31 August, 2010 by DanaWheels.

Is it just me, or am I being too sensative? Keith brought a HD TV yesterday from Goodwill, but before we could even bring it home, noticed on the Internet, that it has MAJOR problems, which includes a recall of the TV. But is he going to take info down there as he tries to get his money back? NO! He’s going to TALK to them, when their policies are CREDIT ONLY. I told him to print some things out, but he refused. I say he’s going to look foolish without some documentation, he said it’s just people talking, and won’t mean a thing. I think some documentation is better than nothing. Opinions?

Posted in Real Life, General, Family, Personal | 1 Comment »

28 August, 2010 by DanaWheels.

You’ll notice there’s been a change to the theme (background) to the the blog. I thought the other one was a bit too busy, and this one is much easier on the eyes. So, a new look for Hire the Handicapped. I really like the look of the new theme. Much cleaner.

If you have an opinion to the way this blog looks, please leave a comment.

Posted in Internet, General | No Comments »

28 August, 2010 by DanaWheels.

Yes, I know, I haven’t been keeping up the blog. I keep forgetting to update it. I have to get into the habit of doing so… and there are times when I really don’t have anything to say every day so I think I’m going to give myself a goal of updating it every week, then in a month or so, updating it 2 days a week and working up from there. There are things that happen, I just don’t know if there’s enough for a full blog, or maybe I’m making more into this than there should be… after all, I post to my Facebook page nearly every day, although, I’ve gotten sloppy as of late on THAT too. Used to post every day on what I was doing, but I’ve stopped that too. I’ve got to get my shit together, that’s for sure.

So, for now, this is a WEEKLY blog, and I’m working on a “About Me” page, as well.

Posted in Real Life, General, Personal | 1 Comment »

17 August, 2010 by DanaWheels.

Jsut got off the phone with my dog trainer, and after talking to her for about an hour, I’ve decided that retiring Chewie is the wrong thing to do. In talking to Dana Babb, who used to run Paws-Abilities with her husband, Larry, she made mention that Chewie may have just been startled by something at Norwescon so that’s the reason he was resistant to getting out from under the club tables there.

I trust Dana. She’s been my dog trainer since I’ve had Tyler, almost 18 years ago, is when I first met her and her husband. She picked out Gillis, my previous service dog, which I call my ‘wonder dog’ and she’s helped me out with all sorts of problems.

If she says that my dog isn’t ready to be retired, then Chewie isn’t ready to be retired. This means I won’t be getting a puppy right away. I will probably wait another two years, before I get a Doberman Pinscher puppy to replace Chewie.

I’m actually very happy and relieved by this… I hated to have Chewie here at home, alone. Dana based her decision on the fact that Chewie was peeing in the house in big puddles. Not little (get back at you), piddles, but big (I have to go), puddles that were as close to the kitchen, or in the kitchen so that they weren’t causing much damage.

I hated leaving Chewie home alone, so my stress level is already dropping… maybe I’ll be able to get some sleep now. I haven’t really slept all that well since I picked Chewie up from my friend, Mike’s house about a month ago.

Posted in Service Dogs | 1 Comment »

13 August, 2010 by DanaWheels.

Just got a call from the UW Center for Pain Relief. I am SUPPOSED to be having the nerves in my knees frozen to get rid of the pain I am in on September 20th. It may not happen. The one and only machine that does this is not functional, and the machine is being shared by the University of Washington Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center. And no one knows where the machine will be on September 20th. I don’t know what is going on, and no one seems to care that my knees are killing me, and it’s taken 2 months (or will be 2 months) before this is taken care of. I could get a cordozone shot in each knee, and I have tried, but my doctor has put in the ‘test’ dose both times… once I could understand, but TWICE? And the local doctor that WAS giving me shots, has released me from his care because I’m being seen at the UW Center for Pain Relief. Politics, I tell you, politics.

