Guest guest Posted August 18, 2003 Report Share Posted August 18, 2003 In a message dated 8/18/03 8:05:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time, la_petita2@... writes: > Would it be arguable to say that it is unfair that dwarfs (and > others who are physically challenged) have to spend more money out > of their own pocket than the average sized person to accommodate > something which they cannot control? > Or is there an insurance program which I am not aware of that covers > these expenses? > > Thank you in advance for your comments, > > > erin > > > > > > > , I don't know off hand how much I had to spend so far on items to make my life as a dwarf much more easier and comfortable. I have been lucky to not need some of the other things some other little people need. Things I do need are extensions, getting clothes altered, devices such as grabber, step stools. That can be costly, but I try and find a bargain somehow. The cost of living these days in this tight economy we live in is not so easy. I see many well to do people in the community shop at Dollar stores. I would imagine that they want to save a bargain too. Too bad Dollar stores though can't carry extensions, alter clothes. ;-) Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 2003 Report Share Posted August 18, 2003 In a word " Medication " that cost. I am a LP with OI and even on a HMO medicine is sky high. Other expenses don't seem to be any more than any of my family spends that are average height. Irwin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 18, 2003 Report Share Posted August 18, 2003 I have spent um 15 bucks on my dwarfism this year LOL. Porters at the airport thats it. There is nothing I really need at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Not sure about the Co$t of my dwarfism, I'm more inclined to look at how much profit I have managed to make out of it. Looking at the balance sheet, the co$t of any alterations etc is far outweighed by the profit I have made from being a dwarf. Had I NOT been a dwarf, believe me, I am basically, a lazy, bone idle, careless person. Well, that's what my school reports used to say and why I left school without a single exam to my name. It is also the reason I got 'paid off' from my first job after leaving school. After two years on " Government benefit " which included a nine month government evaluation of my abilities where by they came to a very negative conclusion, I realised that if I didn't pull my finger out and prove them wrong, I was in for a very poor life style! THEN life began! Sell yourself Frederick! For starters, I sold myself to my now wife of 30+ years, and believe me, I made one hell of a profit on that one:-)))) After that, the dwarfism became my 'ticket'! Get a few exams, then use the dwarfism as the 'ticket' to college! Meaning, I got to college, not so much on the qualifications but on the selling of the 'novelty' factor to college principles who were bemused by the concept of having a dwarf student! Once in, the realisation that THIS was IT, was sufficient motivation to make dam sure I got good results! On a tangent, it was also the 'ticket' to the front of the queue (line) when it came to getting the degree gown! Mine was specially altered, so Frederick went straight to the front of a huge long line, to pick it up:-) My dwarfism was also my 'ticket' to success with the children in my class. That is, once I had sold the idea of having a dwarf as a member of staff to prospective school heads! My dwarfism, the fact that even some 6 year olds had a teacher SMALLER than themselves, was a sufficient selling point for me to help motivate them and built their own self esteem. The dwarfism has in fact been the motivating factor of lots of aspects of my life. Without which, believe me, I would have, to this day, just been a slob! In other words, 'I' didn't do it, 'I' can't take credit for any of it. All the credit and praise HAS to go to my dwarfism! I aint about to sell this 'ticket' but even after my death it is gonna be the ticket to a cheap funeral! I want discount on the smaller than average coffin, I want discount on the number of coffin carriers cos where normally they would use six they can get away with two, and I want discount on the grave diggers cos they aint gonna have to dig such a big hole! Hopefully, I'll get to meet God, cos I wanna shake his hand and congratulate him on his creation and profit making acumen! Yup, all in all, profit against loss, I see my profits from my dwarfism far outstripping any so called 'losses'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Fred, is there some way we could bottle up and sell your attitude and sense of humor about your dwarfism? The profits would be enough to keep LPA afloat into the 25th Century! :-) Seriously, I think it really varies by individual if there's much of any extra cost related to dwarfism. Just like with other conditions -- my dad had Parkinson's disease, and talk about expensive! For probably the last ten years, while he was still able to be at home but quite severely ill, his medication bills were $600 a month, my folks were spending a huge chunk on extra nursing care -- heck, my mom even had to hire someone to stay with him so she could go to the grocery store! I'm the AP mom of a dwarf so I don't have personal expenses associated with dwarfism (now that my daughter is grown up, anyway!), but my suspicion, from the folks I've met, is that dwarfs tend to be very adaptable and good at " making do. " Kind of like I'm left-handed, and while there's all kinds of things I could get to make doing some tasks easier for me as a leftie, I learn to make do and do them with my right hand even though it's often awkward. But even when my daughter was younger, we didn't have a lot of expenses beyond stepstools and some automobile adaptations (in her case hand controls) so she could drive. Oh, well, we had extra medical stuff, but fortunately during the entire time she needed back braces, for example, which are often VERY expensive, her dad was in the military so we had no cost other than my time off from work to take her to the brace shop, doctor's visits, etc., and even her back surgery only cost us $156 (literally, I added it up) -- this for what would today probably be at least