The angel stood there watching, in the shadows he would stay
The soldier lay there sleeping dreaming he was safe
He dreamed of home and those he loved
He dreamed that he was there
The night slowly turned into day the soldier began to wake
He felt the tears on his face and realised he was still in the same place
The angel stayed where he was and watched the soldiers face
He heard his name being called and knew there was a bomb
He moved towards the place his movements slow but sure
Whispering to himself the 23rd psalm
The angel watched but didn't move this was part of the soldiers tour
His moves were automatic his mind was on the job
He knew that one wrong move and this would be his lot
He prayed it was not remotely charged and the thing he could defuse
The angel watched the scene unfold but still he did not move
The soldiers hands were shaking as the wires came to light
He had not seen this type before which wires should he cut
The angel then stepped forward to guide the soldiers hand
The soldier would live for another day in this foreign land
The angel stepped back again as the soldier gave his thanks
It was not the soldiers time to go, he had more lives to save
The angel stood there watching, in the shadows he would stay...
© Just one Voice
Friday, August 20, 2010
What I want for my child.
I want my child to be happy
I want my child to be safe
I want my child to be healthy
I want my child to be courteous
I want my child to be independent
I want my child to have a future
What happens if you have a disabled child?
All the above still counts but there are some extras
I want my child to have the help they need
I want my child to have the education they need
I want my child to be treated as 'normal'
I want my child to have the same chance of life as 'normal' children
I WANT MY CHILD TO HAVE A FUTURE!
I don't want my child to have your pity
I don't want my child stared at in the street
I don't want my child to hear whispered comments
I don't want my child pointed at
I don't want your sympathy!
So to all of you out there who don't have disabled children, please think before you comment or stare.
Disabled children (people) are the angels that have been sent down to help us learn compassion, understanding
tolerance and love.
I want my child to be safe
I want my child to be healthy
I want my child to be courteous
I want my child to be independent
I want my child to have a future
What happens if you have a disabled child?
All the above still counts but there are some extras
I want my child to have the help they need
I want my child to have the education they need
I want my child to be treated as 'normal'
I want my child to have the same chance of life as 'normal' children
I WANT MY CHILD TO HAVE A FUTURE!
I don't want my child to have your pity
I don't want my child stared at in the street
I don't want my child to hear whispered comments
I don't want my child pointed at
I don't want your sympathy!
So to all of you out there who don't have disabled children, please think before you comment or stare.
Disabled children (people) are the angels that have been sent down to help us learn compassion, understanding
tolerance and love.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Another day....
Weather is crap...suppost to be summer!!
Little man has broken his elbow, he climbed up the doorframe to get to a pull up bar. then decided to use it as a swing and fell off.... he starts junior school on Sept 6th and will still be in plaster, it's his right hand...he's right handed.
Waiting for the nurse to get back to me about other sons meds...
Car needs a lot of work to get through it's MOT....
Need a lotto win................................
Little man has broken his elbow, he climbed up the doorframe to get to a pull up bar. then decided to use it as a swing and fell off.... he starts junior school on Sept 6th and will still be in plaster, it's his right hand...he's right handed.
Waiting for the nurse to get back to me about other sons meds...
Car needs a lot of work to get through it's MOT....
Need a lotto win................................
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Epilepsy Cnt
So now son has a social worker. He also has the Community Health Team behind him. We (me and son) were told at the assessment what help we would be getting. Son is released from pyschiatric unit as his behaviour is back to normal.
Takes a week for social worker to come out, she does yet another assessment, even though they work in the same office as the Learning Disabilty Team, their computer systems are not compatible. I ask if they have ever heard of hard copies!!!! (They are meant to work together). Told son would be getting help off a scheme desgined to help people like him, for 6 hours a week. Met the manager of scheme he said the same thing. Also offered a direct payment scheme for another 8 hours a week. I accepted.
Forward to a month later...we have in place NOTHING!!!
Son is now going backwards again. I phone up his social worker to be told she in on sick leave, when I asked about his statement was told the same thing she is on sick leave...I retorted " What so no one takes over her cases?! No wonder we have children dying who are under care orders!".
Once again I emailed local councillor Lyndon, the next day I had three phone calls all for appointments the next day. Social Worker phoned as well (seems she was back)...asking if I would like her to speak to son, ERRR No...he thinks you are nothing but a liar, you promised him a lot and he got nothing! You will just make things worse.
So what happens, well son gets his eight hours with the private firm (they charge £13.90 per hour...or £55.60 for four hours). He gets another six with a community living scheme which is going ot teach him money management, how to catch buses etc etc... they start off at an hour the next Monday ' Start slow and work your way up', I agreed with this knowing that the best way with this is to ease son into it. the private firm come on the Thursday and off he goes for four hours.
The following Monday his hours were up to two.. and the next and the next and the next etc....I phones his social worker to ask where the other hours are..in the the two hours he gets all he is doing is, going to Asda or Morrisons for a cooked breakfast (and by car) then have a wander about. Social worker tells me that the community living scheme do not have the capacity to do the six hours but they are trying to fit son in with another two...as the social worker tells me they just haven't got the capacity ..., my answer was...you know what I really don't care, this is in his care plan and you haven't met his needs... of course I lose it at this point and end up putting the phone down on his social worker. Once again my local Councillor comes to my aid...the next day I get a phone call Mencap are going to step in and take over. Which they have done.
