I think I've been in a doldrum lately. As
likely evidenced by my lack of motivation to blog or talk about
anything. I know there are several contributing factors to this.
And it seems like I can't shake this feeling of having an
unbalance of more problems than to the solutions and options. There
are days I wake up and don't even know where to start.
So, City Council had their study session on
the cell tower that is about to be built in less than 500 feet from our
home. It's predictability and tone was anticipated months ago.
Although the public cannot make comments at these study sessions,
they hired an independent expert, and had speakers from
Verizon give presentations. When I read their hired experts CV, I knew
immediately that he wasn't a neutral party. Having had a background
working for a cell carrier and antenna engineer I
knew what he was going to say before I even went. My legal experience
has served me well and I can easily sniff out which side someone is
on. He was simply hired because they wanted do find someone who would
support their decision to build this tower.
He got up there and made these analogies comparing broad band widths to
dogs that stay in fenced yards, and rarely if ever... do these dogs
bark and cause problems. Essentially he was intending to say that EMI
(Electromagnetic Interference) doesn't exist,
because broad bands don't interfere with each other.
Verizon's testimony even more disturbing as
they explain to City Council their desires are to have cell towers and
antenna as close as every 1/4 mile. That's crazy. And that is just one
cell phone carrier's goals. They hone in
on projecting the technology for the future... such as smart cars and
headgear video games citing their need to act now for something that
hasn't even happened yet. I observed body language of others, the
rolling of eyes, their posture, their crossed arms,
shaking of their heads at any suggestion that they should think twice
about denying any application related to cell towers for any reason. It
was a room divided but the majority is ruling these decisions. There
was even suggestions that the height minimum be
raised. So instead of a 50 feet tower maximum (even though a variance
was given to the tower I'm going to receive which will be taller than 50
feet), they want to make the limits higher. (Higher the tower, higher
the intensity and impact to neighboring
residents.) Really the goal of this study session in essence felt like
how can we make it as easy as possible to overpopulate residential areas
with cell towers with complete disregard for the human safety and
well being of others or even allow have homeowner
objections to the loss of property values and aesthetics. The County
Attorney made a suggestion that since there was a health issue or
concern (which was Noah) that they couldn't take into consideration all
my other neighbors who were upset about the decline
in property values as a result of a tower and aesthetics. And then I
was reading Noah's instruction manual on his power wheelchair that warns
against the effects of EMI...
"The interference (from radio wave sources)
can cause the powered wheelchair to release its parking brakes, move by
iteself, or move unintended directions. It can also permanently damage
the powered wheelchair's control system."
This is such an extensive warning they actually dedicate two full pages
in full detail of EMI warnings.
Yet, City Council remains in denial. Short of
the tower being built and me saying told you so... and/or pursing legal
action against everyone... I'm not sure how to get them to admit they
have a significant problem with a medically fragile
child in the neighborhood in which they want to build cell tower. They
don't have a fenced in dog... they have a dog that is about to maul the
neighborhood and specifically my little Noah. But they care not one
bit.
And now we transition into other problems on my
horizon: I submitted my 3rd revised request for a flooring modification
for Noah after it went from a "firm denial", to a "soft approval" pending
State's final review. I'm obviously frustrated
about it, and I know in many ways what I'm experiencing is purposeful
in nature. I also filed two more appeals because I feel like procedures
are being violated that are resulting in denials for items Noah didn't
even have a chance to formally ask for,
unique in that even a Judge can't adequately reverse a denial or make a
determination if the denial was appropriate in any fashion because
there is no supporting documentation for review. I still think Section
(6505) of the Social Security Act's intentions
was designed to prohibit prescriptions or medical treatment outside of
the US and described therein as (benefits). I do not think that rule's
intentions were to bar adaptive equipment purchases outside of the USA.
But I don't much get the feeling that the
State really wants to dig into that matter, especially because if they
use it as they are - it prevents hundreds of families from accessing
things they need and thereby saving the State thousands of dollars they
don't have to pay out to assist those in the
special needs community.
