Warmish Meeting Week

After a month of staying inside, this was a week of getting out. Thankfully, temps were in the 40's and 50's with sun. Getting out at church last Sunday still felt very cold though. Tuesday's outing was a much needed haircut and Thursday had a meeting of local pastors and church speakers.

This month's meeting was a "field trip" to one of the funeral homes in town. I used to work with the director in updating their website and got to know him well. Seeing more of his work was interesting, but not sure what I expected. However, Friday was the largest meeting event.

In late 2019, I joined the Olmstead Consumer Task Force. At that time, meetings were mainly in person with an option to meet virtually. Of course that switched a few months later and meetings have been virtual ever since.

I lead one of the sub groups and, a few months ago, member suggested we make a video for the task force to use in promotions and recruitment. It sounded great to everyone and I presumed we could use Zoom as our video recording device. However, a friend of another member is studying film and has access to good cameras and lighting. In the space of a few minutes, we suddenly planned to have everyone gather at my local library due to central location and so I didn't need to travel far in winter.

Therefore, since December I got my library card and arranged renting the meeting room. Our small group planned to join everyone else virtually, which meant we would need access to the room earlier than normal. Thankfully, I was told that wouldn't be a problem and all was set.

Friday morning, my caregiver and I arrived at 9:33 for our planned 9:30 meeting. I saw several people standing around the entrance and soon recognized faces as my group. Knocking on the door and phone calls didn't allow us entrance, but we were finally let in about 15 minutes later. Some quick tech setup allowed our group to join the rest of the task force just one minute late. It was great seeing real faces around us while grazing on Dutch treats, crackers, and other items.

The full group meeting finished early and we were soon off to work on our video project. The film student found a quiet corner of the library to setup his camera and lighting equipment. After short discussions, about six people gave planned and impromptu talks. I originally opted to do my segment in one take, but ended up redoing it after listening to other members and thinking of more to include.

Overall, I think it went well. I look forward to seeing the finished product and hope it works well for years to come. As I laid in bed Friday night, it occurred to me that I didn't take any pictures of our gathering and not sure anyone else thought of it either. Hopefully this will prompt more in-person meetings in the future, but it is easier in the quad life to stay virtual. This week appears to be calm again, except for preparing for my first sermon of the year.

Talking full Circle

Several years ago, a family in my church needed help with child care. My parents and I love kids and volunteered to help watch 2.5 yer-old Ray and baby James. As the years passed, these two became my parents' adoptive grand kids and I was sort of the odd uncle.

Children have a tendency to grow too quickly and the two youngsters soon turned into teens with less frequent visits. Ray is now a college senior with plans to graduate this spring with her degree in nursing. For some reason, she likes working with neurological disorders, especially spinal cord injuries. Therefore, we have had discussions on hospitals specializing in SCI.

Ever since Ray started college, I have been emailing various professors that work in the nursing department. I thought this would be a great opportunity to speak with nursing students and help Ray and her classmates. Since the campus is five hours away, my offer was to visit virtually at no cost.

As is typical, I didn't get any responses. In three years of emailing, I only heard back from one professor who said she wasn't the right person to ask. I asked who would be, but didn't get a reply. I didn't try this year as I figured it wouldn't work anyway. However, there are multiple ways to visit with students.

Ray contacted me shortly after starting school this fall and wondered if I would be willing to speak to the nursing student club she helps lead. She knew of my attempts to try to speak with a class, so this would be a great compromise. Friday was the day I virtually visited with the students and staff who were available.

My computer is setup for me to use most easily from bed. However, I wanted to be in my chair to look a little more professional and maybe answer wheelchair inquires. My caregiver moved my bed so I could get aligned better with my computer's camera. I'm usually a little short as well, but my chair's elevating seat feature came in handy to improve my positioning.

Unfortunately, the crowd was much smaller than anticipated with only three students (one of who was Ray) and one late joining professor. Nevertheless, I squeezed my 60-minute presentation into 45 and covered the basics and special nuances of persons living the quad life. Whether by many or by few, I'm always glad when I get to teach upcoming generations. The girl that I helped play Chutes & Ladders has now become a young woman helping me to fulfill both our passions.

One item I covered in my presentation was funding issues. On Thursday, I received a response about the appeal I submitted to restore my day-time funding. The type of decision I received cannot be appealed and therefore will not be heard. One option still remains, but I will see where God leads. This week looks to be busy again and with fair weather, so it should be a good time to finally get out of the house.

Chair Repair

It has been over two months since I got my new chair. In that time, and after three miles of driving, I have noticed areas that need work. This week, two technicians came from my chair provider to address some of the issues.

First, my caregiver and I noticed my legs were not sitting straight and my feet wouldn't lay flat. As long as I can remember, my legs have flopped out to the sides, like frog's legs. It's fine in bed, but it doesn't work when trying to sit. Therefore, I have had knee supports that keeps my legs from going out too far.

After some fairly significant adjusting of the supports, my legs were straight once again. Next, moving my foot rests up about an inch allowed my entire foot to lay flat and be supported. My caregiver and I were very pleased to see the improvement and my lower body aligned properly.

Another concern that my parents noticed was this chair's lack of a strap for chest restraint. I liked not needed another device to stay straight. However, I researched through my local law enforcement and we both discovered a chest restaurant is required for wheelchair users in vehicles. The solution is now a strap that can go over my front when needed, but easily left off as well. Unfortunately, not everything else could be adjusted.

When traveling, my mom and I noticed the chair wants to tip over when making right-hand turns. I explained the situation to the techs, but they had never heard of such an issue before. Looking at my van's straps for the chair, they thought it could be due to where I sit and that I can't be restrained from the side. The only suggestion was to only tilt fully when highway driving, and sit upright when in town. A visit to someone who does wheelchair restraints could also offer solutions, but that was all.

As time has passed, I've also noticed I'm not sitting as well as at first. My right arm seems to be elevated and just not sitting right at a good angle. Again, the techs were at a loss for further arm rest movement. Dad tried moving it Saturday, but I have yet to sit in the chair and try his change.

I had hoped to have all concerns fixed at this point and enjoy my new wheels. Unfortunately, it still has some challenges and is starting to get uncomfortable to sit in. I was looking forward to my first time preaching this spring and be able to get elevated for the crowd. Now, I'm beginning to wonder if my previous chair may be better suited. So far, nothing is scheduled, so I have time to adjust and consider. Such is the quad life.

Tomorrow, I'm also waiting to hear if my funding for nurses can be approved for February. I filed an appeal, but it will take time to decide on when to be heard. Until then, I continue to rely on God's timing and grace for my needs.