Snoods Anonymous

Snood: Merriam Webster

Definition of snood. 1a Scottish : a fillet or band for a woman's hairb : a net or fabric bag pinned or tied on at the back of a woman's head for holding the hair.

I put the Webster's definition Snood in here just so that people realize that snood is a real thing and not just a name for a videogame – – not that that's important, but it's just interesting to note. I first became acquainted with the game Snood back in the days when I was working and I was chained to a PC computer all day long which I used to look up information to answer questions that I would get on the phone. One day a trip to cost the round face of Snood and thought it was intriguing. Up until that point the only video games that I had really ever really played was the initial version of Tetris that my buddy Kim exposed me to back in the old days of computers. Tetris was okay and certainly addictive and I certainly burned away many good hours watching the blocks fall and was even more intrigued when I inherited Kim's color monitor and realized that Tetris actually had colors on the blocks. But I realized I was a week soul and therefore kept my distance from all videogames until I came across the blue round face of Snood. The face looked harmless enough and I clicked on the innocent looking icon and downloaded the game.

I was soon playing the game much more than I intended. I particularly like the little cannon that launch the snood's. It gave me a rush I suppose is akin to the first-person shooter games that have engulfed the Internet of late. Side note: I did try first-person shooter games but they are way too complicated for an old guy like me to really get into. I suppose that's best all things considered. I wiled away with way too many hours between phone calls. I did take the calls will nobody ever suffered because of my addiction. But it was amazing how fast the morning could evaporate playing game after game after game. Such a simple game perhaps that's the addiction. You can win enough, you can keep firing that little cannon and the little guy keeps loading snood after snood after snood. Finally had enough guilt though never couple months slough the game away… Well not all the way I kept the icon on my computer screen and every once in a while but fire the cannon up and shoot away. But that was that so long ago when I was working.

A few days ago, I don't know what made me think of it. I was looking back on a lot of my old files and screens had saved from decades ago and suddenly there was the blue face of snood patiently waiting for me to weaken and press the download button. It seems forever that I've downloaded anything other than images from my cell phone are from one of the handhelds that I use. But it was simple couple clicks on my mouse and almost immediately download arrow showed on my screen. I got to the files for my downloads live the snood package was there. A quick double-click on it and before I knew it the software was being unloaded zipped on to my system. There was the blue face with big eyes and startled mouth nicely tucked in my icon tray the right-hand corner of my screen.

I couldn't wait for drug to snood icon onto my desktop and click and there was the choices of games to play, all snood all the time. I have had better mouse is to use for firing the snoods, but the one I have works just fine.I have to admit I was pretty rusty to spend a while but the little guy just keeps on loading snoods and I keep firingand I'm doing just fine. Already I'm probably hundreds of games into the program. I'm older now and I think better at allocating my time to this silly pastime. I don't know how long I will continue but for now I'm doing okay. I have not amassed scores that I had at one time but what the heck now I have the time not to guilt. Well actually I do have some guilt time is the only thing I have that I don't have much of it left. I've got a make every score count.

Rocky I Hardly Knew You

I think I worried about what to do with the remains of the little beast out in my potters cabinet all night long. I had weird dreams some bordering on nightmares. I had to figure out something to do with the fella. So after I'd gotten all my morning chores out-of-the-way I settled in on my day. I figured I had better get busy on operation Removal.

I of course turned to the Internet and typed in “dead animal removal”in my city and I was amazed at how many hits came up. So I picked the first gave them a call. I really did not think it through when I made the call. I didn't think there were organizations/businesses whose sole occupation was picking up and removing dead animals. So I got Marge on the phone – –, had that Utah twang in her voice – – and when I explained to her what I needed she just chuckled and said sure we can take care of that. It'll probably cost you between $50 and $100. I wondered if there'd be a charge and then figured these people are probably used to picking up dead cows, horses, buffaloes and other bizarre beasts that regular folk never think of… Of course there would be a charge. At actually already considered calling Murray Animal Control and seeing if they would do such a thing. It seemed only natural they would animal control and everything.

So I called Murray city and after five minutes of being transferred from one office to the next I finally got a hold of Animal Control. I explained to them my situation and though they had not jump into action they seems somewhat interested especially after I explained the dead beast was easy access and not under the house or something like that. Once they heard that Animal Control became much more cordial. They didn't even put me on hold, the girl who answered the phone just cover the receiver with her hand and you get here the muffled discussion going on in the background. After the discussion and a laugh or two I heard she came back to our conversation and said somebody would be out, she was not sure when, today at some point. I was relieved immensely.

I spent the next two hours out on my deck/ramp taking care of some business I could do from my cell phone and reading and waiting for the A/C guy. And sure enough officer B. White drove up in his little white pickup with Murray City emblazoned on the side. A very nice young man, we immediately went to the cupboard. He is relieved at how accessible the body was. It wasn't quite sure on how to approach the situation but he prodded and poked and realized the animal was “glued” to the floor of the Cabinet. He thought he might have to go back to the station and get a shovel but first we tried a prybar he had in the back of the unit. Sure enough scraping pushing and gouging at the little beast soon had him loose. Officer White then put on his black gloves got the black garbage bag and showed, but he claimed and I certainly believed was a raccoon which I immediately named Rocky. I never got a good view of Rocky, I didn't want a view of Rocky, I just wanted Rocky gone. And now he was. I asked officer White if I needed to do anything special to the death area and he said nah. He suggested if I was worried I could hose out the cupboard and then maybe shoot some bleach in there. It's all good it should be all right.

I'm just glad to have Rocky gone. I'm sure he's been in there since the cold time probably deep winter. He crawled in their probably to get away from the storm and just froze to death – – or maybe he was ill who knows probably rabid when in their and just died. Didn't realize we had raccoon problems this far away from the mountains but we do. Kind of spooky. Anyway just so you know it's taking care of and didn't cost no 50 bucks.

I See Dead Things

I don't do dead things well. Simple as that I just have a problem with dead animals. I'm sure dead human beings are just as bad for me, but luckily exposure to those objects are somewhat limited and usually when you do have to confront the corpse its under pretty controlled circumstances dressed up, made as pretty as possible and usually surrounded by a lot of living folk one way or the other. Animals that are dead on the side of the street, packed away in a garageort between the fence slats in the backyard that's another thing altogether.

I'm not sure what the etiology for my fear of things gone is all about. I mean I was raised on a farm more or less there dead things everywhere. One of my jobs was feeding the new calves, the ones we purchase from the auction,in the winter these poor little beasts were kept in the shed. Many times they were sickly when they bought them and many times they died in the shed. I fed them in the mornings for school and their carcasses which stay in the shed till dad was able to cart them out to a place where they would stay until the dead animal guy would come and take my way. Sadly when the temperatures dropped the poor little guys refrozen to the floor and would stay there till spring and I would have to step over the calf popsicles to get to the live beasts to feed them. Or maybe it was my older brother who seem to take great joy in finding dead cats around the farm and chasing me around with their bodies and the eyeless heads frozen in deaths rictus grin. I shudder just thinking of it. Whatever the reason I have almost the phobic reaction to these poor beasts.

