JUNE NEWSLETTER 1. WE’RE EXHIBITIONISTS!
2. A GOOD WALK SPOILED
3. TOP ‘O’ THE MORNIN’ TO YOU!
4. IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?
5. PATIENTS IN THE NEWS
6. IMPORTANT DATES
7. LET THE TASK FORCE HELP YOU
8. SEE ERIK WRITE. SEE DAVE WRITE.
9. UPCOMING EVENTS WE’RE EXHIBITIONISTS! No, no, no we’re EXHIBITORS. (Important difference.) A Step Ahead will be in the exhibit hall at the Amputee Coalition of America’s annual convention, July 3-5, in Boston. The A.C.A. Convention gives amputees and their families a unique opportunity to obtain the most current information about issues and technologies affecting amputees. A large contingent of A Step Ahead clients is already making the trek north, and we’re looking for more! If information and the lovely city of Boston aren’t enough to convince you to sign that Convention registration form, then we have one word for you: clams. “Clams?” you say? Yes. Clams. A Step Ahead invites our clients to a real clambake on Friday, July 4th, at the Barking Crab in Boston. We are hopeful that the name of the restaurant does not reflect experimental cross-species breeding by one of the technology firms on Route 128 outside of Boston. If information, Boston, and clams aren’t enough for you, then come to see Heather Mills McCartney give the keynote speech on Saturday. If information, Boston, clams, and Mills-McCartney don’t cut it, then you’re sure to love the excitingly-titled “Advocacy and Access to Care”, at which David McGill and Paddy Rossbach (among others) will be speaking about issues affecting your ability to obtain appropriate prosthetics.
If you still haven’t signed up for the Convention, go to
http://amputee-coalition.org/annual_meeting_about.html to sign up! A GOOD WALK SPOILED The A Step Ahead Golf Team takes to the links on July 21 as part of the Long Island Amputee Golf Classic. Erik Schaffer has pledged that should the team prove victorious, he will do a giant belly flop into any body of water on site. Presumably, this includes a puddle, in the absence of any water hazards. More likely, however, is that he will shirk this promise, instead throwing David McGill into any body of water on site. David will attempt to prevent this from happening by relying upon legal grounds ¬ the possible nullification of his C-Leg warranty. Stay tuned. In addition to the team competition on the 21st, July 19 and 20 feature the individual competition, in which amputees from around the Northeast will compete. TOP ‘O’ THE MORNIN’ TO YOU! Remember the aroma of your first cup of morning coffee? The background buzz of the morning news on the TV as you take that first sip? The building-shaking cacophony as a socket is sledge-hammered off its plaster mold? Well, now you can experience all of these things with our early morning appointments ¬ 8 am (Monday through Thursday) or 7:30 am (Friday). Take advantage of the early am schedule! Unless, that is, you enjoy missing work to receive prosthetic treatment. These hours will continue through the summer. We welcome your feedback about the modified schedule. IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? In our last e-newsletter we solicited parents of pediatric clients for their stories, as we are exploring the possibility of publishing a short book that would aid others who face the same decisions and issues. In response to our plea we received exactly 0 responses. (That’s not 10, with a typo, that’s 0, as in, none.)
Please help us! As much as we would love to pursue this project, we can’t do it without your stories! PATIENTS IN THE NEWS Lauren Peters (BK) successfully braved rain, wind, cold, and sand, completing her first triathlon in 2:48:00 this past May. Becoming intimately acquainted with the 7 stages of hypothermia during the swimming portion of the race was only one of the many highlights of Lauren’s race-day experience. Elizabeth Salick (AK) completed the New York Road Runners’ Club Women’s Mini 10K on June 7 in 1:12:22 (an 11:38/mile pace). Elizabeth reports that the only thing more exciting than finishing the race with a personal best time was being able to do it in a driving rain that practically necessitated her donning a snorkel and goggles. Kudos to both Lauren and Elizabeth on their achievements! IMPORTANT DATES David McGill will be out of the office on Wednesday, July 2nd, and both he and Erik Schaffer will be out on July 3rd for the Amputee Coalition of America’s Annual Convention. LET THE TASK FORCE HELP YOU Don’t forget that before making ANY changes to your insurance, you should speak to David McGill and/or Janet MacQueen, who spearhead our Insurance Task Force. The Task Force examines your policy, evaluates all your options, and provides you information to ensure that you actually get the benefits you pay for in the form of monthly insurance premiums. SEE ERIK WRITE. SEE DAVE WRITE. Erik Schaffer has authored an article appearing in the new First Step: A Guide for Adapting to Limb Loss, titled “Advances in Hip Disarticulation Socket Design.” Describing it as “classic cyberpunk that explores the synthesis of person and machine”, Schaffer points to William Gibson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, and Kirkegaard as formative literary influences. David McGill has also entered the ranks of the writers, penning “When Your Insurance Claim is Denied”, which appears in the May/June inMotion as well as First Step: A Guide for Adapting to Limb Loss. McGill lists Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons as his sole literary influence.
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