JULY NEWSLETTER 1. FROM BOSTON TO NASHVILLE . . .
2. RUN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN, YOU CAN'T CATCH ME I'M THE GINGERBREAD MAN
3. AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH
4. REINERTSEN DROWNING . . . IN NEW SPORTS ACTIVITIES!
5. INTO THE WOODS
6. LOOKING GOOD ON PAPER
7. GOOLEY PUBLISHED
8. SHE SINGS!
9. KACH MAKES HEADLINES
10. EARLY AM HOURS
11. UPCOMING SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS FROM BOSTON TO NASHVILLE . . . The Amputee Coalition of America's annual meeting proved a huge success, with well over 600 attendees traveling to Boston. That makes it the biggest annual meeting ever (kudos to Paddy Rossbach, A Step Ahead client and A.C.A. president, who rallied support for the conference with a Tasmanian Devil-like passion). Paddy and David McGill were panel members at a well-attended education section discussing issues affecting amputees' access to care (ie., access to prosthetists and technologies). Paddy highlighted (among other things) the important role the A.C.A. continues to play on the legislative front, as various state and federal legislatures debate passing laws that impact amputees. David discussed the A.C.A.'s efforts to engage the insurance industry in an effort to achieve minimally acceptable levels of insurance coverage for amputees, as well as general steps necessary in order to successfully appeal the denial of an insurance claim. Erik Schaffer, Dennis Dukacz, and Glen Nienstadt manned the A Step Ahead information booth in the exhibit hall at the meeting. Together, they provided information to amputees from around the world about socket design and fabrication, componentry, and the Skin Tones silicone skin system. We would like to thank all of our clients who took the time to travel north. A Step Ahead was a force at the conference thanks to your efforts -- we had more than 30 people at the Barking Crab for a delicious (if somewhat sloppy) meal -- and we encourage even more of you to attend next year's conference. That brings us to Nashville, home of the 2004 A.C.A. annual meeting. What do you do in Nashville? If you believe the video shown at the closing ceremonies of this year's convention, you listen to live music. Lots of it. (And for all of us with anti-country-music bias, not just country music either. For example, a quick visit to a Nashville website reveals that pop phenom Norah Jones is playing there next week.) While neither the Titans (football) nor Predators (hockey) will be playing at the time of the meeting, the Sounds (minor league baseball AAA affiliate of the Pirates) will be. For those of you who have unshakable preconceptions of what life in the South is like, view this as an opportunity to engage in a My Cousin Vinny-like road trip. No matter the motivation, block out August 5-7, 2004, and make the trip to Nashville! RUN RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN, YOU CAN'T CATCH ME I'M THE GINGERBREAD MAN The headline is a stretch, we know, but you watch "Shrek" enough and these things just kick around your brain. In any event, David Balsley will be holding the next ASPIRE running clinic on August 3, 2003. Despite the fact that these are called running clinics, you should come even if you're not a runner! The clinics represent an opportunity to work with one of the most talented athletic trainers of amputees in the world, whether it is your first time on a track, or your 100th. Also, if you know amputees from other facilities who are interested in participating, bring them along! ASPIRE is looking to broaden its member base so that it can provide the information and education so essential to amputees and their families. Finally, remember that you can always check for the next running clinic in our website's "Upcoming Events" section. AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH A Step Ahead client, marathoner, and outdoorsman extraordinaire Lori Penesis (BK) has arranged a remarkable camp for amputees (ages 9 and older) in Southern New Hampshire August 19 and 20. Participants (limited to 8) will be given the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of rock climbing from skilled instructors over this 2-day period. Lori needs to know as soon as possible how many people will be participating. Please contact us immediately and ask to speak to David McGill if you are interested in taking advantage of this unique opportunity. Be advised that excellent tax-free outlet shopping abounds in the area where the camp takes place. REINERTSEN DROWNING . . . IN NEW SPORTS ACTIVITIES! Apparently dissatisfied with the challenges posed by being the world record holder for female AK's in the marathon, Sarah Reinertsen has set her sights on a sport that gives her new and exciting ways to experience physical pain: the triathlon. She has already competed in 4 over the last 5 weeks. The results? - Triathlon 1: 3:08:00 (1km ocean swim, 25km bike, 5km run)
- Triathlon 2: 2:58:00 (1km swim, 30km bike, 10k run)
- Triathlon 3: 2:27:00 (1/2 mi swim, 15 mi bike, 5 mi run)
- Triathlon 4: 1:42:00 (1/2 mi swim, 10.5 mi bike, 3.1 mi run)