a $40,000 hospital bill. Military medicine ain't all bad, folks! <g> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Persons who have disabilities and have specific needs (not special!!!) have to spend money or find alternative ways of getting their needs met. It is expensive to have a disability at times. If you have specific needs that are not in the " norms " , it's going to cost a few dollars! It is very expensive to many individuals ...I feel that's why many are on Social Security. They need Medicaid and other assistance, because sometimes a full time job will not cover all the expenses that a person needs. But, if people would hire more people with disabilities, more people will have work, and off of Welfare or other Government assistance programs out there, and paying taxes to contribute back to the Government. Here in NH the estimate is 70% of the population of individuals with disabilities, are unemployed! Yes, I would say it is expensive to live with specific needs that need to be met that are not in the " norms " of society. a > I was wondering what the average dwarf has to spend each year (or in > his/her lifetime) on their needs related to their dwarfism. > > Examples of such expenses include: > medical expenses (surgeries, leg-lengthening operations), > wheelchairs/scooters, clothing alterations, pedal > extensions/automobile modifications, household items (stools, custom > furniture), home modifications, accessories (portable > stools,'grabbers'), PC modifications, LPA expenses (dues, travel & > accomodation expenses during conventions), and anything else I may > have forgot to add to this list. > Since dwarfs vary in severity and with more urgent medical needs, > thus some dwarfs have more expenses than others, I am aware that > this varies from person to person. > > Would it be arguable to say that it is unfair that dwarfs (and > others who are physically challenged) have to spend more money out > of their own pocket than the average sized person to accommodate > something which they cannot control? > Or is there an insurance program which I am not aware of that covers > these expenses? > > Thank you in advance for your comments, > > > erin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Betty Elder (' mom) said it best: " Little people are like sports cars. They are low to the ground, have to go in often for maintenance, and they're expensive! " ) Vita Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Lets not forget the " two-for-one " deal on the gravesite! They could just put you and Lin end to end using just one site.:-) Cheers " Frederick " Willow > I aint about to sell this 'ticket' but even after my death it is gonna be > the ticket to a cheap funeral! I want discount on the smaller than average > coffin, I want discount on the number of coffin carriers cos where normally > they would use six they can get away with two, and I want discount on the > grave diggers cos they aint gonna have to dig such a big hole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 From: <willow.snow@...> > Lets not forget the " two-for-one " deal on the gravesite! They could just put > you and Lin end to end using just one site.:-) > Cheers " Frederick " > Willow Ah, now hang on there one cotton pickin minute!!!!!!!! 'a' you assume we are both going to depart this earth at the same time, 'b' you assume I wanna live through eternity end to end with Lin and 'c' you forget that in this particular instance, I shall use my 'ticket' to bribe the cemetery staff to make dam sure I get some peace and quiet in my demise! So, I shall pay for MY OWN plot!!!!! And, if you REALLY wanna be a pedant, then yer we could have a half length, half depth hole dug and they bury us standing up!!!!! BUT, please, back to back:-))))) Fred, the seeker of a 'dead' quiet eternity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 Touche' sweet Fred; you've left me nowhere to go with that one. Lovies, Willow > From: <willow.snow@...> > > > > Lets not forget the " two-for-one " deal on the gravesite! They could just > put > > you and Lin end to end using just one site.:-) > > Cheers " Frederick " > > Willow > > Ah, now hang on there one cotton pickin minute!!!!!!!! > > 'a' you assume we are both going to depart this earth at the same time, > 'b' you assume I wanna live through eternity end to end with Lin and > 'c' you forget that in this particular instance, I shall use my 'ticket' to > bribe the cemetery staff to make dam sure I get some peace and quiet in my > demise! So, I shall pay for MY OWN plot!!!!! > > And, if you REALLY wanna be a pedant, then yer we could have a half length, > half depth hole dug and they bury us standing up!!!!! BUT, please, back to > back:-))))) > > Fred, the seeker of a 'dead' quiet eternity > > > > > === > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 In einer eMail vom 21.08.03 00:10:36 (MEZ) - Mitteleurop. Sommerzeit schreibt willow.snow@...: > Ah, now hang on there one cotton pickin minute!!!!!!!! > > > > 'a' you assume we are both going to depart this earth at the same time, > > 'b' you assume I wanna live through eternity end to end with Lin and > > 'c' you forget that in this particular instance, I shall use my 'ticket' > to > > bribe the cemetery staff to make dam sure I get some peace and quiet in my > > demise! So, I shall pay for MY OWN plot!!!!! > > > > And, if you REALLY wanna be a pedant, then yer we could have a half > length, > > half depth hole dug and they bury us standing up!!!!! BUT, please, back > to > > back:-))))) > > > > Fred, the seeker of a 'dead' quiet eternity > > > Fred you crack me up all the time !!! We have the same kind of humor !!! Liane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 I agree with everyone else, it depends on the individual. My hubby needs stools all over the house, and reachers. He doesn't use pedal extentions, the truck has the new type that work for him. He does how ever need all clothing altered. He normally makes things that would help him, or do with out. I am there to reach what he cannot. Shoes are always a problem, when we find them we buy them all. Our house has not been customized, but our couch is small for him. ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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