Archive for the ‘special needs’ Category

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California Regional Centers Need Money

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

I went to a California Regional Center open forum last night and it was standing room only.  There is going to be a State cut of 3% and a one time cut of $100,000,000 from the state budget for caring for special needs, helping people live on their own and generally giving purpose to the clients of the California regional center.

I urge all of the people reading this in California to please support the regional centers by writing your Congressional representatives and the Governor.  The California regional centers help people with autism, special needs and other disabilities function as part of society.  They are clients for the regional center and they are an easy target for budget cuts.

We discussed in the open forum in Van Nuys that in some small cases there is room for abuse and I think everybody in the program accepts that there will be budget cuts but the regional center clients  need a roof over their heads and they are just trying to be part of society.

The ethical and moral issues aside, it is bad for business to treat our people who can help themselves the least with disdain and abandonment.  I am not one for entitlement programs but I am one for help programs to get people to do something to have a higher quality of life.  The regional centers help people achieve their potential.

Caregivers (parents, siblings, friends) don’t live forever.  The scary part of life isn’t death but who is going to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves after we are gone.  Please do what you can to help and if you need more information drop me an email or a post.  You can google California Regional Centers for more information or visit here.

I have a daughter who is a client of the Regional Center and I have a vested interest in seeing her have a decent quality of life.  You may have friends or loved ones in the state of California who also are in need of a decent quality of life.  Think of it this way as well:  If you are out of work, without a place to stay and hungry, how much worse is it if you can’t take care of yourself or completely understand what is happening to you or are unable to express your frustrations at what is going on around you?   The Regional Centers can help with that.

Thanks for listening.

March 26 2009

Interested in any of my books?  You may want to make a stop over  here. Please click through to purchase my books and some other interesting items that actually ARE on sale.   Have you read my book, “Bad Tax Idea, Good Tax”?   Please order it today.  The tips inside can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars!

 If you are looking for a day job, part time work, suggestions for saving money or investing, please check out my book listed below.  Part of all the proceeds from the sales of that book  go  to Rett Syndrome research.  One girl is born with Rett Syndrome worldwide every fifteen minutes.   My daughter Arianna has Rett Syndrome and we are working to do all we can to make her life easier and find a cure in her lifetime.  Boys born with the Rett gene generally die at birth.

  Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement

Kim Isaac Greenblatt

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Posted in Business, special needs | 7 Comments »

Was Mom Right After All About You At Least Still Having Health?

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Ahhh, remember when Mom or neighbors would say if you lost some money or if you had some misfortune, “Ah, at least you got your health.”  Is Mom right in terms of business and money or is she just being mom and being polite and loving?  The answer is she was very right.

The cost of health can’t be measured until you start having bad health.  All of a sudden, and this rings true for people with disabilities and special needs, there is money that you need to come up with to get tools or equipment or services that can help you or your family.  You will find that simple inexpensive items have their prices jacked up if there is insurance reimbursement and it pays to get both the over-the-counter-price for medications as well as the insurance price to compare.  Go generic if you can.

Once you have health issues things that you would take for granted are roadblocks to earning a living, to even getting up in the morning sometimes.  Let’s take something as simple as breaking an arm – something I did rather stupidly a few years ago.  My emergency room visit came in at around $9,879 and my co-pay was only $100.  That covered x-rays, drugs to keep me from screaming like a mainiac and some bandages.  I had pain killers and antibiotics that would have run me about $400 and I only paid $50 for them.  I had therapy that was out of pocket $25 a visit an my insuance picked up the rest.

I didn’t have the cash to pay for the whole thing out of pocket but if I was out of work and didn’t have insurance back then I would have had to pay for all of that or go around in pain with one good arm and one broken arm.  If I had to set it myself I probably could have and then I would have had a healed arm that wouldn’t look right.

Like any other business, you pay for the professionalism and quality of service that you would expect from doctors and hospitals.  It isn’t cheap though.  Preventive medicine and good health, diet and exercise, as simple as they are to talk about, are what it is all about in trying to avoid hospital visits.

