Ted Bickel

by Ted Bickel
(Fern Creek Kentucky)

Ted Bickel August 2007

I shall be 58 years young in October 2008, the 7th anniversary of my left hip disarticulation.


Since 2001, I have been teaching Chemistry in a wheelchair at Trinity High School, in St Matthews Kentucky. I use a walker to get to my van which has a wheelchair stored in it. They wanted to charge me an arm AND a leg for the van but I negotiated ! When I get to school, I unload the wheelchair by myself, propping my body against the van for support.

I spend the day in the wheelchair and load it by myself back into the van for the trip home. At the house, I again use the walker to get inside where I have another wheelchair for domestic uses.

To this point I have needed no accommodations to my home for the hip disarticulation. I am now to the point where ramps, bars in the shower, etc would be nice but not yet necessary.

In March 2008, I was told that my contract for teaching Chemistry would not be renewed. I am 57 years young and my salary for school year 2008/2009 would probably pay for 2 new teachers.
Since I taught summer school, I could not apply for Federal Disability until the middle of July 2008. Trinity is a private school and does not pay into unemployment, so that road is closed to me.

The fellow that took my application for Federal Disability is the parent of a former student of mine. When applying for things, I do not go online, I go to the office so that they can clearly see I am in a wheelchair and that I have just one leg. That seems to cut to the chase.

I was told that I would receive between 1200 and 1400 a month and that it would start in January 2009.

Two weeks ago I filled out an extensive (4 page I think) PAIN SHEET about the pain I am experiencing from the Ankylosing Spondylitus (none), Phantom Pain from the amputation ( ongoing constant background pain... level 2 out of 10...is easily blocked thru day to day activities AND a shooting grabbing pain that lasts severa hours but only occurs once a month..level 8-9 out of 10. I have just recently gotten CLONAZEPAM to be used as needed for this pain.)

My primary physician is Dana Harris and very sympatetic to my entire situation. I thank my GOD for her every day!

I returned the filled out form the same day.

Last Saturday, Aug 2 2008, I met with a Chiropractor. The FEDS had arranged this appointment. I got a letter and a phone call from each confirming the appointment.

I filled out a pretty comprehensive Disability Form. Then I had an eye exam, read the chart kind of thing. I have multi focals and forgot to adjust my glasses to the correct focus. So we had to redo the left eye test. The Ankylosing Spondylitus has bent my neck to the point that I have to move my glasses to see the chart because I can not move my neck much.

In the doctor's office, I was asked to do calisthentics for the disabled. Not any Richard Simmons' stuff, just stretching, wiggling, standing (I was told that I have incredible balance on my one leg) and other flexibility range of motion stuff.

The doctor seemed to dwell on the fact that I was disabled in 2001 and am now only applying for Federal Disability in 2008.

I am sensing that it would have been better for me NOT to have struggled to work those 7 years. I am getting the message that I should have given up and gone the disability route immediately after the amputation.

Trinity could NOT fire me for the sole reason that I was a one legged Chemistry Teacher coming back to work after the amputation. HOWEVER another school will NOT hire me because I am a one legged Chemistry Teacher and have the baggage of:

1. my balance while working with acids and other chemicals standing up

2. safety of students..could I get to accident scene quick enough in the wheel chair?

3. inaccessibility of many school's Chemistry Labs (lots of OLD High Schools in the Louisville Area).
4. my high salary at Trinity precludes many schools from talking with me.

5. my age precludes many schools from talking with me.

I am not sure if I am on the fast track to get disability approval.

My plan is to wait a month to see if I get any notification of progress.

I will also call the guy at disability and thank him for the progress thus far.

During that time, I am investigating resources to check my eligibility for assistance.

I tried the first 2 government funding companies on the Disability Digest Site. The first one on the site will not accept my mastercard for the $3.00 S&H fee.

The second one sends me to adobe. I have the Dell from HELL computer and the adobe screen is bigger than my screen and I can not get to the I AGREE button. I teach chemistry not computers!

The third and final link is GrantUniversity.com. I paid their S&H fee yesterday and have a free trial until next Tuesday.

I will work thru their disk by Sunday and cancel Monday if I find nothing to help me. They want $69 a month after that!

At this time I have avoided those sites that offer free money up to 750K but want $13 to $50 upfront. I have the time and can do the digging for free.

I have contacted my Senator in Washington and was sent 15 pages of copied material from the CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE. The document is long on promises but short on specifics. I was expecting get information on particular assistances...go to the website for the application. I read promises of 200K individual loans that do not need to be paid back but there are no specific listings of who or where.

I am not a farmer, veteran, do not live in a foreign country, and am not over 65.

Finally, I currently pay $800 a month for Health Insurance under Cobra. I do not have wisdom teeth (which explains a lot) but I still have my appendix, tonsils and other things that should have gone bad by now. I understand that Health Insurance will be available at a reduced cost once the disability kicks in.

I am looking to see if other insurance carriers will insure me for less but my pre existing conditions seem to block the way.

To quote Linda Ellerby...

AND SO IT GOES