When we returned home a couple weeks later in about feb-march I resumed studying with TAFE. I am doing it externally and are doing certificate 3 in disability studies. its been on hold for 18 months while I was too sick to study. They came up with a special study plan to assist me with my studies to hopefully complete the 5 units I have to go prior to the cut off at the end of June 2010.
I am doing two advocacy subjects, one called leisure and recreation activities and I have to do the compulsory unit participate in saftey procedures basically OHS (including manual handling which I can only do theoretically and apparently over the phone in this case) . I also am required to complete a senior first aid certificate which is big ask for someone who is a wheelchair user with all the other medical problems i have however it is a compulsory requirement. The reason I have to finish by end of June is that the government changed the course from the start of 2010 and they gave 6 months leeway for people who were continuing students if I dont complete it I have to basically start again as the units I have done except for first aid are not transferrable plus I have to pay for the whole certificate again! and I decided I didn't want to do this hence returning to comlete the certificate.
I have passed everything so far a few sets of questions and made a start on one project for leisure and recreation.
I made contact with the National Disability Coordination Officer for people who have disabilities at tertiary level and she was interested in completing first aid as well and had a friend who is a st john trainer so she very kindly said that she would help me to see if there was a way that I could manage it all including CPR and we have been doing it fortnigthly for a month so far. Next session is tonight. it just will go as long as it needs to til we complete the certificate. Last week we had a go at CPR and I can do it although only a couple rounds not like 5 like i am suposed to do. I did about 3 the first time and then Jenny had a go and then I did about 2 rounds the second time and almost collapsed from immense fatigue the second time. But it proved we could do it both of us. We did on table cause I cant get on or off the floor and cannot sit without something behind me because the dystonia starts up. its painful. I got the dystonia while I was doing the compressions which didn't work too well
But all in all TAFE so far has been a rather positive experience!
I want to use the certificate for the idea of teaching People with disabilities viola and violin and set up a group to play and perform in
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
TTY
Well this is not an entry about music its about using TTY. as you know I am hearing impaired deaf that is and thus have trouble on the phone. So last year I decided that I would switch to using TTY. This means that I call the national relay service or NRS and then make calls thru them and the call is relayed to the TTY machine and I can read it. If people want to call me then they ring me thru the NRS as well. It only started today. Its kinda spooky but I guess I will get used to it and so will all my friends and family! Theres even a special emergency number too equivalent of 000
I made 4 calls today thru them and it wasn't too bad. We will see how it goes.
I made 4 calls today thru them and it wasn't too bad. We will see how it goes.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Holiday to Canberra for IV and then home via Dubbo Cobar and Broken Hill. 14-30 Jan 2010
We left on the 14th January 2010 and drove all the way to Hay. Unfortunately for asked we got 25 kilometres past Balranald NSW and discovered we did not have enough petrol to make it to hay so we had to go back to Balranald to get some more petrol. We arrived in the middle of the night and the next day we drove to Canberra. On the following day we went to the costume shop to pick up a Spanish costume for the party the next evening. We then drove to Birrigai which was the campsite for InterVasity (IV) choral festival the reason we came to Canberra in the first place. Birrigai is in a bushfire prone area. But we were lucky despite the hot weather. The day after we left Birrigai was a total fire ban day and if we are still been in Birrigai we would have had to evacuate.
With the Between the 16th and be 24th of January 2010 we were involved in this festival we were at Birrigai until Wednesday morning we stayed with Jeffs parents and drove to Birrigai every morning. There was a costume party, sculling nights and and the revue which I performed telemanns Fantasia no 09 for solo viola and also helped Jeff with his act called Acts of the choristers. Written like the book Acts in bible based on the events that happen at camp at IV. There was also usual IV events of Presidents pyjamas (don't ask) and market day (where different societies get to sell their merchadise.
One night when Jeff was sculling I was resting in the same dormitory as the assistant conductor. We had a very interesting conversation about music and disability. I also met Milly who is an OT student. She helped me at ANU on the day when Jeff was umpiring cricket at his high-school.
