Hi Everyone,
Hope all are having a great day, and enjoying this last day of indian summer. I'm doing ok, I guess I just feel a bit overwhelmed today for some reason. And of course this could be me just overthinking things.....LOL. I am still trying to find information on some assistance for making our home more wheelchair accessible. Seems like there are alot of articles on the internet that suggest that there is help out there, however they are scant on details as to where to go and what grants to look for. Tomorrow after I go to parent teacher conferences we are free for the weekend (Jay has Fridays off usually and the kids are outta school tomorrow). Sooooooo......we will probably do some errands in town and I may have Jay take me to some places that might have some more detailed ideas on where to look and what steps i need to complete. And this house situation is REALLY starting to frustrate me. Don't get me wrong, I totally LOOOOOVE my home. Our neighbors are very much a part of our family. BUT we kinda outgrew this house about 1 kid ago.....LOL. Ideally we would like to add on to the house out toward the garage.....then move the kitchen and living room....that way we could install a ramp on the 3 steps separating our existing living room/kitchen. But for the moment I am very frustrated. My home is.....well......lets just say VERY well lived in.....LOL. Not much storage room and with my mobility issues things have gotten very cluttered. And it frustrates me that I am MUCH slower now so it takes me longer to do what I need to do safely. My ma suggested that I look into getting someone to help me with the house. But I'm just not to that point yet. I wouldn't mind help in getting everything caught up and organized (as i THINK i would be able to keep it up better if it were organized) , but to have someone come in on a regular basis......ummmmmmm no sorry. I am 35 and a mommy and wife. With the correct adaptations I could TOTALLY do this on my own NO PROBLEM. But as the layout stands right now it is a MAJOR challenge (not to mention a bit of a safety issue cause i tend to fall ALOT with those stairs and even on even terrain......LOL). Yes....I was a bit of a klutz before all this now that it takes all the power i have to schooch my legs forward one at a time to hobble around it is like OMG 10 times worse. (think of a newborn giraffe trying to walk on ice). Now I'm not asking for a handout.....I am TOTALLY willing to put work in where i can and money where i can. But with the economy, medical bills, and everyday life we have found ourselves with less than stellar credit. But really I'm not asking for a mansion or anything extravagant. I just want to be able to move around my home to the point where i can take care of my family without the fear of bodily harm. I want my husband's mind to be at ease when he is at work (he worries terribly that something is going to happen while he is at work and the kids are at school). But it is REALLY important (REALLY IMPORTANT) for me to be able to do things on my own, without worry, without having to plan my next 3 steps in advance. I CAN DO ANYTHING everyone else can, I just need some adaptations to make it safe. I dont want people doing it for me, nor do i want people to see me in their minds as helpless, because I AM NOT. I just need the chance and the modifications necessary and then WATCH ME FLY BABY.
Once I get things the way I need them here at home, I am thinking about inquiring about places that maybe I can volunteer. I want to help other that need assistance, or just need someone who understands what they are going thru. Ideally I would like to work behind the scenes with a place that offers these services for people. I live in a rural community and I'm not even sure if there is a place out there helping people with these kinds of needs. I mean I am a fairly intelligent woman, if it is this difficult for me to find resources, think how hard it is for someone who is elderly, or someone who may not be good at researching things online, or someone with little to no family support. When you think of it that way, I'm really lucky in my situation (even with all the difficulties). We HAVE to find a way for these resources to be more well known in our community, or if they don't exist we NEED to make them exist. I can tell you from personal experience, people with disabilities are NOT looking for a handout. They are looking for just a bit of help so that they can do things on their own. Even people without disabilities need morale support, a smile from someone who understands what they are going thru. And I'm sorry, with all the day to day difficulties we face, we shouldn't have to jump thru a million hoops just to be able to find ways to work around what we deal with. I'm not saying it should be a cake walk.....but just a BIT easier. Even if it is just a bit easier to find resources to point people in the right direction, a caring smile, someone to talk to. I am NOT one of those people that think just because I have disabilities that I am owed something. I am JUST like you. The only thing you owe me, is the decency to treat me as you treat everyone else. But I do think that we need to advertise (for lack of a better word) the resources that are out there for people. You dont know who is at the end of their rope dealing with these issues that are hanging by a thread. I am lucky, I have family and friends who love me for who I am. But what about those people who are alone and no one to bounce ideas off of or even just to get a hug and let them know hey yeah this is hard BUT we will get thru it. And for those saying "well....in a rural area you really dont need those types of services" OH YEAH? You would be surprised at how many people there are around here who could REALLY benefit from programs like that. Young and older alike. Even to just help educate people. You would be SURPRISED how many people I freak out just by being deaf, let ALONE mobility issues. I know that it is a rough world out there, but ya know sometimes even just a smile and a nod goes a long ways to helping people. And if you can make someone's day a little brighter or make it just a bit easier for someone to do things, whats the harm. Not only will you make a difference in someone's life that really needs it, but you would be AMAZED what you will learn also.
Thanks for listening my peeps. **smoochies**
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