My name is Tammie Lou. I am 57 years old. I was born in San Jose, California. I was raised mostly in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos, California.
I lived with my boyfriend in Los Banos until taking care of me got to be too much for him. He asked my parents to come and get me, he told them they would probably have to put me in a care facility because it was too much trouble, but they refused, so they redid their mobile home to accommodate me. At this point, we had been together for about 18 years, but I understood it was a lot of work.
We had a lifelong friend who was a contractor, so he built a ramp, widened the door to their spare bedroom, made a door from their spare bedroom to their bathroom, and put in a roll-in shower until then I lived in my parents living room.
I started three chat rooms on AOL. I like learning, listening, and helping other SCI (Spinal Cord Injuries) victims and their friends and families. We are all trying to understand and deal with our new way of life. It is not easy, and if I can help people adjust, I am happy to do it.
With the help of my family and friends, I am going on with my life. I now live with my parents in San Jose, California. I attend a weekly peer support group at Valley Medical Center, and I spend most of the rest of my time chatting on the computer.
When I first started living there I didn't have any caregivers, so my mom did all of my care, needless to say, I only got up about once a week to go to the support group at Valley Medical Center… Unless I had a doctor's appointment.
My aunt Kathy came by to help whenever she could and talked me into going into an independent living Center. It was a great idea but horrible timing, after everything I went through I was glad I went. It was a couple of months, and they were just opening the house, it was supposed to teach you everything you need to know about re-entering life after a spinal cord injury. How to schedule rides, shop, hire, and fire caregivers… It taught me a lot, but at the same time, I hope it was a learning experience for them. They expected me to be up by 9 AM and stay up until 5 PM; your caregiver could not be there between 9 AM and 5 PM, so my first problem was my leg bag would get full, and there was nobody there to empty it so by the time my caregiver got there at 5 PM I was in autonomic dyslexia and soaking wet with urine. My second problem was wanting my caregiver to leave. I couldn’t get myself something to eat, they trying to teach me how to open up the refrigerator door, but that wasn’t the problem… I couldn’t reach in and grabbed anything, and then I wasn’t able to open up anything even if I could grab it. When I tried to call and tell them about the problem, there wasn't anybody around because they were moving from one facility to another.
While I was living there, I was contacted by an attorney wanting to proceed with my case; my injury was the result of the neglect of Caltrans. They were supposed to check out the problem if there is an accident three times in the same place and my accident was the 33rd, the attorney that I got when the accident first happened was killed by a drunk driver, so the case got dropped. After six years I finally got a settlement, Caltrans had to buy me a house and care for the rest of my life… I am so fortunate! I finish the program and then came back home and started looking for my place.
My attorney sent me up with a company to help me out financially and with doctors and other programs to help my rehabilitation. In the long run, they ended up taking advantage of me, and I ended up losing a lot of money, thank goodness again for my aunt, who noticed and quickly fired them. That's when she took over for me; she is so good at managing finances and helping with decisions. After looking at several houses, I decided to buy a mobile home right around the corner from my mom in the same mobile home park as my parents; unfortunately, by then, my dad had passed away. In March of 2003, I got my place. I never imagined that I would be able to live by myself; it is a great feeling. I have a computer program called Multimedia Max that runs my house by voice command. Opens and closes doors turn lights on and off, adjust the thermostat, and even raises and lowers the head and feet on my hospital bed.
I went to an Abilities Expo in San Jose and tried to sign up with Canine Companion for Independence, but there was a five-year waiting list, so I went back home and applied for a service dog from a website I found online. I talked to the guy a couple of times, and he matched me with a rescue labrador/pitbull mix named Brodie. She was a great dog but extremely animal aggressive. She can pick up things that I drop, open and close doors, and bring me the telephone if the electricity goes off or I need help. She makes me feel more confident when I go out and do things, and she makes me feel safer living here by myself.
My life is so high now. I try to keep myself busy and take advantage of any surgery that will make me more independent. I recently had Tendon Transfer surgery on both arms. The first one was in June of 2001; the second one was in January of 2002. It has made me so much more independent; I am more amazed every day. It was done by Dr. Hentz, from Stanford University and clinic. He is a world known and cares about his patients; he is the best doctor I have ever met; he answers my phone calls.
I had foot drop surgery done on my feet in October 2003. My foot drop was so severe from lack of range of motion that I was not able to wear shoes for two years. It is so lovely to be ready to wear shoes again...time to go shoe shopping. I love my new place; it was a three-bedroom with a large kitchen, an expansive living room with a gas fireplace, and a dining room.
I lived there for four years, and then my uncle talked me into moving to Santa Cruz, every time a house came up for sale on the street where he lived he would call me and tell me about it, but I didn't have any way to get to Santa Cruz to look at them. One time when he called, my brother happened to the visiting from Georgia and said he would drive me to look at it; it was perfect for me, so after discussing it back, I decided to go for it. The house is tiny, a little over 600 ft. But had a huge backyard, so the same friend that read in my parent's house to agree to build a house for me with an apartment above for my mom. It took about a year, but the most beautiful house I had ever seen was built and was mine because the guy has known me since I was little he made everything with me in mind… It was gorgeous and I couldn't do it. I moved into my very own home in June 2008; I was in heaven. The mobile home park was lovely, but I couldn't go anywhere unless I paid for a caregiver to drive me; it was out in the middle of nowhere. Here in Santa Cruz I could just cruise out my door and go anywhere, my new house was centrally located a mile from downtown and also a mile to the pier, beach, and boardwalk.
My younger brother Dave works for Delta Airlines, he repairs and maintains the flight simulators. He put together a home automation program for my new home so that with my computer, I can adjust the thermostat, turn on and off lights and control my television… Change the channel and adjust the volume. I have my dream house, and I can control it with my computer.
