Author: John Sikon

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How I’ve dealt with my amputations, how I’ve moved on

My life has been filled with medical problems, every stage of my life has been filled with going to the hospital, going to the doctors, and hospital stays. It hasn’t broken me yet.

Of all the medical problems I’ve had my two amputations stick out to me the most, mainly it took the most out of me.

When I was 28 I did something so stupid it change my life forever and not in a positive way.

Back at my old apartment, I had a guy who lived right across the hall from me knock on my door and was very belligerent.

So one day I decided to file a police report. The police station was right next to my apartment building. I could just push my wheelchair over there. Nothing wrong with that, right? The problem was that I decided to get cocky.

My next-door neighbor asked me if I wanted her to give me a ride to the police station. There was a problem with that, here’s the way.

You see my neighbor had an electric wheelchair at the time and I had a manual wheelchair so she asked me if I wanted her to give me a ride over there and I said yes let’s do it so I did it. The problem was I was barefooted so I was holding on to the back of her wheelchair while she drove to the police station next door while I was dragging my feet on the cement meanwhile they were getting cut and bleeding and as soon as I got to the police station and filed my complaint the officer looked down and said you’re bleeding so I ended up going to the hospital right there from the police station to get my feet checked out my next door neighbor took my wheelchair and my keys to lock my apartment and she kept my wheelchair until I got out of the hospital.

I truly believe that was the demise of my first amputation because a few months later I ended up with a black deep on the back of my foot.

That whole year I was in and out of the hospital in and out of the nursing home because it would not heal I missed out on so much that year I missed out on holidays I had a website that I was trying to manage I missed out on that I liked going to high school basketball games I missed out on that as well all because I was in and out of the hospital in and out of nursing homes until finally I said forget this I’m just need to amputate it because it’s not healing that was one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make in my entire life.

Leading up to that incident I did not take good care of my feet I often would go without wearing socks or shoes and people used to tell me you’re going to lose your feet I didn’t take that seriously I was in my twenties which I guess you could say I was cocky and didn’t think too much of it well I paid for it afterward psychologically.

I lost a lot of my confidence because of that amputation it took a lot out of me psychologically because I’ve been through so much before that incident that that incident alone just took the cake for me it sucked.

When I first got my foot amputated I couldn’t look in the mirror and I couldn’t look at the amputation right away it didn’t hurt because I was already paralyzed and I can’t feel my feet and some of my legs so I was thankful for that just the fact that I didn’t have those limbs anymore hurt me deeply mainly because I have already been through so much in my life before that.

Little did I know a couple of years after my first amputation I would have to go through a second amputation which was less painful psychologically but still sucked I remember one day my mom was cleaning my apartment with my caregiver and she was doing my dressing on my left foot which I still had no amputations on and she looked at my foot and smelled it and she was like John your foot smells bad so I ended up going to the emergency room and instead of going in and out of the hospital in and out of nursing homes I just wanted to amputate it right away because I knew that It would be a long haul and I already was in my thirties so I decided to amputate the toes it wasn’t as bad of amputation as the last one but I still had an amputation.

For my first amputation I was in the hospital and then transferred to a nursing home for about 3 weeks my second amputation ended up staying in the hospital for Inpatient Rehab for about a month it was bad because, after the second amputation, I ended up having complications from the antibiotics that they had me on I almost went into kidney failure.

Rehab was tough and both situations for different reasons.

It’s been over a decade since my amputations and I have an electric wheelchair now which helps with bed sores which I desperately need help with.

After my amputations I struggled with doing something as far as work is concerned from home I’ve tried websites and podcasts they haven’t worked so now I’m right this blog hoping to get notarized and people to follow my blog so I can reach more people.

Coping with bad stuff that happens to you isn’t easy.

I feel like people should cope with their amputations by doing what they like to do it doesn’t matter what it is just do something I find it easy to deal with by watching comedy I feel like everybody needs to laugh I feel like laughter is a good medicine it keeps your mind off things also doing other things as well that’s why I started this blog is to keep my mind off the crap that goes on in the world.

