Hello! (long-time lurker posting in now)

My name is Melinda Reed and I was recently interviewed by The Oregonian for an article which appeared in today's edition:

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/99/10/st101315.html

Many Small Businesses Haven't Made Preparations To Stem Y2K Problems

I was hoping the article would be able to help other small business owners by outlining the creative solutions I have come up with to stay in business next year. It was a nice article but here's "the rest of the story."

Last year, two of my staff members came to my office and discussed the importance of Y2K (yes, this was Ashton & Leska). I wasn't very familiar with the issue and so with their guidance I spent 3 months researching Y2K and reading everything I could on emergency preparedness. It didn't take long to realize that if I wanted to stay in business I would have to "create" a new way of doing business.

It seemed to me that everyone was focusing on getting the computers ready and forgetting that it takes people to run a business. No one was getting their employees ready. Furthermore, businesses were notifying clients of their preparations but none were helping the clients to get ready. I own a Health Care at Home Corporation and knew that I needed to get both my staff and clients ready.

Here's what I have done since last November:

I decided that supplies were the place to start -- especially medications. If people do not have life-saving medications on hand, they are going to be too sick to help themselves, or will die -- so other preparations won't matter at that point.
I put together a realistic list of supplies. The local Fire Marshall liked it so much the Fire Department has been including it in their literature on emergency preparation.
I then held a staff inservice that focused on emergency preparation. I followed that with newsletters every 2 weeks to both my staff and clients. The newsletters have been a great way to communicate and have helped to get people through the stages of denial.

Our last inservice was attended by two reporters from the Oregonian: Steve Woodward and Jacqueline Love.
Here is what happened:

First they came to my home because we have inservices at my home. Why, they asked? When I started the company I tried to have traditional inservices at the office. These were paid and mandatory. Hardly anyone came. At that point I quit being traditional and decided to prepare a meal for the staff at my home and not pay them for attending and not make it mandatory. We have dinner on a Thursday night and brunch on Saturday morning to make it convenient. Everyone comes! It is in that relaxed atmosphere that I am able to "listen" to my staff. Healthcare has a terrible turnover rate. I believe that is because people don't know exactly what they want in a job so they go from job to job looking for it. I listen and then try to create that work environment. We consequently have great retention.

Upon arriving Mr. Woodward asked me if "all of these people worked for me?" It certainly did not look like the traditional work force. One of my staff members uses a cane. She is a wonderful companion to our elderly and could not find anyone who would hire her before she came here because of her physical limitations. My workers' comp company used to have fits because I would not give them a set job description. I hire caring people and then find the right job for them. I don't want a "cloned" work force. The diversity is a secret to why we are so good.

Next I showed them my dining room table. On it was a sign that said, "No extra money -- look what you can buy with $10 a week from now until January 1, 2000." I had 14 groupings of food items costing a total of $10 per grouping. The amount of food that can be purchased with such a small amount of money is impressive.

I announced dinner and pointed out that we were cooking using an alternative heat source, sterno. After dinner, the group gathered and we went through emergency preparation notebooks that we had for each staff member.
Here is a synopsis of what we are doing in the major areas of concern:

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 9-30-99

COMMUNICATION: The key to any emergency plan is to have several back-up plans. As of right now, if you cannot get through on the main office number-then call the answering service. The answering service is located in another part of town and with another phone company. If you cannot get through to the answering service-then try calling our cell phones. If you cannot get through on the cell phones then try our home phones. If phone communication goes out then we go to our back-up person to person plan. Someone will be in the office every day at 8:00 am, noon, and 5:00 pm. If you are close to the office that will be your best way of getting in touch with an administrative staff member. At our inservice in November you will be given a map that details the times and places an administrative staff member will be for personal communications.

If the power goes out the basic phones will still work. We have had our office wired with a separate plug-in at every station for a basic phone if the power goes out.

Main office number: 503-968-6363 Answering service: 503-251-4057 Toll-free number: 888-611-6696 Fax machine: 503-624-3950 Melinda's cell phone: Melinda's home phone: Kym's cell phone: Kym's home phone: Ivy's cell phone:

How do you call in your hours if the phones don't work? You write them down on a piece of paper and then you make sure to get them to the office by Monday morning of each week. After November's inservice you will have a map telling you where you can go in your neighborhood to meet an administrative staff member to give them your hours. You will also pick up your paycheck that way if the mail is not working properly.

