I hear ya,
Been lucky in that I've managed to stay out of that system. My 1st
couple of weeks were in a hosp in SD, but I lucked out due to having a
friend in the local VFW who just happened to be the State commander. He
made sure I got into the VA system. Did my recovery up in Hines VA,
which had an SCI ward (2 actually) and spent 3 mo learning how to
direct my care while getting rehab. It was an advantage to be
surrounded by people who had lived the hard life for years and shared
the knowledge of survival in a wheelchair. I also saw how the VA system
was being neglected under the klinton administration, on how it was
being corrupted from within by civilians who had been given cushy jobs
and were getting their offices refurbished while forcing early
retirements etc on the nursing staff. We lost a lot of dedicated caring
people while near-do-wells who were worthless brown nosers who didn't
do their jobs correctly caused guys to get bed sores and UTI's while IN
the hospital.
It has really gotten better, however it may take a couple more years to
get it up to where it should be. We are even getting a brand new SCI
building which has broken ground. They have a waiting list for the SCI
live-in unit, and I know quite a few of the guys who have found
themselves living there. They have private rooms and a well trained
staff, but I'd prefer to live on my own for as long as I can. I want to
see if I can make a difference in this world. Still holding out for a
life partner who is willing to share a dream.
Hang in there,
Stuntman
>
>
> I was the middle child in my family but definitely the most
independent I
> unfortunately quit school when I was 14 but went back and passed my
GED a
> few years later to go into the service and took all their test and
physicals
> and then they lost all my paperwork so I decided to go into the
framing
> trade and at 24 I went out on my own and was self employed as a
framing sub
> contractor for 10 years when I dove into sci.
> Like you Stuntman some members of my family tried to make decisions
for me
> the main one was my father god bless him he did everything he could
to urge
> me to stay in that nursing home, he thought it wasn't possible to
live on my
> own but he was just as uninformed as everyone else and I remember
what I
> told him "Dad the worst thing that could happen to me is I end up
back here"
> and I guess he saw the light.
>
> Mark
>
