Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[RONALD L PRACHT]

I tried as hard as I could yesterday to get the power handcycle (rio dragonfly) 
adjusted, hooked up and running but failed in my attempt. My manual chair 
(Quickie 2) has leg rests that stick out pretty far and the drive wheels 
plastic mud guard was getting caught on the legrests footplate. I had to abort 
the mission and I got a mini saw and cut the mud guard off. I read the 
directions through again and next time I find a person to assist my chances 
will improve on getting my first drive completed. Its going to work but I want 
it to be right. Once I get it all adjusted I should be able to attach and 
detach myself. So, I will keep you guys informed and take a pic when Im done 
with it attached. 
Ron 

On Saturday, April 23, 2016 10:01 PM, Joan Anglin <poaj...@sbcglobal.net> 
wrote:
 

 #yiv3058961832 #yiv3058961832 -- _filtered #yiv3058961832 
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{}#yiv3058961832  It is frustrating to make plans on and then waits and nothing 
happens, but people’s lives are busy too and I’m always grateful when someone 
does take the time to help me, even if it’s their time frame and not mine. Ron, 
I hope you have a good time with the Rio, I will be jealous but hope that you 
can enjoy it soon.  Joan   From: Danny Hearn [mailto:ddh...@sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2016 9:37 AM
To: RONALD L PRACHT <r.pra...@sbcglobal.net>; Quad-list Post 
<quad-list@eskimo.com>
Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise  Glad you got it Ron, you 
are right about trying to not get mad or hold resentments towards people 
because all that does it harms the one holding that stuff inside...On other 
hand though if a person tells you they will come in one of the next 3 days it 
is a shame they can't at least call and let you know about it, could be he just 
forgot or had other things of life come up on him. hope  you get it going soon, 
let us know. Dan H**  On Thursday, April 21, 2016 10:49 PM, RONALD L PRACHT 
<r.pra...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:  Well peeps,    I get my rio dragonfly( 
attachable powered handcycle) from ebay last week and I was happy about 
potential fun I would have with it this spring/summer. This guy I know told me 
he would come and help me get it fitted either tues, wed or thurs of this week. 
in preparation I read the manual , put some of it together, charge battery and 
get it set up to make it easy as possible for when he comes. I wait all week 
and the guy never shows up or even calls me. I told myself that I wasn't going 
to get mad so I rigged the legs of the cycle on jack stands in my room and was 
able to adjust them to the right length by myself. Its all together now and 
adjusted as well as charged. If my mom will just hold the front of the bike, Im 
going to try to attach it tomorrow for the first time. I would have tried that 
myself but the front end has a spring that brings the wheel back to center when 
you turn and that needs adjustment I think. Somehow..someway Im going 
to get this thing going by hook or by crook. I guess anything you want bad 
enough you can figure out, but it sure is a big deal to do the simplest things 
as a quad.  Ron  

  

RE: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[Joan Anglin]

It is frustrating to make plans on and then waits and nothing happens, but 
people’s lives are busy too and I’m always grateful when someone does take the 
time to help me, even if it’s their time frame and not mine.

Ron, I hope you have a good time with the Rio, I will be jealous but hope that 
you can enjoy it soon.  Joan 

 

From: Danny Hearn [mailto:ddh...@sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2016 9:37 AM
To: RONALD L PRACHT <r.pra...@sbcglobal.net>; Quad-list Post 
<quad-list@eskimo.com>
Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

 

Glad you got it Ron, you are right about trying to not get mad or hold 
resentments towards people because all that does it harms the one holding that 
stuff inside...On other hand though if a person tells you they will come in one 
of the next 3 days it is a shame they can't at least call and let you know 
about it, could be he just forgot or had other things of life come up on him. 
hope  you get it going soon, let us know. Dan H**

 

On Thursday, April 21, 2016 10:49 PM, RONALD L PRACHT <r.pra...@sbcglobal.net 
<mailto:r.pra...@sbcglobal.net> > wrote:

 

Well peeps,

I get my rio dragonfly( attachable powered handcycle) from ebay last week 
and I was happy about potential fun I would have with it this spring/summer. 
This guy I know told me he would come and help me get it fitted either tues, 
wed or thurs of this week. in preparation I read the manual , put some of it 
together, charge battery and get it set up to make it easy as possible for when 
he comes. I wait all week and the guy never shows up or even calls me. I told 
myself that I wasn't going to get mad so I rigged the legs of the cycle on jack 
stands in my room and was able to adjust them to the right length by myself. 
Its all together now and adjusted as well as charged. If my mom will just hold 
the front of the bike, Im going to try to attach it tomorrow for the first 
time. I would have tried that myself but the front end has a spring that brings 
the wheel back to center when you turn and that needs adjustment I think. 
Somehow..someway Im going to get this thing going by hook or by crook. 
I guess anything you want bad enough you can figure out, but it sure is a big 
deal to do the simplest things as a quad.

