Powerchair Demo II :Sweet Ride

The TDX SR

This one is sweet! I have watched this video now at least five times! Check it out here
This is the chair that I am trying out now. My favorite over the previous powerchair that I was able to demo for a few weeks and even over another one I am possibly going to demo (that I tried out for a day) in another few weeks. I can't raise this one to reach the high shelves but I would be able to get around more places with this one than say a manual chair or other powerchair perhaps.

Hospital Volunteer

So as of today I am officially a Community Hospital volunteer. It was rather interesting how it all got started. A few months ago I went to a career fair at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Missoula. Before the fair, I went to the mt.gov site to research all of the different places that were going to be there. I found nothing of interest as far as paid positions go, however, something (I am convinced it was a God thing) made me click on Community Hospital. Low and behold, the one thing I find there is for pet therapy. "Why, we can do that!"
While at the career fair, I came across the Community Hospital booth and spoke with a representative. "Why, we'd love to have You!" was the response I got. I was given a business card of the woman I was to cantact, the head of volunteer services.
To bring Alehe to the hospital and be just in the day room would have been no problem. But I thought it would be more special for the patients if we visited them in their rooms. To do that I would have to go through certification training for therapy dogs - liability reasons.
I was tired of sitting around and not finding things to do NOW, I just wanted something to happen. The training wasnt for another month or so. Between CCI, CMC and the therapy dog place, figured out that we are covered undedr CCI's liability insurance. Everything was a go.
I showed up at Community Medical Center at eleven a.m. to "shadow" or go along with another therapy dog team to see what it's all about. Visited Rehab patients for about an hour. One older gentleman reminded me of sitting with my grandpa as a kid listening to his stories of his younger days. As I sat there and listened, a voice in my head was telling me what good I was doign just sitting and litening to them talk.
At times. Alehe would just sit and wtch the other dog while he interacted with teh patients while sitting in their beds or a wheelchair. She didn't seem too sure of herself, but then again this was a new experience for her. I really tried to encourage/coax her to interact with the patients. The woman I was with told me that as she watches the other dog, and the more she does this, the easier it will become for her. Meanwhile I was to keep encouraging her, praising her. A good learning experience for the both of us.
I was issued an ID badge with my picture, my name, and Community Medical Center - just like the ones that the doctors and nurses wear. I feel so important! I don't think I took that thing off all day. Even until I went to bed last night! LOL!!!

Boy was I exhausted!

"Hey Mom, I found a Cheap Way to Remodel the House!"

",...just stick me in a powerchair!"

This is one of the first comments I made to my mother when we talked on the phone shortly after deciding to give a powerchair a try.

A year and a half ago, it was decided that it was time to do something about the way I sat in my current wheelchair. Primarily for the adema (swelling) in my legs, which started shortly after I broke my left leg while making my bed. But even so for the amount of time I spend sitting in the chair

Referalls were made to an occupational therapist that could help me with the seating system in my current wheelchair. We first tried a "foam in place", which is conformed to the shape of my back. It was just okay, not great. A few weeks and we decided it was best for me to go to Colorado where they have a center that spoecializes in the Aspen Seating System, a lot like the foam in place but should work much better. It would be conformed to the shape of my back when I sit in my chair and thus be more comfortable. the problem was fighting with Medicaid to get them to cover me for the flight AND the Aspen seting. It took THREE times to get Medicaid (my insurance) to cover it, and then finally when we get it covered...they come out with the system here in Montana. What timing! No more having to fly to Colorado (rats, Mom and I wanted a vacation!)

The seating system was easy to do, but prety messy. It consisted of tiny foam beads placed in a large (and I mean LARGE) sealed bag, then all the air sucked out of it by some machine while it is positioned behind my back. The air coming out would force the beads to stick together and conform to the shape of my back. the first time was a bit messy as something had punctured a hole in the bag which resulted in foam beads all over the livinroom floor. Break out the vacuum cleaner!

This seating system was all fine and dandy, however, when they tilted me back it fit by back perfectly. Now when I am seated in the manual chair, I don't touch it.

We had also discussed my using a powerchair. An option we discussed on the powerchair is I could raise the feet so that they are somewhat elevated, and I could tilt back at an angle and releive pressure off my backside (less possibiity of me getting pressure sores as I sit in my w/chair all day). The first few times I tilted the wheelchair back, my survival instincts kicked in. I felt as though I was going to tip OVER backwards, so I wanted to counterbalance. but I was assured this could not happen. Now it is easy to let myself relax.


