Rick here...My new toy!

Well, here I am in recline mode in my new toy! The new power chair arrived today! A big thank you to Louise for expediting this. It is smaller than I supposed (which is a good thing)! It is quite maneuverable and quiet as can be. I haven't had a chance to try it on a straight away but according to manual it will go 8 mph. LOL! Yipee!!!

Anyhow, Joan and my first reaction was to have a cry as we do at every milestone we pass. But inside of 10 minutes I realized what a difference it will make in saving energy in my life. It is so much easier than the manual chair. I did not realize till I had this how much energy I expended just wheeling around our place.

It is very comfortable as well and we are so thankful to have it!

Bad news!!!

Joan and I received some really terrible news this evening. My Uncle Keith's wife - Aunt Christine - has been having some medical problems the last while. They have just received news that she has been diagnosed with ALS!
They have been such a source of help and encouragement for us as we have battled it, who would have thought that they would be next? Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
They live in Calgary, which has a great ALS Society also, so that is a blessing.
But what terrible news:(

Rick here - Instant Solution!!

Wow!! Are we impressed!!!
I dropped a note off to the principal at the school this morning detailing our concerns about last night and had a phone call back within the hour assuring us that this situation would NEVER happen again! Action had been taken and procedures adjusted!
We are so touched by the care and concern he expressed!!
Prior to Joan and I starting on this journey we had absolutely NO experience dealing with the disabled, mobility challenged,etc......and had no concept of the challenges that so many folks face in everyday life! I was absolutely oblivious to these things, as are most of us.

I had never given an inch of thought to the fact that a little 4 inch step could make a whole building inaccessible to someone....and how it makes you feel when you are the one who can't participate in a simple activity because of it!

Life lessons! It can happen to any of us....this time last year I could run up 2 steps at a time and now that 4 inch step keeps me back!
I cannot belive that I was so unaware and oblivious to problems that so many among us face!

Rick and Joan here...A tough night!!!

Yep!...you heard it right...a tough night! We were at our gdaugther's band concert and wow.... here it goes...
Got there and parked near the door...wow..we thought we had it made...wrong...
The main door (the wheel chair accessible one) was locked with a sign saying go to other door. We saw a student inside who must of recognized us...so she opened the door for us thankfully. That got us in....getting out was another matter.

After the concert we headed down the hall to the door we had come in and only to find there was an iron gate across the hallway locked with a chain....oops...wow!! so we headed back to another door to leave and got outside to find a set of stairs...not good with ALS!!!!!!!!!!! so I tried backing up the wheelchair through the door and wound up falling flat on my back....too embarrassing...and thankfully not breaking anything...after a couple of people picking me up off the floor. We headed back to the auditorium to try and find someone to let us out of the locked gate. The person came with us and tried numerous times to undo the lock but with no luck...we sat there in amazement and frustration...thank God there wasn't a fire or any other emergency....just imagine for a moment trying to leave an event and finding the only door that you could use chained shut...not a good feeling.

Anyways, he finally got the janitors attention and she unlocked the door. We could get through at that point. What we don't understand is firstly...this is a public institution and there is no FULL access to wheel chair accessibility.

No one thinks of these things we realize...but here we are...we have to!!!

Things to thing about....
We can not get into our local grocery store.
We can not get into our favorite hair salon.
We can not get into our local sundries store.
We can not get into our local insurance and Sears store.
We can not get into our local school for a band concert.

Life gets complicated fast when you have limited mobility. We had no idea ourselves until we have had to deal with it.

So....if you are out and about please check these things.....help someone else out!!!! Speak out to your local authorities about this....we are doing so as we can!!!! It is ALL about raising awareness....we realize that no one individual is trying not to help but it is easy to miss these things....so...............................for today...go for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was really pissed about all of this tonight...but I'm somewhat over it now....but will NEVER forget what happened to us tonight and will do what I can to help someone in the future not to have to go through this............I found my voice!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joan here...Jack fell down but didn't break his crown!

Rick has been falling more frequently lately. He fell outside while walking out to the car on Friday. I was horrified! He wouldn't let me help him up, he kept saying he was okay and he could get up on his own. He slowly maneuvered himself up the side of the door of the car and into the seat as I stood watching, dying by the moment!

The other nite he was getting into bed and plunked his butt on the edge of the bed. Unfortunately, he sat too close to the edge of the bed and slid right onto the floor. Horrified again I ran to help him.

Hmmmm...I found out with him laying on the bedroom floor that I was not too much help. I tried to lift him back on to the bed...well that didn't work! We got him on his knees one at a time and then I lifted each leg up for him. I asked him to tell me what to do. Then he told me to lift him from behind under his arms...well sounds pretty easy right???...hmm...I did just as he instructed but low and behold when I would lift him, it was like I was too short in arm length to get him up to the bed. He would slide down again and again and we would have to start the process all over again.

After the initial shock of it all.....we started laughing and laughing! To the point I could hardly exert any strength in lifting him. It took quite a few tries to finally get him back up on his feet...but we did it! We laid in bed afterwards and reflected at what had just taken place.
In all the sadness of the moment I was just so glad that we could experience the humorous side of it all!

Rick and Joan here...Out and About!

We spent the day with two of our grand daughters shopping in one of the busiest time of the year. What a hoot!!! We experienced some of the kindest care for Rick when everyone was up to their necks in busy!!!

We went to Canadian Tire and there the staff person informed us that there was not a scooter available at the moment so after a bit we decided with girls in tow to just leave. It is impossible for Rick to get around with out one these days. It is so hard to transport our scooter that it is more pain than gain. Anyways, to make a long story shorter.... We were standing on the outside of the store when the staff person came running out to inform us that one had come available! We were so amazed that she took the time to run out and get us in the middle of her Christmas Craziness. She is a gem!

Then we took the girls to Boston Pizza for lunch. I let him out at the front entrance and took off to go and park the vehicle. As I was driving away I could see a man approach him. Rick later told me he was having a hard time making his way up the 4" slope to the front entrance and the rough looking man saw him and asked if he needed a hand. He expertly grabbed Rick's arm and helped him up. Rick told me as he thanked him the man simply smiled and said...no troubles Bro!!! Rick was so touched. It was so evident by the way the man helped that he had had experience with the disabled. Never judge by a person's appearance. The simplest kindness can make all the difference in the world at the right moment. It sure did for Rick today!!! Tia witnessing the act of kindness later told us that it made her cry when she saw how good this man was to her grandpa!

Rick took turns sitting at the restaurant with one of the granddaughters while I would take the other to do their Christmas shopping for their friends, each other and mom and dad. Well.....Rick and Tia had a "making a memory experience". There was a table of challenged individuals sitting across from their table with their care workers. As they got up to leave one older gentleman who was shuffling on his way out accidentally caught his pant leg under his heel. End result- his pant dropped to his ankles! His care worker gasped in horror and leaped ahead to solve the problem. Tia, covering her eyes...immediately announced to grandpa...thank goodness he was wearing boxers!!!! Grandpa said "that is why God made belts and suspenders". Lol! Tia informed grandpa that he should not worry that she would make sure in the future that he would always be wearing a belt or suspenders! lol

They were both touched by how thoughtfully and quickly the caregivers in charge helped deal with such an embarrassing situation for the older gentleman. Rick had a hard time though as in his current situation of helplessness such things are not unimaginable for him.