Just because bad things happen doesn’t mean you have to stop living try to push yourself as much as possible that’s not saying you should jump out of a plane just try to do things that make you happy I feel everybody deserves to be happy not everybody thinks that way but that’s just what I believe in.

One of the things that keeps me sane is working out I do it for anxiety I don’t necessarily do it for strength I do it for strength but that’s not the only reason I do it because it’s good for anxiety and it helps me concentrate.

I would encourage somebody who had amputations done to just go out there and try something or figure out what you like and start doing it you’ll feel so much better.

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When Being an asshole as an advocate is a must

One of the things that suck about having a disability is people, as a kid I used to like people. I used to say hi to everybody. As I got older I started liking people less and less.

As a person who has a disability, I found out how people are and to me it’s disturbing and discouraging how people are.

As a person with a disability advocating for yourself is important. Unfortunately, you are your best advocate, and bring your advocate you have to get done right nasty occasionally.

Hears a perfect example of how I had to get just ignorantly nasty.

I checked myself into the hospital so I could go to a Subacute unit to get my wounds worked on, right before I was getting ready to get transported to the facility I was told that I would get a private room, which is what you want as an adult(at least I do). When I get there I noticed when they said my room they used the word window, well well when you have a private room and you tell someone their room number you don’t use a window when talking about a private room. When I found that out I started yelling and swearing at the person who was in charge of assigning rooms to people. After bitching her out for about 2 minutes she gave me the private room that I was promised in the first place.

The whole point of my telling this story is to make the point that it can be very difficult to get what you need and are promised. When getting what you want or need you can’t worry about making friends, it’s the hard truth.

If you want something bad enough or you need something critical don’t be a friend be an asshole.

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Do I deserve a supermodel girlfriend, as a person with a disability?

When I was a little boy I was a big flirt cutely. I would go up to girls and start talking to them like it was nothing.

As I got older my confidence got worst. I can’t lie, I’m not the smoothest guy in the world when it comes to girls. Straight up. I can not flirt. As I’m 41 years old single, and have a bachelor pad I often wonder, am I destined to get a pretty woman or do I have to settle?

Is it in the cards for me or am I dreaming?

I see a lot of beautiful women in the summertime and I can’t help but think will I someday Get Lucky will I ever get a girlfriend or maybe just a one night stand?

I actually wouldn’t mind a one-night stand. And yes I am talking about sex can be a different difficult subject for people but it’s not for me I haven’t found anybody that I could call my girlfriend or that I just call a hookup a booty call if you will you know something like that.

That may seem kind of classless, which I don’t mean to be, however, sex is a part of life. We all are on this earth because of sex.

I’m not saying I want to have orgies all the time, I’m just saying it sure would be nice to call, hang out, or the other thing I was talking about.

Now saying that, do I need somebody? No. Am I lonely? No.

It’s not my top priority to have a significant other or a friend with benefits. However, before my time is up on earth I wouldn’t mind at least one interaction with women.

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Why do kids with spina bifida need to learn wheelchair basketball early in life? Well hers is why you should start your kids early

There are many adaptive-Sports for young kids to get involved with one of the most popular ones at least my favorite adaptive sports is wheelchair basketball.

Wheelchair sports are to be believed to start in 1948 when England hosted what was called the wheelchair games at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

It’s 2023 and adaptive-Sports have progressed since then.

One of the most popular adaptive Sports is wheelchair basketball many people in a disabled community that play sports play wheelchair basketball because it’s so similar to the real game.

When it comes to playing wheelchair basketball there can be a steep learning curve for some people particularly people with spina bifida that’s because it takes a little while to catch on because of the development part of what spina bifida entails.

If you do have a kid with a disability I would highly encourage parents to try Wheelchair Sports or adaptive Sports because they do well for people with disabilities in so many ways.

In any sport in particular with a person with spina bifida, it’s important to get them started early so they can learn the sport that there a part of.

First, you want to get the right wheelchair now they have sports wheelchairs which also work as regular wheelchairs Sports wheelchairs are great for playing sports like wheelchair basketball and it makes it easy for Mobility on the court as well. Insurances will cover a sports chair they will not cover a basketball wheelchair, but they will cover a lightweight sports wheelchair.