Here are pros and cons that I came up with regardign myh usign a power chair

Pros
The model I will have will have the option of raising my feet to aleviate the adema problem
I will also be able to tilt and releive the pressure off my bum no No more excuse to being too tired o go anywhere. I an get ou of hte house even if I don't fell like it
I can carry things in one hand and still maneuver
Teh model I will have (as I have decided from the demo will have an option for me to raise the seat so that I can reach some high places (no more leaving dishes on the counter for others to put away
Mom reminded me that I will be able to use the stovetop! Whohoo! more meal options for myself!!! (I'm tired of the microwave.
I can even put stuff in the crockpot
No one pushing my wheelchair without asking
I no longer can make the excuse "I'm too tired" when I have an option of doing something.

Cons
I wouldnt be able to play tennis if I used a poerchair fulltime
I wouldnt be able to venture downstairs if I wanted to
If the battery dies...I'm stuck
No more Alehe pulling my chair for me, just one of the biggest reasons for having her. And I have a feeling she really enjoys the work
Riding in other peoples cars if the need arises would be impossible, unless they came up with a lighter more compact model. Haha, yeah right. Like that's ever possible.
The size of my house

I say this last one because of the minor damage I have done, primarily to the doorways in my bedroom and bathroom. Both have gigantic scrapes where I rubbed part of the chair against the doors. The doorframe to my bathroom even has two very tiny holes where I ran the footplate into the wood. My knees even have bruises where I ran into the kitchen table a few times.

Using the powerchair outdoors is rather interesting. For the first week, indoors or outdoors I would not go faster than the first of five speeds this chair can go. By the third or fourth week, I was cranking the baby ALL THE WAY!!! Well, that was until i came near sailing off hte edge of a curb when on the sidewalk. I even managed to get myself swallowed by a group of bushes near the University campus. I'm glad no one was around to witness THAT now!

At the beginning when we were first inquiring about the powerchair thing, someone made the mistake of calling it an electric chair. My OT immediately shot back, "It's NOT an electric chair, it's a POWER chair. Electric chairs KILL people!" Now anytime I hear electric chair...I correct them with the same comment.

Poor Alehe doesn't know what to think. The first few days and I think I got her foot twice. Now she walks a little farther away than she used to. I'm surprised I haven't strangled her with the leash yet, as I have at times gone a bit faster than she can keep up, oops.

The other day I went to Norco where I was to demo two other powerchairs. I managed to wheel on the grass quite well, something i was earlier afraid to do (ever since breaking my leg when falling out of my chair, I havent been as brave about things). One chair I tried was a beautiful deep blue (blue being my favorite color) and yet another was a forest green (another cool color).

I'll try and get pictures of me in either chair up on flickr sometime.

In the meantime, anyone wanna challenge me to a race?!?!?!?!
Haha, just kidding!

Girl Bonding

Ohiodawa and I had a random hang-out session last night. She was agoign to makes something for dinner for the both of us, but I beat her to my part becaus I was hungry early, and when my stomach is hungry, it's rarely patient. Good ol' microwave.

I saw something sitting on the table and was curious as to what it was. Upside-down it looked like an old fashioned cellphone- big and klunky. I turned it over and read on the front "Pass the Pigs". Ohiodawa proceeded to explain the game to me and then got me into playing a few rounds with her. The rules were insane, or should I say the person who made them up is insane. Something about 'Pig-outs (no score), snouter, piggy-backs, and who knows what else. It turned out to be fun, as it reminded me a lot of how my dads side of hte family plays a dice game called "Chicken". With PP though, the dice are tiny, and shaped like pigs. I think I managed to win a round or two. I kept telling myself "Okay, one more roll than I am sticking with what I got". Ha, yeah right!" I just love to push my luck I guess. To see how the game works, go here

After a rousing game of Pass the pigs, we sat down to watch a t.v. show called Jon and Kate Plus Eight. I found a great way for me to somewhat satisfy my kid fix. This show chronicles the adventures of a family of multiples. In this case, this family has a set of twins plus sextuplets. The show basically chronicles their adventures as a family.

There are so many t.v. shows I never watched until moving into this house! - American Idol, Scrubs, Grey's Anatomy, So You Think You can Dance, America's Next Top Model, Law and Order, CSI, Top Chef, Hells Kitchen, and another fashion/design show I can't think of the name. There are a slew of other shows I am sure.

During the JKPE marathon, someone decides to break out the Fuzzy Navels she has in her section of the fridge. She offered to share one and I oblidged. We were the only ones home, and would be for a while yet, otherwise it wouldnt have happened. I thought the only alcoholic beverage I like is red wine. But oh wait, now that I think about it there was a wine cooler (just okay, not great) a few months ago. Wine, I sleep just fine (that's the reason I like it)however after the FN, I had a night of numerous strange dreams. I can't even rememer them now. Guess I won't be doing those again anytime soon.

Ahh, the memories.

Stoked!