People who are out of work cannot afford to drop money like that and it is a good thing that the Cobra benefits will be continued and hopefully partially picked up by the Federal government.  It turns out that not only was Mom right, Mom had the right idea about keeping us healthy and trying to teach us good hygiene and health information.

Thanks Mom and thanks readers.  Stay healthy so you can get back to being wealthy.

Interested in any of my books?  You may want to make a stop over  here. Please click through to purchase my books and some other interesting items that actually ARE on sale.   Have you read my book, “Bad Tax Idea, Good Tax”?   Please order it today.  The tips inside can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars!

 If you are looking for a day job, part time work, suggestions for saving money or investing, please check out my book listed below.  Part of all the proceeds from the sales of that book  go  to Rett Syndrome research.  One girl is born with Rett Syndrome worldwide every fifteen minutes.   My daughter Arianna has Rett Syndrome and we are working to do all we can to make her life easier and find a cure in her lifetime.  Boys born with the Rett gene generally die at birth.

  Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement

 Kim Isaac Greenblatt

Was Mom Right After All About You At Least Still Having Health?

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Posted in Business, special needs | 2 Comments »

Inexpensive Great Valentine’s Day Ideas

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

Since everybody who knows me knows that I am a lover before a fighter (and I am a pretty good fighter so that should give you a heads-up) I bring to you for this Valentine’ Day some great inexpensive ideas that you can carry on with throughout the upcoming  three day holiday for some of us and for the rest of the year for the rest of us:

 

valentinescupidpsyche

 

1.  Hand make a card yourself using paper, glue and buttons and nick-knacks from your kitchen and around the house.  Jazz it up if you want to make it sexy but remember that if you put inside what is inside your heart you can get a lot more loving than if you relied on a dorky text message saying “Happy VD”.  Trust me, I know some people who do that and wonder why they don’t have a Valentine’s Day sweetie a year later.   It is also great for your partners who are trying to save money.  Heck, all of my ideas are free or next to it.

2.  The Ever Popular Genie Valentine Day Card – You make a card out of paper with a poorly drawn (or use a computer to make the straight dotted lines if you are nuts about this stuff and make cards that have stuff in them like “GOOD FOR ONE FREE CAR WASH” or “GOOD FOR DOING THE LAUNDRY FOR ONE DAY” or stuff like that.  Sure you can do what the lady’s magazines call “naughty” offerings but trust me, when a lady (or man) is dead tired and wants help with a chore, that will carry you a lot more mileage down the path to smoochies and excitement than the straight offer for bedroom favors (though that will go a long way for a card for a man).

 3.   Find a museum or free exhibition or an inexpensive concert, pack a lunch or dinner and take your sweetie (or husband/wife) there.  If you can’t leave the kids behind, see if you can still plan some quiet moments with your significant other away from the brood outside of the house.  It also will go a long way towards getting your relationship on track and not cost a lot of money.

 4.   If you are unemployed, take your sweetheart out to walk by a park or somewhere with a body of water.  Being next to something immense like a lake, river or ocean will put things in perspective that things change, like water moving and even if it ices up, it will only be magical for a few moments (if you consider months moments in the grand scheme of things).  Tell your beloved how much you love them and that your heart is like an ocean for them.  Try not to remind yourself that there have been recent studies showing that love is a chemical response that is more like an addiction that is in your brain and not your heart.  Personally, I still think the energy can resonate from both places.

I also think that you don’t have to be unemployed to take advantage of this and my other suggestions.  I just want to show that you don’t have to go broke spending money to have a good time.

Back to the water idea.

If your partner loves the water-like a lake, ocean or river, so much the better.  Just don’t try to swim in it or fall in.  It is winter and freezing in most parts of the Western Hemisphere.  You are on your own in Europe and Asia for weather but you can still look for large bodies of water.

 5.  As a couple, both of you do something nice and charitable for an organization or some neighbor.  Somebody needs their street sidewalk cleared of snow?  Both of you grab a shovel and do it in tandem.  Things like that work great in new relationships as well because while you are working you can get to know your partner by the lost art of talking and conversation.  If you are a couple who’ve been together for a long time it is a great way to reconnect.

6.  Plant some flowers so you can give your own Valentine’s Day flowers to each other a few months for now.  That is a great surprise and you can get started on the idea of growing your own flowers and if need be planting for your own food.

