Freddie

This is my new friend Freddy. I met Freddy this morning over at the Death Star as I like to call IHC Medical Center. I was over at the medical center to visit the wound care center for the wound have had on my rear end for the last couple weeks or at least I thought that I had a wound on my rear end which pleasantly turned out to be not the case. I suppose the great medical support I've gotten from my caregiver Honey is to thank for that as well as the dressing that she applied to the wound site because the professionals who looked at my but today said there was no skin breakdown. The nurse practitioner indicated she could see where there had been some issues but as of now there were none. I am so relieved. They gave me some medications,some prescription salves and ointments and set me on my way along with the Council to wisely stay off my butt as much as I can or at least do my pressure releases.

I had gotten to the medical center fairly early so I could grab some breakfast before going to my appointment with wound care. The appointment I thought was four 9:05 AM. When I got to the office and checked in they indicated that my appointment was actually for 9:50 AM. So I had an hour to kill. When I first got off the elevator I saw this quadriplegic sitting in a chair over by the stairs. Actually I was surprised to see a number of spinal cord injured folks being seen by this wound clinic. This is positive. What I also I believe is positive is that they have a container of snacks for people waiting for their appointments. I was impressed to see a small package of Oreos available. I grabbed one and rolled over to where the fellow in a wheelchair was sitting opening the cookies I offered him one and he took the treat. We started a conversation. I found out he was a quadriplegic (which was very obvious). He told me his name is Freddie and that he is from Central America. He got shot in the neck 25 years ago result in his disability. He comes to the wound clinic once a week to get a treatment for a long-term wound. He told me that his appointment was until 130 that afternoon but he like to come early to get out of his house. He liked being at the medical center because they were people there walking around and I think living. Freddie says he comes down to the medical center a lot just to hang out. I can appreciate that in fact I used to do that a lot in the old days after I had sustained my injury. Freddy was easy to talk to and very inquisitive as to how I live my life. I found myself falling back into my role as a peer counselor. I have to be careful doing such things as peer counseling because it's easy to overdo the role. This is important when you no longer are employed in that role.

Freddie desperately wants a wheelchair van. He cannot drive but he wants the freedom that he could get if he had a wheelchair van and had attendants drive for him. He has very little funding and I'm not really sure how he survives. He did confide in me that is basically undocumented. He also indicated that because he does not get Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid or some other supportive program that he is relied on different individuals and private nonprofit programs to get him needed items like catheters, Chux, and other items needed by a person with a disability to live day by day. I saw myself getting sucked in to the position of a saver – – I'm not a saver anymore. I can certainly give this gentleman some direction gladly I will do that. I may even advocate for him to a certain degree but it's up to Freddie to take responsibility for himself which I really think you can do.

We traded phone numbers by Freddie calling my phone and by doing so establishing a link one to each other via the phone system. He wants to buy my wheelchair van. I told him my van is a dog out of a hard time selling it to anybody but he still wants it. Freddie thinks it's his key to freedom I think it's his prison if he doesn't watch out. I gave the price of what I would consider selling it for he said he's going to go and see if he can find the money. I gave some options of where you might find some possible funding and I don't know if you pull it off but if anybody could do it I think Freddie can. He figured out a way to get himself to the United States from Central America this boy has some great skills.