And patient care? I doubt it. And my shoulder, let’s not even talk about my shoulder. I’ve been going to Physical Therapy twice a week. at a local Physical Therapy place. It does help, but only temporarily. One hour, twice a week. Needs to be a bit longer just to handle my legs too, but I hope we’re working on it.

I just hope they decide what they are doing… I could just go tell the Center for Pain Relief to go to hell and start taking oral pain meds like I was before. I have the pain meds. My doctor gives me the prescriptions for them without my asking for them, really.

Posted in Real Life, Disability, Disability Issues, Personal | 1 Comment »

29 July, 2010 by DanaWheels.

Looks like a Stardate doesn’t it? Well, I really couldn’t think of a title, and I haven’t really kept up the blog, something I’m having to train myself to do, as I know people ARE reading it. Things have been a little crazy around here since Chewie is home. He’s a mess. He’s licked himself hairless behind the tail and on his hind legs. He’s going to the vet on Saturday, and I hope the hair will grow back. I’m pretty sure it was nerves. He had to be put in a muzzle 24/7 except for when he was eating and drinking. He doesn’t do that here. He spends all his time in the bathroom sleeping, or laying behind my wheelchair.

Now there’s a difference since he’s come home. Usually when he went outside. He’d spend HOURS outside, barking at the other dogs and such. Now he just goes outside, does his business and wants back in. He is also sleeping in MY bathroom quite a bit. He still spends time in Keith’s bathroom, but I’ve noticed he spends most of his time in my bathroom, which is different. I think he’s happy to be home. He doesn’t really bark when someone comes to the door, but we’re working on that. I WANT him to bark. I don’t know if Mike told him not to bark, but he hasn’t barked since he’s been here.

I hope his hair loss isn’t permanent. I liked his coat. I know it’s just nervious llicking and he’s not doing much of it here. A ‘leave it’ and he stops, if he’s doing it at all. And he’s only doing a tiny bit. I guess I now know that I can’t get rid of him. Keith wants to take him to the pound. But I doubt anyone will want to adopt him. He couldn’t handle Mike’s house, and he was a friend. How is he going to handle a total stranger? Mike bent over backwards to deal with Chewie’s quirks, a stranger won’t do that.

I just hope Chewie can accept a new dog and that I can teach him that he can stay at home and not pee and poop in the house. He’s done that twice now… we were home both times, but it was nerves. Luckily, he chose to do the ‘dirty deed’ on the kitchen floor so it was easy to clean up. I just don’t know what I’m going to do when I want to go somewhere as Chewie isn’t a service dog anymore. By my choice.

Posted in Real Life, Service Dogs, Disability, Family, Disability Issues | 1 Comment »

24 July, 2010 by DanaWheels.

It’s just not working out at our friend’s house. Chewie is having to wear a muzzle 24/7, except when he’s eating and drinking. He’s licking himself hairless and is visibly deteriorating, and Mike, the friend that wanted Chewie when I retired him, sent me a message on Facebook in response that Keith and I would be driving past his house because we are going to a play and we would stop in to see Chewie. He said to be prepared to take Chewie with us. Keith’s response to this was to suggest we take Chewie to the Animal Shelter. I won’t do that. And Keith’s comment was that I would have to watch Chewie grow old and die then. How insensitive can you get?

Anyway, so Chewie is coming home tomorrow. I’ve got my dog back, but I’m still going to get a new dog. Chewie will just have to learn to live with a 2nd dog in the house.

Posted in Service Dogs, Disability, Disability Issues, Personal | 1 Comment »

24 July, 2010 by DanaWheels.

I bought an Amazon Kindle from Amazon.com in early February. What the Kindle is, is an e-book reader. A very NICE, e-book reader. I tend to drop books when I turn pages about 99% of the time, the Kindle is perfect for me, as there is no actual page turning , you just press a button and the page is changed, the Kindle is perfect for me. I also like being able to order a book online and not have to wait forever for it to arrive by US Postal service. With the Kindle, I can order a book, and it’ll be available on my Kindle in about 60 seconds.With the downloading of Kindle book, I am free to read in bed at night, free of the computer… I do have to use an external light on the Kindle as it has no backlight, but that’s because the inventors wanted the Kindle to mimic a regular ‘paper’ book.I can get monthly magazines and my local newspaper. (I get PC Magazine)There are two Kindles. The Kindle 2, with a 6 inch screen, and the Kindle DX. All in all, it’s a very nice setup… and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy more books for it.