During the day there were many rehearsals for the concert that was held in Queanbeyan on the 23rd of January. Queanbeyan is on the border between New South Wales and the ACT. On the Wednesday people left Birrigai and had a publicity sing in Garema Place near the ANU (Australian National University). We didn't go to the publicity sing because it was too difficult to get there with me in the wheelchair. We met everybody for the photo. Then we had our first rehearsal at ANU. It was very difficult because I in needed to sing at the front of the lecture theatre so I could hear but the bathrooms were at the top of the lecture theatre only accessible by going outside of the lecture theatre and after an incredibly steep slope needing somebody to push me because they were only steps in the lecture theatre.
On the Thursday night we had the formal academic dinner. This was very enjoyable. It was held at a function centre at a football club. On the Friday night we had a family barbecue at Jeff's parents house and the following morning we met my friend Sarah who I went to school with and her partner Alex in Queanbeyan for lunch they live in Queanbeyan. That afternoon we had the dress rehearsal in the Q performing arts Centre which was only built in 2003 that night we we went to the Leagues club for dinner before the concert. This was a huge success and everyone enjoy despite ed themselves. The Q was not particularly wheelchair accessible despite being built in 2003 dales accessed for the audience but for a performer at needing wheelchair access to the stage like Myself it was a disaster I had to go through three fire doors and then wait on the other side of the stage because I was unable to get downstairs to the backstage green room I find particularly annoying that a venue built so recently would not provide a ramp to the stage this was supposed to be there and the committee were aware of this being necessary but at least I did not get sick like I did in Hobart in July 09. It was also good being able to sing with the choir not offstage or in front or next to the choir like I have done for most of the concerts in the past 12 months with the Adelaide University choral Society (AUCS). I found an alto 2 who was happy to wear my FM system which allows me to hear the choir. It worked really well and didn't break. That evening we had the post concert party in the Leagues club
The following morning we went to Commonwealth Park for the recovery barbecue I was intrigued by the Carillon. Apparently it's like the bell tower but instead of bells being pulled an organ is played which makes the bells ring. Unfortunately I got dust in my eye and a couple of days later I got conjunctivitis this cleared up within about a week. On We decided to go to the National Art Gallery and had a look around for a couple of hours before returning to Jeff's parents house and started to pack that night we went to a restaurant in Civic the city area of Canberra and met our friend Kendrick for dinner the next day we left for Dubbo. On the way we went via parkes and this is where the CSIRO Parkes radio telescope is located this telescope was used when man first walked on the moon in 1969. Unfortunately we missed the visitors centre but got some great photos we reached Dubbo round half-past eight and we were just about to go across the road for dinner - crossing the road in fact when the lights went out and Aporto closed we drove around looking for somewhere to eat everywhere was shut. Eventually we found a place a bit like the hogs breath cafe. It was expensive but delicious
the next morning we went to the Western Plains zoo and a was a two-day pass we got a lot of photos of the animals it was so big six kilometres in a circle and we had to drive around and get out and walk to see the animals around two o'clock we we had reached about half way and decided to go back to Parkes to see the radio telescope visitors centre which closed at 4:30 p.m. about hundred kilometres back towards Canberra we reached it in time and had a look through the visitors centre in saw the telescope up close. Then we went back to Dubbo and had dinner. The next morning we went back to the Western Plains zoo and saw the rest of it then we drove on to Cobar. Both of the days in Dubbo were 43° Celsius
The following morning we went to the Cobar quilting shop. They were having a sale and had lots of cat and music fabric. After that we drove onto Broken Hill.