Second, you want to find adaptive Sports in your area would you want to use the internet and find out how much it costs and what you need to do to join?

Third, let the coaches coach your kid they know what they’re doing and how to get the best out of your kid.

Fourth, If you or your spouse have played Sports you could play sports with your child which is a great way for them to learn even if it’s with somebody that doesn’t have a disability.

So parents if you want to keep your kid active and possibly make lifelong friends think about adaptive sports.

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Hey, stop asking me if I’m okay, I’m in a wheelchair so what

As a person that uses a wheelchair, I get different reactions than a person that isn’t in a wheelchair.

There are times when I’ll be driving around in my wheelchair in the area where I live and I’ll have random people stop me just to see if I’m alright.

This post is to educate stupid people about when and when not to approach a person in a wheelchair if they are alright.

If you see somebody in a wheel just riding along a driveway not stopping and moving or even riding down the sidewalk that usually means there trying to get to their destination. Now, this doesn’t mean that a person is lost or can’t find their way. Don’t ask someone if they’re okay if they aren’t slumped over in their wheelchair passed out. People with disabilities are not to have pity. If a person doesn’t ask for help simply don’t help them.

Let’s talk about when it’s okay to approach somebody who is in a wheelchair.

If you see someone who is in the middle of the sidewalk then yes approach them, first ask if they’re lost. What I hate the most as a person with a disability is when people ask me if I’m okay, don’t ask me if I’m okay especially if I’m not shot or I don’t have blood coming out of my body.

People don’t like to be patronized so why do people patronize people with disabilities it’s one thing I will never comprehend.

Another short thing is don’t call me buddy I don’t like to be called buddy by a person who doesn’t know me and who has no good intentions.

I’m writing this because I took the public bus for the first time and had a few people ask me if I was okay which in some circumstances it was but in other circumstances, it wasn’t I have to say it they’re just stupid people with disabilities are not to be pitied no matter what stopping the disabled. Life is hard as it is.

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If you’re not driving your electric wheelchair like a Cadilac your wasting your wheelchair

For 35 years I used a manual wheelchair and then when I turned 39 the manual chair that I was using was kinda falling apart and I was up for a new wheelchair anyways.

I was looking to get another manual wheelchair but as I got closer to picking out a new wheelchair I kept seeing videos relating to electric wheelchairs. So I’m getting fitted for a new wheelchair and the sales guy asked me to have you think of getting an electric wheelchair. I said yes.

So after getting evaluated for a wheelchair I thought about it that weekend and by Monday I called the sales rep and told him that I wanted to get an electric wheelchair. I even found what wheelchair I wanted.

Six weeks later I got my wheelchair and never looked back.

Having an electric wheelchair is one of the best things to ever happen in my life.

When I had a gym membership I would drive my wheelchair there, I also drive my wheelchair to go shopping. I even went to a few high school football games.

I want to start using it with public transportation(which I will).

Electric wheelchairs are so cool these days (as far as the technology) it is a waste to not take advantage of the technology.

Electric wheelchairs are almost made like vehicles.

I’ll just say it today’s electric wheelchairs are meant to drive. If you’re not using your electric wheelchair to go out in your community your not enjoying your wheelchair properly.

The way I look at things is that people with disabilities have a lot to deal with why not when you find something to enjoy you should use it.

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Unshoveled snow is ablism, here’s why

I live in Michigan where the weather is great in the summertime but horrible in the winter.

Michigan for me is the worst time of the year. It’s depressing and hard to get around on those snow days when there are 4 to 6 inches of snow.

So, what happens when the streets get 4 to 6 inches? It gets plowed, shoveled, and salted.

One would hope that the same is done on the sidewalk, right? Not totally. Like the ablest world, we live in the sidewalks get half-ass done.

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me just say why shouldn’t we treat the sidewalk like streets? Okay, let me explain further.

People who use wheelchairs like me use the sidewalk quite frequently to get around. It’s like a street for wheelchairs and bikes.

