First Day of Fourth Grade

Another successful first day of school is in the books. Robby didn't complain about returning to school, but he did frequently voice his displeasure with the end of summer vacation. Despite his lamenting, he readied himself without much prodding so I consider the morning a success.

"Roll with it" seems to be the emerging theme for the school year.  A few weeks ago we learned that Robby's school was moving into a new building.  We had hoped that everything would be complete by the start of classes, but it quickly became apparent that the new location was not going to be ready for students in September. Dedicated to her students, Robby's teacher stepped up and offered her home as a make-shift classroom until the new building is ready.

Although attending classes in the teacher's house is not ideal, we are going to "roll with it."  Hopefully the new building will be ready soon and everybody can return to a more traditional setting. In the meantime, we are grateful to his teacher and her family who stepped up and made huge sacrifices for Robby and his friends. 

Robby's first day of school jitters melted away almost as soon as he walked into her home. He was met by the smiling faces of his friends, all excited to share stories about their summer adventures.  Robby quickly gave me a hug (but refused my kiss) and shooed me out the door. I was sad leaving him but my own emotions were quickly overwhelmed by Timmy's ire. He was furious that his brother did not return to the car with us, and screamed until we picked up Mr. Bill for breakfast.

I wasn't sure that Timmy would be up for our traditional first day of school breakfast, but his screaming turned to giggling as soon as Mr. Bill opened the car door. He was in full entertainment mode throughout the meal, delighting both Mr. Bill and everybody in the restaurant. The excitement of the morning caught up with Hamlet, who fell fast asleep in the car on the way home. He slept through the transfer to his crib, allowing me some much needed quiet time.

First Day of Fourth Grade.

Saturday afternoon Scott and I finally decided that it was time to have a talk with Robby. We knew that it needed to be done, yet we were both dreading the conversation. Although I suspected that he knew it was a matter of time, I know that the words still stung when he heard them. Carefully staging the conversation over a bowl of ice cream we revealed that summer vacation was over, and on Monday he was going to return to school. He was not a happy Kooopa!

It is hard to fathom that this morning I will drive a fourth grader to school. Didn't he just start kindergarten? Although I know that he is going to have a great year and learn volumes, it still saddens me to see him leave. 

Per our tradition, Mr. Bill and I will be going out for breakfast after I drop Robby off for his first day. No matter what grade he is entering, I always seem to shed a tear when I drive away on the first day. Going out with Mr. Bill provides the distraction that I need to help me acclimate to the emptier house. I listen to his stories and he laughs at my shed tears.

The house will feel lonely during the next few days as Timmy and I adjust to be alone. I suspect that he is going to miss his brother dearly, and I fear that he will invent mischievous ways to fill the void. My little Hamlet has a way of exploring and having fun that always seems to leave a mess in his wake.  Chasing after his fearless curiosity is definitely going to help fill the time until I pick up Robby from school. 

First day of school pics will be posted as soon as I come home from breakfast, so check back!

Chat With Us! #AskAmpd

Although I was honored to speak at the Medicare hearing, I am fully aware that my words fell on deaf ears. At the beginning of the meeting it was announced that the only comments considered by the committee were those submitted in writing. Written comments are accepted until August 31st, and it is imperative that every amputee and supporter take this next step. Unless we flood the committee with letters I fear that the proposal, either as drafted or with nearly as disastrous modifications, will be adopted.

Online forms are available to make the process easy, but I urge everybody to take a little more time to send something personal. If you don't have the time to write something, the online forms are better than nothing. A patient letter is available here and a supporter letter can be found by clicking on this link. For those who wish to personalize their comments, please direct your emails to Stacy Brennan, MD using this email: DMAC_DRAFT_LCD_Comments@anthem.com

I realize that the notion of writing something original may be daunting. Speaking with my podcast partner Dave, an insurance reimbursement specialist and expert in this arena, we decided to make ourselves available to help. Today we will be hosting a social media chat to answer questions about the proposal and the comments. Questions can be submitted via twitter using the #askampd hashtag or can be posted directly on our Facebook Podcast page. We will be available between 12:30-1:30 EST today to answer questions.  Now is your chance to get clarification and answers to questions about the detrimental impact of these proposals if they are enacted. 

We are looking forward to talking with you soon!


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Meeting Recap

Yesterday can only be summed up with one word. It was absolutely amazing. Four hundred people, from all around the country, converged at a single point behind a solitary cause. So many amputees were in attendance that we joked about the hearing becoming a mini-conference.

I am fortunate that the hearing was relatively local. With the exception of a lot of time behind the

wheel and a single night at a hotel, my expenses were null. Sitting outside the hearing room, I was reunited with friends who flew across the country, at their own expense, because of they felt compelled to be involved and show solidarity.


