My month at the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation assessment center is now complete. What a month( well, I finished it in 3 weeks). So much happened in such a short time. I regret not getting more pictures taken but I was in a constant state of intensified pain and needed to keep focused on the testing,etc.

First on the list was an old friend revisited. Yup....just like the one I slept in(or should I say tried to sleep in) after getting hurt. I couldn't lay on either side or lay flat on either my back or front for over 5 years. I still cannot lay on my stomach or left side. It is not very comfortable laying flat on my back but I cannot lay on the right side all night so I do what I can. Either way. This is almost the spitting image of  the bed I once owned.

The Crew!!! The people in my week starting. 7 out of 10 went until finished. Notice the chairs. There was not much for comfortable seating if you had a back injury. Tracy, the gal in the orange, also had a back injury. After the first 3 days The only option I had was the pool. She went to physical therapy a few times more than I did. The gal running pt told her they don't get very many back injuries. I agree, I think I have been doing more for my back than they could have. My impression was that they see a lot more of people who were not very active before they were hurt. Lots had strokes. a guy in my group had two kidney transplants. Well, you get the idea. I am not complaining. It is the first time I was able to have access to a pool. I was able to get some relief and I did try my hand at swimming again. Turns out I still know how.

Leaving the pool. I spent up to 3 hours a day up there on occasion. The weekends were not enough time to recover so by week 3 I was having a lot of difficulties.

We attempted a puzzle one night. After finding out that several pieces were missing from the border.... no more puzzle.

Said goodbye to Lucy this month. She made her 15th birthday on October 1st. What a wonderful little dog. Vivian thinks I gave her a few extra months with the care I gave her. I think if I had not been in Columbia this month she would have made it longer. She always perked up and seemed to do so much better when I got back on the weekends. She was deteriorating in front of our eyes though. She had congestive heart failure. In the end she died in her sleep knowing we were there.

The vet sent a card. It will take some time to get over the loss. I have always had a fondness for dogs. Lucy was a sweetheart. I am glad I got to spend time with her.

Of course Vivian sent me a selfie or two. Just to remind me of what else I was missing. She really is somebody special.

  So I was beginning to think that going back to work might not be possible yet. My pain was escalating daily. I was looking at career opportunities and realizing that I wasn't even getting in a 40 hour week at the center and was having trouble. One class we had was with the guys that build and/or supply what is needed to get you working. The guy rolled out a $1000 ergonomic office chair almost the first thing. Not being one to watch opportunity slip away I found myself sitting in that chair for the rest of that period. It turns out that without knowing I could sit in that chair, they were going to recommend me as not being capable of employment. Also, My counselor asked me if doing something like dispatching part time until I could handle full time work was acceptable.
  My question to that was....When I am in good enough shape to work full time, will there be training available for me if I need it to get a job I like?? Yes, there will. That chair or one like it will be waiting at the Conway,SC. office when I get to my next meeting with my area counselor. I will work what I can there until they feel I can handle a part time job. Been a long haul with no end in sight but every day is one more day closer.

When I met my counselor at Columbia. I was struck by how very much she looked like my friend Rogers wife Debra. Enough that I mentioned it. Turns out she is English and irish. I think Debra is also. Speaking of Roger

When you realize he is wider in the shoulders than I and dressed for cold weather it gives you an idea how big the elk was. Roger always gets his elk.

So....down to the last significant detail of the month. Vivian drove up to retrieve me from Columbia Friday afternoon. slept in (I was prescribed a non-narcotic sleep aid and it helps) went grocery shopping early Saturday afternoon. Didn't feel great early evening. Got into bed with the chills. Had 202 fever sunday morning. Was down to 101 last night. this morning was 99. Yup... I got the flu and Vivian did not,good thing, I would have missed out on seeing how wonderful she is at taking care of me when I am sick. I was in good hands. I know I don't have to remind anyone how miserable the flu is.