Hi! I’ve been gone for a month. There is a reason! My partner found out his workplace is closing, but we’re relocating! SO that means we’re moving halfway across the country in just over three weeks. And in my house, I’m the brains, not the power. So I used all of my brains to organize the move the last month and we’re finally in the packing stage. We’ve got the apartment, we’ve got the movers, we’ve got the plane tickets and we have our cat plan.
Moving is hard for everyone. Moving with a disability? A logistical nightmare. Expensive. There’s more than just pick a place to live and a mover – There’s where are you getting your specialized heath care? Is your apartment accessible enough (the reality is probably no) how are you going to make it more accommodating for you? Is your apartment complex willing to help you accommodate? What location will best suit your needs? What is the public transit like? How do you go from one state Medicaid to another? No seriously HOW DO YOU GO FROM ONE STATE MEDICAID TO ANOTHER?
I lucked out. Jordan’s new job is in the Raleigh-Durham area. Duke is Durham. Duke has some of the best care for Spina Bifida. I am already on a wait list for their adult Spina Bifida clinic and am able to get a spot temporarily in the all ages clinic. Spina Bifida clinics are very rare and I haven’t been to one since I was a child – there are significantly more doctors and services for children than adults – This was a major factor in saying yes to relocation.
It still took me two weeks to figure out who to talk to, and for them to contact me back, but advocating for yourself can take time. Proactively asking for what you need before you need it is not necessarily my strong suit, but I got ahead of it this time.
Another aspect is the apartment. Our apartment is on a ground level. It’s a newer build which increases the cost, BUT it also means it’s a little more universally designed than older apartments. Across the street is access to an abundance of stores and restaurants – it’s something we don’t have now and I’m very excited to be able to walk across the street to a grocery store and buy what I need without having to have a major Instacart order. Instacart is still essential, just not every single time I need something from the store.
In the US, public transit is terrible, but Raleigh’s is… fine. They have a multi step plan for more which remains to be seen but maybe it’ll get better. Living near the city also means there’s more accessibility in parks, greenways, sidewalks and long distance transit. I have access to a major airport and the Amtrak, two things I didn’t have before. Things people don’t often consider, I have to consider. And because I have to consider it, it took a month for this plan to come together, and now there’s only three and a half weeks until we’re flying with a cat and a wheelchair… with a layover in Atlanta.
So wish us luck. It’ll either be the worst, most traumatic airport experience, or the best. I don’t think we’re going to have an in between experience. It’s important to remember it’s only a few hours. And then we never have to do it again. We’ll be living in a completely different environment.
Thank goodness because we received this news while we were snowed in after 27 inches of snow. It’s like all signs pointed to LEAVE THIS STATE. We’re both sick of snow and cold for 9 months a year. Time to live in a state currently in a drought I guess. I’m so excited to feel warm again!