 

earcorn

 

There are more great ideas that will get you to drop your video game controller but these five should get you started.

Have a great Valentine’s Day and be safe and happy!  Hang onto your cash and your loved ones over this holiday session.

 Interested in any of my books?  You may want to make a stop over  here. Please click through to purchase my books and some other interesting items that actually ARE on sale. If you like poker, Heroes (the TV series), comic books, Watchmen, etc, there may be some fast links to get you to what you are looking for.  Have you read my book, “Bad Tax Idea, Good Tax”?   Please order it today.  The tips inside can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars!

 If you are looking for a day job, part time work, suggestions for saving money or investing, please check out my book listed below.  Part of all the proceeds from the sales of that book  go  to Rett Syndrome research.  One girl is born with Rett Syndrome worldwide every fifteen minutes.   My daughter Arianna has Rett Syndrome and we are working to do all we can to make her life easier and find a cure in her lifetime.  Boys born with the Rett gene generally die at birth.

  Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement

 Kim Isaac Greenblatt

 Inexpensive Great Valentine’s Day Ideas

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Posted in Business, special needs | 1 Comment »

Friday The 13th IS GREAT for Rett Syndrome Research News

Friday, February 13th, 2009

In keeping with the news of the last day or so, MIT scientists have been doing mouse studies showing that with IGF-1, Insulin Growth Factor, they have been able to slow down and reverse some symptoms of Rett Syndrome in mice.  This is fantastic news because that indicates that there is on the horizon a potential treatment to make the lives of Rett Syndrome girls more livable.  The study is careful to point out that this isn’t a cure but if it can get spinal cells regenerating, keep our daughters healthier, help their heart rate, their breathing and ability to move, I am all for improving the quality of life.

Ironically, Friday the 13th should be a number of coolness for this country as well.  Thirteen stars on the original colonial flag for thirteen colonies.  The numbers one and three represent the numbers of mystical perfection in some religious doctrines.

I personally just am happy that there is great news on the research front and that makes this coming President’s Weekend so much sweeter with possible financial good news from the President and Congress in hopefully getting the stimulus package rolling into the American public’s pocketbooks and purses.

Please help me celebrate the good news and holiday by either making a donation for Rett Syndrome research or by buying one of my books.  Partial proceeds are donated to Rett research.

If you are strapped for cash,  anything you can do is appreciated.  Write your Congressional representatives to help Rett research and keep on praying.

In the California continuing information battle over will we get refund checks vs warrants/nothing, there has been no change on that particular front.  According to the news, there will be more taxes in California for 2009 (no surprise there to be honest with you) and I am inclined to just roll my state refund over into prepaying any 2009 tax liability that I might have.

Please don’t cut any funding for schools or special needs care, State legislature members.  Governor, please remember that you were elected on a platform for helping people.    Remember that there are lots of people who can’t help themselves and their caregivers need to make a wage to take care of them.  Don’t cut funding to help workers of special needs people!

Make sure that you don’t pet too many black cats and walk under any ladders today just to play it safe if you are superstitious.  The ladder superstition is based on practicality since you don’t want a paint bucket to hit your head.  The black cat crossing your path is just plain nonsense.  I would be more concerned if I had pet allergies (like some of my friends to) in having a cat come up and brush against my leg.

Maybe we can have some good luck cash brush against our leg from the economic stimulus package instead.

  

Take care everybody and have a safe, healthy, wealthy and happy weekend.

Interested in any of my books?  You may want to make a stop over  here. Please click through to purchase my books and some other interesting items that actually ARE on sale. If you like poker, Heroes (the TV series), comic books, Watchmen, etc, there may be some fast links to get you to what you are looking for.  Have you read my book, “Bad Tax Idea, Good Tax”?   Please order it today.  The tips inside can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars!

 If you are looking for a day job, part time work, suggestions for saving money or investing, please check out my book listed below.  Part of all the proceeds from the sales of that book  go  to Rett Syndrome research.  One girl is born with Rett Syndrome worldwide every fifteen minutes.   My daughter Arianna has Rett Syndrome and we are working to do all we can to make her life easier and find a cure in her lifetime.  Boys born with the Rett gene generally die at birth.

  Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement

 Kim Isaac Greenblatt

 

Friday The 13th IS GREAT for Rett Syndrome Research News

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Posted in Business, special needs | 1 Comment »

The 5th Carnival of Special Needs and Money

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

Welcome to the February 3, 2009 edition of special needs and money.
Here we are again folks with our fifth blog carnival! A big one this time around!

 
carnivalgoround

Here We Go —– Weeeeeee!

I am not honestly sure what Gil wanted us to show and this particular entry didn’t have much on special needs or money but I liked a few pictures so I left it in.
Gil Ortiz presents gilocafe posted at gilocafe.

Insurance Toolbox presents Are You Over 60? Buy Long Term Care Insurance Today posted at Insurance Toolbox.

Margaret Garcia presents Coping With A Child With Down Syndrome posted at Becoming a Computer Technician.

Patricia Turner presents Sliding Scale Ambulance Service – Making a Difference posted at Pharmacy Technician Certification.

Nancy Miller presents Healthcare Information Systems posted at Ultrasound Technician Schools.

Finance Tips 101 presents Credit Card Debt It Is Not Always Your Fault posted at Finance Tips 101.

TherapyDoc presents Jason Calacanis and Internet Asperger’s Syndrome posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, “Is this about exploiting special needs in the web media?”

Finance Tips 101 presents Drowning In Debt? Bad Credit Loans May Need To Be Considered! posted at Finance Tips 101.

special needs-the emotional roller coast

Child Carer presents A Basic Introduction to Being a Maternity Nanny posted at Nursery Jobs, saying, “How to get started in being a good nanny.”

Money Saver presents How to Save Money during the Economic Downturn posted at Save Money Tips, saying, “Some ways to save money during the current economic downturn”

SJ presents Alternative Fuels – Are They Really The Boon Of The Future? posted at Save Money On Gas, saying, “With the recent gas crisis, the question of alternative fuels has become a hot topic”

special needs-the money go round

Matthew presents Allergies posted at Fast Medical Information, saying, “An allergy is a reaction which is exaggerated in our immune system in response to a foreign substance, these are harmless and would not usually trigger a response in non-allergic people. The substances that produce allergy are known as allergens, and these could be dust mites, mold, danders, foods or pollen.”

Joe Hayes presents Lasik Eye Surgery Benefits posted at Cats Love Plastic Bags, saying, “Quite possible lifechanging for those with eye and vision problems, after Lasik surgery eyeglasses and contact lenses are no longer needed. Learn about the other benefits as well.”

Dust-Mites.org presents Dust Mites – What is Hay Fever? posted at Dust Mites, saying, “Many people suffer from hay fever (an estimated 25 million Americans), a seasonal allergy that affects the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes.”

Matt Swinney presents Begging Theory:: How to beg. posted at Pro Beggar: Give me money., saying, “A guide to begging for money.”

Jerry Holliday presents Welcome to the Web Prosperity Review Blog posted at Web Prosperity Review, saying, “The MLM/Internet Marketing community is being stirred by the upcoming launch of web prosperity – a residual income business opportunity – co-founded by the Implix group and David D��Arcangelo.”

SJ presents Effective Gas Consumption – Can It Be Done? posted at Save Money On Gas, saying, “If you own a vehicle, chances are that you are worrying about gas consumption. The gas prices in recent times have become so high that many people have made drastic changes to the way they drive.”

Shawnee Rivers presents Grants Available for Families Struggling with Child Health-Related Costs posted at Kinsanity – Real Life Family Dysfunction, saying, “This is my first time submitting — pls let me know if I’m doing anything wrong, or if I can help at all :) ”

MoneyNing presents HSBC Direct Online Bank Review posted at Money Ning, saying, “Great look at what is a HSBC Direct online bank account means for you.”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of special needs and money using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

See you soon!

 carnivalimage

 

Interested in any of my books?  You may want to make a stop over  here. Please click through to purchase my books and some other interesting items that actually ARE on sale. If you like poker, Heroes (the TV series), comic books, Watchmen, etc, there may be some fast links to get you to what you are looking for.  Have you read my book, “Bad Tax Idea, Good Tax”?   Please order it today.  The tips inside can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars!

