Dennis will be getting "fit" for an electric wheel chair on Friday. While I am happy about this, in so many ways, I am also concerned about the implications of this next step.
I know that the less he moves, the shorter his life becomes. Yet, an electric wheel chair will help him regain quite a bit of independence. He also has been very good about working out at the Courage Center weekly. Last week, he pumped legs, body and arms, 3 days.
Travel is still our passion, but how will an electric wheel chair impact our trips? Do rental agencies even stock accessible vans? And the airlines - how pissy will they be about an electric chair? Will they charge us an extra 3o dollars for mentioning the word? Then another 30 for scanning it by hand? And another 30 for the battery pack? And how do you charge a battery pack in another country?
Then there is the whole car business at home. Do we turn in our current leased car and purchase a new van? Or do we lease another Nissan Versa - it has proven perfect for folding up his manual chair and storing it in the back. It's also easy to get Dennis in and out of this car. But it definitely will not work for an electric chair.
In the meantime, we found the perfect computer communication devise today. It is being processed through insurance now, and will be built for him in the next week or so. In a couple of weeks, Dennis will be equipped with a new toy that will help him communicate in so many ways. I will look up the link and add it to one of my posts. It seems to be a dream come true for Dennis.
And soon we will be a 5 computer family. Some people collect pets, others surround themselves with children and grandchildren, and we have electronics. To each his own.
Until later,
Ann and Dennis
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