It’s very important to keep the sidewalks clear and secure at all times so people who not only use wheelchairs can get to their destinations but to use public transportation.

When you’re in a manual wheelchair it’s important to keep the sidewalks clear because pushing a manual wheelchair takes a lot of arm strength that can’t be described. I’ve been in a situation where You’re going through somewhere in the winter and I’m trying to cross the sidewalk but can’t because there’s a huge patch or patches of snow unable or pretty close to it not able to move forward. If you don’t have anti-tip bars on the back of your wheelchair that may cause injury or worst.

Using an electric wheelchair and or a power wheelchair is a lot safer, however, still comes with risks, though minimal still a risk.

The reason why power wheelchairs are safer than manual wheelchairs is that weight is significantly heavier than a manual wheelchair which makes it harder to tip, and if it’s harder to tip then it’s safer to use on curbs.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again wheelchair-bound people use their power wheelchairs like vehicles, in a way they’re made almost like vehicles, and that’s why it’s important to keep the sidewalks clear at all times.

Construction is another thing, one of the things I hate about using my electric wheelchair is dealing with obstacles like construction, only when it’s unnecessary. Mainly because it’s hard to get by.

When it all comes down to it sidewalks should be plowed shoveled and salted just like the roads.

There should be a law for keeping the sidewalks clear.

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Hobby lobby fires women for having a service dog, ends up paying the price for firing women

The ADA was put into place for people with disabilities to have equal opportunity. Non-disabled people haven’t got that message yet.

One of the things that I don’t understand about some people is the lack of progression that people have. I’ll never understand why some people don’t want to make things better for people.

In Oklahoma City at Hobby Lobby, a woman was fired for having a service dog.

The equal employment opportunity commission came to the rescue of a woman who has a rescue dog as they won a lawsuit against the retailer Hobby Lobby because they fired her. After all, she had a service dog.

It makes no sense whatsoever that Hobby Lobby would not allow the woman to have a service dog because they allow customers to have animals come in but not the woman for whatever reason

Because of this decision, they will have to pay $50,000 for firing the women.

This proves that big retailers like Hobby Lobby don’t care about people with disabilities and care about their agenda.

Stories like this prove that there’s a disconnect between able-bodied people and the disabled community.

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Could AI be the future for hospitals, nursing Homes

AI which is short for artificial intelligence has become the new thing in technology. It’s used for blog writing and creating lifelike videos.

If you look at the videos that have been created by artificial intelligence it does a very good job of impersonating real people. Some people are worried that it might take over humans’ jobs. Some have crazy ideas that humans might just die and there just be robots taking over the earth.

There is a serious movement toward having robots in the operating room.

But what if there’s artificial intelligence technology that helps nurses? We have Hoyer lifts to assist nurses with lifting patients, and portable air mattresses to lift patients from a gurney to an operating table, why can’t there be some sort of next-level robotics to help nurses do their jobs more effectively?

Nurses and nurses’ aids are one of the hardest-working professions in the world. If you’re assigned to a floor that has a short staff, you work all day and sometimes with no breaks.

Back in the day when you needed a nurse, you would press the call button and they would call your nurse over a loudspeaker. Nowadays nurses and nurses’ aids have cell phones to communicate back and forth with one another. Some hospitals use iPhones to communicate.

What if one day there would be robots helping nurses out, they would be the new nurse’s aid.

What if they invent something to the effect where a human doesn’t need to put on a blue pad or change a sheet? How about putting on a pillowcase?

What if there is a robot that delivers medications? Could it be possible? Should it be possible?

Is AI thinkable for the medical field?

One thing is for sure technology is getting more advanced. Only time will tell.

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Jobs that people with disabilities could do

Before the Internet shopping age, people use to go to stores and malls to buy things nowadays people buy everything online from groceries to clothes to electronics.

The only thing people go out and do on this day is go to sporting events, get their vehicles looked at, or go out to eat.

All of this leads to fewer jobs for people rather they have a disability or not.

With that said there are jobs out there for people with disabilities to get. Here are a few of them.

