September 3, 2021
Dear Everyone:
Lots of doctor visits
again this week. As I was
wrestling the walker into the back seat of my car after the second
appointment in one day, I discovered that my “Trusty Steed” had thrown a
shoe. More accurately, the
cap on one of the back legs had fallen off.
Rather than try and
backtrack to look for it, I decided to stop in at a medical supply store
in Walnut Creek the next day.
I’ve been to this store many times since my hip replacement over
ten years ago. They have the
most fascinating array of toys for the mobility-impaired.
The young lady who
helped me offered both caps and glides for the back legs.
I immediately opted for the glides.
I remembered that I had this done for the walker I used back for
the hip replacement and had actually considered making a trip just for
the glides last week. They
cost a bit more, but they make the walker move much more smoothly.
Or maybe it’s just that I’m getting better at it (?)
In any case, the
young lady deftly removed each back leg and stamped the glides firmly in
place on the spot. In the
meantime, I was perusing the “Accessories” for walkers and other helpful
things.
They had a plastic
tray that fits down over the top of a typical walker, thus turning the
walker into a table. I had
the idea of using my other walker, the one I had purchased in
desperation back when all this began, as a possible ad hoc “laundry
cart”. By placing a basket
on top of the tray, I could maneuver the older walker through the
hallway and bedrooms more easily than the large library cart which I’ve
been using in the past.
It was worth a try.
In fact, I discovered that the table-tray turns the older walker
into an impromptu little folding table.
Very handy for last-minute folding before popping something into
its appropriate position in the drawer.
Meanwhile, the store
also offered a variety of “reaching tools”.
These generally consist of a rod with a handle at one end and a
claw at the other. The
handle typically includes a trigger of some kind which, when pulled,
causes the claw to close around something a person would like to grab.
The Occupational
Therapists at the Rehabilitation Center were very enthusiastic about
this, giving pointers on folding up one leg of a pair of pants and using
the claw to hold the top of the pants while a person insinuates their
leg into them.
Unfortunately, the
rod is usually too long for a person with arms as short as mine.
I could pull the handle back toward my shoulder only so far and
still couldn’t reach the claw with my other hand to pull the pants close
enough to grasp. If I
released the handle, the claw would drop the pants on the floor and
we’re back to Square One.
(I always knew my
legs were shorter than “average”.
Whenever I made or bought skirts and/or pants I always had to
shorten them by about six to eight inches.
It has only been more recently that I realized that the same
issue applies to my arms.
Sleeves are always too long for me, which is one reason I’ve always
preferred short-sleeved shirts.)
The store had a
reaching tool with a much shorter rod.
It allows me to pull the trigger with one hand and easily reach
the pants with the other.
Hallelujah! Now I can get
dressed without the need for a lot of frustration and expletives
deleted.
Love, as always,
Pete
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