Reality Sometimes Bites

Well – my vacation is definitely over… Glad I had that relaxing week for the wedding because reality is biting my rear and I’m not a happy camper over it, at all!

Let’s see, how do I count the ways that things have been less than “fun” since I came back to the real world…

 - Ron fell on Saturday before I left, and although he didn’t break anything, he did cause himself some bodily pain and swelling in his “limb.”

 - The week I came back, he fell again – this time, not directly down on his limb but while we were trying to get him into the shower. That whole scenario just isn’t working out. I have got to figure out a better way to transfer him in and out of the shower.

 - Last night, when I came home from work I found him “stranded” in his lift chair. It had broken on the way down and he couldn’t get out. I have had fears about something like this happening, but more on the lines of the power going out. It has a batter back-up available (need to put in a 9-volt battery) so that isn’t an issue. I pulled the paperwork for the chair (which we bought from an individual) and it says on it that the warranty is only good for the original purchaser. I kind of had a feeling this would be the case (ran into that with the wheelchair – although it was new, it was “used” when we purchased it because we were not the original purchaser, and even though it had a factory defect they would not cover the repair). I called the local repair office. Left a message. They didn’t call back.

 - Had to go downstairs for a tornado warning last night. We don’t usually worry too much about the weather (hey – we’re in Kansas and used to this stuff), but last night we decided we’d heed the recommendations and take shelter. 15 minutes later, we’re still on the stairs. If a tornado had actually come through (it was on the ground less than five miles from us), we would have not been in a very safe place. When it was time to come back upstairs, it took another 15 minutes or so of Ron crawling up the stairs on his knees. His very sore knees, I might add. Then, try getting a 250+ pound man into his wheelchair. Alone. With no help. Lovely…

 - Ron’s friend has been at our house for over three four hours trying to fix the darn lift chair. He’s taken it apart at least three four times and when it goes back together, it will go smoothly on the track once or twice – and then start hanging up again. Darn, darn, and darn again. He’s a builder/carpenter, “jack of all trades” kind of guy. He can’t figure out why it’s hanging up like it is.

 - Today’s foray into the orthotics office was successful in that Ron got a new brace for his left leg, which will help mimic the “toe off” action when walking. Insurance won’t pay for it and all the guy would say was, “It’s not cheap, but we’ll file insurance anyway.” It’s carbon fiber. He wouldn’t even begin to tell us what the artificial leg expense is. We got six socks in one thickness, three socks in a 2nd thickness, and three socks in a 3rd thickness. He’s supposed to use however many he needs to pad the socket. Plus, he got two shrinker sock sets (one each in two different sizes) for the “residual limb” and I know those are about $25 each (got one bill setting here to pay for the last one).

That probably doesn’t sound like too much – and it really isn’t, but I wish my reality was a little less on the negative side and a bit more on the positive side.

The week hasn’t been a total negative, though. Last weekend, I wrote an email (out of frustration) to The Oak Ridge Boys International Fan Club. They were at the Kansas State Fair (this past Tuesday) and the handicap accessible seating sucks. If you find out early enough (which I did not), you might be able to get fairly decent seats. If not, you’re watching the concert on monitors, and if I’m going to watch something exclusively on a monitor I don’t really want to take the time (over an hour each way), the expense ($25 per ticket, plus gate entrance fee and parking fee) to do that. Call me selfish, but it just wasn’t happening. And, as many radio stations as there are around here, none of them are allowed to give away handicapped accessible seating in contests. So even if I were to be able to win a concert tickets, it would do me no good. That was on the 11th. Yesterday, I actually got a response from the, which I thought was very nice of them. They asked for our mailing address and they’re going to send Ron a little gift. That was cool. I haven’t told him – it’s going to be a surprise since I wasn’t able to take him to the concert. The Oaks are having a special Christmas concert in Nashville on December 21. We'd like to go, but... not in the cards. It would be awesome, though. You can read about it here.

Also, Ron was able to get up on his temporary leg and walk several feet. He did that twice and then he walked a third time the length of parallel bars up and back. That was awesome. He was shaking by the time he got back to his seat, but he did it. It was so good that it deserves its own posting.