 If you are looking for a day job, part time work, suggestions for saving money or investing, please check out my book listed below.  Part of all the proceeds from the sales of that book  go  to Rett Syndrome research.  One girl is born with Rett Syndrome worldwide every fifteen minutes.   My daughter Arianna has Rett Syndrome and we are working to do all we can to make her life easier and find a cure in her lifetime.  Boys born with the Rett gene generally die at birth.

  Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement

 

Kim Isaac Greenblatt

You are reading the fifth carnival of special needs and money at the profitable blog.

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Posted in Business, special needs | 3 Comments »

Medical Coverage – If You Have It Keep It

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Question from a reader:”I have medical coverage at work but noticed that the plan is coming up for renewal and the rates are ginormous.  I am thinking of opting for the cheapest plan that means I don’t pay hardly anything in premiums.  I am pretty healthy and young.”

 

keepmdcare

 

My answer is if you are healthy and think you won’t be needing the coverage, go for the plan that won’t offer a lot of coverage but at least offers you something.  In this day and age I strongly suggest you keep any medical coverage that you have if you can afford it.

A lot of PPOs that are out there offer 70/30 coverages where you pay 30% of whatever is outstanding on a medical bill with a cap of something like $2000-$3000.  That isn’t bad if you never get sick or injured and you can save maybe $5000 a year in medical premiums.  The problem arises when you have something unexpected like you break your arm playing volleyball or your kid gets sick and needs to spend a night in the hospital.  The $3000 you have saved in the past gets chewed up pretty quickly.  If you visit the doctor frequently, the co-pays add up and even though they may be deductible at tax time, you still need to front the money for the doctor’s offices.

HMOs may cost more but if you are sick or injured it is easier to pay $25 or $100 then to start worrying about where you will have to come up with $3000 from.  The downside with HMOs is that sometimes you may have to wait and wait till you get something done.  That is true though with PPO coverage as well. 

You are your own judge of your health.  Just make sure that you stash the extra cash you are saving away and keep it not only for the proverbially rainy day but for the sick day as well.

Not much to report on for the stock market this week.  I expect the market to go up slightly or stay flat because of the President’s Inauguration.  I expect flat news on any stimulus packages so nothing new on that front.  There may be a slight buyer’s remorse drop in the market a week from now after the election and the continuation of earnings releases will reflect the supply destruction phase that our economy is going through now.

Keep those questions and posts coming gang!

Interested in any of my books?  You may want to make a stop over  here. Please click through to purchase my books and some other interesting items that actually ARE on sale. If you like poker, Heroes (the TV series), comic books, Watchmen, etc, there may be some fast links to get you to what you are looking for.  Have you read my book, “Bad Tax Idea, Good Tax”?   Please order it today.  The tips inside can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars!

 If you are looking for a day job, part time work, suggestions for saving money or investing, please check out my book listed below.  Part of all the proceeds from the sales of that book  go  to Rett Syndrome research.  One girl is born with Rett Syndrome worldwide every fifteen minutes.   My daughter Arianna has Rett Syndrome and we are working to do all we can to make her life easier and find a cure in her lifetime.  Boys born with the Rett gene generally die at birth.

  Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement

Kim Isaac Greenblatt

Medical Coverage – If You Have It Keep It

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Trying to get Selected for Presidential Inauguration

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

Happy New Year, everybody!  I hope everybody is off to a safe start and please be careful with your health, money, friends and family over the next year.  I sent in an essay for the Presidential Inaugural Contest to see if I can win a trip to the Inauguration.  Let me know what you think of this:

 

presidentobama

 

 

—start of essay

This inauguration is more than a change in leadership to me.  This is a change from separatism to unity.  From the path of confusion to the path of clarity.  This inauguration is the building of stepping stones.  Stepping stones that are needed for the path for rebuilding our nation.  Our country has been wounded and shaken to it’s roots because of war, natural disasters and poor economic management.  The inauguration represents to me the key that will unlock the changes that will, that must take place so America can restore it’s position as a world power, as a light for the world and for a place where people can live, eat, work, and play without worrying if they will have the money to pay the next month’s rent.
 