Coming into Broken Hill we drove through a dust storm we thought it was big but apparently they have had worse. The next morning we went to the Broken Hill visitors centre through recommended numerous places to go that were wheelchair accessible the first place we went to was the train hospital and migration Museum it had lots of photos and various pieces of equipment and old telephone is typewriters and old hospital equipment from Broken Hill's first hospital then we went to an Art Gallery which has Ando's Big picture it's painted in a circle and its the largest picture painted by one person hundred metres round. The Gallery had other paintings and things look at also sheep ant and cats made from metal which you could buy and other souvenirs. Then we went to the Royal flying Doctor service visitors centre located at the airport in Broken Hill this is open to the public you can go on a tour and see the Planes and people working also a video is shown and there is a Museum and souvenirs then we went to all parts which had the Titanic memorial in it. There were band people who played on the Titanic when its sank. They all people in Broken Hill who wanted to put up a memorial dedicated to these people. That night we went to musicians club for dinner. The next morning we went to a above ground wheelchair accessible house that had been turned into a mine it showed equipment from the past and present use in the mines in Broken Hill. They also showed a video of the history of mining in Broken Hill they were paintings made from the minerals from the mines in Broken Hill for sale there was also a room filled with dolls and teddies about 800. Then we left for home - Adelaide. We arrived around half-past seven that night. Overall we had a really good time and I am glad this time and was able to sing with the choir and didn't get sick unlike Hobart IV where I became very ill and missed singing in three concerts.
With the Between the 16th and be 24th of January 2010 we were involved in this festival we were at Birrigai until Wednesday morning we stayed with Jeffs parents and drove to Birrigai every morning. There was a costume party, sculling nights and and the revue which I performed telemanns Fantasia no 09 for solo viola and also helped Jeff with his act called Acts of the choristers. Written like the book Acts in bible based on the events that happen at camp at IV. There was also usual IV events of Presidents pyjamas (don't ask) and market day (where different societies get to sell their merchadise.
One night when Jeff was sculling I was resting in the same dormitory as the assistant conductor. We had a very interesting conversation about music and disability. I also met Milly who is an OT student. She helped me at ANU on the day when Jeff was umpiring cricket at his high-school.
During the day there were many rehearsals for the concert that was held in Queanbeyan on the 23rd of January. Queanbeyan is on the border between New South Wales and the ACT. On the Wednesday people left Birrigai and had a publicity sing in Garema Place near the ANU (Australian National University). We didn't go to the publicity sing because it was too difficult to get there with me in the wheelchair. We met everybody for the photo. Then we had our first rehearsal at ANU. It was very difficult because I in needed to sing at the front of the lecture theatre so I could hear but the bathrooms were at the top of the lecture theatre only accessible by going outside of the lecture theatre and after an incredibly steep slope needing somebody to push me because they were only steps in the lecture theatre.
On the Thursday night we had the formal academic dinner. This was very enjoyable. It was held at a function centre at a football club. On the Friday night we had a family barbecue at Jeff's parents house and the following morning we met my friend Sarah who I went to school with and her partner Alex in Queanbeyan for lunch they live in Queanbeyan. That afternoon we had the dress rehearsal in the Q performing arts Centre which was only built in 2003 that night we we went to the Leagues club for dinner before the concert. This was a huge success and everyone enjoy despite ed themselves. The Q was not particularly wheelchair accessible despite being built in 2003 dales accessed for the audience but for a performer at needing wheelchair access to the stage like Myself it was a disaster I had to go through three fire doors and then wait on the other side of the stage because I was unable to get downstairs to the backstage green room I find particularly annoying that a venue built so recently would not provide a ramp to the stage this was supposed to be there and the committee were aware of this being necessary but at least I did not get sick like I did in Hobart in July 09. It was also good being able to sing with the choir not offstage or in front or next to the choir like I have done for most of the concerts in the past 12 months with the Adelaide University choral Society (AUCS). I found an alto 2 who was happy to wear my FM system which allows me to hear the choir. It worked really well and didn't break. That evening we had the post concert party in the Leagues club
The following morning we went to Commonwealth Park for the recovery barbecue I was intrigued by the Carillon. Apparently it's like the bell tower but instead of bells being pulled an organ is played which makes the bells ring. Unfortunately I got dust in my eye and a couple of days later I got conjunctivitis this cleared up within about a week. On We decided to go to the National Art Gallery and had a look around for a couple of hours before returning to Jeff's parents house and started to pack that night we went to a restaurant in Civic the city area of Canberra and met our friend Kendrick for dinner the next day we left for Dubbo. On the way we went via parkes and this is where the CSIRO Parkes radio telescope is located this telescope was used when man first walked on the moon in 1969. Unfortunately we missed the visitors centre but got some great photos we reached Dubbo round half-past eight and we were just about to go across the road for dinner - crossing the road in fact when the lights went out and Aporto closed we drove around looking for somewhere to eat everywhere was shut. Eventually we found a place a bit like the hogs breath cafe. It was expensive but delicious
the next morning we went to the Western Plains zoo and a was a two-day pass we got a lot of photos of the animals it was so big six kilometres in a circle and we had to drive around and get out and walk to see the animals around two o'clock we we had reached about half way and decided to go back to Parkes to see the radio telescope visitors centre which closed at 4:30 p.m. about hundred kilometres back towards Canberra we reached it in time and had a look through the visitors centre in saw the telescope up close. Then we went back to Dubbo and had dinner. The next morning we went back to the Western Plains zoo and saw the rest of it then we drove on to Cobar. Both of the days in Dubbo were 43° Celsius
The following morning we went to the Cobar quilting shop. They were having a sale and had lots of cat and music fabric. After that we drove onto Broken Hill.