At the moment we are at the place where son goes out for fourteen hours a week, and another is going to be added in a few weeks (so he can learn to cook)
Now all we need to do is get his Meds right ( which can take years) the Community Health Team in my area have been absolutely fantastic on this. it may even be that sons seizures are never really controlled just better managed...
Takes a week for social worker to come out, she does yet another assessment, even though they work in the same office as the Learning Disabilty Team, their computer systems are not compatible. I ask if they have ever heard of hard copies!!!! (They are meant to work together). Told son would be getting help off a scheme desgined to help people like him, for 6 hours a week. Met the manager of scheme he said the same thing. Also offered a direct payment scheme for another 8 hours a week. I accepted.
Forward to a month later...we have in place NOTHING!!!
Son is now going backwards again. I phone up his social worker to be told she in on sick leave, when I asked about his statement was told the same thing she is on sick leave...I retorted " What so no one takes over her cases?! No wonder we have children dying who are under care orders!".
Once again I emailed local councillor Lyndon, the next day I had three phone calls all for appointments the next day. Social Worker phoned as well (seems she was back)...asking if I would like her to speak to son, ERRR No...he thinks you are nothing but a liar, you promised him a lot and he got nothing! You will just make things worse.
So what happens, well son gets his eight hours with the private firm (they charge £13.90 per hour...or £55.60 for four hours). He gets another six with a community living scheme which is going ot teach him money management, how to catch buses etc etc... they start off at an hour the next Monday ' Start slow and work your way up', I agreed with this knowing that the best way with this is to ease son into it. the private firm come on the Thursday and off he goes for four hours.
The following Monday his hours were up to two.. and the next and the next and the next etc....I phones his social worker to ask where the other hours are..in the the two hours he gets all he is doing is, going to Asda or Morrisons for a cooked breakfast (and by car) then have a wander about. Social worker tells me that the community living scheme do not have the capacity to do the six hours but they are trying to fit son in with another two...as the social worker tells me they just haven't got the capacity ..., my answer was...you know what I really don't care, this is in his care plan and you haven't met his needs... of course I lose it at this point and end up putting the phone down on his social worker. Once again my local Councillor comes to my aid...the next day I get a phone call Mencap are going to step in and take over. Which they have done.
At the moment we are at the place where son goes out for fourteen hours a week, and another is going to be added in a few weeks (so he can learn to cook)
Now all we need to do is get his Meds right ( which can take years) the Community Health Team in my area have been absolutely fantastic on this. it may even be that sons seizures are never really controlled just better managed...
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Epilepsy
Having a son who was diagnosed over four years ago with this, I thought I would write about it..
Lets start at the beginning..my son was born prem died and was resusitated. He suffered with brain damage as a result. He has moderate to severe learning disabilites. When he was about 12 we had a consultation with a consultant about Absence seizures, but was told no he didn't have these (even though he used to blank out). Roll forward a few years.... he has a Generalised Seizure (Grand Mal/Tonic Clonic) seizure. After another one he is seen by a neuroligist yes he has seizures..put onto meds that do not control these, go back to neuro and meds are increased. Still not contolled!
Fast forward three years..son decides he no longer wants to take meds, I am not allowed ( UK Mental Health Act) to force him to take these, resulting in a few months later an admission to a psychiatric unit (voluntarily because once the Dr had gone I told him he was going in full stop!). This by the way is 11pm.
Now because he has learning disabilites was told that in the morning he would be moved to a place more appropriate for him..yeah okay! Phone in the morning to be told he has not beeen moved, go up the the unit speak to a nurse who tells me that he will be moved just not yet. The next day I go to the unit to find son still in same clothes he was admitted in...ask to see a charge nurse,l who then says if he had a change of clothes here then he would have been in clean clothes..point out I brought clean clothes everytime I come up...she then tells me they cannot force him to have a shower or get changed (UK Mental Health ACT!.) So all I say is you actually have to tell him he needs a shower etc...as he has special needs...told not the appropriate place for him! Once again ask why he hasn't been moved....gobsmacked by the answer...The Learning Disabilty Team and /social services have lost him! HE IS NOT ON THEIR SYSTEM....and his assessment to get him moved will take weeks!!!!!!
Told nurse no it won't he will be assessed before the end of the week.
Go home search net find where he is meant to be plus phone number, phone them up. Speak to person in charge to be told the same thing again! By now I am frustrated and very very angry (especially as the year before I had phoned up Social Services asking for help). he gives me the phone number to the person who is charge of the learning diability team in my area. Phone her in the morning (but of course he had already phoned to warn her I would be phoning). She basically told me the same thing plus she added.." I have worked here for 10 years and never heard of your son"..my answer " I don't care if you have worked there for 20 years you have lost my son off your system ONCE AGAIN (they lost him when he was 14 ), I would like to speak to someone in charge"...reply " I'm the boss!!!"...reply " For every boss there is someone else in charge" and I put the phone down.