BANKING: You are scheduled to get a paycheck on January 3, 2000. We don't want you to have to worry about whether you will be able to get to the bank etc. We are working with our clients so that you will have an advance payday on December 23rd. Your paydays until the end of the year are as follows:
OCT 11,25
NOV 8,22
DEC 6,20, 23 (advance payday)

I'm sure you are wondering why we have chosen the 23rd of December for your advance paycheck. My reasoning is that after Christmas everyone will start thinking about Y2K and perhaps go to the bank. This way you are prepared and won't have to worry.

POSTAL: If the Postal Service is not able to function properly then we will hand carry invoices and checks. You will be given a schedule in November of where and when to meet an administrative staff member to exchange your recorded hours worked and to pick up invoices to take to your clients, and to pick up your paychecks.

COMPUTERS: Our accountant has a Y2K compliant computer (if that is totally possible!). Melinda has a generator and we will still be able to do payroll and other necessary functions if the power is out.

ATTENDANCE AT WORK: Our policy is for the staff to call the office in the event of snow, ice, windstorm, or natural disaster and confirm that they will be at work or tell us if it is impossible. We do not want you to risk your life trying to get to work. Melinda has a 4-wheel drive and one year put trucker chains on her car and drove staff to and from work. As we are providing healthcare it is necessary to make every effort to be at your assigned place of work. One year, a staff member went to a client's the night before because ice was expected the next day. The staff member provided for that client's safety. The power went out and you can only imagine what might of happened had the staff member not been there. We have a system for determining which clients have medical necessity. Those clients would die without us. We are meeting with every client and their family in the month of October to set-up emergency plans. Emergencies are never fun but I have fond memories of the teamwork during the past winters. We pulled together and all of our clients were cared for. If you're not scheduled for a shift and are available to work please call and let us know.

I was happy to announce that almost 25% of our staff had voluntarily taken the 7-week FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training given by the Fire Department. All of our Administrative Staff Members are CERT certified.

Next, awards were given to staff for length of time with the company. This year I decided to give emergency supplies to the staff. Every staff member received 8 5-gallon buckets, and a starter emergency supply kit. Others received flashlights/batteries, radios/batteries, and others $75.00 to buy emergency supplies. It was a fun evening and the staff couldn't believe all the supplies they went home with.

The Oregonian was interested in how we were preparing our clients for Y2K. A photographer from the Oregonian met me at a client's home the following week. My main purpose for the visit was to find out what the client had done to prepare and to make sure the staff member knows what to do. We went through the procedure for turning on a generator and using the patch panel at the client's home. The client was surprised to find that the battery on the generator had gone dead. This certainly highlighted the importance of checking preparations before the need arises. These visits are also important for writing up emergency plans that are unique to that client and for educating families about their responsibilities in an emergency. Each client is given a notebook with their personal emergency plans as well as copies of the corporate emergency plans.

BASIC SUPPLIES -- List by No Worries Corporation

1) MEDICATIONS
Don't ever be without a two-week supply of your medications. It is highly recommended that by December of 1999 you have a 1-3 month supply of your medications if possible. It is also recommended that you have a copy of your prescriptions. Don't forget to also have over-the-counter medications on hand. Be sure to check expiration dates; some out-of-date medications become toxic.

2) ALTERNATIVE LIGHTING
Candles are a fire hazard because they are easily upset and dangerous to use. If you choose to use candles make sure they have a wide-based-holder and are away from curtains and other flammables. Remember that power can go off and on. One book of matches will not be enough. Have several boxes and put some in a zip lock bag. If you use a walker or are shaky on your feet then you should think about getting some "lightsticks." These can be purchased at GI Joe's , REI, and at some of the local grocery stores. You might have seen kids carrying them at Halloween. They are sticks that glow for about 12 hours. Propane lamps, Coleman lamps, and kerosene lamps are other alternatives.

3) FLASHLIGHTS WITH EXTRA BATTERIES
It is much safer to keep a flashlight in several places (remember the bathroom) so you have one close by. For the elderly we recommend a battery-powered lantern that you can plug into the wall and if the power goes off it automatically goes on. Falls can happen when people get up at night to go to the bathroom and the lights don't work.

