Call for Papers: Disabled Mothers

Co-editors: Gloria Filax and Dena Taylor

Publication Date: 2014

DEADLINE FOR ABSTRACTS: DECEMBER 31, 2011!

Post-pain med pain scale.

This pain scale was created by Paula on the ‘Clouds’ message board.

Please note: This is the pain level that is experienced AFTER taking the daily medication prescribed by your doctor.

0 Pain free.

1 Very minor annoyance – mild aches to some parts of the body. No pain medication needed.

2 Minor annoyance- dull aches to some parts of the body. No pain medication needed.

3 Annoying enough to be distracting. Over-the-counter pain relievers (such as Naproxen or topical treatments such as Arthritis Pain relieving rubs) take care of it.

4 Can be ignored if you are really involved in your work, but still distracting. Over-the-counter pain relievers remove pain for 3-4 hours.

5 Can’t be ignored for more than 30 minutes. Over-the-counter pain relievers help somewhat (bring pain level from 5 to a 3 or 4) with pain for 3-4 hours.

6 Can’t be ignored for any length of time but you can still go to work and participate in social activities. Stronger painkillers (such as Ultram) relieve pain for 3-4 hours.

7 Makes it difficult to concentrate, interferes with sleep. You can still function with effort. Stronger painkillers (such as Ultram) are only partially effective. (Stronger pain killers bring pain from a 7 to a 4-6 level.)

8 Physical activity severely limited. You can read and converse with effort. Stronger painkillers (such as Ultram) are not effective. (Narcotic painkillers do bring this pain down to a level 3 or lower level.)

9 Non functional for all practical purposes. Cannot concentrate. Physical activity halted. Panic sets in. (Narcotic painkillers bring the pain level down from 9 to the 4-6 level.)

10 Totally non-functional. Unable to speak. Crying out or moaning uncontrollably – near delirium.

Happy New Year!

Image via Wikipedia

 

This is an end of the year shout out to the many friends I have never been in the same room with but who have inspired, amused, comforted, encouraged, and touched me in so many ways. Here’s to another year together.

 

Holiday Mail for Heroes 2010

For the fourth year, the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are teaming up for Holiday Mail for Heroes. They are collecting holiday cards and distributing them to service members, veterans, and their families. (You can also send gifts from their holiday gift catalog.) Cards must be postmarked by December 10, 2010. Please read their guidelines carefully. Click graphic at left for information.

Note: There has been an email going around since 2007 saying you can send cards to “A Recovering Soldier” at Walter Reed Hospital. This is false. Because of security concerns, these cards will not be accepted by the US Postal Service, nor will they be accepted by Walter Reed. See Snopes for details.

Baen Books ReadAssist: Free eBooks for PWDs

Baen Books has made available its entire catalogue of e-books to people who have a reading disability. This can be visual impairment or physical inability to hold a book. You must just certify that you have a reading disability.

Fill out the form here.

Learn more about ReadAssist here.

Brain Fog Mad Libs

Selena at Oh My Aches and Pains describes brain fog in the best way!

Jump to one of my bad fibro-fog days and trying to communicate is like playing a wacky and warped version of Mad Libs. My favorite nouns are (in order of preference): thing, whatchamacallit, thingamajig and whoosie-whatsit. When I’m not trying to remember what things are called, I specialize in calling objects by the wrong name.

My most commonly used noun is “wossname” a la Terry Pratchett. I’m also very fond of “thing” which makes me sound like I’m in an Aaron Sorkin production: “Honey, could you get me the thing that I use to do the thing?”

I’m also working on my pantomime but apparently I’m not quite there yet because my miming of “bag” by running my hands over my shoulder as if I were carrying one caused my husband’s eyes to widen. I’m not sure what he was thinking but it apparently didn’t in any way convey “bag” to him.

Maybe I should carry a big pad around with me and make my life into a game of Pictionary. What do you think?

Survey on Invisible Illnesses and Hidden Disabilities & Identification Symbol

Laura Brydges and Jennifer Martin bring their personal experiences of having disabilities together with more than 30 years of research and health communication expertise. They began a group last year on Facebook called “Hidden Disability” and now have launched an invisible illness and hidden disability survey that asks about hidden disabilities and the idea of an international symbol/wallet card. It is a secure and confidential English-language survey that will give adults everywhere their chance to share their opinions on some new disability issues.

Take the survey here.

I took the survey and realized that I am in no way interested in a wallet card with a hidden disability symbol on it. An informal symbol wouldn’t do anything to help me. I can’t figure out when I’d use this hidden disability symbol. Would I flash it at someone and tell them I need a place to take a nap? Would I pull it out and give a lecture about hidden disability to anyone who makes a sarcastic comment about my taking the elevator and not the stairs? Honestly, I don’t need a symbol to give that lecture.

I’m not sure I see a purpose to having a specific hidden disability symbol. There are disability symbols and though they are limiting in that they feature only a figure in a wheelchair, they are also widely accepted as to their meaning. Introducing another symbol would perhaps be unnecessarily confusing. I can go through official disability channels for needs such as parking passes, disability insurance, and accomodations, I’m included under that umbrella even though you can’t see my disabilities and I’d still need to go through those official channels even if I had a handy wallet card symbol.

I’m also super uncomfortable about the idea of differentiating disabilities in this manner. Are we also going to tag someone with a visible disability? Are we going to assume those people don’t need an ID because their disability is visible? If we do that, are we also assuming that every single person with a disability needs and wants the same types of assistance? Some people with visible illnesses don’t identify as disabled and don’t need or want assistance. Some do identify as disabled and do need/want assistance. The same goes for those with invisible disabilities/illnesses. I think the idea of an identification card is too simplistic and could actually cause more confusion and harm than it would help.

If other people don’t understand invisible disability that’s not my problem and it’s not something I can solve with a wallet card.

Anywhere But Here

Give me the where, what, who, even the when if you want, the why is because it’s anywhere but here.

Tonight mine is easy. Right behind the Patriots bench with all my Patriots-loving friends, cheering my heart out.

What about you?

Edward M. Kennedy, 1932-2009

I find I have few words to mark this day and the words I have seem like hyperbole when they are not. For all my life, Ted Kennedy was my senator. For all my life. As I grew up he left behind the scandals of his past and settled in to the role of our Liberal Lion, a champion to those who needed one. He has always been here. For all my life. And now he is not.

Rest in peace, Senator. And thank you.

The world is watching.

We need to ensure that those at the highest echelons of power in Iran are aware that, despite their best efforts at concealing their bloody crackdown, the global community is monitoring their every move.

Help us send the vital message today to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that we refuse to remain silent when authorities use bloody violence to crush dissent and deny Iranian citizens their freedom of speech and association.

or, Create a Petition

Change.org