Yesterday was a day I’d like to forget. Over the Thanksgiving weekend the tilt actuator broke on my husband’s power wheelchair. The chair lost all of its capacity to tilt back thus eliminating my husband’s ability to do weight shifts. I figured that I could manually tilt him back for a couple of days until Monday came along, and we could get the chair fixed. After a few days my back was taking a toll from all the lifting for the weight shifts. Anyway, I called the repair place Monday morning. We had the part over-nighted, so I could bring in the chair first thing on Wednesday morning. With the tilt not working I knew I would have trouble getting the chair in the van by myself, so my mom said that she would come over and go along with me to help. So bright and early on Wed. we go out to put the chair in the van, and our van won’t start. Now I am totally beside myself. Our van is brand new with only 923 miles on it. All I can do is stand in my driveway and cry. I have a broken sip-n-puff powerchair, a new van that won’t start, I had to take a vacation day from work, and I have a nurse that I am paying $42/hour to stay with my husband while he lies in bed because his chair is broken. Now it’s boo hoo time. My mom just lets me cry in her arms as I’m mumbling that this all just isn’t worth it. If she hadn’t been there to help, I might have just cried all day on my driveway. Anyway, she called AAA. They jumped the van. We got the chair in for repairs, and they had it fixed in a couple of hours. By 3:00 pm everything was status quo again. There are days when I think that I just can’t handle all of these obstacles. Thank goodness for my mom’s support. She is a rock.
I wish I could find some good way to deal with days like this. When life gives you lemons, sometimes lemonade just doesn’t cut it. How do you deal with these caregiving frustrations? Some days my only outlet is to just call my mom for a major boo hoo session.
Trish
I wish I could find some good way to deal with days like this. When life gives you lemons, sometimes lemonade just doesn’t cut it. How do you deal with these caregiving frustrations? Some days my only outlet is to just call my mom for a major boo hoo session.
Trish
Well, I got a new tilt system and batteries out of it, but damn.. when it rains, it pours.
I'm glad you have your mom!
She sounds like a good one!
Well, I cried in the bank because the teller was a little snappy with me.
And my sincere condolences on the curtains not fitting---a Correlle horror story if I've ever heard one---and I've heard oh so many!
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'kay .. whatever ... took the bathroom door off ... its all good) Decide to leave the gala banquet early (really really bad entertainment 
) Trek across the skywalk to get to the dark wee side hallway for elevators that access the hotel (for us gimps so we don't have to go outside in -20c to -30c plus with the windchill 
but are only available in THE DAY TIME ... cause we all know we gimps never go out in THE EVENING .... 'kay .... whatever! People coming and going .... passing us .. laughing ... exchanging glances, holding hands etc. etc. ... you get the picture .... Bill and I pathetically staring through the window trying to get someones attention to open the door so we can get to the ELEVATOR so we can get to the HOTEL ................ I LOST IT ...... pounded on the window - to get someone's attention - promises to find someone with a key - staring at my feet so no one can see me crying ... Bill comforting me .. "no sense getting upset Joyce these things happen .. someone is coming yada yada yada ...... " someone finally does come .... feeling like a child ... I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs ... " All we want is to just be able to go about our business like everyone else a**holes .. so just unlock the f**king door ............ please ! 
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