Southwest Blind Rehab Center

​Tucson             

                        2024

   Two weeks following my decision to sign up for the next Blind Rehab in Tucson, Arizona, I found myself aboard an American Airlines jet bound for Arizona.  As I wanted to be around home for the Christmas holidays and our 53rd Anniversary, I waited until about December 12 to contact my VIST Coordinator, Lori Reddick at the Fayetteville VA Hospital to make arrangements.  Apparently, there were ample openings and she offered me the opportunity to be accepted in the Southwest Blind Rehab Center (SWBRC).  It didn’t take them long to give me an interview call and take my application over the phone.  A couple of days later, after their admissions committee met and checked my records, I received a phone call from the head o admissions that I had been accepted.  We agreed on January 3rd as my admissions date.

   A few days following my entry approval, I received a phone call from Casey Davenport, who would be my Coordinator, Mobility Instructor and Manual Skills Instructor, 4that I had been accepted and everything was in order.  He asked me about my goals for attending so I told him what I was hoping to do while I was a patient there. He emailed me a airlines confirmation number from American Airlines and gave me my travel arrangements. 

   The holidays passed rather quickly and the travel day soon arrived.  Debby took me to the airport in Bentonville, Arkansas, came inside and made certain I had my baggage checked to Tucson and my ticket in hand.  We would be arriving in Tucson International in early afternoon via Dallas, Texas, where we would change planes.  Luckily, our DFW departure gate was only 2 gates away from our arrival.  All went smoothly.

   After landing in Tucson, I made my way to the baggage carousel by following the crowd of passengers flying with me.  I found my colorful luggage and stood around for a few minutes waiting on someone to recognize me and give me a lift to the SWBRC.  It didn’t take long before my driver showed up, apologizing for being late due to traffic.

   The SWBRC facility was barely 15 minutes away.  I checked in and was shown to my room which would be my new home for the next month or so.  A few minutes later a nurse came to visit me and asking medical questions about my general health and abilities to be responsible for my own medication.  I was swabbed for covid 9, as well.  After enough time had passed and they made certain I was covid free, I was shown around the facility to familiarize me with the locations of everything I needed, including my classrooms.

   Dinner was at 5:00.  All of us veterans gathered in the dining hall and walked through a chow line, sort of cafeteria style.  There was little selection as they knew each veteran’s diet restrictions.  As I had none, I was always offered the main dish, as well as substituting some items with their options.  For instance, if the main dish sounded unappetizing, we could substitute for one of their optional dishes.  Sometimes that was roast beef or grilled chicken.  The food, however, was bland due to various diet restrictions.  I had taken some Cavanaugh’s with me just in case there was nothing else offered, like salt and pepper.  There was also a bottle of hot Cajun powder that a fellow veteran, Tim Bigelow brought from Louisiana and a bottle of hot stuff we could also use.

   Each morning following breakfast, we received our daily schedule of classes, meetings or events that required our attendance, as well as optional outings that we might be interested in attending.  Some of those outings included trips to places like the VFW, Elks Lodge or the American Legion for a freebie dinner.  We had things like Taco Tuesday, Fish Friday or Hamburger Thursday.  I went to all of them as offered.  The food was always great and getting out and about was always fun.

   Besides our scheduled classes, we were served hot meals at 0700, 1200 and 170.  We had laundry room with two washer’s and two dryers.  They seemed to be always busy with the 17 to 23 patients here.  I was always up ant 0600 taking a long hot shower, getting dressed and feeding Toronto.  He usually had his breakfast at 0620.  I was usually out the door with Toronto by 0640 as he needed to go outside to the relief area.  Then, back inside for my coffee before breakfast.

   Following breakfast, I went to my room to take my medications.  All of us were supposed to meet in the Foyer at 0800 to meet our Coordinator to get our schedule for the day.  My first full week, however, was filled with non-classroom meetings.  There were several of those during my first week!  I met with my Team Leader and filled out questionnaires about my abilities and my goals.  I had meetings with psychologists, social workers, vision specialists and optometrists.  I met with the head nurse who asked questions like, do I feel like killing myself and stuff like that.  As I didn’t, those meeting never lasted long. 

   Each morning everyone was getting our vitals checked at the Nurse’s Station.  Each week we took a covid swab.  There were no classes on weekends.  Oftentimes, Saturday morning offered an off-campus field trip.  We had trips like the Tucson Art Museum, Pima Air Museum and the Old Tucson Spanish Mission.  I missed the Old Spanish Mission tour as I had been bowing to the porcelain throne half the night from something I ate, I suppose.  So, I didn’t want to venture far away from my room that day.  I was fine by the afternoon and ended up going out to dinner with some old friends.

   Besides our regular class schedules, taught one-on-one, we had other events in group settings; some were mandatory to attend and some optional.  The Meditation classes were weekly and optional.  I found it was a great time to get in a quick nap and blame it on the relaxed atmosphere.  We attended mandatory Fall Prevention classes.  Those had to do with being careful and not getting hurt.  Our Music Class was fun.  A young lady came into the dining hall where we all sat around and joined her in singing songs.  She showed us some musical instruments and explained how they work. She was pretty good and the experience was fun.  We also met as a group with a couple of Social Workers in a group therapy session.  We could talk about anything we wanted to except politics.  They also reminded us that the conversations were confidential and we couldn’t make fun of anyone or talk about them outside of the class. 