  • Doctors’ office: answering phones won’t ever go out of style. Also getting paperwork and referrals are a very important job.
  • Hospital jobs: there are several jobs in a hospital like an inventory of equipment, and working in a kitchen in the cafeteria. A janitor is a person to clean rooms and mop up floors.
  • Nursing homes: jobs are always scarce in a nursing home. It’s always good to have an electrician on hand, a janitor’s job, or somebody to make doctor appointments. On top of all these job opportunities at a nursing home, you can have a hand in making a better experience for patients.
  • Medical supply companies: people with disabilities that work in medical supply companies could be very helpful in this industry since they already use the same products that their consumers are looking to get.

Things are never what they use to be, people and things keep evolving and devolving. Unfortunately, jobs for people with disabilities can depend on able-bodied people.

There are opportunities for creating products and even social media if you do it right.

It takes a lot of mental and physical strength to have a disability. I would say do what’s best for you. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do.

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Why Living in a senior citizen’s apartment saved my life

In 2006 I was 24. I was in my last year of living in my mom’s house. I remember, just like it was yesterday, my mom’s house was going into foreclosure, and I wasn’t living at home then, leaving my sister and me to live with each other. Man, that was a struggle.

Earlier that year, I was moving into a house with a guy with cerebral palsy. He was a lot older than me. After getting to know one another, I started to feel that this could not work. Two factors played into it not working out, the age difference between us two, and we had different disabilities. He was a little lower functioning than I was. His mom, at the time, had deep pockets, and because she Had deep pockets, he could live on his own in a house with caregivers.

When the Guys mom had second thoughts about me moving in, I was devasted. My mom’s house was going into foreclosure, and I didn’t have a place to go.

After planning to move into a house with another person with a disability, I had nowhere to go. Time was running out. So, unfortunately, I had to think of a plan B, and that plan B was a nursing home. Even worst, the nursing home didn’t have a good reputation. I was devastated and depressed. At 24 years old and unemployed, I started the realization that I was getting ready to move into a nursing home. I had no other choice. I was not getting a place with my sister; we didn’t get along well enough.

I filled out the paperwork to get into the nursing home.

I came so close to moving into the nursing home.

Luckily I put applications into low-income apartments. I got lucky. One apartment that I filled out an application for called me at just the right time

The apartment that came calling was a low-income apartment, otherwise known as a senior citizens’ apartment.

I was relieved that I was not going into a nursing home and that this opportunity arose. Sure, it’s not a regular apartment, and I would be moving into a senior citizens’ apartment at 24, but it was better than living in a nursing home. The floor of the nursing home where I was going to be moving into the nursing home didn’t have rooms. Al, it was a space for a bed with a curtain as a door.

I always had high expectations for myself, but after a while, reality started to kick in.

People should know that just because you move into a senior citizen’s apartment and you are not old yet doesn’t mean that you don’t have any bills and responsibilities. Living in a senior citizen’s apartment, and a regular apartment for that matter, means you have responsibilities. But that’s what I love about it.

I’ve learned what it means to be independent. I’ve had growing pains and life experiences that have helped me grow.

I would be lying if I said this is how I imagine how my life would go, but at the same time, everybody needs to go through the bad things in life; if it helps people become better humans, that is if you have the right attitude.

Right now, at 41 years of age, I’m my second senior citizen in the city. I love the city. Since I got my electric wheelchair, I’ve visited different places, primarily restaurants.

Some people have to adapt to what there deal with in life.

Looking back on my living arrangement, I put things in perspective and realized it could always be worst.

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What if NBA players wore wheelchair basketball gear

For years women’s basketball players have been complaining for year’s about how women basketball players have been disrespected, then the WNBA happened, and they still complained.

Women basketball players are always saying they’re disrespected, and then the NBA players started supporting them.

NBA players started going to games and posting on social media wearing WNBA gear.

I always wonder about the sincerity of the NBA players. Are they doing it to be nice because they have daughters, or are they true WNBA fans?

NBA players have helped grow the game by posting on social media and attending games.

