Friday, March 13, 2009

A Day in the Life...

For just someone without a disability, today might have been an adventure. Add disability, and this is how it went.

I woke up a bit late because my legs finally stopped jumping which allowed me to sleep (too late). Even though I was late, I wanted to just lie in bed because my legs were at peace and not painfully jumping. But I got up, showered (no falling) and got to work.

An hour after getting to work, I had to go to a meeting in another building (load up the wheelchair, unload the wheelchair = lots of energy). As I went down the ramp, not sure what happened exactly, but my left foot came off the foot rest, caught the sidewalk, and flip! I was on the ground, looking back at my wheelchair. I was really fine (would have been an award-winning home video though!). The security guard came running out and I got back in my wheelchair (so I could then get out of it 2 feet later to put it in my car!).

I got to the meeting--a management one--lots of fun talk about the economy, changes in the company structure, possible layoffs, keeping employees engaged. Not so much fun.

After the meeting I went to pick up a video from someone, and the someone told me how emails I send her can be personally hurtful, that I seem angry in writing them, etc. OK--before that in the day I had been told how positive I am so I'm a bit confused. Time to leave--now it's 1:15 and no lunch.

Back to the other office--unload the wheelchair, get quickly in--have about an hour to finish things, so no time for lunch (and I have no food). This gaining weight idea of my doctor seems impossible. At 2:30, after the eternal search for missing keys, I head out for more loading and unloading of the wheelchair...this is getting old. I wonder if people realize how much energy this expends.

Now I'm off to choose the showerhead and faucet for our bathroom which is being redone. After getting lost (likely to happen with no lunch and a headache developing), I got to the showroom, unload the wheelchair, and then discover I should have parked in the back of the building--that's where the ramp is. So a salesperson suggested I just load up the wheelchair and re-locate. I was done loading the wheelchair! They moved my car and I went around the building with the sales person. I chose the shower stuff.

Here I go again. Now it's' 4:15, still no lunch, and I am loading my wheelchair to pick up my daughter from school. I did pick up lunch on the way, after finding my way around a traffic jam. Luckily, she was in a good mood, and we went home and played the game Life. Life. This is life.

Not sure what to think of this day other than that I made it. Somehow I didn't faint from not eating, but I was feeling a bit spacy. Somehow my wheelchair launch was ok. And I'm left wondering if people know, in their busy days that must also be exhausting, how exhausting the addition of a wheelchair can be? And oh yes, MS does cause fatigue. Definitely. On days like this, I feel like buying myself a trophy for making it through the thing.

God is there somewhere. Maybe God got me through today.

1 comment:

Steven said...

wow, you do deserve a trophy... and a big cheeseburger... i hope today is easier for you... take care.