<<
Mushroo909(AT)aol.com wrote:
>
> Hi, everyone!!
> I have been quite unresponsive, but only due to mere exhaustion, not out of
a
> lack of caring. You all have been in my thoughts and prayers. Since school
is
> in back in session,I have not had an ounce of energy left to type mail or
> respond. Tonight is not much better, but I needed a break from grading
papers.
> I just love my fourth graders and we have had a very productive week. They
> are wonderful to me too! I think I'll make it this year, if I go one day at
a
> time. School followed by PT, followed by supper, chores, then plans and
> grading papers seems about to sink me. But prayer is my life jacket and
I'm
> still afloat!!!
> If you don't mind I wanted to vent a few frustrations. After reading about
> your frustrations due to the parking situation, with well people taking
> spaces and not so well people being questioned, It reminds me of MY pet
> peeve: the handicapped bathroom stall!!
> Being very self-conscious, I would never create a scene when lady
friends
> enter a handicapped stall with their five children and yack while each
child,
> followed by the 2 adults have their "turn." Often, all regular stalls are
open
> when this occurs and I stand there with my cane waiting, trying not to have
an
> accident, while the mother asks the child ( who sits on the toilet seat,
> swinging her feet, and singing "Merrily We Roll Along") "Sweetie, are you
> done yet??? Hurry, cuz sister and cousin Sue Sue needs a turn too! "(And
the
> song continues)
> I give up and with great difficulty use a "regular" stall or have an
> accident) Should I resort to standing with moist puppy dog eyes, making my
> most pitiful "handicapped " look, trying to impart some guilt, they
probably
> would brush by, and, perhaps, if I were really lucky, I'd hear the
> sympathetic words:" Lady- did ya get soap in your eyes?? Ya need to be
> carefull not to turn the water on so hard!!!! ( Ha,ha, ha!!!)
> One beef down, Two to go!!!
> Last week I arrived at PT and was met at the door with" Karen, your
insurance
> will not pay for more visits as it intended. They reviewed your diagnosis
and
> felt that therapy would NOT be of any further use, since recovery is
unlikely.
> They felt any improvement was merely based on subjective opinion, not on
> fact."
> How negative, Right??? I had them call my neuro, who was back & forth
between
> the ins. co. and the PT place and 45 minutes later, they approved 8 more
> visits, but that will be all. They said I needed to save the days left (I
have
> 60 per year and had used 35) for WHEN not IF I fell and may need PT to get
> over the resulting damage!!! I feel that if I have PT, I may PREVENT falls!
> Can you believe it?? You probably can.
> Last, but not least:
> I went to a convention last Saturday that was district wide. It was held in
a
> very large church that had rented its facility. They had a general session
on
> the ground floor and then offered 80 workshops. The titles which appealed
to
> me had second floor classrooms. When I went to the information desk, and
> inquired as to where the elevators were, I was told that there were none. I
> was astonished. I can do a small amount of stairs, but these were steep and
> wound up and around a few times. I could not make it! I hung around some of
> the day, downstairs and noticed several folks with canes, crutches,
> wheelchairs and a few motor seats or whatever you call them stuck in the
> ground floor or having to go to one of only four offered on the bottom
floor!
> I did not say anything, but it was a disappointment. I didn't leave,
because
> it had been paid for, but it was a waste.
>
> Oh yeah- one more gripe, and I may finally shut up!!!! I went to
> Barnes and Noble to pick up a book I had ordered for school. Usually I have
no
> problem getting inside because usually the store is so busy that I arrive
at
> the same time as someone else and end up following them in. On this day, it
> was rainy, so I arrived at the door alone, and to my shock, I realized I
was
> too weak to open the door. I tried for five minutes, pushing my 117 pounds
> against it with all my might- nothing! I never knew it was that difficult!
I
> waited 10 more minutes and noone came along, so I proceeded to my car and
went
> home.
> Well, guys, I guess It's hitting me that I really can't do some things, and
> that's a bit tough. But, Like I said, I'm still afloat. My heart goes out
to
> folks each time they sign on as 'new' people and to the veterans who go
before
> me who know what it's like to deal with this long term problem with such
> courage. I know days are difficult for you. too, and yet you keep on
giving-
> especially to the friends here on the list. Thanks, everybody for listening
> Love, Mushroo (Karen)Hi Karen, Joellen here. Tie a knot in the rope and
hang on! (I know
its freying a bit!) What gets me is those "handicapped stalls" that you
can't get into if you are in a wheelchair. (the ones where you have to
go straight in and then turn) and heaven help you if you need an aide to
help you! 1 wheelchair+1 person in wheelchair+1 aide= NO ROOM!
The last person who parked in the handicapped space outside my
apartment (who wasn't handicapped) got a $71.00 Surprise on their
windsheild! They had blocked the ramp so I couldn't get down to street
level so the nice policeman helped me get off the sidewalk safely and
then wrote the ticket. I used to be pushy about people doing those kind
of things before (because I had so many patients with MS) but now they
really don't want to cross me! Joellen
>>
Hi Karen and Joellen,
Karen, I want you to know the fatique symptom shouldn't be permanent and at
the very least, it will deminish to a lesser degree. It's just a matter of
time.
Joellen and Karen have faith that physically impaired facility's access and
the parking abuses can only get better. This is due to people such as
yourselves expressing your concerns and at times being vocal about the need
for improvements and the obeyance of the law pertaining to handicapped
parking.
Sometimes a parking violator is more ignorant than inconsiderate. They fail
to comprehend the importance of the handicapped parking spaces. This is where
education becomes essential.
The 1st offense is a warning. A belligerant 1st offense or a 2nd offense will
cost the violator money. I do this for physically challenged people of our
state and contribute in furthering an offender's education. I'm thankful we
got the legislation passed and enacted into law this year to enable citizens
to volunteer to control HC parking via citations.
Phil (W.Va.)