All of this brings me back to my next part. Why don’t wheelchair basketball players get the same amount of respect? Sure, there are not a lot of people going to wheelchair basketball games. But there’s sure not any NBA or WNBA players, for that matter, going to wheelchair basketball games.

Wheelchair basketball players have been disrespected for decades. It’s a massive problem in Society.

Right now, to be a successful wheelchair basketball player and make a living off it, you must go to a different country because of a lack of support.

The only way wheelchair basketball can grow in the States is if NBA and WNBA players come together and support the great wheelchair basketball players out there.

One thing that no one talks about it may be harsh, but it’s the truth is that WNBA players will reach what NBA players can reach physically. I’m not saying that to hate women; I’m saying that because it’s science. Will wheelchair basketball athletes ever do what NBA players have reached physically? No, it’s impossible, but if we can have NBA and WNBA players supporting each other, why can’t wheelchair basketball athletes be treated equally? Will they ever care?

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My eating habits as a person with spina bifida

When I was a little boy, I remember going to McDonald’s quite frequently, and Burger King. As a kid, I lived most of my childhood with my grandparents. My grandma would cook, but there were a lot of times that we ate out. Eating out was one of my favorite times as a kid.

Let’s talk about food and Spina Bifida. When you have Spina Bifida, you have neurogenic bowels and bladder. Having neurogenic bowels is a lot to deal with; it means you have no control, which leads to accidents.

Having bowel accidents is a humiliating experience, something I’ve gone through so many times.

When you have a lack of bowel control, you get constipated a lot which leads to stomach aches, nausea, and accidents. As a teenager, that isn’t very comfortable; when you get to adulthood, that’s even worst.

It took me a long time to get control over my bowels. I didn’t get control until I was in my late 30s. There were stretches where I got it under control, and then there were stretches where I didn’t get it under control—a lot to deal with.

There are a few different ways of controlling the bowels; the most potent mode is surgery. The other way of handling bowel accidents is a bowel program, where you use a suppository every other day and use the bathroom.

There’s a way that I manage my bowls.

Because of my bowel issue, I must watch how much I eat.

After having so many accidents, I decided to change my food intake.

They say to have three meals a day, well I can’t eat that many times a day. Because of not have regular working bowels, I only have one big meal a day.

I do have to say I live on my own, and I don’t have any kids, so I do eat out a lot. Because I have a bridge card, I also use that to get food. Once in a while, I will eat twice in one day, but most of the time, I’ll only eat once.

It can get frustrating having to get it right to where you don’t have accidents. I would say this in closing don’t give up, and if you take the only eating once-a-day approach, remember if you get hungry later, you can always eat a snack later. Where there’s a well, there’s a way.

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Is working out necessary for my physical health, or does it help my mental health?

Do you ever go to a gym and see a guy with huge muscles or in his element, in his world, while working out, just minding his own business?

I can’t lie to you when I see a guy with huge muscles; I can’t help but think that unnecessary to have that much power.

I used to work in a gym. I would see all types of people. Some people were just grateful to work out; It became a spiritual experience.

As a person with a disability, I did therapy on and off for various reasons. There were times when I had surgery, and I had to have treatment to get my strength back physically and mentally.

The role of a  physical or occupational therapist is to help people get back to a good place mentally as well as physically. But if you are not right mentally, you’ll never get right physically.

The therapist will tell you to work out every day. But that takes a disciplined person to do that. Humans are creatures of habit. Not everybody can get into a healthy state of mind.

One of the big myths about working out is that you have to work out with a lot of weight. That’s not true at all. I’m not saying always to use 5 lb weights. However, you don’t need to lift an ungodly amount. It’s all about pacing yourself and feeling good mentally so you can feel good physically.

People with disabilities need to work out, but it’s also essential to be in a good place mentally; if you can work out every day, then more power to you; however, you don’t need to lift a 100Ib to be at your best.

Lift what you can lift but also be careful of how much you lift. It’s like that old saying less is more. If you feel pain, stop using less weight to feel resistants but not pain.

If you have a disability or are disabled and are able to lift weights or ride the treadmill then you should give it a try.

