Thank you for your warm wish's. It is very helpful to have the forum. I want to stay in contact as that is so VERY important for our well being.
I need very much to share with you what has been going on. Will just take it slow.
I have been renting a room in a beautiful house. It is not wheel chair friendly nor is the neighborhood scooter friendly. But I manage. My house mate is a mentally impaired, but cunning and intelligent. Her mother is the land lord and is over her at least 6 days out of the week. I met them at a dog park a little over a year and a half ago, which is how long I have resided here. The house mate will be 31 in June. The mother is a couple of years older than I am, 33-34. When the mother, we'll call her Mona, offered me the bottom floor room of the house she explained that her daughter had behaviors. I asked her if she was physical, and she said that on occasion she is, but she had care providers there 11 hours a day, 9am-8pm. That she was in bed when the workers left at night. And they woke her up in the morning.
I am on SSI, and that being said I am on a limited income. I am charged $400 a month + $15 a month for water delivery. An amount I can live with.When I moved in, it was a clean, safe, beautiful place to live.
About 8 months after I moved in, the house mate, we'll call her Penny, began seriously physically abusing her care workers in the home. Punching them in the face, ripping out hair, scratching, tearing their clothes etc. Finely they began to quit working for her. When she had just a couple still working for her, there was an episode in one of the workers car. Penny had never attached anyone while in a vehicle. On this day Mona invited us over to her house, across town for dinner. The worker had to stop by her place for something and than we would continue to the mothers house. As we were traveling, on our way out of the workers complex Penny became angry because her care provider would not let Penny use her personal cell phone. Penny's was dead due to not charging it. While the car was moving but not out of the apartment complex Penny who was in the back seat ( I was in the front passenger seat with my left foot and leg in a fiberglass cast ) began physically attacking the care provider. Reaching forward and punching her face and tearing out her hair and ripping her cloths. Both her worker and I where attempting to get her to stop, first by speaking calmly, and when she continued Finley by yelling at her. Shay, my service dog was in my lap and she was frightened and barking wildly. She wasn't quite 2 years old. The worker finely got her car stopped and quickly got out of the car with Penny immediately following. She continued beating the worker. All I could do was sit in the car and continue to try and get Penny's attention. Nothing worked.
Apparently someone from the complex called the police, I had left my cell in my purse which was in the trunk of the car. When law enforcement arrive they pulled Penny away from the worker. While Mona was contacted the officer had brought Penny close to my closed window. I could hear Penny telling the officer in a slightly proud and excited voice" I'm strong, did you see how strong I am?" Anyway, getting past that.
As a consequence the workers that are still here and the new one's were not allowed to have her in the car. One of the workers told me that they could take no legal action because of forms they signed when hired.
Ok, now the mother through all this is telling me and the agency that these attacks are not Penny's fault. First it was because Penny's hormones were out of balance, then it was because of med changes. Everyone believed her including me. Until I was attacked this last time, the fourth time. Please, I am going to ask not to be to hard on me for letting it go on for so long. I was a care provider myself for over 25 years. That part of my makeup kept me from realizing it for what it really was. This last time I had engage the lock I had put on my door and she had gotten past the lock using a table knife. She was goading me all night, " See Tarri, you can't stop me, I can get into your room any time I want."
I want everyone to know that throughout the months previous I was holding my own. Meditations, Laura's material, studying, I was doing well. I think I was. I hope the C's would think so. Anyway it was my therapist who, assisted me In realizing I was doing myself an injustice. I finally asked myself how long I was going to subject myself to this and how long I was going to go on supporting the STS and doing harm to MY STO choice.
I am going to stop here because of constant interrupt ion. I can continue later this evening. I want to ask some questions of the forum. Thanks in advance for your patience. Tarri