Besides the thrill of competition and the challenge posed by extraordinary physical activity, Sarah notes that her training regimen permits her to eat unlimited amounts of ice cream. So for anyone who had previously sworn off the triathlon, you now have a new reason to get involved. INTO THE WOODS Some of you may remember this headline as the name of a semi-successful Broadway musical. Others of us view it as an accurate description of where we go after hitting a golf ball, which A Step Ahead will be doing later this month at the Long Island Amputee Golf Classic in Shirley New York. A Step Ahead is sponsoring 3 teams playing in a scramble format. Among the avid golfers participating: Erik Schaffer and David McGill, neither of whom even own golf clubs. When asked about his playing style, Schaffer noted that he can hit the ball "really far," and expressed hope that the rules committee would permit "gimmes" from 30 yards and closer. McGill notes that although he hasn't played for more than 3 years, he expects to shoot "at or below par, so long as par is between 115 and 130." Please note that due to our involvement with the LI Amputee Golf Classic, we will not be scheduling appointments for Monday, July 21! However, Erik Schaffer and David McGill will both be reachable that day in the event of emergencies. LOOKING GOOD ON PAPER For those of you who would like to take a step away from your computers but still want to read about A Step Ahead, we are pleased to announce that we have (for the first time) formal literature describing our philosophy and services. If you are interested in seeing it, stop by the office or give us a call. GOOLEY PUBLISHED A Step Ahead client Colin Gooley (age 9, Van Ness) is the youngest published author in our ranks. His "21 Signs of Courage" appeared in the Baldwinsville Beacon last month. The poem reads as follows: Courage is finding out you have cancer and having to deal with it.
Courage is finding out you have a tumor in your leg.
Courage is getting a finger-stick.
Courage is having blood taken for the first time.
Courage is getting MRI's, CAT scans, X-rays, and bone scans done.
Courage is getting IV's.
Courage is getting chemotherapy that makes you sick.
Courage is losing your hair.Courage is taking medicine that tastes bad.
Courage is knowing your foot will be on backwards.
Courage is knowing that you're getting your leg amputated.
Courage is staying "inpatient" in a hospital.
Courage is feeling trapped in a bed from 7:30 am to 6:30 pm.
Courage is having 10 or 12 doctors looking at you.
Courage is having to have physical therapy after an operation.
Courage is having to move away from your house.
Courage is leaving your dad and sister and seeing them only on weekends.
Courage is having a nosebleed for 45 minutes and having a doctor put a sponge-thing in your nose and make it stay there for three days.
Courage is having to go in an ambulance to a different hospital.
Courage is getting a prosthesis, a new leg.
Courage is going back to school after being gone all year. While Colin's future in literature is not set in stone, he has already noted that he'll never write "the silly kind of pseudo-intellectual, sardonic drivel that I read in monthly newsletters." Well said, Colin, well said. Renaissance man that he is, Colin has also seen early success in his lacrosse endeavors, scoring 5 goals in his team’s first 4 games. Great job, Colin! SHE SINGS! Glenda Garrick (AK) can now be heard on CD, as the Brooklyn Women's Chorus has released its first CD, “The Power Of Song”. Glenda notes that “this chorus is unusual in that the songs often have a politically progressive focus. Performance venues reflect its social awareness and commitment to the Brooklyn community.” Based on this description, we are pretty certain that Cole Porter tunes are not standard fare for the BWC. Congratulations to Glenda, and we look forward to future recordings! KACH MAKES HEADLINES A Step Ahead client John Kach (bilateral BK, bilateral partial hand), recently was featured on the cover of The Journal News, Putnam County's newspaper. Titled "Hoping to gain from loss", the article describes John's decision to amputate his left leg below the knee nearly 3 years after doctors saved it following a life-threatening bout with bacterial meningitis. Kach is already up and walking on his new prosthesis, and will soon be practicing his favorite sport, basketball, with the assistance of custom-fabricated silicone gloves designed to permit him to better dribble and shoot. EARLY AM HOURS Don’t forget that in an effort to keep you out of Long Island’s world famous traffic, A Step Ahead offers summer hours with earlier appointment times. Monday through Thursday we begin seeing clients at 8am, and Friday appointments commence at 7:30 am. So slide that caffeine IV into your arm and wake up early to take advantage of these new appointment times. UPCOMING SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS Check out the "Upcoming Events" section of our website for information regarding this month's support group meetings.
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