News

Horse Therapy

Just sharing: In a little over a week, I am starting horse therapy again!  I’m sooo excited!  Horse therapy is out every summer, & my core gets weaker during those months, so I can’t wait to start back!  (It was at the Abilities Convention that I learned how to find horse therapy: I was told to google/look up something like ””professional association of horsemanship international PATH international equine therapy””.)

About 4 years ago, before I started horse therapy, I checked out standing w/c (wheelchairs). It was awful, because I needed re-adjusting once I stood, so not only was it uncomfortable, but I also needed so much help to stand that I lost what little independence I had!  Standing felt a chore, & not fun at all!

When I tried the standing chair this summer, it was a 100% different experience!  My core was SO much stronger, so there was no re-adjusting needed. If I get a sanding w/c, I could actually use the feature of standing to stand up whenever I want to, & drive around!  The idea of a standing w/c actually is fun now!

Horse therapy has also helped with my anxiety & my speech, so I look forward to how another year will help me!

An article about where I do horse therapy: http://hillcountryview.com/2016/08/the-magic-of-horses/

P.S. If the link works, I’ve added some new traditional scrapbook pages for Zach & Jessie’s albums.

The Abilities Convention

Since I’m being asked:

The Abilities Convention wasn’t as exciting as last time (cuz I had already seen some of the cool stuff, & others, that I was hoping to see from last time, weren’t there..), but it was still helpful in 2 ways:

  1.  I also came interested in finding a standing wheelchair, & I was able to try 1 that I was interested in, & eliminate it.  I also found another company  that I did not know about for standing wheelchairs, & I am sooo glad I found it– the chair I demoed stood me up so well, that I cried!!!  So, I  think I found the company (Levo) I want my next wheelchair from—Or at least it was great to learn that a standing chair could feel that awesome & natural as it stood me up, so I can make a better choice, & not “settle”!
  2. & I posted about the new app I found about accessible/handicapped parking:

http://www.parkingmobility.com/

What I like about it, is that it also educates, & it is not directed at non-handicapped people. I love that, cuz I actually get just as upset at those who are “legal”, but poorly park, so I still can’t come in/out of our van!  In fact, my biggest pet peeve is w/”legal” people, but I don’t think there is a way to document it, unfortunately: the people who are allowed to park there will take the last spot when they aren’t that handicapped…definately can walk fine.  & to “rub salt in the wound”, the parking spot isn’t even closer…they just feel “entitled!”

my speech

A few weeks ago, we went to Utah, & I saw my husband’s family.  Usually when I visit, they comment on how much I have changed, but it had only been about 3 months since I saw my husband’s parents, so I didn’t think they’d see anything different—I sure didn’t feel like anything had changed!  However, my Father-in-law said he saw MAJOR improvements in my speech, which shocked me… I thought there was none!

Thursday night we had several people at our home: some who don’t know me really well, mixed w/others who do know me well.  It was cool, cuz I could talk to anyone!  I don’t think I was understood 100% of the time, but there were times when I knew I was understood, since they responded to me!  It’s exciting to reach a “new level” with my speech!