4) BATTERY OPERATED RADIO WITH EXTRA BATTERIES
Solar operated radios are great even in Oregon! The small ones don't need a lot of light. We added a radio to the list because it is so important to be able to find out what is going on. It is hard to find small radios. Radio Shack has a nice one for about $10.00. The large radios take a lot of batteries so be aware of that when you make your selection.

5) MANUAL CAN OPENERS
You definitely don't want to be without these.

6) WARM CLOTHES
Have warm clothes like a hat, gloves, warm pants, etc. in one place. If you do not have an alternative heat source then go to the room with the most sunlight. Keep the heat in that room as much as possible by closing it off to the rest of the house. It takes about 3-4 days for a regular size house with 4 inhabitants to equalize to the outside temperature.
HANDWARMERS. These are little square packs that you push on to activate and they stay warm for up to 8 hours. You can also put them inside your shoes to keep your feet warm. They are inexpensive (under $1.50 for a multiple pack) and will help to keep you warm.

7) FIRST AID KIT
If the power is out many people will be out chopping wood, using their fireplaces, lighting candles etc. Accidents are more likely to happen while doing things we don't usually do. A plastic tool box is a great way to put together a customized First Aid Kit. Families need more of everything!

8) CLOCK-BATTERY OPERATED OR WIND-UP
It is beneficial to have one as a backup so that you will not be late to work. It is also helpful in the confusion of an emergency to know what time it is.

9) A CHEAP PHONE
The real basic, inexpensive phones operate without electricity. Have one on hand for when the power goes out.

10) TOILETRIES, SANITARY PRODUCTS
If you use an electric razor then you may want to think of having a razor on hand in case the power goes out. Have a good supply of incontinence supplies if a family member uses them. Remember denture needs, hearing aid batteries, extra eyeglasses (keep your old pair for emergencies) feminine supplies, soap, etc.
Make a list for each family member.

11) PAPER TOWELS, DISPOSABLE PLATES, CUPS, UTENSILS
In an emergency you want things to be as easy as possible.

12) BUCKETS
For washing, collecting water, etc.

13) TOILET PAPER/FACIAL TISSUES
Keep track of how much you use in a week to know how much to store.

14) FUN GAMES
If you have a family to keep occupied during an emergency you may want to add more to your emergency supply of fun.

15) PLASTIC GARBAGE BAGS
If for some reason you could not flush your toilet, then FEMA recommends having lots of plastic garbage bags on hand. These could be used to line the toilet and then after being used close the bag and put in a larger plastic garbage bag or plastic bucket with lid.
You will need to keep personal waste and other garbage separate.
It is easy to imagine how important plastic garbage bags would be if garbage pickup were delayed due to bad weather or a disaster.

16) PAPER CURRENCY AND COINS
Do not wait until December to have some cash on hand. The Federal Reserve has printed up 50 billion more in currency in anticipation of people having money on hand in case ATM machines etc. don't work Jan. 1, 2000. Our suggestion is to put aside a little money every week. Putting $5 or $10 aside every week will add up by the end of the year. None of the experts have suggested making a run for the bank. The banks are predicted to be fine, but if the power is out, the banks won't be open. It is a good idea to have some cash on hand.

17) ABC FIRE EXTINGUISHER
It is only helpful if you know when and how to use it. Fire is the third leading cause of accidental death. Plan your escape. Agree on a meeting place outside your home where every family member will gather after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department.

18) CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR AND SMOKE DETECTOR
Both detectors are needed.
When using alternative heat and light sources you want to be sure you are safe. Your detectors should not be hooked into your electrical system. If they are have a battery operated backup. Check the batteries every fall. With smoke detectors your risk of dying in a home fire is cut nearly in half.

19) WET WIPES
Probably better known as "baby wipes" or towelettes. These are great for in the car and at home. Have some for in the bathroom as well as in the kitchen. Towelettes will reduce the need to use drinking water for washing. There is also anti-bacterial soap that does not use water.

