Bill, Thursday August 29: Tri-Met Lift approved; GBB goodies

Big adventure today, with a positive outcome of getting approval for the Tri-Met Lift program. Bill (and a caretaker) will be able to use the point-to-point transit program.
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\We got off to an interesting start. We assumed a Lift bus would be picking us up to go for the evaluation. Instead, in pulls a Broadway Cab minivan, equipped with a ramp and tie-downs for wheelchair. You know we had a little rain this morning? As the driver was pulling the wheelchair backwards up the ramp (and it was a VERY low slant), his feet slipped. Flat onto his back, pulling Bill on top of him! Ayn and I grabbed the chair to stabilize, and the driver quickly recovered. Then some finagling to get the wheelchair situated.

The ride back after the evaluation was a Lift bus. Now if they want to go somewhere, they just schedule a day in advance, cost is $2.45 one-way for two people. The only disadvantage is the pick up time is a half hour window, but hey, who's in a hurry any more?

Bill is also close to have the feeding tube pulled out. Until a few days ago, his medications had been crushed, mixed with liquid, and pushed through the tube. Then they crushed and mixed with applesauce or pudding to take by mouth. Today he took them, one at a time, as a regular pill and a sip of water. The speech therapist was monitoring closely to see they really went down.  Everything looks good.

It seems that there was a lot of paperwork today. Trying to get a form OHSU is happy with so they will release information to the short term disability folks. Paperwork for the bank to update info. Talking about doing paperwork for the new apartment.

I almost forgot. For those in the GBB family, and you know who you are, Bill loves the poster! Thanks to Justin and Nancy for passing it along with some other Terrapin goodies. I was reading one poster notation, "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries." Very puzzling to me, but Bill laughed and explained, "It's a Monty Python quote." Oooo-kay.