Brodie got cancer and passed away shortly after I moved to Santa Cruz. In 2009 my application for a service dog was accepted by Canine Companions for Independence, and I was on my way to the Santa Rosa campus for team training for my new service dog. I was with my first service dog in Chili's restaurant after getting asked to leave another restaurant because they didn't allow dogs; instead of arguing with them, I just went because I was with my family, and the kids were hungry. I met a lady, Jan, and talk to her for a while and she gave me her phone number. I later found out she belonged to Los Gatos Lions Club, Because they are a big supporter of Canine Companions for Independence, she expedited my application; there was about a five-year waiting list. My application was accepted within a year. I got Robby ll from Canine Companions for Independence in November 2009. It’s an exciting process that Robby and the other CCI puppies went through to be matched with a person who needs their help, makes them more independent, and gives them self-confidence. The puppies are born to a CCI breeder and until they are eight weeks old exposed to a CD that has every kind of noise you can imagine, different situations, and a lot of love to make them confident. At approximately eight weeks old, they are turned over to a puppy raiser who teaches them basic obedience and continued exposure to anything they might encounter in the future. At approximately 18 months old, they are turned into CCI and to a trainer who teaches them about 42 commands and tasks.
After the puppies are trained, we are invited to CCI for team training; it is time to teach us. After only three days of classes and working with each dog, the trainer chooses a pre-match, a combination of dog and person, the trainer feels will work the best together. From then on, we became a team. Two main things the trainers look at when matching a dog are the students handling style and which dogs respond best to that handler. Also the individual's lifestyle... do they go out a lot... do they work... do they travel a lot and what skills are going to be most useful to them.
Among the commands that make me more independent are turning on and off lights, opening and closing doors and drawers, picking up things that I drop... that is a big one for me because I am pretty clumsy, even push pads and elevators. Elevators are a little tricky because the buttons are so close together, so sometimes we end up traveling a little bit, but I can now use bins. He also gives me the confidence to go out into the public because he can do a lot of things for me that I would need to ask somebody else to help me with. He loves to cruise along the cliffs, the pier and the boardwalk. Since I got Robby ll, we are hardly ever home.
Not all of the puppies make it to team training to be matched. A couple of things the trainers look for in practice that would get a dog released are energy level (we need calm dogs that have a lot of self-control) and dogs that are not overly reactive (don’t freak out to new things and situations). Other things that pop up are fearful responses, alarm barking, and toy guarding. I am so thankful for CCI, the trainers, the volunteers, the breeders and puppy raisers, and everyone else involved in allowing me to be placed with Robby, the best friend a girl could have.
There was a contest online for a new product called Google Glass, so I decided to apply, it can do anything a computer can do… Take a picture, recorded video, answer and reply to a text, answer the phone and you can even read and write an email all through voice commands in a little prism that sits on a pair of glasses above your right eye. With the later version, you can take a picture by just winking. Santa Cruz is the most beautiful place, and I love just to cruise around all day exploring and taking pictures.
I got to know a guy named Roger at Dominican Rehab, and we decided to start a support group, it didn't last long, but a year or two later, we decided to try again, and so far, it looks like it's going to make it. I have met so many cool people, and I'm learning so much, not to mention trying to get over my social anxiety. I started seeing a psychologist downtown, and that has helped a lot also.
I would like to go back to work or go to college and take some counseling and anatomy courses and possibly be a counselor or something along that line. For now, I just enjoy spending time with my family, old friends, and all my new friends online.
About me
My name is Tammie Lou. I am 58 years old. I was born in San Jose, California. I was raised mostly in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Los Gatos, California.
I am a C-6 complete quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down.
On March 10, 1995, I was in an auto accident on Pacheco Pass, Highway 152, near Gilroy, California. At the time I lived in Los Banos, California, and worked in Milpitas, California (about a 90-mile commute, a 1-½ hour drive each way). I was a mail coordinator for Xicor Inc. a semiconductor company. I was in the passenger seat or "suicide seat" as it is sometimes called. I was commuting with neighbors at the time.
It was raining really hard and the pickup I was in hydroplaned and flipped end-over-end I was told.
I woke up in the middle of the fast lane not being able to move, but not yet knowing why. For the next three-and-a-half months I was in Valley Medical Hospital of Santa Clara County. My life after that would never be the same. I broke my neck in the accident. At the age of 33, I began to learn a whole new way of life.
Add Text Here...
It really was such a nice surprise, it really makes you feel great when family and friends get together and make a special effort. Some of the people that came to my surprise party I haven't seen since I had to retire from work because of the accident and spinal cord injury. Thank you everybody! It really made my 40th birthday special. I'm so glad that I can be back in touch with my family and friends!
I shared my birthday with my uncle, my friend Claudia and her son, and my friend Sue… Actually there's was two days before mine but we always celebrated it together…
I was born on Father's Day and I always loved sharing it with my dad, grandpa and uncles. It always made me feel so special!
My family somehow put together a surprise birthday party for me when I turned 50. It was at Vasona Park in Los Gatos and it was a gorgeous day! I have so many fond memories of family barbecues and my dad's company parties being there, it's always such a beautiful place to be! Not only did the family come from all over but they got a hold of some of my coworkers and some people I grew up with, some of them I have known since fifth grade. It was so awesome to see everybody, I have to keep looking at the pictures because I can't believe all the people that showed up. Teresa, Karen, Brodie, and I were just going to take a cruise through the park and as I was cruising by a bunch of people barbecuing I heard somebody say "are you even going to say hello?" I looked up and I couldn't believe it, was the best feeling in the world and it was so great to see everybody!