20) TOOLS
If you have gas you will want to get a wrench for shutting off your gas in the event of a gas leak. A hammer and some nails may come in handy if you are hanging a blanket across a doorway to keep heat in a room. Other tools to have on hand: heavy duty tape, a pocket knife, safety pins, broom and scissors. Work gloves are important to protect hands from rubble or broken glass.

21) ALTERNATIVE HEAT SOURCE FOR COOKING
BBQ's and camp stoves should never be used inside a home. Sterno or jellied alcohol are inexpensive in-home alternatives. Ventilation is a must. Have aluminum foil on hand -- it can be used to cook things in and as a liner to keep pans clean. If you plan to use a portable generator do not connect the generator to your home's electrical system. Don't put a generator in your basement or garage but in a well-ventilated area outside. It takes about 20 gallons of fuel for 24 hours of use. Store fuel away from home.

22) IMPORTANT RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS
It is highly recommended that copies of all important documents be kept in a watertight, fireproof box. Send a copy of these records to a close relative. (Important phone numbers, financial records, list of medications, brief health history, list of allergies, legal documents like wills, birth certificates, genealogy, social security cards, photos, marriage certificates, loan and credit card statements, tax returns, mortgage documents.)

23) FAMILY PHOTOS
If a family member gets lost a photo will help rescuers.

24) PLASTIC CHEST WITH TIGHT FITTING LID FOR STORING SUPPLIES
If you have an extra cupboard in the house then you won't need a container for these supplies. The hint here is to know where your supplies are. It is surprising how hard it is to remember where everything is in an emergency. We suggest calling your storage container your "Hope Not" chest!

25) PLASTIC SHEETING/TARP
Can be used to keep the rain out if a window is broken, cover a leak in the roof, or to protect supplies.

26) WHISTLE OR LOUD BELL
It is easier to ring a bell than to call out for help.

27) SCRIPTURES AND OTHER INSPIRATIONAL READING

28) PAPER/PENCIL
You may need to evacuate -- leave a note as to where you have gone and who is with you.

I believe that there is still time for other small businesses to make plans that will keep them in business through Y2K.
And that's the "rest of the story."

Melinda

-- Melinda Reed, RN (melinda@noworries.org), October 13, 1999

Answers

Melinda: Do you like to mudwrestle?

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), October 13, 1999.

Sounds like Ashton and Leska work for a nice and smart person. Thanks for your thoughts.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), October 13, 1999.

Thank you Ashton and Leska for posting this for me. I cannot imagine how terrible it would have been for me and my business if you hadn't taken the time to tell me about Y2K. I hope this posting will help other small businesses who are looking for answers. Melinda

-- melinda reed (melinda@noworries.org), October 13, 1999.

You are most welcome, Melinda! If only the newspaper had truly reported what they saw and heard, interviewing you, your staff, your clients, and watching your excellent inservice. You certainly gave them plenty of substantial materials to work with. Many Oregonian readers will have no idea of the thought and work you have put into making your home care service viable under emergency circumstances. We know for a fact that the other agencies out there will not be able to help the elderly, the tremendous numbers of scared, ill, and displaced elderly, in January.

Considering that the health care industry is tops in the "Y2K Dire Straits" category, the newspaper *should* have run your story front and center page above the fold!

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 13, 1999.

Melinda -

Many, many thanks for this message and for your hard work. As A&L can tell you, I'm a transplanted Cascadian, and I'm very proud to see that there are such caring, thoughtful people back in the old stomping grounds. Be well.

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), October 13, 1999.

A&L -

Mind if I send this along to some DGI medicos I know? I ask because they may decide to contact Melinda or y'all after reading it and I didn't want you to get blind-sided.

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), October 13, 1999.

Mac, sure, send it, anything to chip thru the Denial Brickbat Wall and motivate people to prep. It would be great if people *do* call Melinda. She is one of the most relentlessly cheerful, positive persons we've ever met! :-) She will not scare them or grow horns and fur-palms as she explains Y2K concerns and contingencies. At this point, brainstorming among medical workers is a very good idea.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 13, 1999.

Well, one of the recipients will be my brother-in-law (great guy and from all reports a very good anesthesiologist), so it's a very personal request. Thanks!

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), October 13, 1999.

