"This Too Shall Pass"

It's been an extremely busy past six weeks. My online class has required all of my time and energy. I've been stressed to the max and I'm glad that all I have left is my final exam, which I can either take the 15th or 16th. Then I will be able to relax and enjoy the next six weeks before I start with fall semester.

I'm still waiting to hear about getting a new wheelchair. Right now they are trying to get a loaner power wheelchair with a sip and puff attached for me to trial. Along with the stress of my class, I've been dealing with the loss of independence. I'm still in a manual wheelchair right now that I'm renting. Not being in a power wheelchair and able to drive it myself has also taken a toll on me. I feel myself getting more depressed each day and not wanting to do anything. It's hard to go anywhere anyways in this situation. None of my equipment that I have to bring out with me when I go places fits on this chair like it used to on the other one. My vent is literally hanging on one of the handlebars and my tubes are tied to the other one. The suction machine, oxygen tank, and emergency bag have to be carried by someone else. Along with someone pushing me, that's a lot to deal with.

Hopefully "this too shall pass."

Jenni

New Flooring

I did a post a few weeks ago talking about how my sister's room flooded. We've had to rip up a lot of carpet; everything in her room, down the hallway and a few parts in my room. We decided to put in laminate floors that look like wood instead of putting new carpeting down. That will take place tomorrow in my room when I'm out of it. Right now the rest of the carpet in my room is being torn up in preparation.

Yesterday we started taking all of the furniture and stuff out of my room. I feel like I'm moving or something packing all these boxes. My room looks so bare right now because there's hardly anything in it; only my bed, couch, and a plastic drawer set that my birds are sitting on in their cage. Hopefully my room will be done by the end of the day tomorrow. I think it will look real nice when it's all finished.

Jenni

Squirrel Watching in Minnesota

No need for an explanation on this video. To view it on YouTube click here.



Jenni

Update on Exam

It was an extremely hard exam. I ended up getting 31.5/40; 79%. The same score I got on the first exam. The worst was the four short answer questions worth 3 points each. I think I did really good on the rest of it (matching and true false). The class average for the first exam we took was 78% and it was 75% for the second. I'm hoping the final on the 16th is easier but I may be fooling myself. Just have to study harder I guess. I've been very busy with homework for this class and I will be glad when it's all over. Then I can enjoy the rest of my summer. I miss doing leisure activities such as reading, playing games, painting and even going outside to enjoy the sunshine. Only two more weeks left. Well, back to my reading analysis paper that's due by midnight tonight.

Jenni

Figuring It All out

It's a beautiful day here in Minnesota, sunny and 80°F. I'm stuck inside right now preparing for my online exam that I have to take some time today. Then I have to read a bunch of articles and write a paper on the main points and my opinion of one of them (due tomorrow). By Saturday I have to generate discussion posts with my class talking about the readings. Oh yeah, and I have to read chapter 13 (25 pages) in my textbook. Maybe in my free time? And I decided to update all of you on my hectic homework schedule instead of actually doing it because I'm procrastinating on taking my exam. Perhaps I should just take the exam right now and then go outside and read while getting some fresh air and a tan. Okay, now I've got a plan going. Can you tell I've been stressed?

Jenni

Quote of the Day

"It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived."
-Anonymous

I totally believe in this quote. Things aren't everything. It doesn't mean anything unless it can show who you were and what you were capable of; unless it makes an imprint on others. It's the things you do and how you spread yourself. It's what you leave behind, memories and moments that capture everything about you. The things you scatter not what you gather.

Jenni

My Situation Now

I've been extremely busy lately with homework for my class. It's a lot of reading in a short amount of time. Luckily, I've been keeping up. I only have three more weeks until the end.

My chair situation is still the same. I haven't been getting out like I usually do because it's more of a hassle with this wheelchair. There isn't any built-in places for things like there was on my old chair. Everything is just kinda piled on; my ventilator is hanging on the handlebar and there is no place for the humidifier so I'm going without. Hopefully things will change soon, but for now this is what I'm dealing with.

Jenni

Using My Movement

I thought I'd show a video that was taken when I was at Gillette Lifetime Clinic for an OT appointment. In an earlier post, I talked a little bit about the environmental control unit called Relax II that I could run with my thumb movement. The pictures above are of the system and the micro light switch that plugs into it. The video below shows me pushing the switch and controlling it all by myself. A single tear started to roll down my cheek when I was doing it. This is the first time that I've actually used my movement to do something, even though it wasn't set up to anything. I was having trouble putting it on my blog so I uploaded it to YouTube. Check it out!



They let me take it home for a trial, but there's a slight problem. My thumb doesn't always cooperate so I'm not able to do it every time. Plus the switch is a little too sensitive so if my thumb is just a little bit tight it holds the switch down which makes me unable to use it. Hopefully when I get my new wheelchair they can mount something that comes around to my cheek and I can use it that way.

The picture below is of the page turner that I want to get. I can also use the switch to control that. Jenni

I Have Hope

Coping

Two people with callenges finding it hard to cope.
One with blindness and bitterness.
One with paralysis and hope.

The one with blindness and bitterness wonders,
what would of been.
The one with paralysis and hope wonders,
what will be.

The one with hope is happier and never gives up.
We all need hope.
To cope we have to accept what we are given in life.
To cope we have to have hope.
-Barbara Goodhew


I thought this poem was kind of interesting.

Jenni

About My Wheelchair...

Okay, so I have some news on my wheelchair. Unfortunately, they are not able to fix the problem. My wheelchair is officially dead. At this point, I'm okay with the fact that I'm going to have to get a new one. Since New Abilities went out of business and I'm going to have to find another way to drive my wheelchair, it does seem logical just to start all over. However, this means no wheelchair until however long it takes to go through the process of getting one.

I was able to get a rental manual wheelchair from a different vendor, called Key Medical. It is 10 times more comfortable than my manual chair and a lot more supportive; I fit in it perfectly. I talked to the manager at Reliable Medical where they have my wheelchair and he said that they could put a tilt mechanism on it. That way I can be in my wheelchair until I'm able to get a new one. The only thing is that the power isn't working to drive it so someone would have to push the chair, which weighs about 450 pounds with me in it. The manual wheelchair that I'm in now is a whole lot easier to push and maneuver around. I'm not sure which one I want to be in for the time being; I guess I'll have to decide when they deliver mine back to me.

I'm tired of dealing with Reliable because ironically their very unreliable when it comes to things. I'm going to go through Key Medical to get a new wheelchair. They're coming out next week to do an evaluation. After that they'll start the process. I think I'm going to try the sip and puff first. Hopefully it won't take too long.

Jenni