My daughter has Rett Syndrome and as a parent of a special needs little girl, this inauguration represents the path that President Elect Obama, my daughter and all of us need to take.  A path into the unknown with our hearts shining has beacons, illuminating the fear and clearing the way for a better, healthier, happier and wealthier tomorrow.
 
Sincerely,
Kim Isaac Greenblatt
——————–end of essay

I think there are millions if not billions of people that are applying but I figured, why not?  If I get the chance to go, I will report back my own take on our President.  I will ask business and special needs questions to the President Elect, his staff and anybody who is within earshot of me.  Wish me luck

—

Interested in any of my books?  You may want to make a stop over  here. Please click through to purchase my books and some other interesting items that actually ARE on sale. If you like poker, Heroes (the TV series), comic books, Watchmen, etc, there may be some fast links to get you to what you are looking for.
 If you are looking for a day job, part time work, suggestions for saving money or investing, please check out my book listed below.  Part of all the proceeds from the sales of that book  go  to Rett Syndrome research.  One girl is born with Rett Syndrome worldwide every fifteen minutes.   My daughter Arianna has Rett Syndrome and we are working to do all we can to make her life easier and find a cure in her lifetime.  Boys born with the Rett gene generally die at birth.

  Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement

 

 

Kim Isaac Greenblatt
Will I get invited to the Inaugural Reception?

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Dystonia or Seizure-Knowing the Difference Can Save Money

Sunday, December 14th, 2008

In the business of taking care of special needs, specifically for Arianna, a lot of money is spent on research in Rett Syndrome on seizures and dystonia.

Dystonia looks a lot like seizures and Rett Syndrome girls may  have seizures but a lot of the findings are that they are misdiagnosed as seizures where it is in fact dystonia.

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder in which sustained muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures.  If you have seen some of the Rett girls you will see that their hands or legs may be twisted inward as well as wringing.

 In the case of Rett girls, a lot of the muscle contractions are due to Rett Syndrome.  Arianna has suffered with extreme twisting of her leg and arms and the signature wringing of the hands for Rett Syndrome indicates to me, albeit as a layperson, that Rett is closely associated with dystonia.

What are some symptoms of dystonia?

Symptoms vary according to the kind of dystonia involved. In most cases, dystonia tends to lead to abnormal posturing or  movement. Many sufferers have continuous pain, cramping and relentless muscle spasms due to involuntary muscle movements.  Arianna has suffered with this.

Early symptoms may include loss of precision muscle coordination (for non-Rett girls or guys, this sometimes is first manifested in declining penmanship, frequent small injuries to the hands, dropped items and a noticeable increase in dropped or chipped dishes), cramping pain with sustained use and trembling. Significant muscle pain and cramping may result from very minor exertions like holding a book and turning pages.   For a lot of people, at first blush,  the response is “Oh my gosh, it is a seizure!”.

 It isn’t a seizure in this case.

The person suffering from dystonia may find it  difficult to find a comfortable position for arms and legs with even the minor exertions associated with holding arms crossed causing significant pain similar to restless leg syndrome. Affected persons may notice trembling in the diaphragm while breathing, or the need to place hands in pockets, under legs while sitting or under pillows while sleeping to keep them still and to reduce pain. Trembling in the jaw may be felt and heard while lying down, and the constant movement to avoid pain may result in the grinding and wearing down of teeth, or symptoms similar to TMJ.  Swallowing can become difficult and accompanied by painful cramping.  In the case of Arianna, there is a lot of teeth grinding.  For a lot of other Rett Syndr0me girls, there is teeth grinding as well.  In some cases, fixing cavities helps, in most others from what I’ve read and talked with Rett parents, the grinding is always there.

What does that mean as a parent or provider for a Rett child or anybody who is suffering from seizures?  If  neurological tests are inconclusive for seizures, check for dystonia.  It can save you money and aggravation for the person who has their muscles locking up and are in pain.  The shaking and shivering looks like a seizure and it can be draining for the person so look for medicines and therapies to try and ease their pain.