Melinda,

I am a R.N. and I work for a homecare agency affiliated with a major hospital. NOTHING on Y2K for all this time until one week ago a letter in the mail from the hospital. They basically said that all essential departments have extra staff on hand. I've asked here and there and none of my patient families or co-workers believe this will be anything more than a BITR. I've tried talking and reasoning with them to no avail. Last night I worked a 12 hour shift with a 2 1/2 year old adorable girl with short bowel syndrome and I cry inside for her and her family. She uses TPN, Lipids and Pediasure thru G-button. Their stock is maybe a few weeks into the future. I have another patient, 13 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy and diabetes. I talkied to her mom and she says "what will be will be". She won't stock anything as she doesn't believe things will be bad at all.

I live in rural VA and I hope there will be enough gas for me to get to my homecare jobs and/or if even my 1992 Suburu will work.

You are WONDERFUL to have done what you've done. A & L as well. Some lucky people in your neck of the woods might just do fine thanks to you.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), October 13, 1999.

King of Spain-lots of mud here in Oregon! Debi, Thank you for your post. One of the great things about owning my own business is that I can make change happen quickly and do what I feel is morally right. I've been thinking about your post and your patients' situations. In both cases the actual "patient" doesn't have the ability to prepare. The child and young girl are at the mercy of their parents. I work with a mostly elderly population and I have included their families in the preparations. It is an amazing difference from your situation. My patient's families want their parents to be prepared. The children themselves are older and wiser. I have found them to be a receptive audience. Some of my clients have told me they think I'm nuts but they still go along with it because it makes sense from a "prepare for winter" perspective. Do I think that I will be able to get all my staff and clients really prepared for what may come? Of course I don't know. I just know that I'm grateful to have been given a chance to make these preparations and I feel they should too. How about if we brainstorm and see if we can come up with something in your situation? Melinda

-- melinda reed (melinda@noworries.org), October 13, 1999.

Response to ]]] Barely Scratched the Surface! ]]] Prep For Small Biz

Greetings Melinda!

Great job & congrats on all the hard, excellent work! (Also to Ashton & Leska).

;-D

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 13, 1999.

Response to ]]] Barely Scratched the Surface! ]]] Prep For Small Biz

The Oregonian article... for the archives...

Many small businesses haven't made preparations to stem Y2K problems

An exception is home health care provider No Worries, which is setting an example others could follow

Wednesday, October 13, 1999

By Jacqueline Love of The Oregonian staff

http:// www.oregonlive.com/news/99/10/st101315.html

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

There aren't many small businesses giving employees flashlights, radios and Y2K preparedness kits as a reward for good work.

No Worries, a home health care provider, may be the only company in Portland that does. Melinda Reed, president, wants her employees, clients and families to be ready for anything if the worst happens at the start of the year.

She's checking her clients' generators, making contingency plans to pay her employees if there is a disruption at her bank and learning how to purify water with bleach.

That's much more than many in her shoes are doing.

Reed owns one of the 97,000 registered small businesses in Oregon. Y2K-related glitches could cause 11 percent of those firms to experience a significant loss of market share or shut down altogether, according to officials at the Small Business Administration in Portland.

But officials say there is still time to get ready for the Year 2000 computer problem. Also known as Y2K, the problem stems from the inability of some computers to recognize the year 2000. Programmers shortened four-digit years to two digits in an effort to save precious memory. Therefore 1980 becomes 80; and on Jan. 1, some computers may interpret 00 as 1900.

Whom to call

For more information on how to get ready for Y2K, you can contact James Steiner, Small Business Administration district information resource manager, at 503-326-2586.

Businesses and governments worldwide are expected to spend as much as $600 billion to fix the date problem, which could cause woes ranging from simple miscalculations to complete computer system failures.

Small businesses become critical because they play pivotal roles in the supply chains of larger companies, according to the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem report.

Small businesses trail far behind in Y2K preparations, according to the Senate report.

The nearly 4.7 million small companies nationwide created more than11.18 million jobs between 1992 and 1996. In Oregon alone, about 20,000 employees from businesses now considered unprepared for Y2K glitches could become unemployed during the first quarter of 2000, according to the SBA.

And it's not easy dealing with people who aren't willing to help themselves, said James Steiner, information resource manager for the SBA in Portland.

