Care Management is a full time job.

As I sit here starting Bridgerton Season 2 (yes Kristen, I have started it and we will need to debrief) I feel like I am the Lady Whistledown of my own life. So much to tell people, and debrief on, and yet, I don’t want to Facebook/Instagram post every day. My blog is my semi-incognito way of letting everyone know the nitty-gritty details on my current life and recovery, without being in-your face about it. At some level people want to click on my blog to know what is going on.

Now to the main course of this blog post. Coordinating and taking care of myself is quickly turning into a full time job. I have felt the last few weeks especially that I have stagnated at home PT/OT. Monday I will get evaluated by Drake center PT, and hopefully get approved for water therapy, which I am so excited for. I feel as if the pool will get me more physical activity and freedom of movement which are all good things right now. I have been a bit stir crazy, part of that is the lack of “go go go” in my life right now, but I do get sick of staring at the same walls.

Just today I have fielded three or four phone calls about scheduling and coordinating my outpatient PT and OT. I have OT scheduled once a week through about the middle of May, PT will fit in around those. Add in doctors appointments, other appointments (Manicures, massage’s and the like) and the fact I will have to schedule in special driving OT to be evaluated for hand controls and it looks like my April will be quite busy.

The big news today is Rick one of my OOD/BVR disability specialists and Nick from National Seating and Mobility were out to talk about my new wheels. In a step further, I already have the wheelchair evaluation note from my primary and the evaluation with the OT through Drake Center OT/PT. It seems that with the BVR involved I have a good chance of getting my chair by sometime in June. In the mean time I will be getting a different loaner, as the one from NuMotion will have to go back to them. Nick seems to believe he can find one that will be even closer to my custom fit chair and I can trial different cushions. The other huge thing with some meetings and conventions coming up is that I will get to trial a Smart Drive MX2 system. Basically by adding on a 12 pound motor, I can save my shoulders, which I am interested in. There is only so much upper body strengthening one can do, at some point you have to actively manage the wear and tear.

My BVR meeting went very well yesterday, lots of things were discussed which will be coming to light in the later days about getting me back to teaching, hopefully in August. There is a lot of things to consider, like lifts for my wheelchair to help me get it in and out of the car, hand controls to drive (I will be seeing a specialist OT about that soon.). These are all things that might delay my return in August, I have to be able to get myself there, and well qualifying for hand controls takes time. I suspect I will adapt quickly.

So many appointments, right now it is really hard for me to do more than one a day, considering my Mom’s disabilities as well. In some ways my independence can’t come soon enough to take some pressure off of them. I also feel with gas prices being what they are asking people to drive to Middletown, to drive down to Drake West Chester, or Drake Galbraith then take me back to Middletown is likely too much. However, there are just some days my Mom is not well and not feeling up to driving, I hope I don’t end up with a ton of missed/cancelled appointments, as every appointment will get me back to my new normal faster.

Anyway, I have gone on long enough and I’m sure there will be much more in the coming days and weeks.

More Later…