 

Ron

 

Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[greg]

ried so very hard to
> find a closer doctor and it did but that was the one who dropped
> me. 
>
>
> This e-mail does not even include what Dave brought up as far as
> people not getting back to you no matter how minor or how important
> the issue is. For example, I had some bladder pain a couple weeks
> ago and asked my urologist to have my home health agency nurse to
> collect a urine specimen to send out for culture and sensitivity.
> This was a week and a half ago and I have still not gotten the
> results! I have found this to be more and more common with getting
> the results of culture and sensitivity results from any doctor. And
> it is ridiculous because if I was in pain this entire time or had a
> fever am still waiting for the results... I could be dead by now. 
>
>
> Thankfully the pain went away but my urologist [whom I have had
> since 2006] should have gotten back to me by now. I finally called
> this morning and left a message with her triage nurse (the best
> person to reach the quickest) but that was over five hours ago and
> I think they close early on Fridays. Either way... ridiculous.
>
>
> Since my husband needs to be a chief medical technologist and did
> urine and blood cultures (and more) as a living in now said it does
> not take longer than 2.5 days to get a culture and sensitivity
> report no matter what doctors were laboratories are telling you
> today. They usually say it is 3 days and I have been okay with that
> over all these years but over the last several years I have always
> been the one to have to call the doctor to get the results rather
> than the other way around. Actually, even the home health agencies
> have gotten the results earlier than the doctors and that is either
> because the doctors are not paying attention to what is coming in
> or what.
>
>
> I was with a fabulous home health agency before leaving PA and now
> I can barely get any help from the home health agencies down here.
> Again, Medicare certified agencies are being discriminatory against
> quads for a myriad of reasons and I am just so worn out after going
> through 3 months of sheer hell trying to keep on top of everything
> when the medical field should be helping you and taking care of you
> rather than the patient having to call about every... single...
> thing.
>
>
> I have been treated like a third class citizen or something no
> matter where I go. I have never ever been treated this way by any
> doctor or any home health agency who are in the business of helping
> patients and not hurting them. I have also been hurt by so many
> medical professionals that it isn't even funny.
>
>
> Well, I've had it for the day. 
>
>
> ~Lori
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 2:14 PM, Dave Krehbiel
> <davekrehb...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>>
>> My experience over the past eight years has been that many
>> companies who provide services to quadriplegics provide a low
>> level of service (and typically at a higher price). I think that
>> is because they are small specialized companies who don't have a
>> lot of competition.
>>
>>
>> Severely disabled folks like us have an increased need for
>> services, and a decreased ability to pay for them.
>>
>>
>> There are some companies out there (such as a local landscaping
>> company, in my case) who provide services at a discount or free
>> to the long-term seriously disabled. I used to rake my own
>> leaves, and paint my own house, and change my own oil, and so
>> forth. Now our family has to pay people to do all these things. I
>> keep wondering if there might be a way to create a directory of
>> local companies that will offer service discounts to people with
>> long-term disabilities. Or if there might be a way to identify
>> and advertise local community minded businesses, and subsidize
>> services.
>>
>>
>> For example, I'd like to find restaurants who would give a
>> discount to people in wheelchairs. After all, I can't visit most
>> people in their own homes, and I cannot be as hospitable as I
>> would like to be here at my house, and so local restaurants would
>> be a great place to get together. And I would like to be able to
>> buy discounted restaurant certificates as a way to say thank you
>> to volunteers who come and help with household tasks.
>>
>>
>> If anybody has interest in this sort of thing, or has contacts at
>> a nonprofit which has programs along a similar line, please let
>> me know.
>>
>>
>> Thanks, and take care,
>>
>> Dave Krehbiel
>>
>>
>> From: Danny Hearn [mailto:ddh...@sbcglobal.net] Sent: Fri

Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[Lori Michaelson]

 since 2006]
should have gotten back to me by now. I finally called this morning and
left a message with her triage nurse (the best person to reach the
quickest) but that was over five hours ago and I think they close early on
Fridays. Either way... ridiculous.

Since my husband needs to be a chief medical technologist and did urine and
blood cultures (and more) as a living in now said it does not take longer
than 2.5 days to get a culture and sensitivity report no matter what
doctors were laboratories are telling you today. They usually say it is 3
days and I have been okay with that over all these years but over the last
several years I have always been the one to have to call the doctor to get
the results rather than the other way around. Actually, even the home
health agencies have gotten the results earlier than the doctors and that
is either because the doctors are not paying attention to what is coming in
or what.

