DMV trip this morning

[cjsmith]

I have a temporary disabled parking hang-tag again, for the first time in probably a year. (I gave up on the doctor who couldn't fill out her section of the form. Now I have a doctor again!)

Amazing how quickly one can get into and out of the DMV, without an appointment, if one is willing to show up and queue up before the place opens. I was at work by twenty after eight.

I don't need the placard all the time. I don't even need it frequently. For certain situations, though, there's no substitute. The alternative is to stay home. There's a growing list of events and places I simply won't go.

It's amazing what a relief it is to know I have this thing.

Comments

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Good stuff! Glad you have one, for those times.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

We're going to a big event in southern California in a couple of weeks. (AOPA Expo, in Palm Springs.) Rob arranged for a rented scooter and now I have the placard. Without those I wouldn't DREAM of going to anything that big!

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

i dream of having a scooter for big events or long walking things. yay for Rob planning ahead!!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It will be a godsend for this. I should really buy one so I can do things like malls and street fairs. Bonus points if it can get my head up to the level of everybody else in the crowd :)

[kennita.livejournal.com]

Good for you! I'll be interested to hear about your experience with the rental company -- I have a friend who *really* needs a scooter (or powerchair). Do they bring it to the hotel/convention center, or do you have to pick it up?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

They bring it to the hotel. I'll write about it here & let you know how it worked out!

[kennita.livejournal.com]

Cool! Thanks!

[lkeele.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so glad you've got one again. What a relief, indeed! It's so nice to know you can now park *close* to things and not have to walk through a huge parking lot. As if you needed that walking in your life. :-P

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Usually the walking INSIDE a place is enough to break me. I can't go to a mall with or without the placard. But for some things, it will sure help!

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

yay!!!! i think of you every morning as i hike into my office and pass the handicapped parking spaces. i'm so happy you got one, even if it's just a temporary one.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

You have one of those vast parking lots? How is that hike for YOU, by the way? I can't imagine it's pain-free.

This will be my third temporary one, or maybe my second -- I can't remember whether I ever got Dr. O to fill out the form right, or whether the first time I tried was the time I gave up on her. If I'd been taking care of myself the whole time, I'd be on placard number six by now. (They last six months.)

I wonder how many temporary ones they'll do before they say ENOUGH already.

[just-cyd.livejournal.com]

our parking lot is more wide than deep, spanning the entire width of the building on one side. it's only six cars deep where i park, so the hike isn't too hateful.

i was under the impression that the temp placards were for temporary needs like broken leg, post-op recovery, stuff that would go away. maybe i misunderstood. there's half a dozen people with the permanent ones at work, and they all have what appears to be permanent needs. i'll ask Bob on monday and see if he knows.

will having this help you out at the Y any?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it's not too awful! That's about the size of ours at work. Wide, but not too deep.

Temp ones are supposed to be for temporary needs, yeah. But no doctor has yet admitted that this problem of mine isn't going away... despite the facts that a) it hasn't gone away yet, b) in three years it's gotten worse, c) they have no fucking clue what to do.

There's no real organization to who has these things and who doesn't. There are rules, and in California I could quote them, about what classes of disability should qualify. But it's all up to the individual doctors to decide whether to sign for it. Those doctors don't necessarily know the particulars of the law or even read the form. (I almost went in with a form saying I had lost both hands!) I know people with placards who can square dance all day. Seriously. All day and into the night. Then there are many people without hang tags who are in big pain just walking from their car to a building door. I'd say, if there's a bunch of pain, it's time to ask for one of these. If the doctor says no, ask again. Nobody says you have to use the thing every time you park the car.

This won't help me at the Y, sadly. The problem at the Y is all INSIDE the building!

[thorswitch.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you got that worked out!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It really did surprise me how much better I felt when I knew I had the tag.

[ambar.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I'm delighted you did this for yourself (and that you now have a doctor who isn't just a lump in your path.)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm really crossing my fingers that he knows what's going on. I'm terrified of the surgery that would "sort of work around" what I have, because it's destructive and irreversible, but man, if I could run again or even square dance... wow.

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so glad you got one! I couldn't live without mine ... on good days when I don't need it, or if there are regular spaces right near the handicrap spaces, I don't use it. But on bad days -- or if the only alternative is a huge hike across the parking lot (in which case even if I'm not in too much pain when I park, I would be after making that hike in both directions!) -- up it goes, and I use a handicrap space. (I call it that because it's crappy to need one.)

Could you get your current doc to certify you for a permanent tag if you promise that you'll turn it in if and when you're no longer disabled? Having to get temp ones over and over is ridiculous.

I didn't realize you could rent those scooters! I guess I should have, but I never even thought about the possibility. Occasionally at a large event I've wished I had one, but (thank goodness) I'm not disabled enough at this point to need one frequently enough to make it worthwhile buying one. I could really have used one at the craft show a couple of weeks ago ... I was in so much pain that I had to go back to the meeting place early and just sit around until the others got there. A scooter would have been perfect! I'm really glad Rob thought to rent one for you!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That's exactly it: on good days I wouldn't need it, but on bad days or in big parking lots my other option is to turn around and go home.

I don't know what my current doc would say about a permanent tag. I think he feels he hasn't fully diagnosed me yet, so my guess is he wouldn't feel right about it. But he was very supportive about the temp one. If he can't cure me he may well sign for a perm. (Those are free, too, which is handy. Temps cost money.)

I'll write & let everyone know how the scooter rental works out!