I just had the most amazing experience in Las Vegas, Nevada! And, even though I feel like I won big, I did not gamble once! That makes trip number 2 to Vegas where I did not gamble. Not even ONE slot machine! Whaaa?! So, why did I go to Vegas do you ask?
I went for another event hosted by United Spinal Association. This event was the Chapter Leadership Meeting (CLM). CLM is an annual event for, yep, you guessed it, leaders of chapters of United Spinal from across the nation. This is my third CLM, and the second one in Vegas. I’m so honored that Cleveland wants me to represent them at this national level.
What is CLM?!
This meeting is designed for chapter leaders to learn how to improve and grow their local chapter. Topics such as chapter membership, board of directors, using United Spinal’s logo, and how to develop, implement and put on programs are just a few that are covered over the course of a day and a half. Vendors are also present. They set up a booth to display their product/information and we get time to visit each one to learn about the latest and greatest. Some even present during our conference.
I made sure to have my legal pad and pen ready when the meeting started and by the close of the first day, I had 4 pages of notes written down! We started promptly at 8:30am and didn’t conclude until about 5:30pm (with some breaks and time for lunch, of course). It was a full day, and I always get overwhelmed with information, but I took it in strides and will later review my notes. This way, I’ll reinforce what I learned and be able to write down questions that I’m still unsure about. And, I’ll be able to make a summary to present to our members at the next chapter meeting.
Bringing back to Cleveland
Which, if you are around the Cleveland area, we meet at MetroHealth in the Old Brooklyn Center the third Monday of every month, starting with a light dinner at 6:30pm. Check us out on FB for more information: @neounitedspinal.
I want to take our chapter to the next level. I think we can do so much more than what we currently are. It is going to take a lot of work, but I think it is possible. Like I mentioned earlier, the conference was a day and a half. However, we started with a welcome reception Thursday evening starting at 7:00 pm.
Smart Drive
This year, I had the extreme pleasure and opportunity to try out Max Mobility’s Smart Drive device. This is a powered wheel that attaches to any manual wheelchair to give it a power assist, when needed or wanted. It is operated from a Bluetooth bracelet, that when tapped twice, starts the wheel. The Smart Drive will keep accelerating until the bracelet is tapped once, and will remain on until tapped twice again. Through an app you can control your top speed (with the device maxing out at 5.5 mph) and how fast it accelerates. Here is their YouTube video if you want to see it demonstrated: https://www.thewheellifeblog.com/SmartDriveVIdeo
It took a little time for me to not feel lazy using this. I have spent ten years using my arm power to push myself around. But, not feeling shoulder strain while maneuvering hotel carpet (and trust me, this hotel was HUGE) was such an amazing feeling. Heading back to my room at the end of the day without shoulder pain was different and the first time I did not experience shoulder fatigue. I would have been able to do laps around the hotel, if needed, and not have any pain or fatigue because of the Smart Drive.
By the end of the day Friday, when I had to return the Smart Drive, I did not want to give it back. I am in LOVE with this device. I learned that most insurances will pay for one, so I have some checking to do. If my insurance covers it, you better believe I will be getting one.
Other Happenings
Some of the vendors, alongside Max Mobility, included our friends at Hollister, Cure Care, Hill-Rom, Myomo, LoFric, and NMEDA. This is not an exhaustive list, but you get the idea of some of the vendors there. In addition to vendors, and “lectures” we also had a couple of breakout sessions for a more interactive approach to learning. The chapter leaders could speak about different topics and how their chapters function. Finally, there was a panel discussion on chapter membership, and I was asked to be a part of that panel. We addressed different issues about barriers to member engagement, if we have identified a membership goal, and what would happen if our membership doubled. I felt very honored to be among this panel and was my first time being a part of something like this.
The order in which I described these events are not particularly the order in which they occurred, they are just different aspects of this event.
Some Fun!
But, I can’t go to Vegas and not have SOME fun! After the event concluded, my mother (who was with me for this trip – she couldn’t pass it up) and I went exploring on the Strip. We ended up in the Piano Bar in Harrah’s to watch two brothers perform. They were high energy, very entertaining, and so much fun to watch! We were just going to watch for a few minutes and explore more, but we ended up staying for about an hour or more. After watching them, we headed to the Bellagio to watch the fountains, before finding where Cirque du Soleil’s “O” was performing.
My mother purchased the show tickets the day prior and, to our dismay, the lady booking the tickets put us in seats that were not wheelchair accessible. Spending a few minutes (not getting upset) with the gentleman at the box office proved to be beneficial! He upgraded our tickets to a VIP seat!! HOLLA! We were center stage and we had the best view in the theater!
The show was incredible! Words cannot even begin to describe what I saw. The pure talent of everyone in the production is astounding and the creators sure are imaginative! Quite honestly, though, I’m still scratching my head at what the show was about. I’m not sure if there is a story line or plot to it, but I don’t care. This was incredible! That was the second Cirque du Soleil show that I have seen, and both are so amazing that I cannot describe the talent!
Trip Home
The only downside to this trip was that our flight on the way home was delayed 2.5 hours. Everyone was on the plane and the pilots were ready to start the plane. Then, something happened. Well, actually, I think it was that nothing happened. I’m still not sure what was going on, but we had to de-board the plane, wait in the terminal for about 45 minutes, and then could re-board the plane. Everything ended up being fine after the crew fixed the problem and we landed back in Cleveland just a few hours later than expected. I cannot wait for next year’s CLM in Orlando!
What an opportunity for you!! Hope the insurance comes through.
It was amazing! I need to add finding out what I need to do to my “To-Do” List and schedule a time to find out! In certain situations I keep thinking, “Man! A Smart Drive would be awesome right now!”