I did get out for coffee today with a couple of friends. We're training 2 or 3 friends to latch me safely into our wheelchair van, giving me more drivers to call on for outings. The downtown sidewalk had been plowed, but that still leaves an inch of loose snow/ice to drive through. No problem for the wheelchair, but guess what once I get home?
Sidewalks here are blown clear by a snowblower that can also scatter grit. So yes, by the time I got home I was leaving a trail of melted snow and grit through the kitchen and into the living room! The challenges of using a wheelchair in the winter.
Any suggestions for handling that one?
Some of you asked about the library aisles between the stacks in yesterday's post. In fact Meaford is getting a new library next year, so a solution is in sight. I've already expressed my concern, and been assured that all aisles in the new library will be wheelchair friendly.
There are numerous challenges of a more personal nature, which I'm not going to comment on, but life is far more complex than just the fact I now use a wheelchair.
My sister in law became a quadriplegic due to MS so some what familiar with some of the additional challenges. So much we take for granted in life.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you can do about the grit when you're coming in with the chair. At the very least maybe stay in place inside the entry once the door's closed, which I assume has doormats and such, and let the snow melt?
ReplyDeleteI used a terry towel with lots of pile left in it to roll the wheelchair onto then wiped the wheels to get the worst off. We didn't have snow to contend with, but lots of murky water from the gutter and moldering leaves that stuck to everything. That kept the worst out of the condo entry area and carpeted halls leading to Mom's unit. - Margy
ReplyDeleteI get in "trouble" all the time for tracking snow, grit and mud indoors -- welcome to the club. H could tell Mrs. FG all about it. A friend uses air from his compressor to blow the mess off his boots before he goes in the house. It wouldn't be too hard to run an air hose from a small compressor in the basement or garage to just outside the door. That way you could get most of the mess off your wheels before going inside.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a rug with a rough matt or bristles just inside your door and you can roll back and forth on it to clean off your tires:)
ReplyDeleteNot comfortable on bare feet but a metal grate set up outside the entry door. The grit and snow would fall off but the wheels would still be wet.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Our school cleaner used to optimistically leave a small, stiff brush by the doorway to brush off the wheels before proceeding. With mixed results.
ReplyDelete♥
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you've got lots of ideas for getting rid of that grit. Hope something works. Years ago I was hired to help a quadriplegic woman out of bed with a lift and dress her, get her in the wheelchair with that same lift, and then drive her to her job as a speech therapist at a local school. I well remember some of the personal issues/tasks.
ReplyDeleteLucky you, a new library! I think you might want to get a rubber mat with a little lip and then use a spray bottle to wet the wheels and wipe them down with rags or paper towels before you drive in. Maybe you should Google that and someone else might have a solution! Woody has a good idea.
ReplyDeleteLife sure is complex. I simply cannot imagine. I recall draining my husband's catheter bag after his prostate cancer surgery. It was difficult for both of us.
ReplyDeleteNot sure sorry about the dilemma of not bringing snow etc into the house but I am happy to read you're getting out and about.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to read that you are getting out and about.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Say, have you considered driving yourself through the local car wash. Just kidding of course but I sometimes like to throw a little humor your way on these sometimes darker days. Hard to imagine all the difficulties you and others in your situation face on a daily basis. And the support members as well. In the wheelchair van I used to drive a young couple to London's Parkwood Hospital and other Doctor appointments. Newly married he broke his back in a careless car accident and was paralyzed from the waste down. I always felt so sorry for them because I could clearly see they were both struggling with the situation. Sad.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are out there. The winter you have will be heading our way soon. I just read that we are to have a very cold winter, more cold than usual.
ReplyDelete