We have a number of cupboards and closets in the back of the house on the patio. We keep a lot of our gardening supplies like plant food and bags of fertilizer and stuff. This is where I have my little pot garden – – vegetables I have in pots I guess I should clarify – – and where I keep the plant food that I supplement my tomatoes with every week. It was last week when I first realized there is something in the back of the one set of drawers but I keep the plant food in. Actually not in the drawers but in the space beneath the drawers certain like small closets. One of the doors is open ours off and we have a couple bags of plant stuff additives .  I noticed for the first time last week but look like a tuft of fur. I didn't really pay much attention to it and it was so far back in the closet I thought it was some sort of a jacket or something I got stuffed back there. It's so dark I can't make out hardly anything but on closer inspection when I look I could see there was what looked like a pile of fur. That is when I realized there is something dead, very dead in the back of my potters closet. I was still in denial thinking that maybe it's just some sort of fur-lined garment that was all. But when my son-in-law, Gabe, was over tonight I had Him  check and sure enough There was something or somebody in there. He thinks it may not be a cat all, but a raccoon but that doesn't make it any better dead is dead.So now I don't know what to do. I was hoping Gabe would just scoop up the remains put them in the dumpster But that didn't happen. And I can't blame him for not want to get involved I sure didn't. . So tomorrow I will call animal control and see if they'll come out pick up the remains and get them out of my Pottercabinet . If they won't do such a thing I am not sure what I'm going to do. Either way it's okay The little beast is long dead and on its way to being mummified… I hope.

Summer Sunday

There is a ShopKo round the corner from my house – – actually, it's a bit farther than around the corner let's say a couple blocks easily reachable by my power chair. In fact it's kind of on the way my physical therapy place so often when I'm done with therapy I will stop by ShopKo particularly this time year. In the spring they have a large canvas Quonset hut type of content which acts as a greenhouse. They also have all kinds of starter plants i.e. vegetables, fruit, flowers the usual stuff but it's fun to see what they've got and makes you think that maybe you can do something with what they've got. I think I wrote a couple weeks ago about purchasing some tomato plants. I got six of and planted them in the back and sure enough it seems like they have all taken on. I feed them once a week a lot of them daily and they seem to be growing. I've detect the new leaves and that's good sign. Some of the old ways of dying dropping way that bugs me a little bit but I think they're making they've grown a bit and I'm excited.

The other day I think I was on the way home from the dentists when I had my tooth repaired. This time of year the greenhouse is getting pretty hammered their ShopKo. They reduced the plants a third and last time and I think if a person doesn't act fast now they're out of luck till next year. So that in mind I looked at the plants once more and found the small but hopeful looking butternut squash. Butternut's and don't know I've grown them in the past, or we have groaned in the past and it's something I don't know if I can do from a raised garden. It's something almost needs to be in the ground good old terra firma. However, at $.99 a plant that actually had a bit of growth on it I thought why not it's worth the risk. There's probably 8 inches of plant emanating from the small round cup it'd obviously been started in. I thought if I soaked the cup good enough that I would have a day or two figure out where to place it. I actually have a fairly large flowerpot, really large flowerpot, you could actually stick a tree in and it would probably be just fine. I was thinking about it but whatever I did I didn't do it that day and like I said I soaked the cup, I thought fairly well, but when I went back there yesterday morning to check on everyone little Butternut was gone. There are still green left on the stock but I think I was just hoping for the best. I soak the plant and water and just hoped it would take but when I went back later in the afternoon the plant was crisp. I had hoped I was in time but nope I think it was gone I touched the green leaves and they were brittle and crumbled under my touch it was time. I grabbed the plant or what was left of it rolled over and put it in the garbage can. Probably just as well and don't think squash would of done well in the big pot and they didn't really have a way to get it in the ground where we had a plant/squash last year. So I will have to be happy with my tomatoes. I'm a bit worried because they have not yet shown any blossoms or buds for that matter. I'll just have to be patient make sure I have fed and well watered as we go into the heat up of summer.

Teeth Are Not TOOLS

One of the many challenges I face of the daily level is just mechanics of life, how do I do stuff? I'm usually okay in figuring things out and usually there is a way to do what I need to do that's not harmful/dangerous to me or others. But as I age I think that is becoming another one of the things of the past. I'm trying my hardest to stay min assist in always. One of the things that is been drilled into me over and over since early rehab days – – back in the 60s is that “your teeth are not tools”. I mean of course I always use my teeth (it's in other semi hard things. I've been blessed with strong teeth, hard teeth, as the dentist to said over time. When you're quadriplegic you got to use your teeth. You use your teeth teeth to open things, to hold things, tear things and of course chew. For years I have been closing the door to wherever I lived by biting down the cord that I have typed with doorknob and driving my chair forward I let go of the cord just before the door closes save my teeth but shutting the door. This is always worked and it still does fairly well.

Last week I bit down on something I don't remember exactly what. Is that a meal of some sort and my left front tooth sheared off are the fascia sheared off. I've course of traumatized but immediately thankful that, but what felt like a huge piece of tooth shearing off, did not have any pain associated with the shear off.. I immediately called my dentist who got me in a couple of days which kind of frightened because I did not know what other trauma might result from a huge to hang out there as I had. I just didn't seem to worry so I tried not to ensure enough everything worked out fine in fact he didn't even use anesthetic to do the job. Post a quite proud of myself. Like everything else I was thankful for the repair but the repair was not as good as the original tooth and I miss that.

Fast-forward one week, a couple days ago, and I was leaving the house with my string in my mouth closing the door behind me and somehow the string caught the new feeling/tooth repairand sure enough popped the repair right off. Which once again necessitated another call. I was fortunate and was able to get in to see my dentist Friday. He fixed me up and got me out. Now I have a decent smile again but the build up on the back of the tooth repair seem somewhat large in my lower teeth bite into it every time I chew. I hope this is survivable maybe when my dentist gets back from Alaska in a couple weeks he can do something by grinding some of that bulk on the back side of the front tooth off. If not I learned to live with it

So now I am forcing myself to close the door, when I exit the house, holding the cord in my hand. It's hard to do, kind of scares me but I got a do it I don't have the time, money or pride to keep showing up at my doctor's office to have repair my mistakes.

Keeping Busy

Yesterday I had physical therapy and that's it for this week. Two hours I had one hour on Monday of occupational therapy and then I had one hour yesterday. A lot of the time was spent with me being ranged and in the standing frame and having a come to Jesus talk with the therapist. She was let me know I was coming up on the end of my therapy sessions. There was some talk about trying to figure out a way to extend more sessions but we have to figure out a plan to do so that would not be in violation of Medicare protocols. Interesting, I don't know what I would do or will do when my sponsored therapy sessions run out. I guess I'll have to really look at finding something to do productive. I have thought about volunteering in the past but was just too arduous going through all their word little protocols just a volunteer at their agency. It's not worth it is to have not found one worth while yet. Perhaps a hotline is some sort I do fairly well doing phone work. Until then I'm doing little projects around the house which are kind of fun.

There's a ShopKo not far from where I do my therapy. I often go over there and roll through their gardening tent where they have all their plants for sale. Where in the middle of their end of spring sale for the trying to get rid of all the plants. I found some fairly good-looking tomato plants and purchased them. I only wanted one or two but the coming six plant containers so I took him all and went to the back patio and planted them in pots I had from last year and instantly I was gardening. I am quite pleased and surprised that the tomatoes of taken the seem to be quite strong. I'm also adding nutrients to the soil on a weekly basis. This is new for me and I think using the nutrients is making quite a difference. Now I just need to make sure they're watered okay and the slugs and snails and the other creepers stay away.

