Hi Shelly, I don't travel, but I do understand about the handicapped accessible stuff not being very accessible. I know there are restaurants that I cannot go to because the handicapped stalls are not the best. One, a fast food place, has a handrail bar, but it is too far from the toilet that it really isn't usable or I have been to some that have the bar behind the toilet. I'm to stiff to twist like that, plus, again, it doesn't help me. I am an incomplete para that has a lot of leg movement to help and I cannot make those situations work, so I do not know how others do it. I told my friend that I was worried that I was going to have to call her on the cell phone to come in and rescue me. I have been to stores where the carts are dead the employees had to drive another cart to me and push the dead one away. One person brought me a manual wheelchair at a large store because they didn't have any available carts. I had no choice, but to leave. I apologized and explained that I didn't have the strength or energy for one of those and that I wouldn't even be able to place my groceries back. I think the weirdest/hardest place to go was a store that had handicapped parking that was pretty far away. My little niece at the time even asked why they were so far from the door. I had no idea. I did make sure to tell the clerk at check out that I would have stayed longer to shop, but the walk had worn me out and I had to go home and rest. That really did happen. I seem to have a finite amount of energy for moving and when it is gone, it is gone. I have trouble with chairs. If the chair is too tall where my feet my dangle, and I am a shorter person so this happens a lot, I will start to get stabbing pains in my legs. I learned quickly that Olive Garden has chairs like that. The chairs are the wrong height and cause problems in my legs. Then the table is too short that causes pain my back. I often have to lean against a table to brace myself. If they give us a booth, I am okay, but their tables are horrible to me. I have a friend who jokes that I rate my restaurants, not on food, but on comfort level. Which is kind of true. Texas Road House has booths that you have to step up into. They don't have hand rails and it was like preparing for some acrobatic trick for me to get in them in the beginning. My husband had to help while I tried to grab the edge of the table. Now, ours has a section of tables on the floor, but before that it was difficult. I once got stuck in my friend's basement because she didn't have hand rails. I wasn't strong enough to step up and I couldn't brace myself against the walls to give myself any leverage. She cracked up laughing, but my nephew who had been with us panicked. The poor thing was about six or seven at the time and he was worried that I would never get out of the basement. He ran out to get my husband who came down and helped me up the stairs. I wasn't laughing and I wasn't offended that the woman laughed, but we do still give her a hard time about it, even my nephew who still at 15 years old does not think it was funny. Poor kid, it really affected him.
Candle "Scars remind of us where we’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where we are going." ~David Rossi of Criminal Minds *********************************************************************** ________________________________ From: "shellbell5...@aim.com" <shellbell5...@aim.com> To: silverstre...@sbcglobal.net; quad-list@eskimo.com Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 11:25 AM Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] why people are reluctant to post How very sad and disappointing it is to hear some of our members will not post. We really need each other, its in sharing our experience , strength and hope that can keep us going..... So here is a little update on me :) I went on my first cruise with my partner, Tracy and what a experience! I had a nice time but there were things that made me cry cause I was stuck on the ship most of the time. I have always enjoyed the water so that helped with my spirits a bit. But keeping a good attitude was hard work! S So much went wrong, The electric chair I rented was delivered without being fully charged and even after I charged it, It still would not hold a charge so I had to stay close to the ship, not go at all or have Tracy push me in my manual (IN THE RAIN)!!!!!! The cost was $400 for the week and ever again will I do business with that company again. Then there was the plane and the idea I had to deprive myself;fof liquids cause I was not able to get into the restrooms. URGHHHHH Next was the motel in Tampa that was over $200 a night. They claimed to give me the handicapped room. That's always a joke also. The bed was so high the top of the bed was level to my shoulder so I was not able transfer in and out without a board. (don;tuse a board for transfers at all except in cases like this)Jut frustrating... Then the bathroom had a bar but the toilet was normal size so Tracy had to lift me off the toilet. OMG iCOULD GO ON AND ON!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say it was not all bad but at times I just broke down (after I was alone) I am one of those individuals who tries to focus on things like "it could be worse" cause for a incomplete quad I have been blessed with pretty normal hand and arm function (after 4 years of therapy and determination) Important thing is I am able to do the basics. So I would love to hear your travel stories and how or what you guys do to ease the difficulty of traveling. When they claim to be handicapped accessible doesn't that mean a toilet that is a little higher than usual?????????? thanks guys! Shelly C6-C7incompetequad.
