Birthday Celebrations During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Today is my 34th birthday. I'm not celebrating it with anyone other than my parents because of social distancing due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, I'm feeling the love from relatives and friends who have sent me cards, called me, and posted birthday wishes on Facebook. Keeping in mind the increasing number of coronavirus deaths, I'm thankful for another year of life.

Some people are celebrating their birthdays in creative ways. For example, virtual birthday parties are being held on Zoom, an application that enables people from all over the world to have online meetings. They can see each other through their webcams. I sometimes use Zoom for work. (To download Zoom onto your computer and use its basic features for free, go to https://zoom.us/.)

Another trending birthday celebration is the drive-by party (parade) during which relatives and friends in their vehicles pass by someone's house while holding signs, playing music, and/or waving and yelling out birthday wishes. Visitors can leave a cake and gifts by the birthday boy or girl's front door.

These ideas are applicable to people with disabilities if parties are challenging for them. For more quarantine birthday celebration ideas, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/us/coronavirus-birthday-party.html.

I celebrating my birthday at home

(Photo by Tracy Jensen-McGrath)

Spotlight: Lieutenant Dan (2020 Cadbury Bunny)

I recently had the pleasure of eating a Cadbury Creme Egg a friend gave me. Last week, a treeing walker coonhound named Lieutenant Dan was announced as this year's Cadbury Bunny. Lieutenant Dan of New Richmond, Ohio, was named after Gary Sinise's character in Forrest Gump, one of my favorite movies. This dog is unique in that he uses a wheelchair because his hind paws and tail were amputated due to a birth defect. Wearing a bunny ears headband, Lieutenant Dan received more online votes than the other seven finalists, which included a hamster, a llama, and a duck. He will appear in a Cadbury commercial soon. Lieutenant Dan's owner Laura Weber is the recipient of $5,000, and Cadbury made a $10,000 donation to the ASPCA in his honor. For more details on this story, go to https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/us/lieutenant-dan-cadbury-bunny-winner-trnd/index.html.

Lieutenant Dan the dog

(image via delish.com)

Coronavirus Information for People with Disabilities

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has been in the news a lot lately. The most commonly listed symptoms of this respiratory illness are a fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one group of people who are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus is people with disabilities.

There are ways you can lower your risk. You should wash your hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds on a regular basis. This should be done especially after going to the bathroom and blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing into a tissue, which should be disposed of after use. (If it's too difficult for you to wash your hands at a sink due to a physical disability, you can use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.) You should also clean assistive products (e.g., wheelchairs and canes) and commonly touched surfaces. To prevent the coronavirus from entering your body, don't touch your mouth, nose, and eyes. When you're in a room with other people, stay six feet away from them. If you need assistance with activities of daily living, you need to have a back-up plan for your care in case your caregiver gets sick.

To learn more about the coronavirus as it pertains to people with disabilities, read the article located at https://news.yahoo.com/the-coronavirus-and-people-with-disabilities-214936915.html. For updated COVID-19 information, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Be well.

A microscopic view of the coronavirus

(image via cdc.gov)

Wheeling Around the Brevard Zoo

Yesterday, my mom and I went to the Brevard Zoo, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. It was a beautiful day outside. I was able to move through the zoo in my electric wheelchair with no problem. I could see various animals. The animal I enjoyed observing the most was a giraffe named Greg, who ate lettuce leaves from some of the people around me. Before leaving the zoo through its gift shop, I ate a tasty burger and fries for lunch at the Nourish 321 outdoors cafe, where there are two handicap accessible picnic tables.

I'm pleased with the accessibility of the Brevard Zoo. Only a few parts of the zoo, such as kayaking and Treetop Trek, are inaccessible. If you don't have your own mobility device, you can rent a wheelchair or an electric conveyance vehicle from Guest Services. This department also provides sensory bags to visitors with sensory processing disorder. The sensory bags contain a weighted lap pad, noise-canceling headphones, and fidget toys among other items. Wheelchair users can access the elevated walkway of the Rainforest Revealed section by the use of a lift. Children with special needs can play and learn about animals in the zoo's Exceptional Nature Space established in 2017. Those with autism spectrum disorders can download from the Brevard Zoo's website a social story that describes how they can have an enjoyable experience.