We also been getting back into some Chinese cooking which I love, mainly egg foo young, and a lot of the recipes I've looked at call for green onions. So Dianne bought some the other day and now I have bulbs to plant so I went and rescued some of the planters from last year and planted them this morning. And instantly, my little garden has gotten larger and my focus a little keener on something outside myself. My occupational therapist would be so happy. I'm trying not to fall prey to patting myself on the back but I have to admit this gardening thing – – occupational therapy – – really is good for me regardless of how limited my humble little garden is. Out so tickled if I can harvest some onions or onion greens and some tomatoes at Summers end.

We passed solstice, and even though you cannot tell the hours of daylight are getting shorter I sense they are. Winter is on its way way off, way out there. It's hot now, really hot. Things are changing. Right now these heat spells are just an anomaly and not dangerous to us here in the north west and Intermountain states but they could be and I am sure, sooner than later the heat will become dangerous and prophecies will be realized. Hope that's off 10 or 12 years – – is that just irresponsible or what.

Reunion

It's over! Smith reunion 2016 is over. It was good to see everyone who came. We pressed a great deal into a short amount of space. We enjoyed ourselves as a family I think most of the time. I think the reunions have gotten quite challenging for a lot of the family who travel great distances to be here and there are many who do. I am impressed especially when we have reunions one year after another that's got taken out but they buck up and show up and we do the reunion thing: eat-in visit, visit and eight and watch the young people play. Sometimes even the old people mix in and play but I feel they probably pay a great price the following morning.

Sadly, the reunions are getting smaller and smaller and I guess to some degree that makes sense. The brothers and sisters desperately seem to be holding this thing together – – before us it was mom Smith was the great director and adhesive force but with her gone we kids have tried to keep the tradition. But I kind of feel it's like CPR to an ailing patient. I've noticed many of the in-laws no longer show up and that's cool I understand and the brothers are begin to drop out to some for distance, some for help and I don't know the other reasons and respect all of them. It would be nice to see them though all the same. This year was kind of strange. We had the traditional meeting at Golden corral for dinner but there were other major events going on with one portion of the family who did not show up. Then the major reunion Saturday. This year we did something we've not done before we had breakfast where everyone gathered eight visited then went their ways until 430 when we had another meal this time a dinner of picnic fare hotdogs, hamburgers and the like and then we all went to my brother's home and sat on the patio and visited some more. Seem like a lot the packing the one day. Traditionally we have had the meal on Friday night and then met during lunch or whatever and had the barbecue in the middle of the day then would be to Carl's later on it was just different and you all know me and change I don't do it well. I cannot believe it I didn't take a single picture this year. Not sure what that means that I didn't. Also interesting is that we did not set a date for the next reunion.

Key players did not make it to the patio discussion indicating they just had to get back to the motel and go to bed. Some folks went to a soccer game which went late in the evening which is okay. It was mainly the brothers and sisters that's all right. No discussion was made to meet up on Sunday morning for a sendoff of any kind everyone to sort of went their ways.who knows when we will meet again? If we will meet again. But it was good to see the folks, the feel part of a herd of that heard once more.

Yard Work

Before

After

The relatives are coming! The relatives are coming !!the family reunion is this coming weekend which means a great deal of the FAM coming to Utah most specifically Murray and possibly our house and it's been a tough year and we are not ready. I have been the focus of this last 14 months and the house and yard of taken a major hit as I've gone through surgeries and rehabilitation. Some things just have to take precedent and it's been me. The yard is been out-of-control this spring. Dianne and I have managed to cut the front yard couple times but the backyard is virgin jungle. It is never been as wild like as it is or was up till yesterday in the 24 years we've been here.

Saturday, Sunday we discussed and discussed issues and one of them was to figure out what to do with the house for the family got here. I chose her out a solution to the yard. So Monday morning I consulted K SL.com which has a great classified listing on just about everything and yard work was no exception.I quickly found two possibilities one was a kid who was part of a basketball team that was trying to raise money and sounded okay for a while. I told him we would do it but it have to come over and check it out first because the yard the backyard was so hideous. Then we found out that he didn't have his own lawnmower and ours is not working right now. Then you want to do it the next day as opposed to last night and it just didn't look like it was going to work. So, I contacted the other name and he was right on it, texting you back and come in right over. He was a bit overwhelmed with the backyard but said he could do it he and his partner. Their young guys living in neighborhood trying to make a business go hungry enough to promises anything. They had a bit of a project to do before us the promise that come back that evening and they did.

There were three of them Joshua, Joshua and the little brother and they went right to it. It had two other lawnmowers one worked exceptionally well and was tough enough to actually take down the weeds in the back. So got the front yard in the backyard done the cost a bit but to have the mess down the back down and down before the family arrives is well worth the investment and we well contract with these little dudes for the rest of the summer. They can come over once every two weeks or so. They did a fast job, working hard to get the job done before nightfall with a stiff wind blowing. A lot of the backyard looks like a bad haircut and the only thing that will cure a bad haircut is to let it grow out and cut it again which I think will be our game plan. Sadly, a lot of the weeds have gotten such a hold they've really become quite sturdy almost like little trees I don't know what the solution for that will be. But it's certainly something to work on and get us back online as far as property owners and neighborhood folk go.

Min-Asisst

I've always been interested are rather fascinated by the languages of specific professions. Every occupation/profession has its own vocabulary, symbols and abbreviations. Medicine in particular is an art form/quasi- science is replete with such taxonomies and symbols. I guess it's best to have such a structure to discuss people in their anomalies, diseases and disabilities. It's quick to the point in many cases allows the professional not to be emotionally connected to the individual.

In the past 14 to 24 months I have degraded from a totally independent individual to one that is classified as minimal assistance or min-assist. I've been thinking a great deal about this label the last couple weeks. As you know, I have worked very hard to get to this point of minimal assistance needed to live independently i.e. in my home as opposed to a long-term care facility of some sort. This was real work. I worked out daily in the gym tried to build up muscle and figure out approaches to do things like get in and out of bed by myself, get dressed and undressed by myself in such. The only real problem armor I did not measure up to the need was toileting and showering. These two exercises require more muscle than I currently have – – I use the word currently in the belief that I will increase muscle and decrease weight which may allow me to get back some of this ability – – but hope to regain. But even at that there are just some things that I don't have the fine motor or even gross motor abilities to perform. Like even if I were able to transfer from my chair to the toilet, which I can, I cannot transfer back from the toilet to my chair. That's part of the problem the main problem is that I've become somewhat suppository dependent which means inserting something up my anus every three days the poop. I just don't have the ability to reach behind hold something between my thumb and forefinger and squeeze to pull this off. Therefore I need an assistant of some sort to do this process. Therefore, I don't have an assistant home have to go outside to get that which is some form of home health. Currently, I have contracted with home health program here in Murray for someone to come in every three days to help me do bowel maintenance and a quick shower hopefully. I hope I can bring this off within the 60 minutes that I will be charged for. The charge is 25 bucks an hour and I really don't want to go beyond one hour.