Last year a friend of mine from Chi Alpha told me about a short term missions opportunity that she was going to do. She then tried to persuade me to do it myself. However, at the time, I didn't think there was a way for me to do it. Finances, things going on with my disability. I really didnt give it much thought. And so we just said...maybe next year.
Well, next year came around and more of the same. My mother and I were even thinking about checking out a spina bifida conference in Arizona. But then Chi Alpha came a few days later, low and behold our Missions Minute just happened to highlight Joni Earikson-Tada's Family Camp. When a video was shown about it, I wept through the entire thing. I think God was trying to tell me something. So at the break in Chi Alpha, I had to get more info. I really felt like this was something I was supposed to do.
I decided I would pray about it for a couple of days before mentioning it. My friend and her mom are going, so we thought it would be cool if we went mother/daugher style. My dad might be talked into going too. But speaking of praying about it beforehand, I think it was only three days before I brought it up that mom and I should do this instead. Besides, I found out later it was only an hour from where my parents live. It didn't take any convincing on my part at all. They thought it would be a great vacation as I haven't had one in a while. Only, I have a strange feeling it could turn into so much more.
So much more because of all the short term missions/ spring break XA trips I took while still a student. So much more because finding and keeping a job has been difficult, if not impossible. So much more because the past year or so has been phyically and emotionally trying. So much more because in seven days time I have had as many people tell me in so many words that they felt God is up to something.
In the meantime, since I had made the decision that I wanted to go, I have been praying almost daily for differnt aspects relating to the camp. Specifically for one instance in which we will be placed with a family and get to do all the different activities with for the duration of the five-day camp (us STM's go a day early for training). Just this morning as I was getting dressed God brought to mind a way to interact and connect by asking their sibling what it was like to have a sibling with a disability - since I have a brother who does not.
I will kill myself if I forget to bring a camera. You can bet there will be plenty of bloggiing about the trip afterwards. My friend and I are getting together tomorrow after church to talk about it.

New Computer

So my poor desktop was really ill, so says one of the members of the G33Ksquad @ Bestbuy. I've known that for a while now. My dilemma - was it cheaper to break down and get it fixed, or to just use my tax refund toward the purchase of a new one.

I loooked online @ Costco and couldn't find anything within my price range. All of them were at least, if not more than $1000. I wish I were made of money, and not dependent upon public assistance. Surprisingly enough, I really thought Costco would be the cheaper of the two. I was wrong. Costco was the more expensive. I was also looking for something at least 17 inch, to accomodate for less than perfect eyesight.

SO, I looked online at Best Buy. And whoa! I had my work cut out for me. They had many brandnames, and A LOT within what I was willing to spend ( oh yeah, mom and dad were splitting the cost). I saw a few computers of different colors. That would have been ccool, but still too much for this meager pocketbook. Halfway through looking, I notice on the side that I could have typed in exactly what I was looking for. But at least doing it this way I could see what was available. I set up a wish list, that way I could come back to potential computers and compare. After deleting so many from the wish list (there was a reason I did it that way, narrow them down) I finally prayed...Lo and Behold! The next one that came up had everything I wanted and a little more at a price I could afford (now where have I heard THAT before. Hmm, sounds like a commercial on t.v.).

Good grief, this things a monster! A lot bigger than the advertisement made it out to be. But it's cool. I spent a few days just becoming familiar with the thing. Then, I reveived a phonecall from the G33kSquad, and they were here within two or three days to help me with set up. I mostly needed help with set up of the internet, since all or most of what I wanted to do required it, loading programs and such.

I am so excited to get my music ripped so that I can put it ALL on my iPod. I started to load it onto my desktop and managed to back up into the cd/dvd drive with my wheelchair. Real smooth, I know. One doesnt really realize how much music one has until she rips it to her computer ( I can bun now too. So I have been sitting here for the past two days doing just that...ripping. Most CD's I havent played in months, and I forgot how good they were.

The greatest part of having a laptop for me is the fact that I can get my feet up when I need to. Shoot, I spent way too much time on the computer as it is. Any of you webcam-ers out there, I can now do video with online conversations. I may have to try out this skype thing to.

Wacky Web Tales (50th Anniversary of MadLibs)

Pet Show
While I was wagging to the bus after school, I saw a poster announcing that a pet show would be held the next day in Montana. I was so witty! I couldn't wait to enter my pet horse, don Johnson, in the show.
The next morning at the pet show, don Johnson balanced a big doctor on his nose. Then he cheated around three plastic pencils. Suddenly, a big platypus bumped into don Johnson. He shot 7 feet in the air. The judge made a terrible face when he saw what happened, so I didn't think don Johnson would win. Imagine my surprise when he won the number 4 prize! I was happy to have a great horse like don Johnson."0

Ahhh, Madlibs. I remember these when I was a kid. I loved doing these, although I had a hard time with parts of speech back then...still do to some degree. I would do a few at a time, and I would crack up laughing when I read the story that came of it.

Ahh Memories.