Santa Clara Valley Medical Center

Brian Stow, the Giants fan who was assaulted at a game with the Dodgers, did his rehab at Santa Clara Valley medical Center. He recently went back to visit on crutches which is miraculous. He wanted to thank the caregivers who helped him when he first was injured. I also did my rehab at Santa Clara Valley medical Center. It was the best hospital and care I could have ever hoped for. I'm very grateful for all that they taught us about living with my disability. I was only there for 30 days and thankfully I received most the tools I needed to get around in my life. The curriculum basically taught me what kind of care I needed from head to toe. I'm also very grateful to Colleen who stood by my side and learned all the necessary procedures for living. I especially want to shout out to Dr. Crew as he was a terrific doctor. He actually has spoken to me by phone several times since I've been home. It is amazing the contrast between the care I received there and the care I get today. Not sure what to make of that except that they strive for excellence.

An article

The New York Times had a great article on bipolar disorder. Check it out by clicking the link below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/magazine/i-dont-believe-in-god-but-i-believe-in-lithium.html

Rough day

Yesterday turned out to be a rough day. Actually things were going well until the early evening. My partner, Colleen, pulled up in her Jeep which she just got out of the shop. I was excited to see what had been done to the car. I began rolling down my ramp, forgetting that I didn't have my top seatbelt on. I tilted forward out of my chair and toppled onto the ground with the chair on top of me. It was very scary. We called 911 and they took me in to the hospital to be checked out. I had x-rays and a CT scan. No broken bones, no concussion, just a goose egg on my forehead and a raspberry on my elbow. Big lesson, no rushing around for me anymore. I guess I'm quite blessed that I didn't kill myself.

Celebrating equality

Today is a day to celebrate! The Supreme Court decided that the LGBT community will share the same rights to marriage as everyone else. Equal rights are good thing for everyone. I am proud to be an American.

I also have a great big wonderful announcement to make but not just yet. Keep watching for good news on my blog.

I have so much to be grateful for, most of all for the love and support of friends and family. I am also especially grateful for strong role models. Some days I feel I just can't do it but then I think about others that I know that doing it and doing it well. This gives me the strength to go on. There is so much to do and it seems like so much is a struggle. When I look at other people like they are superheroes and I'm just a regular person. Still I must go on and so thank God for all the people have shown me that life is still possible. Humans are amazing!

An amazing woman

I received a message from the Dean of my alma mater today. It follows below:

Dr. Alette Coble-Temple has been named the Harry L. Morrison Oustanding Faculty of the Year!  Dr. Coble-Temple is a graduate of JFK University’s Sport Psychology and PsyD programs. She began her teaching career at JFK University in 2002 and attained the faculty rank of Full Professor in 2014. During this time her contributions to the University, College of Graduate and Professional Studies, and the PsyD program have been invaluable.  Dr. Coble-Temple is the Chair of the PsyD program’s Curriculum Committee (no easy task as the doctoral program is accredited by the American Psychological Association - APA).  In addition, she serves as the Faculty Liaison to the PsyD Student Council.  Most admirable, however, is her primary focus on the education and training of our PsyD students. 

Dr. Coble-Temple was inducted into APA’s prestigious 2014 – 2015 Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology.  Dr. Coble-Temple also serves on APA’s Committee on Women in Psychology (CWP), arguably one of the Association’s hardest working committees.  She is a national presence in advocacy for persons with disabilities.  Recently, her visibility and impact in this regard have been greatly increased with her having won the Ms. California Wheelchair 2015 competition, a social justice organization. 

All of the above accomplishments serve the important function of modeling for our students a commitment to lifelong learning and how a psychologist can make a tremendous impact inside – and outside of – the University. As you might imagine, given her prolific scholarship, exceptional student mentorship, and public advocacy, Dr. Coble-Temple is an incredible asset to John F. Kennedy University. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Coble-Temple, JFK University’s 2015 Harry L. Morrison Outstanding Faculty of the Year!!!

I very much admire Alette. She is amazing!

Blog quirks

There are a lot of things I'd like to fix with my blog. First of all, I'd like it to be accessible to everyone. I like the background I've chosen however, it seems difficult to read at times. I'd like to fix that but it's very difficult for me. Still I'm trying. Some people are unable to make comments because you have to belong to certain Google accounts. I intended for music to play when the page opens. There is just a lot of things that I am frustrated by with the computer. I have to let go of my perfectionistic ways. Really, I should be grateful that I'm able to even use a computer.I am. Today I'll begin studying for my licensing exam. I wish I was more confident. Please send good juju. I guess my task today is to see the glass half full.

A comment

The following is a comment from a reader:I have a daughter who is what we call a para-quad, long story that I can tell you later, and a boyfriend who is a quad.  My daughter was diagnosed with Cancer at 6 months old and has never walked, I  have been her primary care giver while she's gone through multiple infections, procedures, and surgeries.  She is very independent now, but I'm still available to meet any needs that come up.  My boyfriend was hit by a car while on a bicycle 10 years ago.  He is experiencing chronic pain as well, quite a process I tell you.  He has MediCal and was seen through the county. Although his doctor had good intentions, the process is broken and extremely frustrating. A lot of doctors don't want to deal with MediCal and my experience has been that they tend to keep referring you to someone else and not accomplishing anything, and the follow-up takes forever. We have since moved his coverage to a hospital that has doctors who specialize in disabilities and/or spinal cord injuries.  The process is never quick enough, but so much better.  At the very minimum, they talk to each other and seem determined to help.  He is also being seen at UCSF, due to a referral for pain management. He talks about quality of life often and completely understand. My heart goes out to you and hope you find relief very soon.

Update

My apologies for my absence from the blog. I was ill for a few days and then having computer trouble. Just wanted to update people on how things have been going. A few days ago, I had a MRI. This is in preparation for having my trach removed. The plan is to be seen at UCSF for an evaluation before having it removed. I'm looking forward to this next phase of my recovery. I also received very good news today. My request for accommodation has been approved by the Board of psychology. This means I have one year to finish my licensing exam. I'm really excited about this new development! More to come…