My first home health assistant should be here tonight around 7 o'clock. I don't know who it is I have contracted every three days till the end of the month to see how this works. Luckily, about half of that time my assistance will be provided by Gail who has served me before. Gail is older, somewhat frail but strong enough to do the job. I hve found her dependable little spooky sometimes but she's always got the job done as far as I'm concerned. I wish I could've gotten her for everyone the needed times but that was not possible but I'm thankful to have gotten what I got. I just hope this is going to work.

I hate paying money for this assistance but looks like the best/only option when you're min-assist.

Clouds Darkness!

Clouds thickened and became stormy overnight no sunshine today perhaps it's just as well. This day mirrors the way I feel dark and gloomy. Seems we're at an impasse, seems as if the marriage is on the rocks were discussing ways on how to end it but we can barely speak. Too much is been said this time no way to get past the hurt and anguish. I'm sure it's my fault always my fault. I don't know what's wrong with me. I wish I could be a better person, a stronger person. I'm just at a loss. Hate to see everything go but that's been my life. Everything seems to go sooner or later.

Cliché

Yesterday was an occupational therapy today in fact not only was an occupational therapy day it was a home visit meaning my therapist actually comes to my home and works with me at the house. On the situation my therapist actually works on my house. I kind of understand what this means as far as "occupational therapy" but still kind of weird. Yesterday, the action brought materials to help make a small ramp going from the hallway to the bathroom. When we built this bathroom we remodeled one of the existing bedrooms to make a roll in shower and stuff. We laid tile over the wood floors that had comprise the rooms. This gave about half inch rise which always blocked the wheels of either my chair are the left and actually people could stubbed their toes that the good watch out. There's actually another small ramp that seems to be decaying that he wants to make a similar ramp going from the bedroom to the bathroom. So, my OT gets to do all this work to my living situation that's great but I just sit around and I don't do anything. So this is occupational therapy I guess – – just not the way I understand it or have understood it over the years.

He had extra goop, when he finished the inside work, so in order to use this goop he built a very small ramp off the big ramp going to my house. It just made sense why throw away good group? I guess I was kind of miffed by solace happening, had not been consulted. I guess I was kind of miffed because when I saw was a project is going take a day or so it's not longer for the thing to cure. This means essentially locked in the house over that period of time. Casey, the OT, is a great guy who really likes to go the extra mile. Luckily, I saw where I was headed and stopped my comments hopefully before anyone was offended. I don't know had I been consulted would it have changed the outcome, probably not. I was served “sure” it's not like I had 1 million places to go yesterday.

So all day I've been trapped in the house well not in the house per se, on the ramp waiting for the work to cure. Directions say you have to wait 24 to 48 hours. I almost roll down the ramp at three but decided to give it another 12 hours at least. The temperature is in the 90s today plus the wind blew all day so I think that would assist in the curing process.I dutifully stayed off the work, I had some things inside I did, and then just read a novel out on the ramp. It's funny you really don't miss something until you can't do it that seems so cliché but it's so true.

Footsie

I'm getting a little burned out on Facebook. I know I echo the same issues that the rest of the world probably does: you just get all kinds of stuff that you don't want showing up on your Facebook account. Not only stuff but people show up on my account or their posts and have no idea who they are or where they came from. I also annoyed at the people wanting to be a friend that you know don't know you at all it is just that they were referred over by the machine because they may have had some commonality somewhere down the line.

I've been really interested over the past number of years about people disabilities particularly quads and paras more generally people a spinal cord injuries. I'm not meaning to strike up any great friendships are relationships of any kind. Over the decades I have continued to keep in contact with one or two folks to a certain degree. I like to follow folks I used to know from grade school/junior high and high school and even college. However that really hasn't panned out very well. There is a select few that I do like to hear about but the problem is you end up getting all their feeds updates and minutia that I really wasn't interested in. But they show up I've gotten to some that are either defriended are just got rid of them however I can figure that out. It's difficult sometimes though and sometimes I have the energy of the time to eradicate some completely off the Facebook.

One such case popped up years ago he sounds like some little redneck will the Mason-Dixon line who I believe has a disability though I'm not completely sure but I've seen a couple pictures of him in a wheelchair – – which really doesn't really mean a lot anymore when you mix in the wannabes and such. I pretty much just tolerated him when he would bounce on the radar. I usually just ignored him but when I was in the hospital last you started coming on pretty strong about how I was, what was going on and seemed interested. I still wasn't but I wasn't would be a jerk. He then started asking for pictures of my feet. Which was pretty strange but who am I to say who's not bent? I just told him at the time I really didn't have a way to take pictures of my feet let alone send them our did I have any interest in doing so.I pretty much blew it off. However the last couple days I've been sort interested in the whole thing wondering about him and his peculiarities. I mean I'm exhibitionist enough by not feet? It's not like it's a full frontal that would not have a problem with that, I just have never done feet. So this morning I was out working on my garden doing some tilt backs to take the pressure off the but I figured what the hell I'm not do a little foot imagery. I had my large tablet and found out was it's kind of hard to get pictures of my feet. But I found if I felt my chair back good distance thing that's pretty good shots feet. Got a couple fairly decent symptom off.

I was intrigued a few minutes ago checking my Facebook account find the message from “foot boy”. Said thank you that was cool and basically said you're welcome and signed off about an hour later I got another message he wants to talk to further – – who knows why I can only guess. Just hope I haven't stuck my foot in it.

Monday Frustration

Sometimes, I just hate my van. I love the idea that I can take off at a moments notice, if I have a driver, and get the someplace like a dental appointment, a movie, doctors appointment or even a family event but the trade-off is just horrendous sometimes. Today is Brigid's birthday and we all went to breakfast at a nice little place downtown. I got frustrated when we got there because the rug on the floor has come loose and then on my chair tries to back up and gets all bound up in the wheels I don't go anywhere. Then Dianne tries to help get me out and that deteriorates quick for a host of reasons probably foremost my frustration. Luckily, Gabriel was there came out and rescued me. I didn't want to go anywhere in the van after that for fear of further entrapment so I elected to take off and bus/train back home.

I don't know what to do with the van. For just me I would have just done or some other van person The carpet put down a floor which could tolerate the power chairs wheels get this issue behind us. I mean I know, I am not the only person with the power chair who's had this issue and that Justin and company has a solution one way or the other. When I worked for breakaway Incorporated in Boise, I don't know how many years ago, there was a general practice with us to pull put in a flooring was on the corrugated floor of the van lay down a 16gauge sheet of metal usually stainless steel which is about a quarter inch thick. Does a pretty good job as I understand it and you don't lose much space as far as the roof of the van if you don't have a raise top. If you didn't you stainless steel there is always a quarter inch plywood flooring which can be laid down but then you lose that much space in the roof area. Does not sound like a lot but when you're in a chair does make a big difference. I don't know if we would have to put the flooring down all over the back of the van or just over the area that I sit. Gabe suggested putting some sort of adhesive type surfacing which would better catch the wheels of my chair. I'm all for anything but I'm tired of getting caught up in that lousy rug whenever we go anywhere and somehow getting the feeling that I'm to blame. I've even thought of just giving up the van having Dianne get some sort vehicle for herself and then just use public transit or if I need to use Ute/red cab Whenever I need to go somewhere that public transit does not serve are the timing doesn't work out. This sounds expensive but when compared to vehicle maintenance upkeep and registrations think you at least be breakeven. The really is frustrating.