The Brevard Zoo plans to stay open despite coronavirus concerns. However, starting tomorrow, the Wildlife Detective Training Academy and the Paws On Petting Zone will be closed temporarily, and zoo visitors will not be allowed to participate in animal feedings until further notice. If you have questions about the zoo's accessibility, you can contact inclusion coordinator Lindsay Mathisen at lmathisen@brevardzoo.org. For more information about this wonderful attraction, go to https://brevardzoo.org/.

I by the Brevard Zoo map

(Photo by Tracy Jensen-McGrath)

Sailing on the Norwegian Pearl

Last week, my parents and I along with several members of my dad's family went on a Western Caribbean cruise on the Norwegian Pearl. My parents' and my handicap accessible mini-suite was more spacious than the staterooms in which we slept during our first three cruises. Inside the Pearl's Garden Cafe, a few tables were designated for people with physical disabilities. I was able to pull up with my manual wheelchair to a blackjack table (and win almost $100) in the ship's casino. I received some free Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) merchandise. I had the opportunity to go ashore in Roatan on Bay Island in Honduras as well as Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

I had a wonderful time overall, but as a person with physical disabilities, my experience could've been even better. Sometimes, I had to wait for an elevator that wasn't full of people who were capable of walking. At certain times of the day, I could barely go down the corridor leading to my stateroom in my wheelchair because I had to maneuver around stateroom attendants' large cleaning carts. I was unable to bowl because the lounge in which the bowling alley was located didn't have a wheelchair accessible bowling ramp. I couldn't get off the ship in Harvest Caye, Belize, because the dock there was being repaired, so it could be accessed only on tender boats. I spoke about the above with an access officer, who listened to what I had to say.

If you plan to take a cruise with NCL, you'll probably enjoy yourself. Just be aware of the challenges you may encounter as an individual with a physical disability.

My dad and I by the Norwegian Pearl

(Photo by Tracy Jensen-McGrath)

Spotlight: Eduardo Garcia

Eduardo Garcia is known as the "bionic chef" because he has a prosthetic left hand and forearm due to a 2011 hunting accident in which he was electrocuted. Also a cancer survivor, he underwent more than 20 surgeries but eventually regained his ability to cook. Garcia is the co-founder of Montana Mex, a company that sells sauces, seasonings, and avocado oil from the state in which he lives. He is also an occasional triathlete and motivational speaker. A documentary about him, "Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story," was released in 2018. Garcia was one of the judges on the February 25 episode of Chopped. Despite his setbacks, he has created his own recipe for success. For more information, go to https://www.cowboysindians.com/2020/02/charged-journey-to-recovery/.

Eduardo Garcia

(image via trib.com)

Undergoing an MRI Scan with Physical Disabilities

Two days ago, I went to the Melbourne (Florida) location of University Center Imaging (which is celebrating its 25th anniversary) for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. The purpose of this procedure was to get a more detailed picture of a cyst in my abdomen. (The cyst is most likely non-cancerous, but to be on the safe side, I wanted to confirm this.) As a person with physical disabilities, having an MRI is challenging for me, but it was manageable with assistance from my dad and the imaging staff members' patience. While I was in a pre-exam room, one of the staff members told me I'd have to be transferred from my motorized wheelchair to an MRI-safe wheelchair. This wasn't necessary because my dad was able to carry me to the MRI table, but I wasn't aware of MRI-safe wheelchairs. They look similar to regular manual wheelchairs but are made of non-magnetic and non-ferromagnetic parts.

Before I went to the MRI room, an intravenous (IV) line was inserted into my left hand for an injection of contrast material, which makes images brighter and clearer. (Getting an IV isn't easy for me because my veins aren't very accessible.) If you're claustrophobic or your disability makes it difficult for you to stay still for more than a few minutes, you'll need to take a sedative before the MRI scan takes place. My dad placed me on the MRI table, and the technologists made final preparations. The movable table took me into the tube-like MRI machine. In an effort to stay relaxed, I kept my eyes closed during the scan, which took more than 30 minutes. Every once in a while, the table suddenly moved, and I often heard noises from the machine, but listening to country music through a headphone made the experience more pleasant.

An MRI scan is recommended for examining tumors and other abnormalities in your body. However, you shouldn't do this if you have certain metals in your body because the magnetic field would move them, possibly leading to internal damage. Verify with your doctor and the technologist that the metals inside you are MRI-safe. For more information, go to https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mri/about/pac-20384768.

An MRI machine

(image via 4rai.com)