MS Walk last Sunday 2021

Friday, June 8, 2018

Vancouver bound 2018- The adventure before

From the 28th of June to the 1st of July 2018 the City of Vancouver will be my rolling playground.  I have an introductory meeting there for the BC SUPPORT Unit Patient Council that I will be joining.  As far as I can understand, it's about researching diseases affecting BC patients.  There are 2 persons affected by MS on the board now and I'll be the third.  I have a feeling I was chosen because of my Facilitator position at the Self Help Group and I am an Activated Patent of the BC Patient Voices Network... I joined way back when they first came to Northern Health's hometown of Prince George and expanded their reach through my Health Authority influencing patents of all walks of life and professions to the Yukon border and beyond.  All Canadain provinces have a Patient Voices network now, we're just the most influential imho here in BC.  This paragraph is written before I depart, I have a couple of things to do in advance:

1.  I need a house sitter.  My cats will need to have water changed daily, perhaps litter scooped out.  This was not an issue last time I went down.  Since then, my toilet was changed and they no longer can have that as a drinking bowl when I go for a couple of days.  Their water gets dirty when sitting just a few hours but I don't expect a house sitter to live here the whole time unless they want to and I can trust them.  Once a day with a larger container of water changed in the morning should satisfy them just fine.  I put down a larger container for their water, it stays cleaner longer but does not last 24 hrs yet.  Any larger container might be too large for them.  May try 2 large containers next.  Seems to be good that way.  Now to see if Litter boxes can go 3 days to be cleaned upon my return.  On day 2 now, no complaints from the cats.


2.  I need to ensure the Airporter knows how to book me with a mobility device coming and going.  Airport and PG Taxi have an agreement.  Traveler has a mobility device calls and requests accessible transit to the airport.  Airporter books departure and arrival makes a call to PG Taxi, who has accessible taxis.  PG Taxi will pick up the traveler.  The traveler will pay the cab driver only the Airporter shuttle's fee for the ride.  Airporter and PG Taxi square up the account as per their agreement.  When I tried, I got a clerk who knew nothing of this and denied me passage.  I contacted Michelle Kenny, Manager of Corporate Services for the PG Airport Authority and she assured me the information will now be put on their website.  I hope she will put it on both those web pages.  PG Taxi will always have accessible cars you may call them if you need them while in town (providing you have a travel-ready device).  She gave me another number to call and this should never happen again where a traveler with a mobility device is denied transport on PG Airporter.  I got my ride booked as of the 5th.  If the information is not available on either the Airport's or the Shuttle services website or a sales clerk is confused then please contact me (comment below) and I'll again contact Michelle Kenny to have it available for you when you travel.  I am not going to be the only one privileged for it.  Prince George leaves a lot to be desired regarding transportation between airport and city.  Presently Vancouver is much better for ground transportation between multiple departure points and city.  Well, after I typed this, it would be a great time to ensure my mobility device is travel ready... 


Travelers have apparently can be denied passage because of their device.  Nope, I have Gell Cells, not Lithium batteries.  It's a lightweight, and short enough.  48" end to end, Tiller folds down, the seat is removable if needed. They usually disconnect the battery, it has clips to break the connection.  It's even clean and in good condition.  I should be ready to go with it.  If you have any doubts about your device, consult the place you purchased it from, have it serviced at regularly, a user's manual perhaps, a website even if opened by a friend will help.

3.  Meetings.  Yes, there are several this month, not including phone meetings for my course at Business Abilities, available through Make A Change Canada where I am an Alumni of IBDE and BA.  I also have a couple of personal meetings for the latest and one speaking engagement described in a previous post here.  The Power Mobility Society of Prince George.  So far, We have found a new home for the Power Mobility society at the end of May, preparing for a new time on the Second Thursday of every month at 10 AM.  We have strengthened our connection to Medichair Northern BC as they offered us a room to use for our meetings at Medichair Prince George.  The first one will be on the 14th of June.  Comment below if you ride a mobility device in your community in British Columbia.  Medichair is also found servicing many of you in British Columbia.  Contact the Society by commenting below and I'll pass the information on how you can help us grow through the province to promote safe enjoyment of our needed devices.

The next 2 meetings will happen back to back on the 21st.  The first will be with the Accessible Transit Action Committee, a group of civic Transit authorities, civic officials and members of the public who ride public transit.  We discuss changes in bus routes, challenges faced by use, and we brainstorm ways to overcome and make our transit system the best in the nation for accessibility.  We've been doing that since 1995.  The latest highlight will be my experience trying to book Airporter with a non-folding mobility device.  Right after that meeting, we have an MS Self Help Group meeting, the last one before Septemeber 2018.  We will be at A&W for the "Burgers to end MS" event to be held on the 16th of August this year.  As in previous years, I cannot find a link this far from the event for this year.  It's held annually, this year $2 from every Teen burger sold will go towards MS research  Our community will be at the Southridge location in Prince George. Perhaps see you there!  If you have an aversion to burgers, there are donation tins at every till or A&W location in Canada

On the 11th of June, The community will host Lonnie Facchina, Community Services Coordinator for the Newly formed Northern Regional Chapter of the MS Society of Canada who is doing a tour around the large Northen Regional Chapter's area of concern which goes into the Yukon Territory. It should be very interesting, this is the second visit Lonnie will make to our city at the "head" of their region that mirrors Northern Health's area of responsibility for the MS Clinic of the University Hospital of Northern BC in Prince George.

4. Life.  Well, won't go too deep on this.  Going out and socializing, networking and enjoying life in Prince George.  I've managed to do that since getting my head on straight in around 2005 after accepting that life is better without fighting against this MonSter inside of me and quitting Tobacco.  I had enough of the true monsters inside my head and evicted them from my thoughts.  Now the MonSter inside me is accepted and coexists in my body.  MS does not own my life, I own it.  It cannot affect me.  I will not let it. I can hurt myself way worse than the MS, it knows that and is relatively tame.  I use no DMDs.  I consume Cannabis in multiple forms when I can afford it.  I'm ready to go, stay tuned for my next post which will happen when I get on my way to Granville Island in Vancouver, BC to join the BC Support Unit Patient Council, on the 27th.  WOOT!

Inquisitive mind, a Thanksgiving post

 I was diagnosed in the year 2000.  Life changed fast, all MS'ed up.  I remained in my job, a multi function 'Drug store' with ...