I was with a fabulous home health agency before leaving PA and now I can
barely get any help from the home health agencies down here. Again,
Medicare certified agencies are being discriminatory against quads for a
myriad of reasons and I am just so worn out after going through 3 months of
sheer hell trying to keep on top of everything when the medical field
should be helping you and taking care of you rather than the patient having
to call about every... single... thing.

I have been treated like a third class citizen or something no matter where
I go. I have never ever been treated this way by any doctor or any home
health agency who are in the business of helping patients and not hurting
them. I have also been hurt by so many medical professionals that it isn't
even funny.

Well, I've had it for the day.

~Lori

On Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 2:14 PM, Dave Krehbiel <davekrehb...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

> My experience over the past eight years has been that many companies who
> provide services to quadriplegics provide a low level of service (and
> typically at a higher price). I think that is because they are small
> specialized companies who don't have a lot of competition.
>
>
>
> Severely disabled folks like us have an increased need for services, and a
> decreased ability to pay for them.
>
>
>
> There are some companies out there (such as a local landscaping company,
> in my case) who provide services at a discount or free to the long-term
> seriously disabled. I used to rake my own leaves, and paint my own house,
> and change my own oil, and so forth. Now our family has to pay people to do
> all these things. I keep wondering if there might be a way to create a
> directory of local companies that will offer service discounts to people
> with long-term disabilities. Or if there might be a way to identify and
> advertise local community minded businesses, and subsidize services.
>
>
>
> For example, I'd like to find restaurants who would give a discount to
> people in wheelchairs. After all, I can't visit most people in their own
> homes, and I cannot be as hospitable as I would like to be here at my
> house, and so local restaurants would be a great place to get together. And
> I would like to be able to buy discounted restaurant certificates as a way
> to say thank you to volunteers who come and help with household tasks.
>
>
>
> If anybody has interest in this sort of thing, or has contacts at a
> nonprofit which has programs along a similar line, please let me know.
>
>
>
> Thanks, and take care,
>
> Dave Krehbiel
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Danny Hearn [mailto:ddh...@sbcglobal.net]
> *Sent:* Friday, April 22, 2016 12:37 PM
> *To:* RONALD L PRACHT; Quad-list Post
> *Subject:* Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise
>
>
>
> Glad you got it Ron, you are right about trying to not get mad or hold
> resentments towards people because all that does it harms the one holding
> that stuff inside...On other hand though if a person tells you they will
> come in one of the next 3 days it is a shame they can't at least call and
> let you know about it, could be he just forgot or had other things of life
> come up on him. hope  you get it going soon, let us know. Dan H**
>
>
>
> On Thursday, April 21, 2016 10:49 PM, RONALD L PRACHT <
> r.pra...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> Well peeps,
>
> I get my rio dragonfly( attachable powered handcycle) from ebay last
> week and I was happy about potential fun I would have with it this
> spring/summer. This guy I know told me he would come and help me get it
> fitted either tues, wed or thurs of this week. in preparation I read the
> manual , put some of it together, charge battery and get it set up to make
> it easy as possible for when he comes. I wait all week and the guy never
> shows up or even calls me. I told myself that I 

Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[wheelchair]

Your local Center for Independent Living (CIL) Should be made aware of  
this, or have a list of companies offering discount services.  Also the  major 
5 SCI Rehab Hospitals have discharge planners with lists of  service  
providers to help or assist.
 
Best Wishes
 
 
In a message dated 4/22/2016 3:15:42 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
davekrehb...@earthlink.net writes:

 
My  experience over the past eight years has been that many companies who 
provide  services to quadriplegics provide a low level of service (and 
typically at a  higher price). I think that is because they are small 
specialized 
companies  who don't have a lot of competition. 
Severely  disabled folks like us have an increased need for services, and a 
decreased  ability to pay for them.  
There  are some companies out there (such as a local landscaping company, 
in my case)  who provide services at a discount or free to the long-term 
seriously  disabled. I used to rake my own leaves, and paint my own house, and 
change my  own oil, and so forth. Now our family has to pay people to do all 
these  things. I keep wondering if there might be a way to create a 
directory of  local companies that will offer service discounts to people with 
long-term  disabilities. Or if there might be a way to identify and advertise 
local  community minded businesses, and subsidize services. 
For  example, I'd like to find restaurants who would give a discount to 
people in  wheelchairs. After all, I can't visit most people in their own 
homes, and I  cannot be as hospitable as I would like to be here at my house, 
and 
so local  restaurants would be a great place to get together. And I would 
like to be  able to buy discounted restaurant certificates as a way to say 
thank you to  volunteers who come and help with household tasks. 
If  anybody has interest in this sort of thing, or has contacts at a 
nonprofit  which has programs along a similar line, please let me  know. 
Thanks,  and take care, 
Dave  Krehbiel 

RE: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[Dave Krehbiel]

My experience over the past eight years has been that many companies who 
provide services to quadriplegics provide a low level of service (and typically 
at a higher price). I think that is because they are small specialized 
companies who don't have a lot of competition.