You don’t have to work out at a gym. You can buy weights online on eBay or Amazon, or any store. It doesn’t cost a lot to get workout equipment.

I wouldn’t say I like that saying any pain, no gain. You don’t have to be in pain to have a good workout; however, getting tired isn’t a bad thing either.

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A wheelchair basketball team, Syracuse Flyers, had $15000 worth of wheelchair basketball chairs stolen back in February; media is just now talking about it in April

The Syracuse flyers play out of Syracuse, New York had 15 wheelchairs stolen from them in February, and the story broke today, April 3. The thefts destroyed $15000 worth of damages. The team can’t pay to get other equipment because the team’s budget is only $25000.

It’s not like the NBA, where you get multi-million dollar sponsorships.

The Syracuse flyers play in the NWBA(the national wheelchair basketball Association), which the NCAA runs.

The NBA does sponsor some teams in the NWBA. However, many teams often have to fend for themselves.

Teams do have a fundraiser. However, more help is needed.

Another incident happened in California where a teen girl with brittle bone disease had her electric wheelchair stolen off her porch. Her mom found parts of the joystick on the freeway. The teen is a senior in high school.

These wheelchairs cost a lot of money. It costs a lot of money to be paralyzed, period. The more accessories on a wheelchair, the more it drives up the cost, costing thousands of dollars.

Regarding the Syracuse flyers, coverage of the incident should have been aware sooner. However, the team could have just told the media about the incident, which was not disclosed.

If the media did know about the incident in February, then they should have reported it in February.

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Why is flying the least accessible form of transportation? Why is nothing being done to fix it

We have accessible bathrooms, accessible buses, accessible doors, and accessible vehicles. So why is flying not accessible?

It doesn’t make any sense; fly has been around 1914. You would think within 109 years, they would make at least some modifications.

This is where the lawmakers in Washington need to step up and improve there are airlines. It’s not just an overdue problem; it should have been resolved a long time previously.

There have been many instances where electric wheelchair users have had their electric wheelchairs permanently damaged. Just this past week, while using air Canada airlines, a kid with Duchesne muscular dystrophy couldn’t get his wheelchair on the plane because they refused to store it the way his mom set it up a long time ago. Months ago, a lady crawled to her seat because they would charge her to use a cart to reach her assigned seat; the incident was caught on video. I know I wouldn’t say I like crawling on the floor.

Another factor in flying for paralyzed users, it isn’t very comfortable. When getting to your seat on the plane, you must sit on a cart bench and be carted off. And if you’re not skinny, you have to be carted off to your seat in tight corners, that is, if you are not in first class.

What is mind-blowing about airlines is that they make a lot of money. Pilots make a great deal of money; captains make even more money. I know firsthand because my uncle is a captain of a significant airline.

Southwest made a record $23.8 billion in 2022. Air Canada made $16.6 billion in 2022. Spirit airlines made a modest 1,391.3 million dollars in total revenue.

When is flying going to be accessible for paralyzed passengers? Will the ADA be rewritten again? I wonder if I will ever see an improvement in my lifetime. I’m not going to hold my breath, though.

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How botox changed my life, why it’s the best treatment for incontinence

I’m writing this as a person who isn’t a urologist but as a person who has bladder incontinence; I’ve done my research. Plus, I just got to do what I’m comfortable with. That’s why I get botox treatments for my bladder.

Before I did botox, I had four surgeries to try and fix my embarrassing problem. It only fixed the problem temporarily.

Every medication I took made my mouth dry and had problematic side effects.

When I was 35 years old, I found out about botox ejections. So I looked into it on YouTube and watched videos of other people who have had injections and they all had good things to say about it. It turns out they were right.

Is botox perfect? No, it’s not, but it does work.

When I first got botox every morning, I had to urinate, but that went away. All my other treatments didn’t have that effect, but it still worked.

The way botox works is that it expands the bladder. The bigger the bladder, the more urine it can hold, the more it can hold, and the better the chance of being kept dry or at least reducing the amount a person leaks. Studies have shown that it’s 60% to 90% effective, making it one of the best treatments for incontinence.