Coming into Broken Hill we drove through a dust storm we thought it was big but apparently they have had worse. The next morning we went to the Broken Hill visitors centre through recommended numerous places to go that were wheelchair accessible the first place we went to was the train hospital and migration Museum it had lots of photos and various pieces of equipment and old telephone is typewriters and old hospital equipment from Broken Hill's first hospital then we went to an Art Gallery which has Ando's Big picture it's painted in a circle and its the largest picture painted by one person hundred metres round. The Gallery had other paintings and things look at also sheep ant and cats made from metal which you could buy and other souvenirs. Then we went to the Royal flying Doctor service visitors centre located at the airport in Broken Hill this is open to the public you can go on a tour and see the Planes and people working also a video is shown and there is a Museum and souvenirs then we went to all parts which had the Titanic memorial in it. There were band people who played on the Titanic when its sank. They all people in Broken Hill who wanted to put up a memorial dedicated to these people. That night we went to musicians club for dinner. The next morning we went to a above ground wheelchair accessible house that had been turned into a mine it showed equipment from the past and present use in the mines in Broken Hill. They also showed a video of the history of mining in Broken Hill they were paintings made from the minerals from the mines in Broken Hill for sale there was also a room filled with dolls and teddies about 800. Then we left for home - Adelaide. We arrived around half-past seven that night. Overall we had a really good time and I am glad this time and was able to sing with the choir and didn't get sick unlike Hobart IV where I became very ill and missed singing in three concerts.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Photos of standing frame
To the left are 5 photos of me and the standing frame that TAD made me. The two in the wheelchair were taken about 1 or 2 days out of hospital between christmas 2008 and new year 2009 and the 3 ones of me standing were taken straight after it was made in about september 2008.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
driving
We take driving for granted we just do, you don't know what you have until you lose it!!
Around february-March 2009 I asked my neuro-physio whether she thought I would ever be able to drive a car again She said YES!!! Maybe not right away she said but she thought it would be possible. I left it another couple of months and asked her again (i really hadn't improved but I was very keen to get the ball rolling with driving again thought would be simple) BOY was I WRONG!!!! She said to me that she thought it would be the best idea to have an assessment done by a driver clinic OT (Occupational therapist) So she wrote the referral and I rang up to find out what I had to do. First there was a 3 month wait. Second we had to go to the repatriation hospital which is over an hours drive TWICE as it was the only place we could do the assessment because of the type of disability I have!! The first part of the assessment was at the clinic they ask a bucket load of questions about your medical conditions find everything that could possibly be wrong or hard with driving and then find a way to solve all these problems. Trouble is the treating dr HAS to fill in a form to the department of transport and there is no option on this form for this kind of assessment it is dumb the OTs are trying to change it. They even got me to write a letter to the Member of Parliament involved to try and change the form. Also the final decision is not made my the OT doing the assessment but by the dr this is also dumb as the dr has had nothing to do with the assessment the OT has. In other states of Australia the OTs do get a say in what the final decision is. In SA they can only recommend. Anyway so they decided that I had to go back to the eye specialist something was wrong in the assessment they thought could interfere with driving so that was another appointment the tests came back fine! The second part of the assessment was with a driving instructor with the OT in the back. This was difficult as the instructor made a big deal out of a minor thing that I did wrong and did not explain how I could fix this issue. Anyway it was decided that I would need 3 1 hour lessons with a driving instructor trained in rehab and this was done over 4 lessons 2 half hour and 2 1 hour lessons. All in all these assessments cost over $700 AUS with no rebate or anything (something else I put in the letter). It also was recommended that the only way I could drive was with the use of a WYMO. Basically a hydraulic lifting device that puts the wheelchair on the roof of car at the touch of a button at the cost of about $4000AUS. There were a couple other minor recommendations.