 

Severely disabled folks like us have an increased need for services, and a 
decreased ability to pay for them. 

 

There are some companies out there (such as a local landscaping company, in my 
case) who provide services at a discount or free to the long-term seriously 
disabled. I used to rake my own leaves, and paint my own house, and change my 
own oil, and so forth. Now our family has to pay people to do all these things. 
I keep wondering if there might be a way to create a directory of local 
companies that will offer service discounts to people with long-term 
disabilities. Or if there might be a way to identify and advertise local 
community minded businesses, and subsidize services.

 

For example, I'd like to find restaurants who would give a discount to people 
in wheelchairs. After all, I can't visit most people in their own homes, and I 
cannot be as hospitable as I would like to be here at my house, and so local 
restaurants would be a great place to get together. And I would like to be able 
to buy discounted restaurant certificates as a way to say thank you to 
volunteers who come and help with household tasks.

 

If anybody has interest in this sort of thing, or has contacts at a nonprofit 
which has programs along a similar line, please let me know.

 

Thanks, and take care,

Dave Krehbiel

 

 

From: Danny Hearn [mailto:ddh...@sbcglobal.net] 
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2016 12:37 PM
To: RONALD L PRACHT; Quad-list Post
Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

 

Glad you got it Ron, you are right about trying to not get mad or hold 
resentments towards people because all that does it harms the one holding that 
stuff inside...On other hand though if a person tells you they will come in one 
of the next 3 days it is a shame they can't at least call and let you know 
about it, could be he just forgot or had other things of life come up on him. 
hope  you get it going soon, let us know. Dan H**

 

On Thursday, April 21, 2016 10:49 PM, RONALD L PRACHT <r.pra...@sbcglobal.net> 
wrote:

 

Well peeps,

I get my rio dragonfly( attachable powered handcycle) from ebay last week 
and I was happy about potential fun I would have with it this spring/summer. 
This guy I know told me he would come and help me get it fitted either tues, 
wed or thurs of this week. in preparation I read the manual , put some of it 
together, charge battery and get it set up to make it easy as possible for when 
he comes. I wait all week and the guy never shows up or even calls me. I told 
myself that I wasn't going to get mad so I rigged the legs of the cycle on jack 
stands in my room and was able to adjust them to the right length by myself. 
Its all together now and adjusted as well as charged. If my mom will just hold 
the front of the bike, Im going to try to attach it tomorrow for the first 
time. I would have tried that myself but the front end has a spring that brings 
the wheel back to center when you turn and that needs adjustment I think. 
Somehow..someway Im going to get this thing going by hook or by crook. 
I guess anything you want bad enough you can figure out, but it sure is a big 
deal to do the simplest things as a quad.

 

Ron

 

Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[Danny Hearn]

I hear  you Lori.I feel for you Quads that don't have a partner or close 
family...It takes a lot of courage,guts and Will to carry on in such tough 
conditions. I do have children but they are not real close and have busy lives 
with their own families and jobs, i rely on my wife for about everything...I'm 
like a few on the list that hope we pass before our partners do, We had been 
married for many years before we were in our car accident that left me 
Paralyzed. I was 40 and my wife (Leeann )  was 36 at that time.I'm now 59 
and she is 56.  Right now i'm dealing with kidney or bladder trouble not sure  
if I have and infection or stones or something going on, I have been blessed 
because after I had a huge bladder stone removed at age 50, I have not had any 
more stones and only a few  bladder infections in the last 9 years or so. May 
God bless you all, Dan H*** 

On Thursday, April 21, 2016 11:21 PM, Lori Michaelson 
 wrote:
 

 ​Well, on one side of the situation you are very lucky to be able to use such 
a machine because my level of injury does not allow that. Secondly, you are 
fortunate to have your mother available (I lost my mother when I was 16 years 
old and my father when I was 13 years old. While my injury happened in the 
middle of both of their deaths... when I was 15 years old).On the flip side, it 
seems like people from all types of services and situations (even Dr. offices 
or any place that might even be selling something and you would think they 
would want to call you back for your interest in their product or whatnot, etc. 
etc. etc.). Just don't call you back anymore.I am come across this so many 
times it is pathetic. And sad.~Lori
On Thu, Apr 21, 2016 at 11:49 PM, RONALD L PRACHT  
wrote:

