Janesta Carcich wants to stay in control of her life and be able to help others do the same.
Despite a series of health problems, Carcich, 48, works part time as an independent living advocate with Disability Action Center Northwest Inc. in Moscow.
Her job is to direct clients to agencies that are best able to help them remain independent, such as the Accessibility Improvement Program, which provides money to improve access to homes for qualified people with a disability.
"I assist people with their independent living goals," Carcich said.
Though she doesn't use her job as a therapy session for herself, Carcich will discuss with clients her health challenges from arthritis and a painful muscle and tissue disorder called fibromyalgia.
"It's easier for some people to talk with someone who has been there," Carcich said.
Another part of her job is to inform the public about people with disabilities and how they want to be treated.
"We want to be part of the community; we want to contribute; we want to pay our bills," she said.
Carcich is thankful for her job at Disability Action Center, and the flexibility the nonprofit company has shown to accommodate her needs.
She was given a laptop computer so she could work from home when needed, as well as a reclining chair that allows her to change positions to avoid stiffness while at the office.
Her employment at Disability Action Center came by chance.
Carcich had asked the director of the nonprofit organization if he knew anyone who would hire someone in need of a flexible schedule and who would not always be dependable because of her health. She was hired about a week later.
Carcich's health problems started at a young age.
She first noticed arthritis symptoms in her knees while in her teens. In 1984 she had surgery on her back because of a ruptured disc, and has since developed arthritis in her back. In 1987 she was diagnosed with the connective tissue disorder called fibromyalgia, which she says feels a bit like arthritis, but affects the muscles and soft tissues instead of joints.
"Your whole body feels like you've been beat up with a baseball bat," Carcich said.
In 1994, Carcich sustained another injury that exacerbated the fibromyalgia and hurt her knees.
"I was in so much pain I couldn't work for two years," she said.
Carcich had scheduled a knee replacement surgery with the hope the pain would decrease. She was told by her doctor that she was the youngest person he had ever performed such a surgery on.
About three months before the surgery, Carcich visited her mother in California. Because she was in so much pain, Carcich asked a flight attendant for a wheelchair.
"I got in that wheelchair and it was freeing for me," she said.
Carcich continued to use a wheelchair in the time between the California visit and the surgery.
While in the wheelchair, Carcich said she noticed that people treated her differently. They tried to ignore her. That experience has helped her understand some of the problems experienced by her clients.
She doesn't know what she would have done without the support of her family, which gave her hope when she thought there was none left.
And despite all the challenges, Carcich said she wouldn't change anything about her experiences.
"It's changed my life for the better," she said. "I know a lot more about myself." <>
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