Hopeful acceptance
I just finished my first ball / elastic workout. It’s not so simple when you’re as out of shape as I am. I suspect it will have an effect if I stick with it. Gilly dabbled as well, so I hope the equipment benefits toute la famille (never was proficient at spelling in French, but I took a risk anyway).
Gilly’s appetite is picking up gradually, or else I am learning to offer and expect less. We are both feeling less stressed about his diminished intake, so I think there is some improvement. I tried marinating some meat in a sweet Bar-B-Q sauce for dinner last night, and then added some more sauce on top after cooking it for good measure. He ate the whole serving heartily and complimented me on my recipe (out of a jar, really; just the right choice of sauce).
Jennifer from the MAB was here this afternoon for 1 ½ hours. Gilly was adamant that what he wanted from her was to arrange for him to get at least 80% of his vision back; a feat she unfortunately cannot accomplish. We both tried to explain that the services offered at the MAB are rehabilitative, and that there are many different ways he can be helped, but Gilly’s expectations were high, as usual, and he would accept nothing less for now. She has put him on the waiting list for a visual assessment by the optometrist, in case there’s a cancellation. Otherwise it will be about a 3 month waiting period before he can be seen. Once they receive the report from Dr. Wise, and complete their own assessment, they can help him with suggested adaptive equipment and services (eg. adapted computer, modifications to appliances in our home, transport options for independent travel, and so on; there are many varied possibilities which could be tailored to Gilly’s particular situation).
Gilly will only be receptive to the idea of using specialized equipment and services when he has reached the stage of acceptance (cognitively and emotionally). Gilly is apparently not there yet.
We all hope that his vision will improve to the extent that he will not require these options, but for now, the wheels are in motion in terms of getting through the red tape (mostly waiting for the assessment to take place). I believe that it is best to be prepared, since the waiting period is so long and torturous when the need is at one’s doorstep. The social worker agrees; he may never need to use the services, but the paperwork will be in order if he ever does.
I often wonder, in Gilly's case, if hope serves to prevent acceptance. How do you go on if there's no hope? How do you deal with what is (accpetance) if you continue to hope for improvement? It's a catch 22 in a way...I just wonder...
In my heart of hearts, I know that there is equipment out there that he could use today that would reduce the stress he puts on his body to use his vision to complete tasks, but I cannot force the issue. It is too traumatic to do so. Suffice it to say that I have not yet played my whole hand. With all the support around us, and the resources that are out there still untapped, I know we have a double deck of Jokers left to use.
We’re off for dinner at Susie and Joey’s, so you may not hear from me again until we return to our northern roots. We will spend the entire day at the Jewish tomorrow, and then scurry back to the lake for 4 days. There’s always something to look forward to…
Gilly’s appetite is picking up gradually, or else I am learning to offer and expect less. We are both feeling less stressed about his diminished intake, so I think there is some improvement. I tried marinating some meat in a sweet Bar-B-Q sauce for dinner last night, and then added some more sauce on top after cooking it for good measure. He ate the whole serving heartily and complimented me on my recipe (out of a jar, really; just the right choice of sauce).
Jennifer from the MAB was here this afternoon for 1 ½ hours. Gilly was adamant that what he wanted from her was to arrange for him to get at least 80% of his vision back; a feat she unfortunately cannot accomplish. We both tried to explain that the services offered at the MAB are rehabilitative, and that there are many different ways he can be helped, but Gilly’s expectations were high, as usual, and he would accept nothing less for now. She has put him on the waiting list for a visual assessment by the optometrist, in case there’s a cancellation. Otherwise it will be about a 3 month waiting period before he can be seen. Once they receive the report from Dr. Wise, and complete their own assessment, they can help him with suggested adaptive equipment and services (eg. adapted computer, modifications to appliances in our home, transport options for independent travel, and so on; there are many varied possibilities which could be tailored to Gilly’s particular situation).
Gilly will only be receptive to the idea of using specialized equipment and services when he has reached the stage of acceptance (cognitively and emotionally). Gilly is apparently not there yet.
We all hope that his vision will improve to the extent that he will not require these options, but for now, the wheels are in motion in terms of getting through the red tape (mostly waiting for the assessment to take place). I believe that it is best to be prepared, since the waiting period is so long and torturous when the need is at one’s doorstep. The social worker agrees; he may never need to use the services, but the paperwork will be in order if he ever does.
I often wonder, in Gilly's case, if hope serves to prevent acceptance. How do you go on if there's no hope? How do you deal with what is (accpetance) if you continue to hope for improvement? It's a catch 22 in a way...I just wonder...
In my heart of hearts, I know that there is equipment out there that he could use today that would reduce the stress he puts on his body to use his vision to complete tasks, but I cannot force the issue. It is too traumatic to do so. Suffice it to say that I have not yet played my whole hand. With all the support around us, and the resources that are out there still untapped, I know we have a double deck of Jokers left to use.
We’re off for dinner at Susie and Joey’s, so you may not hear from me again until we return to our northern roots. We will spend the entire day at the Jewish tomorrow, and then scurry back to the lake for 4 days. There’s always something to look forward to…
posted by Gilly at 5:38 PM
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