In October 1987, Dr. Tessier performed his sixth surgery on me. It was a very difficult time in my life. I was coming off the summer of being horribly treated by two women who were supposedly professionals. My confidence, self-esteem, and attitude were definitely affected by the events of the summer of 1987. And the summer of 1987 had a definite impact on my surgery in October 1987. It all started with the blowup about hair shaving. I confess hair shaving is something I have never dealt well with maybe because of how it was handled back in the fall of 1978. I got totally upset about it this time. I didn’t care if it was just a strip of hair.. I got very upset about it.. (Warning: Never freak in front of a roomful of people when you are an adult because it is not a pretty sight. LOL). During the surgery, Dr. Tessier did several things: He took some bone from my skull to build up my left eye socket. As well as pulled the tip of my nose up more. I hated the idea of spending one night in ICU. I went there for the night following my surgery. Then I was in a three-bed room. That was fun – NOT. The hospital was undergoing some remodeling on one of the floors so space was at a premium. It was kind of fun being an adult in a children’s hospital.
Not long after I got home from the hospital, my columella, the piece between my nostrils pulled away. I was devastated. I hardly went out of the house.
During late fall 1987, my parents began adding on to their home. My parents had lived in the house since I was four-and-a-half months old. Since the family was growing, my parents decided to add a huge family room with a fireplace as well as laundry room and bathroom. The addition took about four months. It was completed in February 1988.
In April 1988, I watched the KU Jayhawks win the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on national television. The Jayhawks were not favored to win the title game against the Oklahoma Sooners. The Jayhawks proved everyone wrong and won the game 83-79.
During the fall of 1988, I took a couple classes at one of the local community college. It was in one of my classes that I met one of my good friends, Judy. Judy was going to transfer to the University of Kansas’ social work program the following year. In May 1991, I watched Judy as she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in social work.
In October 1988, I underwent my seventh surgery with Dr. Tessier. During the surgery, he created a large opening where my nostrils would be in preparation of adding the columella the following year. He took skin from behind my right ear to help make a bigger opening. For six months or more, I had to use this rubber splint to keep the opening opened.
In 1989, my mom and I met an advocate who would help me get my field practicum. He was through the MO Protection and Advocacy Services here in Missouri. Division of Vocational Rehabilitation had paid for my field practicum in 1987 so they were interested in resolving the issue. In July 1989, the issue was resolved. I was going to find my own placement with the final approval coming from KU. In very late July 1989, the director of the preschool got in touch with someone she knew. This person turned out to be helpful in many ways. His name was Steve. On August 1, 1989, I met with Steve at the organization where he worked. It was an organization that assisted people with disabilities to live independently in the community. I would remain involved in the organization until my layoff in late December 1996. Steve also suggested that I try to get on SSI (Supplemental Security Income) since I was not working at the time.
In August 1989, I started volunteering for the organization. I started off as an office volunteer. Not long after I started volunteering at the organization, I became a chairwoman of one of the committees, assisted with the monthly support group, and became a peer counselor.
In October 1989, Dr. Tessier did his eighth and final surgery on me. During the surgery, he created a columella with skin from my own nose. He also drilled a hole in each tearduct and stuck a tube down each so my tearducts would drain better.
Not more than two weeks after the surgery, the columella pulled away. This time it was not devastating. I think that it was not devastating because I had not been through a terrible period since the summer of 1987. Things were going well for me at the time.
While I was home recuperating from the surgery, I got a call from the woman who would be my field instructor. She told me that KU had accepted my placement choice. I was thrilled.
On the day after New Year’s, I began my field practicum. I would complete it four months later. I put in over six hundred hours for that practicum. I worked with both individuals and groups. I did many tasks. I passed the practicum.
I continued to volunteer at the organization after my practicum ended. I applied for a direct services position that became open in July 1990. I didn’t get it because someone else with more experience with independent living issues interviewed for the job and got it. I was heartbroken at first. But then something else happened. The board president nominated me for a spot on the Board of Directors. The president liked my work in the area transportation. In September 1990, I was elected to the board of directors of the organization. I served on the board from October 1990 until June 1991. During the fall of 1990, I was offered a part-time position doing community education and advocacy. But I turned down the offer because I was looking for a full-time direct services position.
In late August 1990, I got notification that my hearing before the administrative law judge was going to hear my appeal for SSI benefits. I began applying for benefits on Tues., August 1, 1989. Social Security denied my initial claim and then the reconsideration. I eventually had to hire an attorney who dealt with Social Security claims. My hearing was in late September 1990 at the old federal building downtown. I went alone because my mom was sick that day. I took the bus downtown. I met my attorney outside the hearing room. The hearing lasted about forty-five minutes. The administrative law judge sent his decision to Social Security. In early November 1990, I received notification that the judge ruled in my favor. I started getting benefits that month. I also got a retroactive check. Of course, twenty-five percent went to my attorney, which was well worth her services.
For a few months, I volunteered just a couple of days a week at the organization. In January 1991, I began volunteering more days. By June 1991, I was volunteering full-time.
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