If you are a caregiver for someone dependent on you for everything, you know that there is no such thing as a “quick run” anywhere when you take the person you are caring for with you. Today, Lynn and I had an appointment with an attorney to sign our wills, power of attorney, and medical decision-maker documents. The location was approximately 35 minutes from our home, so I estimated we would be gone for two, maybe two and a half hours. I also planned to stop at the post office, return something to the drug store, and stop at the bank. Here’s how it went…..
The appointment was at 10:30 a.m., so we awaking at 7:00 to prepare. After cathing Lynn and arranging things within his reach, I put on clothes and prepared his morning supplements. Then I returned to unstrap him from his peddler, put on shoes, etc., and return to the kitchen, where he took his supplements and exercised while I ate breakfast. Then it’s into the bathroom for his morning routine and to bed to rest while I check messages at work between answering his calls for assistance. Then, getting him up, dressed, in his wheelchair, and groomed for the trip. As he’s waiting, I assemble his “bag” of supplies to go out….saline nose drops, Valium for spasticity, his cell phone, cold water with a straw, a smoothie for a snack, supplies for up to four catheterizations, getting what I needed for the post office, taking it to the van, cathing him one last time, getting the van ready, securing him into the van and locking up the house.
Then we’re off to the attorney’s office. He is almost there, and he needs to be cathed. Pullover and take care of that (if you’ve never cathed someone who is in a wheelchair while they’re in a van, you don’t know what you’re missing). We get to the lawyer’s office, I find a place to park in the shade (it was supposed to be near 80 today) and go in to say, “We’re here.” Lynn can’t go in because the building is not handicap accessible for wheelchairs (as we found out the hard way the last trip when his wheelchair got stuck in loose rocks when he drove off the sidewalk trying to maneuver around bumpers of cars). Our lawyer is very nice, and he gets everything ready and brings the papers and witnesses to Lynn in the van. All’s well, and we leave.
The next stop is the drugstore. He stayed in the car, and I ran in to return a mobility table that was supposed to be able to attach to his wheelchair, which I didn’t. Fortunately, that was a five-minute stop. Back to the van, and he needs to be cathed again, but where we are is too public. I’m craving caffeine, so we go to Starbucks, where I can park away from viewing eyes. Another “in van” catheter experience. Then coffee for me and tea for him after I help him get his smoothie for a snack and strap him in again so we can move on to our next stop.
The next stop is the bank back near our house. He must get out because we are setting up a new account by closing his business account. That takes about 20 minutes, plus we have a safe deposit box for the wills. The bank was easy to access, except doors had to be held for him to drive the wheelchair since there were no automatic openers. Back to the van, strap him back in again, and he needs to be cathed again. I need spinach at Foodlion so we go to the far end of that parking lot, I cath him, again, run inside, and return to realize the post office, which is our final stop, would be closed now for lunch. No matter. Lynn is exhausted by now, so we head home for me to feed him and hook him up to his peddler to help him relax.
I unload the car, set everything back up for his easy reach, run to the post office alone (which I must say is much easier and quicker alone), and get back in time to, yes, cath him again. It’s 2:30, and I’m ready to begin my day at work…
It’s great to get out of the house now using our van, which makes the option to go places a possibility. However, travel is no easy matter. Supplies must be taken, nourishment must be considered, and comfort must be planned for. Much like taking a small child somewhere, travel takes significant planning but somehow taking someone who is 6 ft tall and weighs close to 200 lbs is a bit more complicated than taking a 25-pound infant…