Be wary that the current batch of dystonia drugs have side-effects that cause stomach and intestinal pain and cramping so be careful.

Always, always consult a doctor or a specialist.

By getting the correct diagnosis you can also save money and keep medical expenditures down.  More to the point, don’t you want to end the suffering of the person that has dystonia?

If you want to help in Rett Syndrome research, you might want to order a copy of my book on Practical Money Making.  Part of all proceeds from sales goes to Rett research.  Check it out below.  Happy Holidays!

  Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement

 

Kim Isaac Greenblatt

What is the difference between a seizure and dystonia?

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Posted in Business, special needs | 1 Comment »

Flexibility in dealing with Special Needs

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

One of the biggest things that you need to do when dealing with special needs is to remember to be flexible. It means if something isn’t working in your life, in your loved one’s life or in the overall scheme of care for any requirements that you need to maintain a great quality of life (or at bare minimum a decent one), stop and re evaluate.

When Arianna had her VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulator) placed in her, Sharren and I were scared and we weren’t sure if that was the right thing to do. It was to help Arianna from getting seizures.  For a few years, it turned out that it was okay because based on what we were seeing, we saw Arianna grow and thrive.

We had the VNS turned off over a year ago because of some problems. It didn’t seem to be helping her anymore.   and it is looking more and more that Arianna and other Rett Syndrome girls suffer from dystonia, which causes seizure like symptoms.  We had Arianna’s VNS removed a few weeks ago and she is doing great now.  She had partial paralysis on one arm and her cheek and that seems to be sorting itself out. 

Each person’s situation is different and what works for one,may not work for another. So, if the VNS is working for you or your loved one, super.  If not, you may want to consult with your medical team and reconsider.

Try to make the best decisions you can at the time with the advice from the medical community and people who have gone through what you are going through before.  It isn’t easy and it isn’t always a straight line.

Be willing to keep an open mind on some things and on others, particularly your children’s, partner’s or your health, be certain that you don’t do anything to make things worse. 

The same holds true in less serious situations.  If there is a certain activity that can’t be done because somebody is under the weather that day, make sure that you reschedule to get to it another day.  One example would be soccer practice if your child is in AYSO (a great program by the way that just finished it’s current season).

Be sure to err on the side of doing more fun things than less if you can to keep joy in your family’s life.  Notice that I said “fun” and that shouldn’t be equated with “expensive” or even “things that cost money to have fun”.

But that is for another article. 

In the meantime, relax, stay flexible and remember that there will always be things that you HAVE to do.  Know the difference so you can know what things you might WANT do.  When well-meaning friends or relatives start up with you, take a second, sit down, listen and try to avoid punching them in the nose.  Realizing that you know the best things to do for your situation, it sometimes doesn’t hurt to listen, you might hear something or read something in one of their emails that might make sense or open a new perspective for you.

If they are just ranting or aren’t opening that new perspective, you still can be flexible enough to forgive them and save being the tower of strength when you need to deal with hospital stays, school preparations, dealing with government agencies, and jerks.

Just a reminder that if you run a business or are dealing with your day job to do what you need to do to stay open and keep working.  In this economy, you need to keep an income stream.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, and of course, please stay flexible!  Try to have a happy holiday without spending too much money!  If you are also interested in trying to deal with our current economic situation, you may want to check out my book. 

Practical Money Making-Surviving Recession, Layoffs, Credit Problems, Generating Passive Income Streams, Working Full Time or Part Time and Retirement 

 

Kim Isaac Greenblatt

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The 4th carnival of special needs and money

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

Welcome to the December 2, 2008 edition of special needs and money.
Here we are again folks with our fourth blog carnival! A short one this time around.

special needs-the emotional roller coaster

Nancy Miller presents The Positive Effects of Faith posted at Radiology Technician Schools.

 

special needs-the money go round

Kevin Dawson presents The 10 Commandments of Direct Marketing #2 – Your USP posted at Kevin Dawson’s Copywriting & Traffic, saying, “Value of a USP”

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of special needs and money using our carnival submission form.

See you soon!

Kim Isaac Greenblatt

You are reading the fourth carnival of special needs and money at the profitable blog.

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