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Kim - Watch reviews. I found some issues with wheels on both Med-Line and Drive wheelchairs.
This is the one we got...price has gone up again. https://smile.amazon.com/Drive-Medical-Lightweight-Transport-Wheelchair/dp/B000TW0CQ6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=drive+tr39e&qid=1628559949&sr=8-1
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Oh wow, I just checked that out and it's at $98.41 right now! I'll have to show that to Wade. I usually read reviews, especially if there aren't more than 4 - 4.5 stars. Something is rarely five starts with any real number of reviews. Many times I've seen something I like but the reviews send me looking more. I put this one on our wish list.
Have a great day, y'all.0 -
Kim, I don't know where you got that price, but if you can find it for that, go for it. Here is what I get when I look at the link I sent.
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I saw that price on it yesterday, but today it's down again to around $98. I need to talk to Wade about it but I would love to have one for her. Would make getting her into doctor's appointments so much easier. She uses her cane right now and I can't support her. She's wobbly and it really hurts my back to be catching her balance all the time. She has a walker, but it's not easy for me to maneuver in and out of the car and I still have to steer her in it because she looks right down at it and doesn't watch where she is going. I don't know that getting a wheel chair out of the back of the car would be easier, but getting her into someplace it sure would!
Hot, hot, hot here! Phew!0 -
Today I went on a search of where our shower chair went. We have loaned it out several times and we have no idea where it went the last time (I thought it was in the garage). It may have even gone to my Dad, which means my aunt is using it now. So I went on a search for one. I found that Facebook marketplace has been my friend. I found one that is $46 on Amazon, brand new, still in the box and not assembled for $20. And it was about 2 miles from here. It is much nicer than our old one. It may live in the shower full-time.0
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Wow, that is awesome, Connie. I have a shower chair and a shower bench. I got the bench for Mom so she could sit down outside the tub and then scoot over into the tub, but neither of us is using the shower right now, it's just to hard to get in and out. Wade has the kit to cut out a space in the front to make it a step-in shower but hasn't been able to get to it yet. I use a cleansing wipe I found on Amazon called ALCALA. It's really good and one wipe stays moist over my entire body. It also has aloe and other things in it to moisturize my skin. Mom likes to do bird baths, so she's been doing that until the tub can get done. I would like to have a fold down bench in the shower, that way the chair won't get in Wade's way!
Praise the Lord, I called yesterday morning to the AC company and they were able to come out by 3:30 and we had AC by 4. It got up to 87 in the house, so not horrible, but we were all sweating (even Mom) if we did anything. It's lovely in here now, around 76! Not so good, the unit is 12 years old and they normally last about 13 years - gulp! The one we had in Hickory was at least 20 years old, so we are hoping against hope it's as good as that one! We replaced it before we moved so that the new owner wouldn't want to reduce the price of the house knowing he'd have to do it very shortly after moving in. We got so much more for the house than we were expecting that we feel like we got that money back.
Our new glasses came today. I got the ones with the three sections (of course I can't remember what they are called right now) but I found when I got the bifocals last time I really missed that middle range. We'll see how I do with the reading range, if I have to scan or not, like I did with my last pair like this. I'll learn to live with it just so I can see at all ranges! Mom can finally see with her new glasses!0 -
Well, Bill won't be using the shower chair for awhile. He used it yesterday morning, before the surgery and it was easy for him to use. They won't let us change the dressing, remove the boot, or shower for 10 days until his next appointment. I thought we would be changing the dressing after a couple of days, then we could cover with a trash bag and he could shower - no such luck. I have a bunch of cleaning wipes that I used on his foot, so he will be using that until after his next appointment.
The good news is that I get a 10 day reprieve of having to dress that foot. I have been doing it since May when it started getting nasty, so a mini-vacation. More good news is that they were able to save a little nub of bone. The doctor said that it would be much easier on his other toes and would act as a spacer.
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Oh, that is so good that they were able to save that bit of bone. He won't have balance issues if his other toes are where they are used to being! I'm glad you get a reprieve. I'm afraid I don't do well with that kind of thing.
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Last night Bill decided that sleeping in his recliner would be easier than climbing in our tall bed. We just got everything ready to sleep and Bill was watching some old reruns and the power went off. Perfect timing. Went off a a little after 11pm and came back on a little after 4am....who really cared? If it had been a hot day, it might have been warm, but the weather was cool after the storm. I slept on the couch, which is very comfortable so a good night.
Bill had a good night and has had a very good day today. He hasn't taken any pain meds today. The Dr. does have him on 2 Aleve twice a day, for 4 doses to help with inflammation. I'm sure that 12 hour med has helped.0 -
I've been relying on getting post notifications, until I realized I wasn't getting any. Then I couldn't remember what website we were using! I finally found a reference to this one in my notes.
