Continue the battle to be heard

After having been an advocate for State Representative Wes Breckenridge for five years now and continue to work with other professionals for human rights. I will always be learning new things even after the experience of having been married to a man with a severe mental illness for more than 27 years. This ended in divorce after we rolled three times on Interstate 80 in 2015, which left me with a brain and spinal cord injury so things will never be the same even though I am considered an elite runner. I will need three cervical nerve ablations every six months for the rest of my life unless something else is found. This means I have to start training again from scratch every six months which is both very painful and frustrating because I go back to where I was before the ablations. The nerves by the spinal cord grow back so the problems reoccur. I do carry most of the knowledge over every time so this helps but I still require physical therapy which also helps my fibromyalgia also. Stem cell research hasn’t been approved by the FDA and is very expensive and can make things worse. CBD oil is legal in this state without a prescription and this has helped many including me. To receive medical cannabis, you have to find a doctor who will prescribe it. I was able to find a physician and qualified but went to get the medical cannabis and found the cost begins at $100. Being on Social Security Retirement, this is impossible for me as well as most others to afford.

With Wes’s help, I have continued to learn about how to file complaints and work with the public. Hospitals and clinics are set up so even if you have a friend who works in their system, they can’t report another worker. If you do, they will probably protect those who they work with no matter what the circumstances are. So it is best to maintain a professional relationship only with those who work with you professionally. And if you don’t know the system it’s best to go straight to the advocate who is employed by the company. If there isn’t an advocate, there is usually human resources. If there is nothing it’s better to go elsewhere. There are HIPAA laws which help to an extent but occasionally these are ignored by professionals. Something else I learned is to avoid running after someone even if they appear to be upset. If the person wants to talk they will come to you. If not, you should be okay with it. Otherwise, this is not the right job for you. Boundaries must be respected on both sides to be beneficial for all. Thank you for listening to my thoughts and always feel free if we meet to discuss your thoughts and feelings as they will be kept confidential.

Sue Anderson

Newton