Happy Birthday Little Big Mark!

I'm afraid I'm such a bad dad, I can't stand it. In fact I'm going to write today about something I usually do not write about and that's family. It's not a competition! This is what I always say I'm always afraid that the kids do compete to see who I'm thinking of the most. This is so weird since I think of all of them all the time as all parents do I suppose. So, even though I'm proud of them all I really include them in my blog. But today I'm making an exception today I'm writing about my firstborn which is his birthday – – June 3. Why this birthday as opposed to others it's because it's his 40^th birthday! So, to a degree am not writing about him, Mark Anthony, writing about me where I am in the timeline and where he is in his timeline, which I guess is also my timeline.

40 years old that's one generation maybe even to depending on how one looks at generational gaps are spacing. He's pretty much cooked, done, stick a fork in him and see if his tender enough. He is his own man now – – of course he has been for decades. He is working full-time, married and has began his own generations. He's basically doing okay. I worry after him a little but I've seen his track record now know is going to do well with our without me. I wish I could say I was his great role model (excuse the pun) but I'm not. I don't know how many times of let him down – – I wish I could of done so much better in all regards. Even now, I never get him his birthday gifts or any of the other kids gifts on time if I even do gifts.

But, 40 years. I think that is such a mile marker in anyone's life. Even though 40 is the new 30 supposedly, you cannot help but to see the whole picture for the first time. 80 years sometimes more sometimes less but right around 80 seems to be the norm when you turn forty-year halfway there and I think you take time to examine that a little and see where you're going.

I M Okay!

Yesterday was the six month follow-up for Stenosis two(S – 2)and ordinarily I would of just sort of shrugged the whole thing off as just another visit expecting do find out that evening was okay, however with the increased tone/spasticity I have been experiencing last couple weeks I have been getting quite concerned. I have been fabricating all kinds of boogies of what might be wrong: the return of us another stenosis perhaps above or below the fusion point; perhaps messing up the points where they actually put the hardware in my neck. I mean I spent a lot of time putting stress on my neck as I worked to overcome my losses due to S – 1 and S – 2 and just overall regained strength. I did put a lot of stress on those neck points are fusion points and I was beginning to fear that I had done some damage maybe even to the point of having to have a second or third operation.

We left, but we thought was more than enough time to make the trek up to the University medical Center. We were getting quite concerned as we got caught in traffic stoplights as we neared the University and the clock kept ticking closer to the time that we needed to be at the facility for the x-rays. We got there in time and I got the x-rays and then we waited don't know what was going on but we ended up waiting almost an hour past are scheduled time. Eventually Dr. Daley's minion did show up and we had a good visit. The best part being that everything looked good! The healing it taken very well the equipment looked in good condition and where was supposed to be an overall it was a great report. The minion indicated that what was happening with the increased tone may be just more healing issues going on indicating that it still could be another six months of healing that could be taking place. I was pleased because I can take the tone issues I'm dealing with now as long as it doesn't get worse and that if this is what is supposed to be happening I'm okay. I'm not in pain just a little bit of discomfort due to the spasticity in trying to get things done. Again I'm wondering how much of the tone is being brought about by the the wheelchair/power chair and may be it well decrease if we can get the fix is done to the chair that we would like to have done.

We drop the bomb that we pretty much want to discontinue their services and move my medical coverage to the IHC facility around the corner from my home. The minion indicated delete that would be not a problemany totally understood our rationale. He even indicated that he would keep the files open just in case and make sure that my records we shipped over to the new facility. Dianne and I shared a collective sigh of relief. We sure enjoyed the medical support we've received over this period of time. So I'm okay and now it's moving forward.

Good As New

There is no excuse for me to have as few postings to this blog as I am posting these days. Just not doing it which is sad because I'm capable so much more. Strange as it is the most important thing that happened to me this last week was the repair of my broken tooth. Seriously, the tooth took first place pushing my stenosis or non-stenosis to the back burner. I guess that just shows you where my priorities lie.

As you know I sheered off the front of my left front tooth! However as blessed beyond report because for the amount of enamel shed no nerve endings were exposed. I cannot believe how that happened but it did. To make matters worse when contacting my dentist he indicated he was overbooked, overwhelmed(his office person) and that I would not be able to get in for a week from that Friday which would been more than a week and I was terrified that my funky tooth which shed more enamel and eventually expose the nerve. However Dianne went to bat and got me in the coming Friday to assist three or four days and even that kind terrified me. However as the week went on and nothing happened to my tooth I became more and more confident that things turn out okay at least I would not find myself writing in bed in the middle of the night embedded in pain, oral pain – – the most painful dilemmas of them all.

Finally, Friday morning arrived. Friday the end of the work week and more important the last day for three day weekend for Memorial Day. I really expected the sea people lined up popped into the hall waiting for Drew's attention but when we got there I was almost all but deserted. I got stuck in the elevator will actually not stuck in the elevator elevator wasn't working in the repair guys there trying to get it going. He finally got the doors open and got me upstairs and time for my appointment didn't make any difference there was nobody else there except us. Don't know what they were thinking of what they didn't look slammed to me. Of course you to rewrite in and I love this chair because it allows me did just tip back and get writing the whole dental thing. I was spooked for a minute when after examination Drew indicate that I was in luck, I would not need any anesthetic! No anesthetic!! This of course was a faith experiment. You know like when you're in one of those weird groups and their leader has everyone to the right step behind the person and the person close their eyes and fall back having faith that person to the right will catch them. Well, that's just fine for touchy-feely but real-life, sitting in the chair tilted back, with a short statured gnome with a loaded drill is quite another act of faith. This truly is flying without a net. Of course Drew assured me the instant any discomfort was felt that he would stop and go to Novocain. Again well and fine, I'm the one who still going to feel the discomfort not him. Oh well.

I passed! I passed my ordeal of faith challenge. In 10 to 15 minutes Drew had smoothed out the broken tips of the tooth buffed up the rough edges of the fascia that had been exposed or lost and then applied his magic solution and built up the tooth to look like it's twin on its right-hand side. I'm always amazed at Drew's artistic side he really should've been a sculptor…I do not give the guy enough credit. He really is a good dentist and I have appreciated him be in there over the years. And Drew was right I felt no pain he drilled he buffed and sanded and smoke did come up little bit not much but I got out of the whole ordeal without Novocain – – I could actually eat something had I wanted to following the experience. Dianne says the tooth looks good but from the way the tooth feels my tongue it feels hugely oversized, blunt and ineffective but look at it in the mirror the tooth looks okay.

So got okay looking tooth, it's functional and will get me through a few more years hopefully. Still feels like a club compared to a knife as long as it gets you through a steak, tortillas are a morning burrito I'm okay. However, Drew did say I must stop using my teeth as tools…

It's Complicated

Last couple nights have been pretty rough. Come in on a couple weeks now maybe even a couple months, truth be told. My spasticity is increasing I have not want to admit it but I now have. I have noticed the increase in tone that only in the mornings when I'm trying to address but also lately I'm feeling the tone at night in bed. I now realize the tone is been but I've been trying to ignore it trying to find a better way to sleep, just in my weight here in body position there. My efforts have kind of work but the last couple days even that is beginning to fail.

