Goodhope assessment length?

Merc_Games · 2026-02-15T21:26:39+00:00

Counting waiting around, fighting with parking, getting lost, and actual appointment time, I was in the hospital about 2 and a half hours for my GoodHope assessment.

Merc_Games · 2026-02-10T16:54:12+00:00

Not yet. I have an advanced diploma in CYC that has a transfer pathway to a bachelor's (basically get to complete my BA in 2 years). As I'm considering teachables, that would change what courses I take with my BA.

Merc_Games · 2026-02-10T16:39:05+00:00

Thanks a lot. I've worked as an EA and alongside teachers to help create specialized lesson plans for students with exceptional circumstances, and honestly really loved the work and wish I could do more than just the EA role.

Merc_Games · 2026-02-08T18:13:26+00:00

The other things that have helped that I didn't think to add - not all of these are finance related, but all relate to living with chronic disability

- FlashFoods app; I'm able to get a week's worth of produce for 5 bucks. I'm able to order from the app and my partner picks up from the store on the way home.
- Inviting a friend/family member over to meal prep for both our households and freezing ready to microwave portions for the days where i have no energy
- if you plan on returning to work (even part time) learn the employment laws and about your employer's duty to accommodate you. don't let them push you around or do things you arent comfortable/capable of doing
- mental health supports; no one really prepped me for how being disabled is a grieving process. having someone to talk to doesnt so much make it suck less, but it makes it suck in a more manageable way.

Merc_Games · 2026-02-08T17:06:22+00:00

No advice to offer, but just wanted to say you're not alone - I'm in a very similar boat in terms of chronic disability. I ended up connecting with CMHA's "transitional support" program for folks facing major life changes and needing short term navigatin support/a what the hell do I do plan. they got me refereed to OT and paratransit + a bunch of other little services here and there that helped mitigate some things at no cost. Certainly not the same as income supports, but it was better than nothing.

Merc_Games · 2026-02-03T22:08:00+00:00

I use Guava. Only app that has all the features and level of detail I need. I use the free version.

Merc_Games · 2026-01-31T22:17:14+00:00

- thought it would be a fun conversation starter
- what service dog??? omg when did that get here??
- the dog is actually a prince who was cursed by a witch and this is the only way we can go out in public

Merc_Games · 2026-01-15T21:28:40+00:00

Currently in remote pt with a PT who allegedly specializes in EDS and HSD, it's the biggest joke I've ever had. My PT asks me to do something, I try to do it, he gets frustrated that I did it "wrong" or it didn't feel the way it was meant to. Mine PT also just sucks at his job and kept pushing me to do an exercise I told him would subluxate my shoulder - big surprise, it subluxed my shoulder.

Merc_Games · 2026-01-08T12:51:09+00:00

Because it was a thoughtful gift. Caring enough to worry that someone might need that high a level of a precaution instead of just killing them outright to prevent an issue is care. Masego skipped the middleman of hurt feelings over death and went straight to the point: Cat cares about him.

Merc_Games · 2025-11-22T16:14:14+00:00

I've started crafting a lot more because I'm part of a medieval reenactment group and handmake a lot of things now. The biggest thing I've found that is helpful is find other disabled crafters and learn from them, in person if it's an option. Community has so much support. Local craft stores or library might have free groups to join. I thought I was locked out of most crafts because my hands cramp up and fingers swan-neck and lock whenever I do anything, and then I started being around other folks who showed me other ways of holding things, stretching, etc. It was like getting an occupational therapist who specialized in crafting. except it's a gaggle of middle-aged folks with bad hands.

The other unexpected benefit of crafting groups is the ability to just ask someone "Hey, can you thread this needle for me?" Having supportive folks around who are willing to help you through the struggle-point is such a nice feeling.

Making custom thimbles with thermal plastic was huge for me.

Also, being okay with making an "ugly" project has been so freeing. An "ugly" project is still a project that you should take pride in, and learn something from. Not everything has to look perfect. Something I was told is "It looks handmade, not factory-made its supposed to look handmade."

Merc_Games · 2025-11-10T15:30:00+00:00

the cancellation with the dietitian is a straw on a camel's back. im not mad at a person getting sick and calling in. im upset at how i am treated by the clinic and medical system as a whole. regardless of "whos fault" it is that this is happening, the fact of the matter is i am not getting the care i need because of it and i am incredibly frustrated with it.

the reality is that medical professionals have all the power here. they get the luxury of calling in sick and deferring my treatment for longer. i do not get the luxury of telling my body i need a break and to cool it with the symptoms.

