"The Amputee Road Show" Debuts...

[george boyer]

Sounds like a good start.....let's see what happens.  It occurs to me that one
reason for lack of success with trying to get visitation going is that the
hospital staff possibly prefers, maybe strongly prefers, a 'blank slate'.....a
patient unmolded by influences who could then increase demands, pose questions
unanswerable by the staff, etc.  I think there is some substance to this.....that
the hospital staff may want to mold the patient to THEIR needs, want a passive
patient (no matter that this is to the patient's detriment).  After all, the
patient isn't going to be there very long at all.

May I comment on your post....very breezy, ok for a post to this list, maybe.
The issue I want to raise is that it may not be appropriate to pepper your
discourse with the slangy, breezy word "amp".  I'm not sure that people outside
the amputee group itself are at ease with that locution.  It's sort of like 'our'
slang.  (I for one don't like it.)  And even not quite right for amputees because
it puts a kind of brassy face on the amputation which is at odds with the way we
feel about ourselves and what has happened to us.  An incongruity.

My thoughts.  George B.


James Stewart wrote:

> Well,
>
> We took our Road Show "on the road" today for its first test run.
> Co-conspirator Bill Nixon and I met with staff at Hamilton General Hospital
> not really knowing what to expect, but prepared for most anything.
>
> Armed with copies of our group's mission statement, brochure, history and
> newsletter we met with six members of the medical staff on the surgical
> floor.  There was a really good mix of social worker, PT's, OT's and a
> PT-in-training.
>
> Very informal, but organized - Bill & I had jointly drawn up a thumbnail of
> points to cover and distributed this "programme" along with the materials.
> We covered a very brief personal bio each, why a support group was needed
> and stressed that we were not charged with doling out medical nor PT advice
> but rather there to listen and primarily to bridge that gap from surgery to
> rehab where most questions would be handled.
>
> We explained how a typical visit would last probably 20 - 40 minutes and
> that all our visitors had received peer training.  We would be checking n
> with the nurse's station before and after each visit and that we will never
> show up unless asked by either the amp him or herself or by the appropriate
> staff member upon the amp's approval.  We all have ID badges clearly
> showing who we are.
>
> Confidentiality is a strict issue with our group.  The ONLY person we
> report the results of a visit to is the social worker through which all
> inquiries are funneled.  The only exception would be (heaven forbid) in the
> case of suicidal comments, in which case we all feel obligated to report
> this right away to the social worker on staff.  We will not even discuss
> the details of a visit with family members not present unless OK'd by the amp.
>
> We were very well received and were asked a number of valid questions
> including language issues, repeat visits and how to deal with those that
> simply don't want to hear about a prosthesis.
>
> After some fifty minutes we wrapped up and received a round of thanks.  I
> left with the sincere feeling that the contact had been established - that
> all present knew we existed, what role we could play in the amp's recovery
> and that we can work as a legitimate team.
>
> All in all a very rewarding launch of "The Amputee Road Show".  Credits to
> the on-line lists that have helped open minds to many differing viewpoints.
>
> JS
> James F.L. Stewart
> Burlington, Ontario, Canada
> :<http://ntfp.globalserve.net/sds>
> CAPS Newsletter:
> http://ntfp.globalserve.net/sds/current.htm