Well I knew we could not afford a WYMO so I asked my service provider who gives me personal care twice a week and various equipment and they said NO. Then for reasons I wont go into a few months later (after our trip to Tasmania for the choral festival) I asked to have a new service coordinator and in the meantime I spoke to the supervisor about all the difficulties I was having. Well she told me that my origial service coordinator apologises because he made a mistake the WYMO WAS available since the equipment service is for ALL PWD in two different agencies!!!! So a WYMO was once NOT available to domicilary Care clients but now was. The way this service works is that it is totally funded by the government and is serviced and maintained by the equipment service so you dont pay when it breaks down!! BUT the downside is that they often don't have enough money and I believe the main reason why they managed to get me this equipment was because a they made a mistake originally and b I complained about needing it. People who ask and ask often recieve. I had to go through an assessment to see if I qualified and I did and a few weeks later it was approved and installed before christmas. Fantastic!!! I was able to drive independently for the first time in 18 months. Downside is that I can only drive when I am not too tired and only short distances like 10-15 km at a time and only once or twice a week BUT it is starting point and one can assume it will only get better. The second advantage was that my husband did no longer have to haul the wheelchair in and out the car and its 25kg!!!
Unfortunately my husband had a little accident with the WYMO about a week ago it was not all the way down and he backed out the driveway and hit the downpipe causing the arm of the WYMO to bend thus tripping the switch too soon and also dislodging the roof rack it sits on making it a little unsafe and totally unusuable. Because it was between christmas and new year the equipment service that the repairs have to go through and the place that fixes them were both closed and luckily the guy who put it on the car has a mobile ph we just smsed him and set up the date to be fixed as the 6th January and rang the equipment service so I am excited that it will be fixed soon!
Around february-March 2009 I asked my neuro-physio whether she thought I would ever be able to drive a car again She said YES!!! Maybe not right away she said but she thought it would be possible. I left it another couple of months and asked her again (i really hadn't improved but I was very keen to get the ball rolling with driving again thought would be simple) BOY was I WRONG!!!! She said to me that she thought it would be the best idea to have an assessment done by a driver clinic OT (Occupational therapist) So she wrote the referral and I rang up to find out what I had to do. First there was a 3 month wait. Second we had to go to the repatriation hospital which is over an hours drive TWICE as it was the only place we could do the assessment because of the type of disability I have!! The first part of the assessment was at the clinic they ask a bucket load of questions about your medical conditions find everything that could possibly be wrong or hard with driving and then find a way to solve all these problems. Trouble is the treating dr HAS to fill in a form to the department of transport and there is no option on this form for this kind of assessment it is dumb the OTs are trying to change it. They even got me to write a letter to the Member of Parliament involved to try and change the form. Also the final decision is not made my the OT doing the assessment but by the dr this is also dumb as the dr has had nothing to do with the assessment the OT has. In other states of Australia the OTs do get a say in what the final decision is. In SA they can only recommend. Anyway so they decided that I had to go back to the eye specialist something was wrong in the assessment they thought could interfere with driving so that was another appointment the tests came back fine! The second part of the assessment was with a driving instructor with the OT in the back. This was difficult as the instructor made a big deal out of a minor thing that I did wrong and did not explain how I could fix this issue. Anyway it was decided that I would need 3 1 hour lessons with a driving instructor trained in rehab and this was done over 4 lessons 2 half hour and 2 1 hour lessons. All in all these assessments cost over $700 AUS with no rebate or anything (something else I put in the letter). It also was recommended that the only way I could drive was with the use of a WYMO. Basically a hydraulic lifting device that puts the wheelchair on the roof of car at the touch of a button at the cost of about $4000AUS. There were a couple other minor recommendations.