I decided to contact my MP (what a waste of space you are Mr Wayne David!!!), he or his office told me no more than what I had already done!!!! NO HELP OFF HIM THEN.
The next day was phoning all kinds of people that I found on the net...wouldn't go and see son today as he kept saying he was coming home but still not right..still saying he was going to kill himself etc...head of unit told me she had no choice but to let him home if that is what he wanted (UK MENTAL HEALTH ACT!!!). Told her that was fine but when I walked out of the doors I would phone 999 and have him committed,answer there was no Dr on duty..reply " There would be once I phoned 999". result son stayed there.I also emailed a local councillor Lyndon Binding, he emailed me back almost immediately, what a godsend he is :)
On the Thursday I phoned up Mind, they phoned me back within the hour and put me in contact with Mencap,who worked wonders.
Still on the Thursday, had a phone call off the Learning Disability Team, they woluld assess my son in the morning and could I be there..of course I could.
He was assessed and was told I have no idea why we have never seen your son before ...DUHHHHH you lost him!!!!! She then told me would take a few weeks to get a Social Worker assigned to son..."NO WAY" was my response, " There had better be one by the end of today or by Monday lunchtime". Phonecall in the afternoon a Social Worker had already been assigend to him through Mencap (they may be a charity but they carry a lot of weight).
To be continued....................
Lets start at the beginning..my son was born prem died and was resusitated. He suffered with brain damage as a result. He has moderate to severe learning disabilites. When he was about 12 we had a consultation with a consultant about Absence seizures, but was told no he didn't have these (even though he used to blank out). Roll forward a few years.... he has a Generalised Seizure (Grand Mal/Tonic Clonic) seizure. After another one he is seen by a neuroligist yes he has seizures..put onto meds that do not control these, go back to neuro and meds are increased. Still not contolled!
Fast forward three years..son decides he no longer wants to take meds, I am not allowed ( UK Mental Health Act) to force him to take these, resulting in a few months later an admission to a psychiatric unit (voluntarily because once the Dr had gone I told him he was going in full stop!). This by the way is 11pm.
Now because he has learning disabilites was told that in the morning he would be moved to a place more appropriate for him..yeah okay! Phone in the morning to be told he has not beeen moved, go up the the unit speak to a nurse who tells me that he will be moved just not yet. The next day I go to the unit to find son still in same clothes he was admitted in...ask to see a charge nurse,l who then says if he had a change of clothes here then he would have been in clean clothes..point out I brought clean clothes everytime I come up...she then tells me they cannot force him to have a shower or get changed (UK Mental Health ACT!.) So all I say is you actually have to tell him he needs a shower etc...as he has special needs...told not the appropriate place for him! Once again ask why he hasn't been moved....gobsmacked by the answer...The Learning Disabilty Team and /social services have lost him! HE IS NOT ON THEIR SYSTEM....and his assessment to get him moved will take weeks!!!!!!
Told nurse no it won't he will be assessed before the end of the week.
Go home search net find where he is meant to be plus phone number, phone them up. Speak to person in charge to be told the same thing again! By now I am frustrated and very very angry (especially as the year before I had phoned up Social Services asking for help). he gives me the phone number to the person who is charge of the learning diability team in my area. Phone her in the morning (but of course he had already phoned to warn her I would be phoning). She basically told me the same thing plus she added.." I have worked here for 10 years and never heard of your son"..my answer " I don't care if you have worked there for 20 years you have lost my son off your system ONCE AGAIN (they lost him when he was 14 ), I would like to speak to someone in charge"...reply " I'm the boss!!!"...reply " For every boss there is someone else in charge" and I put the phone down.
I decided to contact my MP (what a waste of space you are Mr Wayne David!!!), he or his office told me no more than what I had already done!!!! NO HELP OFF HIM THEN.
The next day was phoning all kinds of people that I found on the net...wouldn't go and see son today as he kept saying he was coming home but still not right..still saying he was going to kill himself etc...head of unit told me she had no choice but to let him home if that is what he wanted (UK MENTAL HEALTH ACT!!!). Told her that was fine but when I walked out of the doors I would phone 999 and have him committed,answer there was no Dr on duty..reply " There would be once I phoned 999". result son stayed there.I also emailed a local councillor Lyndon Binding, he emailed me back almost immediately, what a godsend he is :)
On the Thursday I phoned up Mind, they phoned me back within the hour and put me in contact with Mencap,who worked wonders.
Still on the Thursday, had a phone call off the Learning Disability Team, they woluld assess my son in the morning and could I be there..of course I could.
He was assessed and was told I have no idea why we have never seen your son before ...DUHHHHH you lost him!!!!! She then told me would take a few weeks to get a Social Worker assigned to son..."NO WAY" was my response, " There had better be one by the end of today or by Monday lunchtime". Phonecall in the afternoon a Social Worker had already been assigend to him through Mencap (they may be a charity but they carry a lot of weight).
To be continued....................
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)