Posted in Real Life, E-Books, Personal | 1 Comment »

22 July, 2010 by DanaWheels.

I am using Lidoderm patches or what I affectionitally call “pain patches” to control the discomfort that I have from my shoulder that I injured when I tipped over my motorized wheelchair in February. They are used 12 hours on and 12 hours off. They work really well. THe problem with them, is the cost. While I only have to pay $56 for 90 patches, which lasts me 90 days, the cost to my insurance company is $700. and that cost is deducted from my yearly allowable, of which I start with $2800. Once I use all that up, I am in what’s known as the ‘donut hole’ and have to start paying for things out of my own pocket, and although, all of my generic drugs would be paid for, it’s still going to cut into any drug that is not generic, and I don’t think the pain patches qualify.

I just wish my shoulder would settle down so I wouldn’t have to use the patches so then I wouldn’t have to worry about it, and could just go back to my normal oral medications, but while I’m in Physical Therapy, the pain is a bit more than I can stand. (Okay it’s more than a ‘bit’, that’s why the pain patches, but still…

Anyway, my allowable, would get me pain patches for the year, and that’s IT. It wouldn’t allow me any other drugs… but I still need oral medications. I’m not sure how much my prescip9iton medicaitons run, but it’s not the amount that I pay that is calculated, it’s the full cost. say you pay $4 for a prescription, but your insurance pays $200. Well, if that happens for me, the full cost of $200 would be charged against my allowable. Sucks, doesn’t it? I’ve only hit the ‘donut hole’ and that was last year, but that year I was on a plan that didn’t cover as much as the plan this year.

I decided to pay more in premiums this year, so I was covered. I am paying $100 more a month, but all big ticket items will be covered like a new wheelchair, which is one thing that I am getting this year. My current wheelchair is 10 years old, and they usually replace them every five years. Well, I paid for this wheelchair as a private pay. That means I bought it and didn’t charge it to insurance. It was only 3 months old when I bought it. when I went to Florida and bought it from my partner Fred Shotz way back in 1999. Fred didn’t like it because it had a hard seat and a hard back but that was required for the ’tilt and space’. He bought it from a gentleman’s estate and the chair was brand new. Well, Fred sold it to me for what he paid for it, and he got it for a steal. I flew down to Florida, minus wheelchair because I was picking one up, and just took myself and Gillis (my Doberman). And stayed a week. Had a blast.

Posted in Medical, Real Life, Disability, Personal | 1 Comment »

19 July, 2010 by DanaWheels.

I’m upset with myself. And disgusted. I had a Physical Therapy appointment today. I didn’t go. Why? Because I was going to have to take the regular bus (fixed route service, it’s called), to get to my PT appointment, instead of the ParaTransit. That’s what I was told yesterday when I called to schedule for my appoinment. Well, I decided this AM not to go, because there are no sidewalks to the bus stop, and the bus stop is 4 blocks away. There are no sidewalks, and the bus stop is NOT wheelchair accessible according to the ADA, although, it’s marked as such.

Then I called Pierce Transit (the local transit company) and talked to Eligibility, and found out that I should have had ParaTransit (Shuttle) take me to my appointment, as it was scheduled between the hours of 9am and 2pm. I had been told the exact opposite. Sheesh! Well, now I know, so I can relax. And anytime I need to go somewhere, I’ll make sure and schedule it between 9am and 2pm.

Posted in Real Life, Disability, Disability Issues | 1 Comment »