I drew so much strength and courage from the crowd that I didn't feel nervous when I approached the podium. I knew that the stakes were high, but I also knew that I could not have been surrounded by a stronger support base. A new friend videoed my testimony so that I could share it in this blog. I stumbled over a few words, but I did my best to convey the real life implications of these proposals.

Opening Statement

Today is the hearing!  I'm so excited, nervous, terrified and honored to be here to speak on behalf of the amputee community. I wanted to share my opening statement.  Wish me luck!

Good morning.

My name is Peggy Chenoweth, and I am a mother, wife, friend, author and employee who happens to have a below knee amputation.  When I was in the third grade I read a book about Helen Keller, and I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was going to be a teacher for the blind and help unlock the potential of the visually impaired.  I never wavered from my dream, earning my Master's degree and a 4.0 GPA from Michigan State University 1997.

Fresh out of graduate school I was offered my dream job of providing rehabilitation services to recently blinded adults. Every day I was making a difference and helping somebody reach a new goal. With the exception of lacking a boyfriend, my life was perfect. On March 12, 1997 everything changed when a computer fell on my foot, ultimately leading to my amputation.

I was fit with a standard prosthetic and assumed that I would resume life as normal. I didn't know any better.  I didn't expect everything to be so hard. From simply walking upstairs to trying to keep up with my students, I struggled. I was devastated when I lost my private insurance as an Orientation and Mobility instructor. While I could still teach rehab skills, I was no longer "safe" teaching students how to use the white cane.  As my mobility and life became more difficult, I turned to Snickers to cope.  I gained 100 pounds during the first year after my amputation.

Obese, pre-diabetic and depressed. I assumed that this was normal because I was an amputee. I didn't know better.  Thankfully my prosthetist, using his professional knowledge and experience, recognized my potential. He recognized that my walking was laborious and that the prosthetic was not the right device for me. Because he is a highly trained professional, he knew that my prosthetic foot was limiting me. He asked me to trial a new foot, a microprocessor ankle system.

My prosthetist unlocked my potential by providing that microprocessor ankle. I began walking with ease, and my confidence soared. I lost 100 pounds, resumed my dream job and started my family. In other words, I regained my life. Because my prosthetist was able to both recognize my potential and provide the device necessary to reach it, I have achieved more on one leg than I ever dreamed possible when I had two.

The decision to disregard the potential in prosthetic fittings will lead to the further disabling the community. Because my potential was recognized and accounted for through my prosthetic, I was able to return to work and realize my dreams. I urge this committee to continue to recognize the prosthetic potential of those living with limb loss. We may be missing legs, but we have a lot to offer the world.  Please don't limit our potential.  Thank you for your time, and for listening to me this morning.  I would like to offer myself to serve should you decide to form an advisory committee to create a proposal that makes fiscal sense without disabling the amputee community.

Podcast

Our new podcast is now live.  Please take a moment to listen to this important information. It is imperative that everybody become involved in the fight against the implementation of these Medicare proposals. It is estimated that these proposals, if adopted, would impact all lower extremity amputees within 12 months regardless of your insurance!



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Decluttering

Friday morning, as I was sitting in my rocker trying to slurp down coffee during the few fleeting moments when Timmy was amusing himself with a toy, I made a split second decision. While I had every intention of cracking the whip and calling a family cleaning session over the weekend, I realized that I had too much on my plate. Instead of fretting and stressing over my cluttered house, I called reinforcements.

I would probably feel more comfortable claiming that I needed to call a cleaning service because I was having trouble with my leg, the truth remains that I was just lacking the time and motivation to tackle the dirty beast that has become my home.  I really wanted to just enjoy time relaxing with my boys before they returned to the hectic schedule of the school year. Coupled with the return to school, this week I travel to testify at the Medicare hearing.  I wanted to be able to be as well-rested as possible, so I broke down and made the call.

After the maids left, I sat in my living room in comfortable awe. My house smelled good, and looked sparkling clean. I really should have done this earlier because I felt a weight lift as I took in the order and cleanliness around me.  I never realized that my living room was so spacious!

Timmy had a great time running laps around the living room floor, giggling and spinning himself dizzy. After about 10 minutes his mood switched, and he became frustrated. His happy squeals morphed to panic. Standing in the spot where his music table had always been located, I realized the problem. His toys were missing, which is also the reason my living room looked so big and uncluttered!

I quickly located the small mountain of bright plastic (and large) toys stashed behind the couch. As I slowly moved the pile, my spacious and uncluttered living room began to change. We are now back to the same cluttered space with a path among the toys to traverse through the room. Oh well, I guess I will have to live with the baby clutter for awhile. Someday I will have my spacious room again, but for now I'll just be happy that the floors underneath are clean.