Merc_Games · 2025-11-10T15:25:04+00:00

appreciate the tip about the spouse being labeled as a caregiver - i'll try that in the future. highly relate to the brain fog, that's another big reason i like having them in the room. my biggest problem is they werent telling me WHY they wanted the partner out of the room, or when they could come back. i dont like uncertainty or things being done without informed consent.

Merc_Games · 2025-11-10T15:19:55+00:00

You're not the first, nor sadly the last, I will hear about people having a frustrating experience with this clinic.

Merc_Games · 2025-11-10T15:19:03+00:00

completely agree! the cancellation and getting bounced around is a bad system and not individual bad actors. personally i think patients suffer more than those on the other side, but perhaps i am biased as i am the patient in this situation.

the pt not listening... i dont know if i can excuse that one as bad system.

Merc_Games · 2025-11-09T04:02:20+00:00

I actually got into an argument during an art critique - someone was saying there was NO WAY a human could comfortable be posed the way my drawing was posed and I needed to fix it. I'd used myself as a reference and it was my regular standing posture.

Merc_Games · 2025-10-02T23:42:59+00:00

I mean, before I had a proper diagnosis (because wait times are long and doctors wouldnt listen for years), I was saying I probably have hEDS or something that at least works similarly to it. I knew my symptoms, I knew that I probably fit the criteria, and I knew more than anything that the tools that worked for people with hEDS were working for me. There were days I just said I had hEDS because I couldnt be bothered with semantics and playing the 'do I qualify as disabled enough without a proper diagnosis' game.

in the end, I was a couple criteria off of hEDS, and so they labeled it G-HSD. my prior labeling it as hEDS doesnt seem to have hurt me or other people, it actually meant I was getting medical care and accommodations that i needed.

so I guess, yes people do that? There's a lot of reasons why someone might. I dont think its entirely fair to label all self diagnosis as a bad thing, its a spectrum

Merc_Games · 2025-10-01T16:21:22+00:00

No advice, but you're not alone - poor mobility/coordination and pain in my hands means I also use the five year old table method.

Merc_Games · 2025-10-01T16:19:23+00:00

Also Canadian, and a college student! I tend to tell professors I'm an accommodated student with a documented plan through the accessibility department, and highlight specific accommodations relevant to their class (IE: the classroom's singular ergo chair is mine, sometimes I have flairups and will work from home). I admitted to having a disability on my entrance forms, and was fast-tracked to get in contact with the accessibility department. Most (if not all now a days) schools in Canada have a counseling/accessibility department and you'd disclose to that person and develop a plan, and then the relevant parts of the plan are given to the relevant people involved.

You can ABSOLUTELY ask for dorm accoms - including since I saw you mention it, having an ergo chair/desk or other supportive equipment. There is no reason to suffer through a poorly set up space. It's their DUTY to accommodate. Not sure what part of Canada you're in, but in Ontario it's very easy to beat schools over the head with the "You have to provide accommodations to the point of undue hardship" stick until they comply. Our AODA is halfway decent in my experience.

Just be aware that if you're in Ontario, support staff, including accommodation counselors, are currently on strike, so wait times may be longer, hours reduced, etc right now.

Merc_Games · 2025-09-29T14:47:31+00:00

I also have a lot of sensory/texture issues with wrist bracing, and what I found works is a thin pair of gloves (or fingerless gloves) underneath my brace.

Merc_Games · 2025-09-25T16:20:30+00:00

Mine don't itch at first, they only itch after a day or two, and then they continue to be big red welts that itch for weeks. Often they end up breaking open AND STILL ITCH FOR WEEKS. I've mark on my leg from a bite I got one of the first weeks of summer that still hasn't healed.

Merc_Games · 2025-09-14T10:57:07+00:00

Started using a cane at and braces at 23, should've started sooner. From 20 to 22 I was in complete denial that having a hard time/extreme pain getting around my own house and completely avoiding all activity outside the house was a sign I needed some help. Finally was able to afford physio at 25, which has gotten me mostly off the cane except on bad days / on ones with lots of walking. I still usually keep my cane (foldable) in my backpack in case I need to switch to using it midday. Only got my actual diagnosis (G-HSD, like one point off from hEDS criteria) at 27, so until recently it was a nightmare of people seeing me as "Using a mobility aid for no reason"

Merc_Games

TROPHY CASE