"You get frustrated. You can't get people to attend classes, or you show up to a class and hope for 50 to 100 people, and four show up," he said. The SBA has held dozens of seminars and workshops around the state aimed at Y2K preparedness, but there have been few attendees.

But there is still time to get ready for Y2K, Steiner said.

By at least five days before New Year's Eve, a business should have checked any equipment that might be reliant on chips with the date problem, including PCs, cash registers, scanners and mechanical devices. Owners should also talk to suppliers and other companies they depend on for day-to-day production to see what their preparedness level is.

"You've got to make a contingency plan and you've got to test it," Steiner said.

"It's so hard to know what the plan should be," said Reed, president and founder of No Worries. "But I just feel like I've kind of dreamed up the best contingency plan I could."

And it's a plan she's been working on for nearly a year now.

It wasn't until she had gone through every single preparation that she said she had a clear idea of what to expect. She's checked her computer systems; talked to her bank, telephone companies and employees; made contingency plans, and is now meeting with each of her clients to assess their preparedness levels.

Now she's acting as a Y2K consultant to other small businesses.

"Some small businesses still think I'm crazy, but I'd like to help as many as I can," Reed said.

But it doesn't matter to her that some may think she's over-preparing for what might be a non-event.

"I'm a small business, and my house is securing the SBA loan," she said. "I also care about my family and my employees, who are my friends."

For her, that's reason enough.

You can reach Jacqueline Love at 503-294-7671 or by e-mail at jackielove@news.oregonian.com.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 13, 1999.

Melinda,

Any input or help you can give me would be much appreciated. I mean, I haven't given up on trying to talk with these people. The mother of the diabetic child is into the Sufism way of life and feels what is meant to be, will happen. The other family are very fine folks and I can talk with them so will continue to try.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), October 13, 1999.

Debi, this is a suggestion from the heart, where logic indeed can reign in perfect poise. If you have some extra time and @ $14, take this CD to the home and play it for mother & daughter, the whole thing, while sitting together absorbed in these beautiful sounds. Then tell them both that you care for them very much, and feel inspired to encourage them to prepare themselves with some comfort insurance. Print this thread and give them the prep list. It is a good use of the Lord's gifts of reason, intelligence, love in action to provide with forethought for disruptions. This Y2K disruption comes from human error, not an Act of God.

Mystic Dance, devotional music by Felix Maria Woschek
1994, KoHa Music, Munich, distributed in the USA by Music Design

Music therapy has worked many miracles for us. This CD is full of Sufi joy of music, very soothing, yet heart energizing.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 13, 1999.

A & L, Thank you for your kind suggestion. I bet the mom already has that CD. She always plays this beautiful music for me when I am at her home taking care of her daughter. She is a wonderful mother and dearly loves her daughter. I will talk to her about preps versus printing this out, because of patient confidentiality. Even though I don't use her name, I wouldn't want her to think I am talking about her. So I feel this would be more appropriate.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), October 14, 1999.

Debi, we said print the thread and give them the prep list! We should have said print Page 1 & 2 or 2 & 3 (?) (don't know how many pages you'd have to print to get Melinda's practical list - #28) Just the prep list. But hafta print to get to it to snip to give others. Can't just eMail the URL. The whole point was confidentiality :-)

Anyway, hope she does have that CD. We used to assume, if we had a great CD, that others of like interest would have it too; we were surprised to find that not as many people research music therapy as fanatically as us! And we're always on the lookout for gorgeous music, so, erm, if you happen to see what the titles are of the beautiful stuff she's playing, could you write it down and eMail it to us so we can go listen to it and maybe add it to our collection?

The thought of disruption in the CD pipeline depresses us more than any other shortage -- we've got enough soup, etc -- but one can NEVER get enough sublime music!

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 14, 1999.

A & L, Sorry I didn't post back for a few hours, had to go to work. I will do as you suggested and also get back to you with her CD's. Thanks again.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), October 15, 1999.

Hi, Melinda has another tidbit of help for patients which she wants posted:

Life Line

If you are on life-saving equipment, you may register with your electric company to make sure you are a priority for repairs. Call 1-800-542-8818 for PGE's Life Line registration form.

Check with your utility for a similar program! Don't wait.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 12, 1999.