Well I knew we could not afford a WYMO so I asked my service provider who gives me personal care twice a week and various equipment and they said NO. Then for reasons I wont go into a few months later (after our trip to Tasmania for the choral festival) I asked to have a new service coordinator and in the meantime I spoke to the supervisor about all the difficulties I was having. Well she told me that my origial service coordinator apologises because he made a mistake the WYMO WAS available since the equipment service is for ALL PWD in two different agencies!!!! So a WYMO was once NOT available to domicilary Care clients but now was. The way this service works is that it is totally funded by the government and is serviced and maintained by the equipment service so you dont pay when it breaks down!! BUT the downside is that they often don't have enough money and I believe the main reason why they managed to get me this equipment was because a they made a mistake originally and b I complained about needing it. People who ask and ask often recieve. I had to go through an assessment to see if I qualified and I did and a few weeks later it was approved and installed before christmas. Fantastic!!! I was able to drive independently for the first time in 18 months. Downside is that I can only drive when I am not too tired and only short distances like 10-15 km at a time and only once or twice a week BUT it is starting point and one can assume it will only get better. The second advantage was that my husband did no longer have to haul the wheelchair in and out the car and its 25kg!!!
Unfortunately my husband had a little accident with the WYMO about a week ago it was not all the way down and he backed out the driveway and hit the downpipe causing the arm of the WYMO to bend thus tripping the switch too soon and also dislodging the roof rack it sits on making it a little unsafe and totally unusuable. Because it was between christmas and new year the equipment service that the repairs have to go through and the place that fixes them were both closed and luckily the guy who put it on the car has a mobile ph we just smsed him and set up the date to be fixed as the 6th January and rang the equipment service so I am excited that it will be fixed soon!
TAFE qualifications in disability
As I said in an earlier post I originally was working as a support worker for PWD but had to resign as a consequence of that work and because the Australian Government brought in legislation stating that all support workers had to have min qualifications (certificate 3 in disability studies) to do that work I decided to study through TAFE to get this qualification. This was started in 2007, I decided to do it externally because the nearest campus offering the course was an hours drive and although I could drive that distance it wasn't easy to even at that point. So Mt Gambier a regional campus in SE of SA became my campus of TAFE. I orignally went to videoconferences but also did some subjects completely from home. They send a workbook for each subject with basic information and practice questions which you can do only if you want to because they are not marked then there are short answer questions and usually a longer "project" or 2 to complete. Now this study got put on hold for 18 months and I kept in contact with my lecturer she told me once that the course was changing and that if I wanted to complete the current course of which I have about 3 subjects plus a first aid course to complete then I would have to do it by the end of June 2010. Otherwise I would be forced to redo about 14/16 subjects again AND I would have to pay again as well (about $2000AUS) and thats the concessions rate. Anyway so we started discussions about how TAFE would be able to accomodate my numerous disabilities and whether it would be possible in the first semester of 2010 to complete the certificate. I have had contact with an amazing lady who runs senior first aid courses who has offered to do it at my own home with just me and one other person. She has been fantastic and we are hoping to find a way of completing the course the biggest prob is CPR. I have since discovered that TAFE will allow me to have a modified assessment where I am allowed to do the CPR with the manikin on a table which is rather helpful and prob the only way CPR would be possible. TAFE shut down before all this was completely sorted out and my guess is that they will reopen while I am interstate but that being said the plan has been written to make sure that everything in TAFES power is done for me to get my parchment in 6 months time!!!!
