Guest guest Posted May 9, 1998 Report Share Posted May 9, 1998 Hello everyone, Since this is a light day on the list, and I have been having an interesting experience about getting help, I thought I'd just toss this out. For many years as the conditions that cause my disability were progressing, I tried my best to keep functioning at the highest level I could, with some medical & pain center help. It was hard enough to ask for these, & my strong need to see myself as independent kept me from asking family members to help me. As some may have gleaned from my posts, the family structure finally broke down & everyone went our separate ways. I now live in Las Vegas, where the climate is the best possible for me, and medical care is good enough. At first I had a business here, but as I got worse, found myself more & more homebound. It never occurred to me to ask for help in managing at home until I ran out of food & was living on whatever odd things I could scrape up for about a month. My health plan (under medicare) has a relatively new case manager service, and I finally broke down & called for help. Response was not immediate, but the request was taken seriously, and some staff came to my home (then a total mess) to check out my situation. An RN insisted on taking my BP, & to my surprise it was very high. My doc immediately made some meds changes to control it, & I was feeling somewhat better (or less worse). Then a home health aid was assigned once a week to help with household things, and even shop if I couldn't get out. As well, a PT was sent out today (I had tried to get out to PT but never could) and she is making arrangements for me to have PT at home. No one at my health plan ever told me these external service were available. The several weeks I have been getting them has made me feel a lot less helpless & cut off. And the idea of asking for help really terrified me. Happy Mothers' Day all! Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 1998 Report Share Posted May 10, 1998 Asking for help was one of the very last things I could do. It all went back to the childhood teachings from my father that if I couldn't do it myself, I was a failure. Not so! There is a line from a Donne (sp?) poem that says 'No man is an island unto himself alone'. To be politically correct, no man or woman is an island... To think of my own experiences, I have helped many people with many thing s when they have asked and not thought them failures. why should I think that of myself. Two winters ago, I fell in the snow and, for the first time accepted the hand reached out to help me up. Last summer, for the first time out of a hospital setting, I allowed myself to be put in a wheelchaire and pushed around a large store (Wal-Mart) that I had never visited because it was too large to walk around. Asking for help is not failure - it is human. JonquilJan 'If all the world's a stage, I want better lighting.' 'I used to be Snow White but I drifted.' (Mae West) ---------- > > > Hello everyone, > > Since this is a light day on the list, and I have been having an > interesting experience about getting help, I thought I'd just toss this out. > For many years as the conditions that cause my disability were > progressing, I tried my best to keep functioning at the highest level I > could, with some medical & pain center help. It was hard enough to ask for > these, & my strong need to see myself as independent kept me from asking > family members to help me. As some may have gleaned from my posts, the > family structure finally broke down & everyone went our separate ways. I > now live in Las Vegas, where the climate is the best possible for me, and > medical care is good enough. At first I had a business here, but as I got > worse, found myself more & more homebound. > It never occurred to me to ask for help in managing at home until I ran > out of food & was living on whatever odd things I could scrape up for about > a month. My health plan (under medicare) has a relatively new case manager > service, and I finally broke down & called for help. Response was not > immediate, but the request was taken seriously, and some staff came to my > home (then a total mess) > to check out my situation. An RN insisted on taking my BP, & to my surprise > it was very high. My doc immediately made some meds changes to control it, > & I was feeling somewhat better (or less worse). > Then a home health aid was assigned once a week to help with household > things, and even shop if I couldn't get out. As well, a PT was sent out > today (I had tried to get out to PT but never could) and she is making > arrangements for me to have PT at home. > No one at my health plan ever told me these external service were > available. > The several weeks I have been getting them has made me feel a lot less > helpless & cut off. And the idea of asking for help really terrified me. > Happy Mothers' Day all! > Ken > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > Help ONElist keep this service free, while generating interest in your > product or service. ONElist has a variety of advertising packages. > Visit http://www.onelist.com/advert.html for more information. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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