United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

thanks, jen.

i've read alot of your posts and you are truly an inspiration! i'm actually jealous of you 'cos you live in a place i'd love to visit one day!

actually, it's not my doctor -- it's the bloody government (the same ones that have just banned pit bulls province wide thinking it will stop dog attacks! idiots, but i won't get started about that).

the gov't says i can't return to work even part time until a min. of 3 years has passed to ensure "full return of nerves"!

i WAS an admin. assistant/exec. secretary, so that's not a possibility anymore.

i will need retraining but, again, can't even go back to school until after 3 years!!!

i'd like to open my own doggy day care (they're big here)one day, but that would take money! and no bank will give me a business loan when i'm barely making ends meet on my disability pension.

thanks for the link, i'll go read it now.

hugs,

jan

Hi,

I must say I fing the catch-22 your gov't puts you in simply appalling. By that, I mean that Canada won't let you return to work for 3 years but in the meantime doesn't support any effort to use the time constructively - such as training in a different career.

My son was injured at 15 and is now 17. I learned that our county won't provide instruction for him in keyboarding one-handed until he's 18, because they claim he doesn't need to have that skill before then. I guess none of them have tried to write a long English paper. Unbelievable.

What are these people thinking??

Ellen

i think that's part of the problem, ellen -- politicians DON'T think. the only time you'll see them do anything for disabilities is (a) if theere's a HUGE public outcry - esp. by contributors to their campaign funds, OR
(b) if it happens to them or someone they know!

at least i'm staying semi-productive and helping to save lives =o)

after having read john's story and reading your posts, i think john will excel at anything he wants to do! he's an amazing young man. however, agree that these fools don't have to write alot -- that's what secretaries are for! if i still had 2 hands, i'd be john's secretary! =o)

hugs,

jan

oh, and to show just how messed up the canadian laws are, here's something someone just sent me. while reading, keep in mind that i get $800/month to live on! good thing i live with my mom -- cheapest rent around here is over $1,000/month!

hugs,

jan

From the Toronto Star, April 18 2004 - Pay pensioners same as refugees?

New refugee plan eyes small cities.

I think the effort to resettle refugees in smaller communities is an excellent effort.

These refugees may find it easier to integrate into a smaller community especially if accompanied by some of their compatriots.

I also found it interesting that the federal government provides a single refugee with a monthly allowance of $1,890.00 and each can also get an additional $580.00 in social assistance for a total of $2,470.00.

This compares very well to a single pensioner who after contributing to the growth and development of Canada for 40 to 50 years can only receive a monthly maximum of $1,012.00 in old age pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Maybe our pensioners should apply as refugees!

Lets send this to all Canadians, so we can all be pissed off and maybe we can get the refugees cut back to $1,012.00 and the pensioners up to $2,470.00 and enjoy some of the money we were forced to submit to the Government over the last 40 or 50 years.

It's depressing that the refugee/pensioner disparity doesn't surprise me in the least. We haven't tried to apply for disability yet (& John isn't sure he wants to, though I think it's nuts not to tuck it away in savings or something) - think we have to wait 'til he's 18 - but earlier threads on this site have said that quite often the gov't doesn't even consider bpi a disability because you still have another arm/hand. Puh-leeze!! I'd like to see THEM try to get thru just one day w/only one hand - including making the bed, plus pillowcase, trying to get something from the back of the refridgerator, stacking papers - well you already know - I'm preaching to the choir aren't I?

Fun,

Ellen