I completed my first week of therapy. I signed up for a four day a week semester of therapy: 2 days aquatic and 2 days land based exercise at the Brown Center for the physically disabled in the Department of Kinesiology at California State University, Northridge.
From what I hear it is one of the best rehab clinics in the country with its 19,000 square foot indoor aquatic facility and a packed gym with every exercise machine you could need.
This week was good and it's nice to feel "active" again. I degraded alot during my time in San Francisco, and coming back to LA has made me realize how much so.
As soon as I hit the gym I want nothing else but make due with the hour I am given. An hour goes by really fast especially when it takes so long to transfer in and out of machines, into the pool, changing clothes, etc. I have an assistant although I'm not terribly friendly during the hour because all I want to do is workout. I strap on my headphones and try to move as fast as I can and work as hard as I can.
I also completed my first week of Access para-transit service. Access transports those that qualify in the city's disabled transportation program. That has been interesting.
My first day was Monday for a 5pm pickup. I rolled out to the front of my apartment and for some reason felt jitters. As I sat on the curb I reflected back to my first day of school, holding my strawberry shortcake lunchbox and backpack while nervously waiting for my first bus ride. It's weird to make connections to times that you think are over, and yet revisit you as you get older. For the elderly who age and become like children again or for a young girl in her prime to feel like a first grade school girl again. It's interesting.
I've already met alot of "interesting" people, both drivers and passengers, and learning to adjust to the schedules of their pick up and drop offs.
With Access paratransit:
1) It's possible to spend hours in the van for a location that is only 20 minutes away. For example, if I have to be at my therapy at 4:30pm I should probably schedule an hour and a half in advance, so a pickup at 3pm is probably necessary. But, there may not be a 3pm time slot open, so I may be forced to reserve an unnecessarily earlier pickup. They may only have a 1pm available and I'm forced to take it :/.
In addition, I am not the only one in the van. If I get lucky I may be the only pickup and drop off and can arrive at my destination within an hour. But, there could be 2-3 other people in the van and they may get dropped off or picked up during my time in the van, which adds on my time in the van. It's a gamble.
In addition, Access has a 20 minute window so they can be 20 minutes late after your reservation time., In reality I have waited as long as 2 hours for my ride to show up. Many times you will probably be late for your appointment. If I book extra early then that means I will arrive to my destination hours early and be all alone for those hours which means I'm cringing and hoping that I don't have to go to the bathroom during that wait time.
Yesterday's transit is a prime example of spending alot of time in transit and the day not going right. I was picked up at 3pm with more than an hour and a half in the van so I missed most of my 4:30-5:30 swimming class. Then I had a 6pm pickup to go home but due to miscommunication they were nearly an hour late. Then it took me about 45 minutes or so to get home. A long day of 3.5 hours related to Access for only 10 minutes worth of swimming.
When I arrived at the pool I wanted to get any exercise in I could so they loaded me up with ankle weights, threw me in the pool and I walked a consecutive 10-15 minutes in the shallow end (more difficult to walk in the shallow side). At least I did something.
Being at the mercy of others is in no way fun, and as some patients progress, and for those way beyond my level, they have to be at the mercy of others just to take a drink, scratch their nose and the list goes on for these simplest of tasks.
Gosh, I really miss driving. To be alone with my own thoughts and in control of my tasks. When I realized I had to stop driving back in January it was a day that I had been dreading for awhile. I loved driving more than anything and it was the last bit of "running" that I was clinging to.
2) Sometimes, I feel like a bartender listening to the Access drivers spill their problems and complaints to me. You know those times when you just want to be alone and not forced to conversate? Well, I can't really do that during the ride as I'm sitting in the front seat right next to them, so ignoring is not an option.
For example, my driver from last night was an interesting one. He clearly looked distressed, not confident, hated his job and drove all over the road. He couldn't stop talking about how much he hated his life. I tried to help him by telling him to change his career and that there are always other options out there but seriously I just wanted to get home. I had been in the van for way too long and a bit nervous of his unpredictable and agitated behavior. Perhaps he has a hard life and feels like there is no way out.
There it is. A brief synopsis of my first week in therapy and the transit service. Not bad. All these new experiences may serve as material for future illustrations.