   During my stay, I was visited by an old friend, Jim Williams, who was a preacher for the Newberg Church of Christ years ago.  He and his wife, Linda, were also caretakers at Camp Yamhill.  As we often visited Camp Yamhill and I did some work there, we were well known by them.  Linda passed away from this world a few months ago so seeing Jim once again was bitter sweet. 

   Another man, Ray Johnson, visited me one Saturday and ate lunch with me at the facility.  Roadhouse BBQ had catered some Pulled pork and BBQ beef to us that day and they had plenty of feed Ray, as well.  Ray was one of the original families that helped start the Metro Church of Christ congregation in the early 1970’s, along with Carl and Kathy Collins, who actually told Ray in was at the BRC.  I had met Ray many years ago and it was good to see him and talk over old times.

   Phil and Patty Amburn were friends from Emporia, Kansas.  I knew Phil and his family in the early 1960’swhen they attended the Emporia Church of Christ where I went with my parents.  They took me out for finer one evening and to their home for dinner on another.  After my wife, Debby came to Tucson with Ron and Nancy Pinkerton on the 28th for a week, we had another occasion to go out with the Amburn’s for dinner.  Seems like all I did was eat, doesn’t it?

   Terry and Cathy Gilmore were another couple that Debby and I knew at the Metro Church of Christ.  She was our go to secretary before retiring to Arizona.  They picked me up one Sunday morning and took me to church with them.  Afterwards, we went to a great Mexican Restaurant before going to the BRC.  As one can see, I kept quite busy days and weekends.

   When Debby, Nancy and Ron arrived on Sunday, they picked me up and I spent the night at the Condo in Oro Valley.  It was good to take a break and find a better pillow!    I still had the week to go at the Rehab but after the Wildcat Team looked over my goals and records, they opted for me to graduate on Wednesday.  My peeps showed up about 11:15. We loaded up my belongings into their rental car and we headed for the Silver Saddle Restaurant for a big juicy steak!  As expected, it was very tasty!

   I spent the next couple of days relaxing in the condo and checking out the hot tub.  We went out to dinner on Thursday with Phil and Patty.  They took us to a New Mexican style restaurant.  It was very good and our visit was even better.

   We checked out of our condo on Saturday morning about 10:0 and headed towards the Tucson airport.  Our flight wasn’t until about 5:00 but we had nothing else we wanted to do.  It was nice to have a leisurely afternoon.  Not long after our arrival, our travel nightmare began.  First, it was a small flight delay of about 30 minutes.  Then came another delay.  Then another.  And so, it continued.  Before it was over, we had a dozen flight delays before finally getting to climb on board and find our seats.  Then, the other delay.  Next came an announcement that we needed to get off and wait for a replacement airplane as this one has been grounded due to mechanical problems. 

   A few hours later, we once again boarded our flight to Denver, only to have another 20-minute delay.  But this time, we actually taxied out and took off.  The 90-minute flight got us to Denver about 1:30 AM.  As there was no connecting flight to be had, United gave us a voucher to find a hotel.  So, we did.  Our connecting flight to Bentonville, Arkansas would not be until about 7:00 PM.  United gave us a couple of $15 vouchers apiece for meals.  There was one lone taxi outside.  We grabbed him and took a ride to Aurora to find our La Quinta Motel.

   I was not adequately prepared for this delay.  I had inadvertently checked my medication and Toronto’s dog food.  I barely had enough for him for one meal, let along 3.  I would have to do without mine but I needed to find a Petco on the way to the airport in the morning.

   We checked out of La Quinta about 10:00 after sampling their breakfast buffet and coffee bar.  Nancy called for a Lyft.  The driver showed up in good time but refused to allow Toronto inside his car.  We exchanged a few words about his being a Guide Dog, the ADA and current Federal Law.  The driver said he didn’t care about the law and drove away without us.  I had taken a photo of our taxi last night so we called the number on the door in the photo.  We only waited a few minutes before the driver showed up.  We had him stop by Petco for some food and a new bowl for Toronto. 

   We had a long time to wait for our flight but we were able to sit inside the United Airlines Lounge in much more comfy chairs.  Not only that, but they had a tasty buffet set up along with snacks and drinks.  I fed Toronto next to my chair.  He soon curled up into a tight ball and fell asleep, occasionally stretching out his full length along the wall.  He slept the whole time.  We only had a 15-minute delay this time and we landed about 9:00.  By the time we picked up our luggage and climbed into our Sienna that Eric brought for us, it was about 10:30 when we walked into our door.  The normal 5 ½ hour trip had taken us about 36 hours.  You’re in good hands with United!

   So, weeks after Debby’s working with United Customer Service, UAL gave her $200 for our Denver Motel expense and two taxi rides.  Our actual expense for that was over $200.  They gave me $100 in future travel credit for my 36 hours of inconvenience.  Thanks, United Airlines for a nice slap in the face!I wonder if they ever bothered to do anything for all the other passengers.  I’m sure I know the answer to that question.