Getting a Driver's License

Haven't blogged about prosthesis in awhile. Haven't blogged much at all lately!  Not that life is so boring or anything, more like, I have to filter it so much there isn't much left.

My book stash might give you an idea about life:  "The Teen-age Brain- A Neuroscientist's survival guide to raising teens and adolescents " By Frances Jensen and Amy Ellis Nutt

The Road to Little Dribbling- The Adventures of an American in Britain  by Bill Bryson....
a cookbook entitled "Bake it Like You Mean It"

Oh and I'm halfway through a book called "Addicted to Life and Death"  written by a local paramedic, but I find her descriptions of things distasteful. Yeah we might talk about stuff after an ambulance call, but you don't need to write it in a book.

I might need help. Or maybe I need less screen time and more reading time?

I still like Qustodio if anyone is wondering, I didn't say my whole family likes Qustodio, but I do.

Anyway, back to getting a driver's license if your child wears bilateral (both legs) prosthesis,and has a  fist for his one hand... I couldn't find this stuff earlier when I did web searches, so maybe it will help someone.  When you go for your physical before you take your "knowledge test" (this is how we do it in PA) there are questions that refer to amputations, mental disabilities, or anything else that would make the patient have a problem driving safely.   Our doctor checked the boxes next to "amputations" and out next move was to take the knowledge test.
Taking a knowledge test is a very interesting event in our area. I have learned a long time ago, that I really do not enjoy taking my young children along because the wait is beyond their endurance. (What an understatement) I took some stitching with me,but found that the seating was so tight, I didn't want to run the risk of poking someone with a needle.  So I sat back and watched the people. I should have taken my tablet along and wrote some descriptive terms. People of all shapes and sizes, burly truck drivers renewing something on their commercial license, skinny little sixteen year olds nervously clutching papers, first-time-parents-of-sixteen-year-olds finding out they forgot the actual social security card, tiny little babies who cried, bored office workers trying to be patient.  The smells were interesting too.... I smelled garlic, onions, tobacco, pot, alcohol and other questionable scents.

Anyway, our hour of waiting was finally over and we made our way to the desk. "Joel" behind the desk was a relaxed man. He filled in the blanks that I had missed- height and social security number. Had Joseph sign his SS card. They looked over the form and realized that he needs a non-driver number. That information had to come from Harrisburg and of course those people were gone for the day.
Meanwhile, Joe took the questions and came back looking a bit upset. "The computer didn't work right! I selected one answer and it chose another, twice."  The supervisor told him that if he has trouble the next time he takes the questions, he needs to tell them right away and not try just go ahead.

No matter. I had to come back another day to get the proper numbers anyway.

We were able to get a "No Wait" ticket and were seen almost immediately the next day. He passed his questions and I got the "Learner's Permit". The trip home from DMV with this sixteen-year-old was not nearly as stressful as the first three times I did this trip.

Next step was to fill out a form from Office of Vocational Rehabilitaion (OVR), did you know that office existed? Neither did I.  Supposedly they can help us make this driver training stuff affordable. Having someone else teach your child to drive at $125 an hour (that was the lowest quote I've seen) is a bit over the budget. We are hoping to use Mumma's Driving School, but they've never worked with a person with three limbs affected and we may end up driving further for the evaluations.

Now we wait on an appointment with OVR and then they will send info to Mumma's and THEN maybe Joseph will sit behind a steering wheel.

Questions people have asked: "He walks so well, why can't he just drive?"  True he walks well, but prosthesis do not have ankle movement, try driving sometime without using your ankles. He also has no feeling in his "feet" and according to what I'm learning, you cannot use a prosthetic appliance to operate any part of the car.


QOTD: "Everyone is going to FL, but us! But we're the cool ones we don't have to pack." --brought to you by Shekinah     I know there were more quotables, but I can't remember.

Tomorrow I have a date with my hubby at lunch!