There are miscellaneous things too that I need to
deal with. I given most of Noah's equipment away, which leave him with
nothing to replace it, as many were out of pocket purchases and he has
outgrown everything - not skill wise, but size wise. He needs it all
replaced which is an impossibility financially, but there are lots of
things that I need to obtain for Noah
and can't financially. There is no MNRI camp for 8K-9K, no Dolphin
Therapy, no ABM Intensives... can't find a way to fund getting to
California for two weeks to obtain a service dog.. the list feels
endless and if I rattled it all off it would take up three paragraphs
just in itself.
I've been asking his speech therapist since
September to do an evaluation for a smaller device so we can mount it to
Noah's wheelchairs and he'd have access to it more frequently. And I
keep getting excuses, a teaching schedule stands
in the way, or Noah has to trial three other devices even though he
already knows what model is successful for him... or that they have to
find another rep to order it from because they don't like the vendor...
(which they can't do). I'm so tired of excuses.
I don't get to hide behind excuses. I can't say you know what I don't
feel like dealing with 101 problems and issues in my day. I have to
suck it up and get it done because Noah depends on me not to drop the
ball. I don't know how to light people's fires
sometimes. They drag their heals until I feel like I could scream.
We're not talking days or weeks - we're talking now 8 months later...
Noah's DME accidentally broke his Mygo Leckey
Chair when we were trying to fit knee guards on it. It was an accident,
but that's a minimum of two more weeks we have to wait to have something fixed. In the
meantime he knows it is broken and swing his
leg over it, so there isn't much I can do with it, and it's terrible
for his hip positioning problems.
Yet, I'm quietly biting the bullet, because his DME has been making a
valid and successful attempt at better and prompt customer service for Noah and I happen to really like his new assigned representative and she's giving a 100 percent effort right now.
Noah's entered in a bike contest to win an
adaptive bike... for the third year in a row. Yes I know what you're
thinking. A contest? I enter lots of them for Noah as that is the only
chance he has at many pieces of adaptive equipment.
We know the chances are slim - yet like a moth to a flame we can't help
but convince ourselves our children have a chance at being a winner.
And in the back of your mind you always wonder is this as good as it
gets? Am I forever destined to have to think
outside of the box to get anything Noah needs? If you happen to want
to swing over and give Noah a vote this is the link to do so. https://www.friendshipcircle.org/bikes/2016/02/noah-w-2/
He's 1 of
600 children entered in the contest. The hopes were they'd get enough
donations to fund all 600 bikes - but my gut instinct thinks that was
likely a lofty goal. I am amazed though at the number of votes Noah has received. Last year he only scored around a 100... so I'm very appreciative of the support people are giving him.
Noah's T-Max Shower/Toilet chair that was funded
by the county's emergency funds is also being held up by customs. I'm
not surprised, there isn't anything in our lives that actually is easy.
I know they can't hold it up forever as
there is a medical provision that they have to allow it through customs
because I've gone down this road before with some of Noah's other
equipment that has had to be ordered from Canada and the UK. It's just
getting them to realize what it is, and then they
will likely assess me a fee an additional customs delivery fee. But
this means I may not see it this week, while I communicate back and
forth with them. I have to essentially convince them not to return it
to the UK by the 29th of this month. One more extra added event in my
day.
And
we're going from a great 72 degree day to tomorrow's predicted blizzard snow
conditions. I'd be lying if I said I was looking forward to trying to
keep up with shoveling blowing snow all the while checking on my
disabled son that has to stay indoors laying on the floor while I
shovel... and if you think I have neighbors who will help - think again.
Kindness costs money. Let's just be real - and how does one budget
to hire a snow removal company when the majority of them charge you
based on the inches of snowfall they have to remove? I cannot predict
mother nature's furry and she could screw me with one hell of a bill if I
gamble on business contracts based on snowfall totals.
Love,
Noah's Miracle by Stacy Warden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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