Now obviously since I resigned from a support working job and because of my own disabilities I wont be able to shower and dress other people but once I did resign I talked to my lecturer and it was her idea to go to tutti and from there I worked on the idea of teaching viola and violin to PWD and setting up an ensemble to play in together so this is what I will use this certificate for which although not what its usually meant for what people use for is not set in concrete!!!
The only downside is that first aid is compulsory for this certificate but for the new certificate 3 in disability it is a requirement for a job but not part of the actual certificate this would make completing the certificate tons easier and I know with the ensemble I would need "able bodied" support worker or two involved who would have first aid anyway.
Will keep you up to date with progress with TAFE
Now obviously since I resigned from a support working job and because of my own disabilities I wont be able to shower and dress other people but once I did resign I talked to my lecturer and it was her idea to go to tutti and from there I worked on the idea of teaching viola and violin to PWD and setting up an ensemble to play in together so this is what I will use this certificate for which although not what its usually meant for what people use for is not set in concrete!!!
The only downside is that first aid is compulsory for this certificate but for the new certificate 3 in disability it is a requirement for a job but not part of the actual certificate this would make completing the certificate tons easier and I know with the ensemble I would need "able bodied" support worker or two involved who would have first aid anyway.
Will keep you up to date with progress with TAFE
Viola lessons
For the seven months between July 08 and Feb 09 I was unable to go to viola lessons it was so heartbreaking not being able to play for any length of time during this period let alone go to a viola lesson. So once TAD had built the stand for me (and I returned home from a month of hospitalisation between november 08 and december 24th 08) and school resumed because the lessons ran on school terms I was able to once again return to my viola lessons. This actually presented me with a number of problems. First I had to be able to play for around half an hour (prior to getting sick in July 08 my lessons were longer 45 mins once a week AND I was able to play for much longer than that with breaks if I wanted to), I had to travel about 10km to my teachers house in an access taxi and then return home this way too. I decided that fortnightly was best because at least it was having SOME viola lessons even though if I wasn't as sick I would have preferred once a week. Well probably the hardest thing was dealing with the taxis (and not only to viola lessons) I was once able to jump in the car and drive pretty much as far as I needed to. I mean I went to Brighton once a week and that was a 70 min drive participated in Tutti from 2pm-730pm and then drove home. It was hard but I managed. When I started lessons again a whole year ago now, I had to start using taxis even going to my GP or dentist 3km from my house. This caused SO many problems I mean they dont turn up they come late occasionally they come early too. Since you have to book them well in advance in case they come late if they then come earlier than the booked time you have to wait even longer. But the problem with viola lessons unlike a drs appointment is that it interrupts the students before your lesson and after your lesson which is embarrasing for me and a bit annoying too but theres nothing we can do about it. My teacher has been extroidinarily supportive and kind and also understanding because there's nothing either of us can do.
Despite the difficulties with the taxis once I got there I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons as always and learned quite a few new pieces of music. In July when we went to Hobart for a choral festival at the revue (basically a talent show within the festival) I managed to perform with a pianist who was at the choral festival too two movements from the Eccels viola sonata. This was amazing as it was the first performance I had done since becoming ill in July 08. I also intend to perform in January 2010 at the choral festival in Canberra in a couple weeks.
It has taken a number of months but because of my viola lessons I have been able to get used to using my standing frame that TAD made me. Recently a ball and socket part of the frame has broken and so it is in for repairs as we speak in the hope it will be ready to take to Canberra or it will be fixed when we get back.
Thats all for this post..
Despite the difficulties with the taxis once I got there I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons as always and learned quite a few new pieces of music. In July when we went to Hobart for a choral festival at the revue (basically a talent show within the festival) I managed to perform with a pianist who was at the choral festival too two movements from the Eccels viola sonata. This was amazing as it was the first performance I had done since becoming ill in July 08. I also intend to perform in January 2010 at the choral festival in Canberra in a couple weeks.
It has taken a number of months but because of my viola lessons I have been able to get used to using my standing frame that TAD made me. Recently a ball and socket part of the frame has broken and so it is in for repairs as we speak in the hope it will be ready to take to Canberra or it will be fixed when we get back.
Thats all for this post..
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