[b]<font color="purple">Update from Broward Country, Florida.

Just got power, phone back. I am NOT fully functioning (and I already typed this paragraph once but lost it and now I have no idea what I typed before...) Wilma came through October 24th, Monday in early morning.. (just like Andrew did August 24, 1992, early morning) "She" went right over my location, and probably Want2fly's also. I see she hasn't been on yet.. many areas still don't have power, phone and /or water that's potable.

Insult to injury (just like Andrew) it was a category 3 yet now some "experts" are trying to say only a "1"... ha! Funny, right through storm they said "3." Why do they deny us legitimacy? As if those of us who live here can't tell a 1 from a 2 from a 3 from a 4 from a 5!

I am quite traumatized - again - as I was disabled in a thunderstorm, went through Andrew and lost everything... and went through Wilma by myself in home.

My home, which I had built for me in '99 to Miami-Dade building code (the strictest in the Nation) suffered NO DAMAGE. Well, the splash guard on one gutter ripped halfway off.. this is insignificant. I lost 5 trees, a Gumbo, a live Oak, the rest of my Mahogany and 2 "weeping figs" (which don't give figs, go figure.) They all fell short of my home, and all fell only on my property.

Debris piles of trees and shrubs, and other stuff others have lost (roof tiles, screen rooms etc.) line the streets. All intersections are 4 way stops and many ppl don't know how to do that. Cellular phones didn't work for many days... and still very unreliable.

I no longer have to "boil water" in my area, but had plenty in stock so I didn't anyway... I didn't cook a thing, in fact, just couldn't manage it. Ate cold soup out of cans, with spoon...etc. I waited in a fuel line one day, had 2 hours between doctors (as one didn't open office since no power there) .. got so sick I had to leave line and was 15th in line at that time! I begged into an ice/water line on day 4... they have no accomodations for handicapped and all have to wait... the first 2 days they had the POD open NO supplies arrived. Ppl had waited 12 - 18 hours for nothing. I didn't need ice.. except for ice packs....

I had no ice packs, no power for heating pad nor hot water... no power to charge my TENS batteries... and while I was very "prepared" ... I was to go to a shelter prior to the storm.. . they (the county) NEVER called me... never contacted me. TV stations/ radio stations never provided special needs shelter info etc.

Talk about another pain flare! Just today my physical therapist's office called (I just got phone back, they just got power back) and I went in today after nearly 2 weeks without. grrrrr My psychologist has struggled with me through out .. including my horrible cellular intermittent service and garbled messages. (His area "only" received wind, not the rain also.. but most all homes have roof damage due to winds.) The whole house shook/vibrated for HOURS like it was going to lift, concrete floors,walls and all! This NEVER happened not even with Andrew, where the roofs and walls went flying...hmmm guess the tying down of roof and walls shakes concrete foundations...)

I'm rattling on... sorry. It clouded up today and I triggered out... the PT's office, which just got power last night, had it's a/c fan on high and I was freaking out telling myself it wasn't a storm, it wasn't wind it wasn't rain it was the A/C FAN! It poured rain on the way home from T's, too. grrrr

I had an MD appointment LAST TUESDAY.. the day after Wilma came through... I managed to get a short call through to them on 3rd try.. and they were PO'd because I was late for my appointment!!!! They had power because they are on same grid as a hospital... like I knew? I had to drive all that way in debris ridden streets and no power/street lights and crazy other ppl driving... heavy sigh.... well, I gave my MD the what for after getting there, and declared the problem of her not giving me enough pain meds.. and she increased them back up some! grrrr I cannot think about this further now.

T says I'm to do "nothing" tonight, Wednesday.. and see him Thursday. There is much more to story here... I can't share .. yet?

Wants2fly, I hope you are managing as best you can.. we've been through so much!

Thank you all for your prayers... I'm sure they made a big difference for me!

Thank you sleeps for the welcome back. I reposted this as I guess ppl didn't realize I had added to the Hurricane thread...