the parking area just in time. I deployed and checked in and waited, but we were there on time.

Kevin, the wound clinic guy, again spent time filing my butt and dressing showing Ani and Dianne. How best to care for my wounds. What was suppose to be a half hour treatment turned into an hour. Randy was antsy by the we rolled into the PT area but again we had a good face to face with Brent and Randy mediated great and we are going to be getting some other items which make the chair as comfortable as it can be. The three of us ended up having lunch at the cafeteria and Dianne and Ani dropped me off at the office. I as struggling to stay away and I could tell Dianne was becoming more and more stressed so I said good by and the two of them drove off only to return fifteen minutes to report something evil had happened to the van and it was all Dianne could do to drive the van back the parking area in the rear of my office.

It was a melt down the three of us were exhausted. Dianne was trying to get home where she could get some rest and now was relying on public transit and there is currently no bus stops close to my office. Chapman , work partner was watching this meltdown occur finally stepped up and said if they could leave immediately , she could drive the two home to Murray. Chapman’s benevolence was a Godsend. Te van spent the night in the parking area and I Trained home, as always but I was exhausted. In fact I used the power chairs tilt in place feature to lay back on the train trip home.

I got home and once in side the house I again tilted back in my chair andm for the first time while I was tilted in the “back “position for some reason the chair stopped working, a glitch! Glitches are not bad for some things but a high end power chair, the second week owner ship for the crucial part of the system to fail is really spooky or maybe it is just the April,1st Prankster working its magic on me. I did not like it.