As many of you already know, I've been trying for several years to put together a support network & non-profit organization for people w/ limb loss & their families. Hence the "Compatible Parts" in my signature line.

At long last... our support group kick off is scheduled for October 5, 2010. YAY!

And it is working out so sweetly!

A volunteer is putting together a feast for our members first meeting.

I also connected w/ a young man who published a book recently about his experieces with limb loss & he is attending the first meeting to do a brief presentation & book signing.

We will be giving away 10 copies of his book that day via a door prize drawing.

And, my webmaster has agreed to get back on the job tomorrow and finish my web site as per my parameters.

Finally, the paperwork for my non-profit status should be golden very soon.

Double YAY!

At the moment, I'm scheduling the support groups to run in terms of school semesters & they will each have a curriculum. My plan is to offer a spriituality based program for hope and healing, strength and encouragement. Not to mention simple networking for services and information.

The Tuesday morning group *the one which begins 10/5* will meet once a month in Portland. The Thursday morning group will meet once a month in Scarborough. And they want me to offer one evening group a month in Portland & I may agree if I can figure out where to add it.

Bill has graciously agreed to allow me to provide my web site w/ a direct link to TGH so that people/families w/ limb loss can come here & learn about gardening .... with or without limitations, knowing that this is a safe site for all people.

Other sites which have agreed to link w/ mine are for physical therapy places & prosthetic care places.

I even have special speakers lined up to make presentations throughout the year.... dancing/movement w/ limb loss or in wheel chairs; nutrition; legal issues; alternate therapies, etc., etc.

I'm so excited! A ton of work for a very long time, coming together at last!!

Congrats Merme, it has been a long time coming

Thats awesome, congrats. I hope it all goes better than planned. Its definately a worth while endeavour you've got there.

Congrats Merme

That's good to see something like that to help others. I wish our snowmobile group would evolve to something bigger . We started a site to promote breast cancer awareness among the snowmobiling world. WE are non-profit(which took forever) and host a charity ride for breast cancer every year. All our profit goes to support families who suffer with a breast cancer survivor in there home.

The last 3 yrs we have netted around $2000 among 15-20 or so snowmobilers. We gather stuff and raffle it off the last night were there , we also do a food drive for the town where in for the week too.

A family is picked and is treated to a snowmobile experence...at a PINK RIBBON RIDERS event ...A group world wide we work with.
I wish we would evolve to where we have several events held through out the winter rather than just one event a yr...


Lot's of PR goes into it to getting it started but well worth it in the outcome ...good for you your on your way

snow

What you've accomplished so far is great, Snow. As you know, these things can take time to develop adequately. Several events might be too much for a group of your size, but maybe you could add just one more until you get more members.

Today I was asked to add a support group in Kennebunk or Kennebunkport to serve the people in the more southerly towns. People w/ limb loss can have a hard time traveling & a haul from Kennebunkport to Portland feels too far for many of the people I've spoken with.

I have an appointment in Kennebunk (which is NOT local to my area!) on 8/12. While I am down there, I will scout out potential locations for another group. Ideally, I'd find someone else to run that group but I could at least get it started well.

Getting the word out is key , there's always someone that wants to help if they can.

We have alot of ideas to expand , it's just getting it in motion with the rest of the group in behalf of the site...organization another key .

We have 900 members on the site and it's just getting the time to evolved and dedication from our members to support the cause.This will be our 3rd winter the site has been online .

In our case the economy plays a big role in our outcome of our work..and weather. We ride to help and if we can't afford to ride it's hard to pull anything off . The cost of the trip + the donations takes a decent amount these days. We do what we can, last yr we missed the ride but still sent in cash for the charity on our behalf.

If only the rest of the world would care a bit more about helping with a good deed , we all would be better off.

snow

Congratulations, Merme

Congrats Merme! Also, I have read countless stories about runners who have lost limbs and not only accomplish great things like qualifying for the Boston Marathon, but also making qualifying for the Olympics at a faster pace than those with all their limbs. I work with many people every day who have lost limbs. I think what you're doing is truly great and if I lived over on your coast I'd be asking how I can get involved.

Thank you all for your replies. Can you tell how excited I am?!


Every single person I have asked to sit on the board of directors has agreed!

And I'm already being asked to start more groups than one woman could manage. So, I will be looking for someone to be a co-facilitator with me who can take over groups in other locations. Maine is primarily rural and eventually I'd like there to be groups to tend to the people who live in far flung areas. But two or three groups between these two counties along the coast are a good start.