Couple days ago when I went to my OT/PT session by therapist asked what I want to do, of course letting me make the decision, and I didn't have anything really especially in the area of occupational therapy. He usually just has me work on weights when I'm there at the facility. Many times he actually comes to my home and worked with me at the home front. Will on Monday I told him that a little concerned about my right hand and my forefinger that was not extending the way that usually did. So we begin massaging my hand indicating that the tendons her tight and he had seen seen that and was a little concerned. He then asked if I'd be interested in using the standing frame and of course I jumped at that. I really do enjoy getting up and the standing frames are fun for me in that aspect. So it was a bit of a challenge that took three of the staff but we did stuff me into the standing frame and got me up. We did this primarily because my tone was so great – – for those of you who aren't aware tone is the word used for spasticity. I didn't know this until they start throwing it around at the sniff and then the acute-care facility. So I was in the standing frame fighting the tone and little bit by little bit the foot tone began to dissipate. My OT had me up 20 minutes then he would lower me for about five minutes and then bring me up again for another 20 until I completed out the hour. It was a bit of a challenge but I enjoyed the experience. I did notice that my tone was diminished for the rest of the day, oh it was still there but nothing like before. i.e. even noticed when I went to bed less spasticity when I hit the mattress than usual which I thought was a good sign. Sometime around 2 o'clock I guess, I awoke to not necessarily pain and not necessarily tone but something was happening to my body and was uncomfortable – – not quite buzzing but soar like buzzing sort of like a burning sensation but not painful, not what I would envision has pain. But what I was feeling was definite discomfort and it frightened me. That's all I needed was one more thing to come undone. But soon the rest of the night I was awake trying to whether this new sensational storm of discomfort and it finally dissipated and became quite manageable. It took me a while to to link the discomfort to I think was the experience is standing in the standing frame so long. But I would do it again, I think. This experience with the experience of the tone is enough for me to force me to contact my doc, my neurosurgeon bring it out to him to see what they say. I have a couple of the docs I might run it past first just to see what they think about the severity of the situation. There's some other factors involved as well that will keep me from seeing the Doc or at least be in hospitalized for another 15 to 20 days – – it's complicated.

Now I relate that story to fill you in on what happened today. I just got back from the Goodwill store and picked up a couple books. I wanted to have some reading available in case unconfined for who knows how long. Dianne fixed the remainder of the soup she'd made earlier in the week and had some corn tortillas which is been warmed up. These were leftovers from last night soup and so they were crisp around the edges. As I bit into one I immediately crunched in the something stone like can of course it was enamel had broken my front tooth. I was flooded with all kinds of emotions mainly why now, why me, don't have enough on my plate? I waited but the pain did not come. I mean I lost a lot of my front tooth it should exposed the pulp but somehow the pain did not come. Then I realized even with all my tone I really don't have pain, discomfort yes no pain. I called my dentist and of course his overbooked try to put me off till next Friday but finally squeezed me in on this Friday, day after tomorrow. I'm just praying that the pain will hold off that long. I don't know how I'm going to eat until then especially hard foods not that I'm looking for hard foods to eat everything seems to go through the front teeth first so I'll have to figure that out.

So there you have – – I am one lucky dude. Have supposed to think before I could be in so much more pain and problems right now. So once again we need to suck it up and enjoy my life each day I have my life.

Knock At The Door

No actually I feel pretty good all things considered. I was up last night till 2 AM and y'all know how much I hate staying up late but last night was weird. I couldn't breathe my nose is all plugged up I think it may have been analogy I don't know but still it was pretty scary for me. It's not like this is never happened before it has and I go through all kinds of scenarios of my mind about what is going on. I should just accept the fact that I just have to wait it out and eventually I will start breathing again… But what if I don't? What if I have to go on oxygen start dragging around one of those green tubes. I just don't know how I could deal with that legacy do all the other old parts do. Still, don't want to have to do that they don't want to have to be scared in the middle of the night. But it's okay around 2 o'clock my nose started decongestant in a few minutes later I was asleep.

I didn't sleep long however I think I was probably awake by 5:30 AM or 6 AM. Tried to force myself to get back in the slumber land but it didn't happen and I knew that it wouldn't. Then I dropped the controls to my power bed or electric bed! This really is a fly got a fix got a figure out some way to have a book or something that will not let the trolls drop when I do it all the time and I got a stop. This morning I dropped the controls while my bed was tilted up and I was sort of high and it took me forever to snag the controls off the floor. Luckily had access to my bungee cord which I used to drag on the floor and snag the cord and drag up the controls allowing me finally to jump in my chair. This took at least an hour if not two hours because all the time I was just about falling out of the bed in fact my legs did fall off the bed and headed drag my ass literally backup onto the mattress.

Oh I forgot to say that last night Dianne found another wound up my ass and she dressed the wound with the magic tape and I pray it will stop the degradation of the wound. I don't know though I don't think it is and is cushion thing I noticed or worse me there's something inside my body saying it's time shutdown it's happy trails time. I hope not unlike to be around for a while longer will see. Seriously.

Once I was up it still took me a couple hours to get dressed and and I'm wearing shorts! Even if it's not the end of the world for me is it a view of things to come will I continue to debilitate at this rate? Can I stand that? I really need to get things done I really need to start doing things I have always wanted to do . Time is short in the here knock at the door…

Perspective Perspective Perspective

It's a cold and rainy Sunday, quite a shock after yesterday's 84° and lots of sunshine but lots of wind. I knew today was coming but still I miss the warm weather. It must be patient. However the upside is that you spend a great deal of the day in my chair leaning back to take the weight off my butt. Last night getting to bed after Dianne gave me shower and found skin breakdown on my right hip. It's small but still a skin breakdown which raises all kinds of red flags. I'm not sure what the culprit is but I sort of think it's the cushion I've been using the last couple days. It's got a harder surface than I have been using. And I think that is caused the skin issue. Dianne of course put a dressing on the wound site.. I am also wondering if the foot pedals may have some impact on the wound as well. The hangers have a lot of good points going for perhaps the best is that it certainly reduces my size of the chair making a lot easier to get around in the house. But my right foot keeps coming off the plate I think it causes spasticity as well as pressure on that right hip. I could get really depressed with this information as well as feelings it causes but put in perspective with issues many of my friends with disabilities are going through I have to be thankful that we caught it in time and hopefully about the blogger under control. I have noticed with these hangers that getting dressed is also a major challenge as well as transferring from the bed to the chair. So I think perhaps tomorrow I will try to change out the foot pedals for the old boxes and deals those until we figure out a new system. We should be meeting with the durable medical guy this next week sometime and hopefully he will have some answers. Hopefully will also get a new more protective cushion. Still, it's sort of slows me down and limits what I'm able to do – – again perspective, perspective, perspective.