I’m not telling anybody to do anything; I want to share my experience in the hope of helping somebody going through incontinence. If I can help one person then I’ve done something.

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In tough times in Ukraine, where war ravishes the country, let’s not forget about disabled people affected by war

As a person with a physical disability and middle age, it’s been a long rough road. Dealing with the disability and what comes with it is sometimes hard. But when you consider what goes on in other countries around the world or just the more severe disabilities that are out there, life isn’t as difficult as people with intellectual disabilities go through.

I just read a CNN article about people with disabilities and how it’s affecting them, and wow, it made me think how lucky I am to live in a country where I don’t need to worry as much.

Don’t get me wrong, the united states of America need to treat people with disabilities better than it does now; nonetheless, people with disabilities have it better then other countries but way better then what it used to be in earlier days in this country.

People with intellectual disabilities are almost being treated like animals.

Because of the war, people with disabilities are being misplaced, and their family members must make tough decisions.

Because of the grave damage that the war has done to the country’s people, the health system has a heavy burden on its hands. Because of the damage and destruction, resources have been compromised.

I read about a disabled man having to sleep where it smells like cigarette butts.

I can’t help but think millions of dollars in military assistance has been poured in by the US and millions of dollars have been raised to support the people in Ukraine.

I wish more attention had been made to people with disabilities.

When I say that, I mean everything. I’m talking about flying, education, work programs, sports, or even how disabled people are being treated, not just by non-disabled people but the way people treat other people with disabilities.

I may have gotten a little off track, but my questions are, should the US help Ukrainians with disabilies? Is it our place to help in the first place?

I hate to say it we live in a world where not many people care about disabled people. And if they care, they feel guilty about doing something about it.

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Activities,hotel chains face off in the supreme court over accessibility; who’s right?

Activist Deborah Laufer has filed multiple lawsuits with the Supreme Court.

Some hotels are fighting against Laufer.

The hotel’s argument is that because Laufer doesn’t have the right to sue because she doesn’t have intent to stay in the hotel so she doesn’t have the right to sue in the first place.

Are activists right to sue if their intent was not to use the survive in the first place?

Do establishments or businesses have a point when they are not known for good disability practices?

Should activists sue for something they aren’t going to use? Do they have a point?

Hotels should disclose if they have handicapped-accessible rooms. I’ll go even further and say it should be the law for every hotel to have accessibility for people with disabilities.

Again should we have activists and non-disabled people fight for disabled people fight for them when something hasn’t happened yet?

The Supreme Court will hear arguments about the case in October.

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What if people with disabilities could use their Medicaid for housing?

Some Adults with disabilities are often forced to live with their parents in low-income apartments, which are senior citizen apartments when there is not even a senior citizen or, even worst, nursing home.

I know I almost found myself in a nursing home. I was 24 years old and living with my moms. I had nowhere to go because I had a disability and no job on social security. On top of all that, I was dealing with family issues.

Luckily I found a low-income apartment. As I write this, I’m forty and about to turn forty-one. Sure, I’m not a senior citizen, but considering that I almost ended up in a nursing home, this arrangement doesn’t seem that bad.

In California, lawmakers are using Medicaid money for less fortunate people, like people at risk of being homeless. They also want to give people coming out of prison and foster care opportunities to live in their own homes.

Giving people the opportunity to live in a house would, in a way, be a little bit healthier for people with disabilities. When the weather is cold, and you live in a low-income apartment, you are forced to have hot, dry air over you, which causes dry eyes. When the weather is cold, you are forced two inhale unfiltered cold air, which makes you cough. But you could open a window, which would help.

Only two states are expanding Medicaid for such programs (Arizona and Oregon).

Unfortunately, when it comes to Medicaid, it’s on a state-by-state basis. Every state has different rules for what Medicaid covers. I wouldn’t say I like it, as a person born with a disability, I feel everything could be better.

We just had an election not too long ago. This election in the Michigan legislation almost turns entirely democrate.

So far, at least to my knowledge has not had any bill yet proposed that would help people with disabilities. However, there is still time for our state legislators to pass a bill to help people with disabilies; the question is will they make it at priority?

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