If you think about it, you will realize that limb loss affects far many more people than just the individual who endures it. There are family members and friends of that person. There are teachers, docs, nurses, priests/ministers who encounter people w/ loss all the time. Getting helpful information into their hands is key.

I know my little church I attended back when I had the amputation had never had a member lose a limb. We were ALL on a big learning curve together!

They'd ask questions and I'd do my best to answer as we went along. If I didn't know or hadn't gotten that far yet, I'd say "I'll ask about that & let you know." And lots of people wanted to see how the leg stayed on me or were willing to walk with me a bit for practice. The guys at church quickly learned how to hug me without also tipping me too far forward & how to make sure I'd regained my balance before letting go.

But every inch of ground I gained, they were there to cheer for me. Their enthusiasm did much to keep me moving forward.

I'd be all happy & want to show off. So they'd watch my latest accomplishment, applaud & then cheerfully tell me to get back to work.

I'd be all grumpy & complain. They'd listen, be sympathetic and the cheerfully tell me to get back to work!



I would not have done nearly as well without that lovely little community. And I know lots of people go through this surgery without such support. Or they can't get enough information to make good decisions.

Hopefully Compatible Parts will be a help.


I'm psyched!

Today I made great progress in the plans. I met w/ the fellow who is lending me space in his building for our meetings. He also had some great ideas to share.

Now I'm so excited, I can barely wait until October!

We have cool events planned, also.... a mid-winter and a mid-summer banquet/dinner-dance. a silent auction for fund-raising. a comedy night. oh man, it is going to be so fun!!

Glad to hear that thisgs are coming along so well.
Moving will not affect the plans will they???

Carol, moving will make the plans so much easier, I can't wait to get moved!

Today I created a Facebook page for Compatible Parts, Inc. That will be great to have.

This week I want to go up to Portland Head Light & take pictures to use on our stationary & web site & facebook.

Well I sure am glad to hear that. Sounds like everything is working out well.

I did post a picture of myself standing in the parallel bars w/ the first prosthetic. It was taken on the first fitting day. I pretty much hated the sight of the thing as it is so different from the one I ended up with!


I added the Facebook "like" button to my page, too, and already people are logging in to "like" it!

all I am getting when I go to your link is "Page Cannot Be Found"

Yes, I know, Carol.

We are changing servers & should be hosted w/in the next week. I'm thinking of using GoDaddy.

*We are experiencing technical difficulties. Please Stand By*

YAY, HOORAY, IT'S HALLELUJAH TIME!


Compatible Parts, Inc .org is UP! and published!


Here we be:


http://compatiblepartsinc.org/Home_Page.html


And if you visit the site, you will see Bill's article on Raised Beds.


Merme *doing cartwheels after working on it all night*

Very nice beginning, merme. That letter is quite the testiment.

Talk about spirit, Merme has more than my horse does.
Positive thinker.

Goffer , girl , you can do it .

Good luck.

dodge

Today I ran off copies of our introductory flyer & did a big mailing to medical offices likely to serve an amputee population. So, we progress!

Good for you, Merme.

Sounds like things are rolling along quite well.

Loss of limb is an equal opportunity situation. It can happen to us in a blink of an eye by car crash, gun shot, falling, being cut, we never know. Glad you're a pioneer woman Merme. We never know when we'll need your help.

Thank you, Sheri!

You are right about limb loss being an incidious tragedy which can happen to anyone.

I had a rare complication of the diabetes which led to the amputation 22 months after diagnosis.

My friend James was a history teacher of advanced students in Florida when he rolled his SUV in a high speed accident and lost his leg high above the knee.

My friend Rhonda, a very successful and social wife and mother, thought she had the flu & went to the ER. Ten days later she came home an amputee. She hadn't had the flu at all. She had a virus which attacked her heart making it throw blood clots which traveled to her foot. So many clots that the foot was ultimately lost. She still is grateful the clots didn't travel to her brain.

With Type II diabetes on the rise and this war, we are seeing an increase in the population experiencing limb loss.

It is my goal to help the new patients successfully Todaytraverse the rocky terrain in the early days of their recovery and rehab and to help the "old timers" attain a better quality of life.

Today I learned how to add links to my web site and put on a link to TGH and to my friend James's blog. I also added links to our best rehab hospital and to four prosthetic care places in our area.

Next I want to learn how to add the links using a handsome logo and not just strings of code.

logos will be nice.

Looks like a very nice and extremely helpful site to those who need it. Your opening page is quite honest and will make readers feel right at home. Keep up the great work!