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| But
here I am - the proud (!) possessor of a orange placard that hangs from my
rearview mirror. It's not particularly pretty (it's a strange shade of orange - kind of like the color on
the contruction signs and barrels on the roads) and the icon on it of a person
in a wheelchair tends to categorize but I am happy to have it.
Here
I am - the grateful owner of a mobility scooter that transports me the
distances I am unable to traverse on my own two feet. I think it’s pretty (the
color is called “viper
blue”). Because
of it, I can go just about anywhere. Curbs are a problem if they’re over 3
inches tall and inclines are difficult if the angle is too steep but I don’t
encounter those too very often. Of course, stairs are only accessible to me if
I use the handrails and my walking cane.The scooter has a battery that
provides enough power to go approximately 25 miles and has a top speed of
almost 6mph on flat driving surface.
Here
I am – the always thankful owner of a power scooter lift that fits into the
trailer hitch on the back of my SUV. Having it gives me the freedom to come and
go whenever and wherever I want. Because it’s connected to the car battery and
operates with the touch of a button, the only thing I have to do to transport
my scooter is drive it onto the lowered platform, run the straps across the floorboard
of the scooter and ratchet them down, swing my seat around, stand up and press
a button. By the power of electricity, the platform rises up and a presser foot
comes down, securing the scooter firmly to the lift. And off I go!
When
it rains, I cover the scooter with a vinyl BBQ grill cover and bungee strap it
down around the scooter. It is a little awkward trying to load up / unload the
scooter in the rain but, unless it’s really pouring, I somehow manage.
Shopping
can be challenging if I need to get more than a few items. At the grocery
store, I typically pull the shopping cart behind me with one hand and drive the
scooter with the other. When I get my shopping items home, I pile the bags on
the scooter floorboard between my legs and roll into the apartment. I can
usually finish moving groceries in one or two trips. I found that the new eco-friendly
grocery bags you can get offer the most stability of items for me when I use
the scooter.
 Next
blog entry, I’ll talk about how I am treated by people and businesses.
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| I know, I know - I don't put many notes on here any more. Well, there are a lot of reasons. One, getting back into the work thing has been diverting a lot of the free time I used to have. I have also become more mobile because of the scooter and the scooter lift on the Durango. And a big part is that I'm investing a lot of time in my new Facebook account.
If you want to find me there, just look for Jolinda Cooper - there aren't too many of us by that name!
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| Yes, my friends - I am alive. And I am doing quite well in the last 7 weeks - (has it been that long since I've made an entry?? Egads!) It has been a very busy and sometimes difficult time but God is good and I am grateful.
They kept me in the hospital for 6 days - I managed to stay on my own in my own place for 3 days until my legs started giving out on me again. I had follow-up doctor appointments that resulted in a couple of positive things. The internist put me on Cymbalta, which has been an absolute life-saver. The orthopedist (even if he treated me quite rudely) provided me with the paperwork to get a handicapped hanging tag for my car, and he also wrote me a "prescription" for a scooter. I found out that my insurance (which God has blessed me with!) has been wonderful - they will even pay for the cost of the scooter. The scooter has made all the difference in my life and that is an understatement. I am able to go to work, get around the office (including the bathroom), go to the grocery store, go to the mall, go to church... everything!
I was also blessed to find an electric scooter lift for sale on the local Craigslist website. It is attached in the trailer hitch on the back of my SUV and is fully electric. I drive the scooter onto the platform, attach the holding straps, get off the scooter and use the electronic controls to lift the platform and scooter off the ground. When I get to my destination, I reverse the process. The people bought it last year for an elderly parent and paid $1500 - and sold it to me a year later for $300. The lift has made it possible for me to use the scooter in my everyday life.
I go to physical therapy twice a week and have a great therapist. I am back to walking a small amount and am working up to full walking some day. The orthopedist believes that surgery (a disc removal and spinal fusion) is the only answer but I am not so sure that is the route I want to take. I'm doing so well right now - so it's a wait-and-see proposition.
I had to move out of the house I was living in - it was not handicap-accessible. So, I moved into an apartment not far from where I was living. First floor, big floor plan, parking right outside my door. Unpacking is going well, if a bit slow but that's ok.
Unforunately, my dog Ki is too big for their pet policy, and I had been unable to care for her properly since this all started, so she has gone to live with my youngest sister and her husband in Kansas City. They love her and she loves them and I know they will care for her and she will be happy.
The job has been going good - I am almost finished with training and will be "on the phones" in about a week. I am looking forward to the next step.
Everything else is going good. I have been reading your posts and apologize that I haven't posted here or commented in a while. I hope to do better soon.
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| All the problems I've had with my back and legs hit a critical point on this past Monday. I managed to get into my first day at my new job, walking with my walker from the parking lot into the building before my legs collapsed under me. Then, every walking attempt after that had shorter and shorter distances before having my legs collapse under me in spasms. I barely made it out of the building at the end of the day.
I spoke with the orthopedist that I saw a couple months ago and we discussed me going to the ER. He didn't think it would help if I wasn't in continual pain but left the decision up to me. When I tried to get out of my car, my legs collapsed on me immediately. My brother and I ended up going to the ER.... and my brother had to literally hold me up as I got out of the car and into a wheelchair at the ER dock and then hold me up as I got out of the wheelchair onto the gurney in the ER. An x-ray and blood tests later showed that I was in crisis with my L4-L5 lumbar discs pushing against the nerve in my spine, and my hematocrit level was at 6 (low normal for a woman is 12). I was in a double crisis.
I was admitted and put on pain meds and all. Until yesterday, I was not able to stand. Today I did a short walk from the bed to the hospital room door and back. I've also started standing and stepping in place by the bed with the support of a walker.
I received 2 blood transfusions for the severe anemia. They told me that most people who come into the ER with a hematocrit of 6 are admitted to a critical care unit for treatment, but that it seems that my anemia has been a slow progress and my body had adjusted to it over the time. Nevertheless, I have to go on a regimen of iron supplements, etc. They tried to give me an intravenous iron treatment but I reacted badly to it and they had to stop the infusion.
I also had an epidural steroid injection in my spine this afternoon. They say it will take 24-48 hours to see if it will truly help. Pray for me that it does. In the mean time, I do my mild stretching exercises in the hospital bed and practice sitting, standing and stepping to strengthen my legs again.
Hopefully I go home tomorrow - if I can walk and go up a step. They will only release me when I am able to do that, since I have to go up 3 steps (non-consecutive) steps to get into my house and have to be able to move around on my own.
Thank you all for the prayers. I will need them as I go through my followup visits and treatments.
And PRAISE GOD - they are holding my job open for me. My health insurance started the day I started work but may not cover this because it may be considered a "pre-existing condition". Hold that up in prayer for me too.
More later!
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| Just a quick note while I have a laptop. I'm in the hospital and have been here since Monday night. Expect to get discharged Thurs or Fri. More details later but please pray for me. Jolinda | | |
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