 Well peeps,    I get my rio dragonfly( attachable powered handcycle) from ebay 
last week and I was happy about potential fun I would have with it this 
spring/summer. This guy I know told me he would come and help me get it fitted 
either tues, wed or thurs of this week. in preparation I read the manual , put 
some of it together, charge battery and get it set up to make it easy as 
possible for when he comes. I wait all week and the guy never shows up or even 
calls me. I told myself that I wasn't going to get mad so I rigged the legs of 
the cycle on jack stands in my room and was able to adjust them to the right 
length by myself. Its all together now and adjusted as well as charged. If my 
mom will just hold the front of the bike, Im going to try to attach it tomorrow 
for the first time. I would have tried that myself but the front end has a 
spring that brings the wheel back to center when you turn and that needs 
adjustment I think. Somehow..someway Im going to get this thing going 
by hook or by crook. I guess anything you want bad enough you can figure out, 
but it sure is a big deal to do the simplest things as a quad.
Ron



-- 
"Petting, scratching and cuddling a dog could be soothing to the mind and heart 
and deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer." ~Dean Koontz


  

Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[Danny Hearn]

Glad you got it Ron, you are right about trying to not get mad or hold 
resentments towards people because all that does it harms the one holding that 
stuff inside...On other hand though if a person tells you they will come in one 
of the next 3 days it is a shame they can't at least call and let you know 
about it, could be he just forgot or had other things of life come up on him. 
hope  you get it going soon, let us know. Dan H** 

On Thursday, April 21, 2016 10:49 PM, RONALD L PRACHT 
 wrote:
 

  Well peeps,    I get my rio dragonfly( attachable powered handcycle) from 
ebay last week and I was happy about potential fun I would have with it this 
spring/summer. This guy I know told me he would come and help me get it fitted 
either tues, wed or thurs of this week. in preparation I read the manual , put 
some of it together, charge battery and get it set up to make it easy as 
possible for when he comes. I wait all week and the guy never shows up or even 
calls me. I told myself that I wasn't going to get mad so I rigged the legs of 
the cycle on jack stands in my room and was able to adjust them to the right 
length by myself. Its all together now and adjusted as well as charged. If my 
mom will just hold the front of the bike, Im going to try to attach it tomorrow 
for the first time. I would have tried that myself but the front end has a 
spring that brings the wheel back to center when you turn and that needs 
adjustment I think. Somehow..someway Im going to get this thing going 
by hook or by crook. I guess anything you want bad enough you can figure out, 
but it sure is a big deal to do the simplest things as a quad.
Ron

  

Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise

[Lori Michaelson]

​

Well, on one side of the situation you are very lucky to be able to use
such a machine because my level of injury does not allow that. Secondly,
you are fortunate to have your mother available (I lost my mother when I
was 16 years old and my father when I was 13 years old. While my injury
happened in the middle of both of their deaths... when I was 15 years old).

On the flip side, it seems like people from all types of services and
situations (even Dr. offices or any place that might even be selling
something and you would think they would want to call you back for your
interest in their product or whatnot, etc. etc. etc.). Just don't call you
back anymore.

I am come across this so many times it is pathetic. And sad.

~Lori

On Thu, Apr 21, 2016 at 11:49 PM, RONALD L PRACHT 
wrote:

> Well peeps,
> I get my rio dragonfly( attachable powered handcycle) from ebay last
> week and I was happy about potential fun I would have with it this
> spring/summer. This guy I know told me he would come and help me get it
> fitted either tues, wed or thurs of this week. in preparation I read the
> manual , put some of it together, charge battery and get it set up to make
> it easy as possible for when he comes. I wait all week and the guy never
> shows up or even calls me. I told myself that I wasn't going to get mad so
> I rigged the legs of the cycle on jack stands in my room and was able to
> adjust them to the right length by myself. Its all together now and
> adjusted as well as charged. If my mom will just hold the front of the
> bike, Im going to try to attach it tomorrow for the first time. I would
> have tried that myself but the front end has a spring that brings the wheel
> back to center when you turn and that needs adjustment I think.
> Somehow..someway Im going to get this thing going by hook or by
> crook. I guess anything you want bad enough you can figure out, but it sure
> is a big deal to do the simplest things as a quad.
>
> Ron
>



-- 
"Petting, scratching and cuddling a dog could be soothing to the mind and
heart and deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer." ~Dean
Koontz