Next steps (warning: puns ahead)

I decided to resurrect this blog since some new challenges have come up in the last six months or so, and I feel drawn to again share what’s going on in my little corner of the world. I knew it had been a while since I posted here, but didn’t realize that 3 ½ years had passed! Time flies.

I’ve learned a lot in the last few years about disability, access, acceptance, letting go, grief, love… some are lessons I’d rather not have to learn, but some are deep blessings and lessons in grace.

Berkeley Breathed

The most prominent pending change these days is my need for a power wheelchair in the very near future. Like most next steps for me, I’ve been dragging my feet (oh, so many pun opportunities!). I started talking about this over a year ago; then more serious talk, leading to a home evaluation by a PT and a vendor to learn the process for Medicare coverage (power chairs do not come cheap!) The ball was in my court, and I let it lie there for a while – I kept imagining what it would be like to wheel around the house. It felt so irrevocable, like the last nail in the coffin, the final act of giving in to the damn disability.

But walking, even with the walker, has become increasingly difficult and painful. I’ve had a few falls, and the thought of breaking a bone – or even spraining an ankle - is distressing. So I have an appointment with a PT next month who will evaluate the necessity for a chair, and then we can get the ball rolling. There are a series of hoops to jump through to satisfy Medicare that it’s a necessity. I’ve been told that because I am partially ambulatory, it might be difficult to convince them (so I have to wait until I’m flat on my back to qualify??) – but I’ve had such good experiences with the previous hoops I’ve jumped through, I have confidence it will be a slam dunk. (Have you noticed how athletic the words are for action plans??)

Meantime, we are examining the changes we might need to make in the house to accommodate a chair (we already had a ramp built last spring). I’ve been using my scooter more and more and have a better sense of how my days will roll with a chair. I’m starting to look forward to it now, because it’s so damned exhausting to walk from point A to point B and I’d rather spend my energy doing something more fun and productive. 

I have quite a few ideas for more blog posts, so stay tuned! 

The 'M' word

I am so grateful for the good insurance we've had these many years. I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills I've racked up this last decade, and without good insurance I would either be bankrupt or dead. For all the claims, I've only had a couple of disputes, and they were minor. I didn't even raise my voice.

I thought I'd have at least another year before I had to think about Medicare. But because I am now on disability, it's mandatory that I go on Medicare at the two year mark. My retroactive disability date is April of 2010, so that gives me three months to get my ducks in a row.

Yesterday I went to an informational seminar, Retirement 101: Getting Ready for Medicare. Mostly it involves some paperwork. But there are decisions to make about supplemental coverage. And because Laurie won't be eligible for Medicare for at least 12 more years, we need to get coverage for her too, since my county subsidized retiree insurance that had covered both of us will end when Medicare starts up.

I'm terrible at this sort of thing. I procrastinate, my eyes glaze over when finances or future plans are discussed. Laurie is a planner, a comparison shopper, an information gatherer, while I'm more of an in-the-moment, whatever-will-be kind of gal. We balance each other well (though I suspect she thinks she gets the short end of the stick).