Assesments, meetings and PROGRESS.

Yesterday I met with the Career counsellor and my Vocational Rehab councellor, and there were some good things that came from it. First was the acceptance of assistive equipment recommended by the Neil Squire foundation, so I have a fair bit of "shopping" to do. Thank goodness the Assistive specialist at Neil Squire is able to help me contact the appropriate suppliers, and therby set up shipping and billing. The Lady I'm dealing with through them has been a God send, supportive, uplifting and encouraging. But then I have to say that recently I have been thoroughly blessed with some very helpful professionals, and they are willing to do what it takes to make this process a possibility!

We also came to the conclusion that college prep courses would be a good idea as well, after all it's been a long time since I've had to attend school! Even after attending SIAST (career college) to take my meat cutting certificate, It didn't include papers and essays like my upcoming endevour. So this should be starting in February, I only hope I will have learned about and set up all the equipment by then!

I finally come to Today, where we received a call from an organization called "Independant Living". This group has yet more assistive products to help with the more mundane day to day living, such as shower support bars and electric adjustable beds (Gee who would have imagined that might help? I only bought one 2 and a half years ago....). There are other things that they'll be recommending like an electric recliner, and single handle hot/cold taps. Things that we would have eventually done, but it all cost so much and we're on a fixed income. I can't even remember everything we've done or bought on our own to help make life a little easier, but after seven years of fighting with them for even basic coverage we are finally getting some help and understanding.

Now for the future, we have one more assessment to come. This one is specifically to evaluate the level of personal care I need, that has to do with how much (and what type of) regular life items are required to be done for me. Simple things like cutting my own meat, washing my hair in the shower, clipping my toenails or fingernails. These are things that a normal person wouldn't even think about, yet they cause me excruciating pain were I to attempt them myself. So it has been very enlightening to have all these assessments done, I'm just amazed (and appalled) that none of this was even considered sooner by WCB. There are a lot of problems at WCB that need to be addressed and most of it has to do with treatment of injured workers, but that's a WHOLE different post. (Maybe one that will come sooner rather than later, keep an eye out for it!).

Patience is a virtue.

11 days into the new year, and as much as I would like to get moving on things I still have to wait on others. I understand that I have nothing else pressing to work on like they do, so I find no fault with the people doing the things that need to be done no metter how long they take. The problem is in myself, being so anxious to start moving and feeling productive again that it feels like it's taking forever to come together. After 7 years of dealing with loss, trying to cope with pain, dealing with medications and their side effects and ultimately the wiening off of them, and then trying to figure out how to handle life with this pain and no medication, I need to feel useful again.
I meet again with the Rehab CSR from WCB on the 13th, for what I'm not sure (The career counsellor and CSR set up the meeting) but I will be able to give her the quotes I have for the things I'll need and the report from Neil Squire. We'll see what happens at this meeting, and I'll post an update then.