First World Problems

10:30 AM And I'm up rolling around the house, Basically dressed and trying hard not to have meltdown. It's not that I have not had my morning coffee hate to be so shallow as to have my coffee are not had my coffee be the the D terminer of my day. However it is true,I have not made the coffee Because the coffeemakers not plugged in and I cannot reach the plug-in or the wall socket to plug the coffee maker in – – after that is just a simple matter of pushed the “on”. Also I noted when I got up this morning transferring to my power chair from the bed that my power chair had not been charged even though Dianne , last night, took special efforts to ensure the charger was plugged into my chair. Somehow, sometime yesterday the power source from the wall to the charger is been interrupted or unplugged. It is just so frustrating To have so many things seemingly important in my life out of my control. Coffeemaker this is the second time this week someone has unplugged the coffee maker for whatever reason and not plugged the device inWhen they were finished. In all honesty I think I may have been the one who unplugged the coffee maker when I had The can opener plugged in when I had to open a can of peppers. The issue is I cannot reach the plug-in/wall sockets. The best solution I think is to run some sort of a power strip behind the coffee maker or to the side of the coffee maker. There are three or four devices on the coffee island or the coffee pan: Coffeemaker, coffee grinder and can opener. Now I don't mind plugging and unplugging the device to operate just like can reach the socket plug-in that I get my frustration going. So if we had a power strip plugged into the socket That I can reach I will still have access the power via the strip solving the problems.

Now the problem with the power chair is another issue is just hard to tell if you charging unless you actually have access or able to see the green charging light. Just have to make sure all things are Plugged and working. One alternative to this issue is to have access to other chargers and I do have access to other chargers but not accessible to me at the present in a fit of cleaning frenzy a few weeks ago I had all the chargers rounded up stuffed into a box thrown up on a shelf and I can't reach. Sure enough now that I need them I do not have access to them. So now I'm going to Get one of the chargers and place it where I can reach it so I can use it when I need to. The upside of this whole problem is that I still have probably have to charge on my chair which means I can get about anyplace I need to get to today without problem. I just have to make sure I keep an eye on the power indicator. And I might even today if I can get one of the Chargers operational plug-in to a charger and read a couple hours our work on the computer while my batteries charge enough for the rest the day.

True, these are truly First World problems I know but Third World are not these are my problems with my responsibility to get it fixed.

Funny New Guy--FNG

I was supposed to have physical therapy today but it just so happens that I also have a meeting with my internist today as well. This is the same internist I was supposed to have met with a month ago when I was trapped in my van with lift that would not deploy. This was to be met first time meeting with the Doc and since I stood him up once before and did not think it wise to do it again. In fact so committed to today's meeting that that even drove my power chair to the docs office choosing to not ride in the van for fear of a duplication of events.

My internist's office is not far from the house in fact it's in the same complex of buildings where I was recently housed for my acute rehab phase. This is a new medical home complex – – everything I need medically speaking is here or at Tosh which I've written about already. I don't know why but I have been somewhat dreading this meeting with the Internist. The doctor was recommended by my physiatrist and for some reason I just didn't trust My physiatrist. I know this is irrational but hey It's the way I was feeling. I was surprised because I thought I was going to be Dianne to the building but she passed me as I was pulling into the medical complex. We caught up with each other at the front door and on up. We checked in and waited – – The wait was not too long And eventually we had our intake person/Dr./intern begin the process which was quite lengthily. I have to admit I was pretty impressed with the amount of time this Doc spent with us. Dianne informed me that having an intern do the workout is not a bad thing since they are new and are trying to do as good a job as they can which in some cases better than the old pros. This of course made sense to me and it's how I felt at the end of the interview. It was then we were allowed to speak with the new doc I'm going to be working with now on on all things medical.

I was quite astounded when the new doc walked in with flowing, long brown hair And sharp chiseled features Looking like a Simpson character come to life. The guy was you in fact I would've thought the interim was the attending in the attending the engine had I not known better. Dianne was smitten which ensure is more than normal. But the guy seems to know we still and I know my doc, the physiatrist , but not directly wrong. I have to admit I was more than impressed with the selection. I think I'm going to look forward to working with my new doc.I am not sure how these docs all will work together but they seem to be interested in doing so – – all the files can be accessed by these medical guys – – these medical young guys who knows everything about medicine and new technology at the two to get some of the medical superhero. However I know they are not that's okay Sometimes just the illusion is enough.

Mourning

I don't think I'm depressed actually I think I'm actually doing pretty good. I am home at min assistAnd looking forward to more independence and on the involvement with my physical therapist and occupational therapist. However it seems that I am mourning Something. I think I may have resisted this at first that I am morning something but I realize I've been talking about having to accept the “new me” a lot these days, Enough that I think folks are becoming concerned.

Over the past couple weeks I've had it drilled into my head by OT/PT and Mds that I am not the person I used to be especially since the operations and neck fusions have endured the Past few months or year or so. I've had to realize that rather try to do the things that I used to do accept the fact that it's not the same body that I used to have and sadly it will never be the same body that I used to have. I know this is not rocket science it should be easy to accept it is taken me a while to get this frame of mind. And suppose I guess I could be mourning the light I recently gave up when I chose to have spinal surgery for the stenosis issues – – and I didn't have a choice I had to have this work done are I was going to have to give up a lot more than I have. So I'm glad that I had the work done and now I'm just dealing with becoming the new me, the new medications, the dull affect, the trying harder just to maintain what was so simple before. I'm thankful however, that with all this I have to accept I can do this at home with equipment that allows me to preserve my self-respect and independence and the loving and supportive wife And family which allowing me to do all this.

You Are What You Eat – – Friday Musings

One of the largest challenges I face in my life is being overweight. I cannot believe how overweight I am. 60 years ago or even 50 years ago that you asked or told me that I was going to be overweight fat I would've told you you're up the night. There is no way I would be overweight as much as I am today. However life has a way of creeping up on – – meal after meal after that significant disability that truly challenges you as far as losing weight goes. I can probably blame a lot of people in a lot of situations for my condition of being fat but in the end I have to blame myself. I am the one who ate all the calories that make me who I am today.

My weight gain came to a head during my stay at the skilled nursing facility from November to March of this last year. I was served regular large meals. I did not realize what I was doing eating the way that I was, I kind of figured that they had a dietitian on staff who prepared our meals with weight gain in mind but boy was I wrong on that. I think I gained 20 pounds while at the sniff – –Then when I got to acute-care I realized what I had done and I counseled with their dietitian and developed at least basic weight reduction plan which basically was limiting myself to 1800 cal a day – – 600 a meal. And I have been maintaining ever since plus Dianne has me on probiotics which I'm not really sure what that is something is working. I have lost about 20 pounds since we started this regimen. It's kind of hard to be hungry all the time but the end result I'm sure will be well worth being constantly hungry. I'm going to try to maintain the diet for as long as I can if not for the rest of my life. I guess it's only natural to realize food is your enemy at some point in your life and take steps to minify the results of eating to the system. I know if I can lose a significant amount of weight my whole life we better i.e. dressing, toileting, transfers and appearance – – the whole 9 yards. It's hard though at least I think it is but really 600 cal is quite a bit once you get used to and don't fudge when family meals are involved. And not to forget the exercise piece. I'm fortunate to have a arm bike An upper gym. Now I just have to use them religiously.

