I had the same trouble with them paying for college. First it was too much aid and nursing care, then I wasn't taking enough credit hours to suit them. Then they cancelled me because I lived in a nursing home. Then on Christmas break I schedualed a 1 week hospital stay because my blood was becoming septic. When I returned to college my funds were gone. (I never missed a class and the lowest grade I got was a B)I went to appeal but the building wasn't wheelchair accesable. This is what I was told by a former counselor. They don't expect you to do anything if you do make it through college. Chances are, you'll die befor you make it 15 years. The money they have is better spent on single mothers with bi-polar disorders, mental defectives they know will have a long life expectancy and ex convicts. Please do not write me about this. I don't believe it. I'm telling you how they feel about "wasting" money on brain and spinal injuries. My best advice, when you're done screwing with them, go get a job without them. Then tell people the truth about who helps and who doesn't. My counselor often had little time to talk to me because he was schedualed for electric schock therapy. But that didn't interfere with his ability to do his job? Process for getting a job, talk to people about volunteering. Network and go to meetings. Take the little part time jobs offered to you. You must get into an independant living situation anyway. At the very worst you improve stuff at your local ILC, or CIL, whatever your independant living advisory people are called there. Just maybe, in the future, you can write an article telling where the money is wasted that vocational rehab gets. I'm sure vocational rehab helps people in some states. You are at the top of the "to be cut list" because this war is eating into everything except the profits of the wealthy. By the way, be sure they know what your major is at the appeal. If you hadn't told it to your counselor, act like they didn't listen, again. Don't be afraid to ask to see a list of C-3's that they have helped and are happy with their organization. If your appeal starts going south, make it about their inability to do their jobs. Do not tell your counselor you are in contact with local independant living, just be sure to show by paper or have an ILC counselor join you at the appeal, that you are trying to become independant. Polish off your appeal with a desire to have a rehab counselor that can do something for you. Don't be afraid to play hard if they act like they want to cut you off. Ask them if they ever stopped beating their wives! The fact is, it isn't about you, it is about money. Make sure they know that you know its not about you. Do not take their remarks personally, but remind them that you were never given a job you weren't qualified for by a political deal. good luck
john 31 years post ----- Original Message ---- From: Jeremy Dickinson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Quad List <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 5:19:02 PM Subject: [QUAD-L] VR & BSCI Yesterday was a bittersweet kind of day. I had a meeting with Voc Rehab and Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program (BSCI). Voc Rehab is currently paying tuition, books, and nursing while I'm at school. BSCI pays for my nursing outside of school. Everything has been ok, until the meeting. At the meeting, BSCI told me that they need to cut my services to their guidelines starting in October. Basically what they told me is that if I can't cut my nursing services down to 3 hours a day (I get at least 20 hours a day now) they will terminate me from their program. That means I will not be going to school and I will not be able to move out. My parents would have to take care of me 24/7. This is is so frustrating to me. My condition did not improve enough to not need nursing. I wish it did. How can they help and support me and then tell me to cut back? I can get attendant care and personal care but those people can't give me medication (which I get every 3 hours), they can't cath me, nor can they put oxygen on me (which I sleep with). I told them to put it in writing and I'm going to appeal the process. I'm just so pissed. I don't know what else to do. Thought I'd share. Jeremy Dickinson C-3 Quad, 24 6 1/2 years post ____________________________________________________________________________________Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. http://tv.yahoo.com/