I love to cook and actually I love to eat. I love to eat things that are good for me butter, turkey skin, bacon and eggs, steak and potatoes really things that make life worth living but really do you in.But this is the new me and this is the new life I have to live it's not like the old life and I have to accept that. This I can do.

Extortion Plane And Simple!

Finally I will attempt to blog that has nothing to do with my current rehabilitation or disability. I know that strange but let's see if we can do it. One of the delights of my life is being able to do simple tasks around the house. I mean there really is not a whole lot that I can do. I don't mow the lawn, however I kind of help holding the electric cord to the lawnmower Dianne (who does mow the lawn) has an easier task. I don't or can't do a lot of stuff men traditionally do round the house. Appliance repair, cleaning the garage, house painting inside or out even things like changing light bulbs is out of my domain. However I can wash dishes. In fact I have asink which was constructed for me—built low enough for a wheelchair user to use. Dish washing is one of the activities I have missed most the past year or so I have been incapacitated or away from home. So, I was bummed when my sink began backing up: thick, grainy black ugly gunk from the bowels of the sewer. Dianne's sink was spared for awhile but eventually the big sinks were also backing up.

Dianne worked all the remedy's we have used in the past, boiling water, Draino and Draino clones by the gallon and of course the blue water snake but nothing would move the mass. Some times the sinks would empty overnight but always fill up when either of the sinks were used. We finally had to swallow the bitter pill and call the plumber! We use the Anytime Plumber guys. They are a bit more expensive but they're quick to respond, clean and nice. Anytime also seems to be honest and drive beautiful red trucks.

Yesterday my therapy day so I was gone when Tyrle, the plumber arrived—when I got there were tools everywhere. Tyrle and Dianne were at the table going over the options and probable bill. It was not pretty scene. Tyrle was on his phone calling base with his findings. Tryele seemed like a nice kid but Tyrle was only the messenger, the writer of numbers—the great decider would come later with final judgment. The great and terrible Nick. And true to Tyrle's foretelling great and terrible Nick did show up with a had written ledger with a number of bottom lines each way more expensive then the last. Nick seemed like a nice guy in an arm broker sort of way. Nick is stocky, quite broad but not fat. Nick is solved like a bouncer at a bar you don't want to mix it up with our miss a payment. He shaves his head so Nick has got this bullet Head being going on. Nick's sly he's been doing this for a long time knows how to put it across knows how to cross the bottom-line, at a push the buttons let the customer twist until just the right moment and then reel him in. He goes over each one of the option plans from the basic to the Cadillac. Then place the document in front of you like us full house hand of cards and wait for your decision. It's a bit of a racket I understand but still have to appreciate the finesse with which Nick pulled it off. He finally went over plans that went as high as $17,000 that they would be willing to contract out over time. He could tell we were not going to go for anything like that. It was then he suggested a much cheaper plan that he characterized as a crapshoot for cost infinitely less than the other options – – a crapshoot with the year warranty. We took it less than 500 bucks it look like a walk in the park comparatively speaking. So we made it through the day the wallet a little lighter but now it was gird up our loins the electrician comes on Thursday

Home Visit 2

Today was a home visit from the physical therapy side of my outpatient regimen through I HC. Overall we've been impressed with home visits we have received from the professionals at Intermountain healthcare. Today's visit however was less than stellar and I'm not really all that surprised but still a little bit shocked. I hesitate about writing anything because I hate to be a bitch and moaner and especially since these things seem to come back on me. But I will outline a little about event just for my own feelings.

We were a little shocked this morning while we were having coffee when not in the door and was the folks from my rehab facility. There are actually in our earlier then we were expecting. I had my computer generated schedule listed for 10 o'clock and it was nine. This early hour pretty much set the tenure for the rest of the visit.I guess if there is an agenda for this visit that would Have been Trying to figure out what kind of manual wheelchair I could use. The chair I have now is just I guess too small for me with my weight gain in such of the last couple years. I do use it from time to time not much Since stenosis II At the home but I did use the chair a lot at the sniff and acute-care facility. Once again I really do enjoy the freedom manual chair gives me specially around the house. I can use a lot of appliances and facilities of the house better in a manual chair then the power chair.

I have been working with this therapist for a couple weeks since I began my outpatient therapy she's okayJust a little meh.We went through the house and looked at all the accessibility features we have incorporated in the place or the time we've lived here. We spent the majority of the time looking at my manual wheelchair trying to figure out exactly what I needed and what could be used. Just afraid whatever is suggested not be what I need but I do hold the hope that whatever is finally considered well more fully meet my needs in the last manual chair prescribed. At least these folks came out to my living environment and saw what I needed to get around and do what I want to do in my home – – and this is where I will spend the majority of my time in the manual chair. And again it possible I would like to spend the majority of my time when in the house in my manual chair for a host of reasons most specifically to cut down on the wear and tear I tend to have on walls and floors and whatever else comes in contact with me.

We actually transferred out of my power chair into my manual chair and I did the role to the kitchen open the refrigerator close the refrigerator, roll under the cooktop and roll under the sink. The transfer was less than perfect and not very pretty but we make the jump. It was nice being in the manual chair but I knew if I were to be in the chair law I would be spending all my time push myself back into the chair. That's just the way it is. I hope as it was weight there will be less belly drag and I'm in the manual chair. Maybe they'll even give me a chair that I can use – – or suggest the chair that I can use that would allow me this fear of sliding out.

I felt a little disheartened as they left but relieved they were gone. I really don't expect a lot to come out of this meeting but who knows she just might get a home run and a home run is always appreciated.

Sticky Wheel

Me and my Arjo

A couple years ago we bought what is commonly called a patient left. The lift was used that was all hydraulic and all electric. We got the lift when I separated the state at my retirement when I got a lump sum payment for vacation days taken. We thought the lift would be a good investment For times coming down the line. Little did really realize just how much we would need such a device. As you know, those of you who read this, couple of years ago I had my first stenosis operation which left me significantly disabled– – More so than have ever been and needing this left more than I thought I would. Dianne down the lift online One of her many searches. The lift of course was used but at a good price. We've enjoyed the purchase every day that we use the left.

I don't know when the caster failed or began to fail. We first noticed the problem when the page staff we were using started complaining about wheel sticking on the left. The casters of course are supposed to swivel freely making pushing the left back and forth from the bed to the toilet, shower and back to bed and easy task. The sticking caster though made Pushing the device with the person loaded in sling namely me major chore. We have suffered with this more than a year. Actually last summer I began the process of trying to find a replacement caster then But became defeated when the person needed to visit with was not available for one reason or another, classic getting caught in the institutional minutia of business. Then came the whole issue of hospitalizations,, operations and rehabilitation. We have been doing well since I returned home from the acute care facility except for the issue of the lift with the sticking wheel. So this week I want my tasks to be fixing the problem. Today I spent a good hour On the phone getting home the folks Arjo and I did it. I called Arjo international and eventually wound up with Arjo Central which is a Colorado. My dismay I found my left is obsolete meaning they do longer make parts for the device. So I did find somebody at the Colorado plan a great person and René who actually went and rifled through the bends and found the last caster for my model of Arjo. I found what I needed. We ordered the part and hopefully the part has been shipped and we should give it a couple of days. The cost was $181! I cannot believe it. I hope the part works and fixes the problem Of the sticky wheel.