I think masks are optional in Tennessee, but most people are wearing them. Our church started meeting outside again, with the main service at 9 am to avoid the heat. The parking lot is in a beautiful area with a creek flowing close by, which makes it nice, but I hope we can go back inside soon. Covid cases still very high around here, though. Schools are a mess too. How are things where you are?
Connie, I hope Bill's recovery continues to progress well. Dwight sleeps in a recliner all the time now.0 -
Carole - our county does not have a mask mandate but all of the other counties in the Kansas City area have them in place. Our church is in an area with the masks required. We have been wearing them again when going out, and have noticed that most people are. They have not reinstated the social distancing requirements, but again, most people are keeping it in mind.
I like this site, but I really miss getting the email notifications on the threads/groups. Has anyone looked at the sparkamerica site? I looked at the front page, but didn't go further. It doesn't seem like something that would be a good fit for me.
Bill is doing extremely well, but still in the recliner. He didn't sleep well last night, and therefore, neither did I. Hopefully that will prompt him to go to bed. He may not be able to easily get in and out of our bed due to its height, but should easily be able to get into the bed in the guest room. I am so glad that I chose the wheelchair option...he would never have kept that foot off the floor with crutches or his walker.0 -
Sooo good to see you, Carole!
When Mom and I went to get our eyes checked, they didn't really care if we wore a mask. Some of the nurses and secretaries wore them, but many didn't. When we went to pick up our glasses they had a sign on the door that masks were mandatory and everyone was wearing one this time. Mom and I went in without them but quickly put them on. I couldn't remember if the sign was there the previous time or not. We haven't been out other than that, so I'm not sure how other places are doing things. We are still meeting through Zoom for our Church meetings but have our building moving forward and getting it ready to meet in there, hopefully in September some time. It's hard getting people to do the work, like a plumber - they just don't have enough workers to get to all of the calls or some just aren't taking calls. Sad. Our favorite restaurant, just down the road, has to close down for part of all of a day because they can't get enough help to come in some days. So it's hard to say when things will get done.
Feeling puny the past couple of days. I haven't been anywhere that it could be the new Covid variant, but since I'm feeling better than I did yesterday I'm pretty sure it's just allergies giving me a fit! Here's an article on the immune system after having had covid.
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/03/how-long-does-protection-last-after-covid-19
I don't know if after 1.5 years we're still as strongly immune, but the article made it sound like the effects continue on. It's like having had chicken pox, you are basically immune from getting them again. But, I don't know if it protects you from the variants either.0 -
Kim - my allergies have been terrible this year. I keep telling myself that it is August - the worst month for allergies since I was a kid. Hope that you are feeling better.0
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I haven't had a problem with allergies since we moved to Tennessee and hope that continues to be true. During the spring in Georgia, the air was yellow with pine pollen, but there was none of that here. Dwight says it was from loblolly pines, which aren't as prevalent here. August has been good so far also.
I pray that Bill continues to do well, Connie. And that each day is better for you, Kim. When restrictions were lessened a few months ago, medical offices seemed to still require masks.0 -
This has been a long day, but a very good one. It's 11 pm and I feel that this is the first time I've sat down in many hours.
I spent the afternoon visiting a lady in our church who has several health issues and is basically a shut-in. We met on a Wednesday night church group via Zoom before I even moved here, and our friendship has grown ever since. I'm always in front of people as I play the piano, but visiting shut-ins is something I can do behind the scenes. I'm an introvert who doesn't talk in front of people, but I enjoy listening - and sometimes that's exactly what people need. Anyway, we met face-to-face for the first time today and it was a very sweet experience for both of us, I think.
Hope everyone gets a good night of rest.0 -
That is a very special gift, Carole, to be able to listen and offer comfort that way. I'm an extrovert. Came in handy as a singer. Been quite a few years in between my singing with a group, but recently started singing with my ladies again. So awesome hearing our voices together. Mine isn't as strong or as wide a range any more, but I give it a try. Allergies have cut off my high range. I can sing high, it's just very weak, and my voice tires quickly. I have what my allergist called Allergy Throat, basically a sore swollen throat all the time. With year round allergies it never has a chance to go away. My ladies cover for me when my voice goes out though and the song goes on. The words are most important and glorifying God in our song.
I hope that Dwight and Bill are doing well. Wade is doing pretty good. He is tired since working 3-12 shift. He tries to get some stuff done during the day and then rest for a couple hours before having to "go to work" (in his home office). It's a tense job too, so it wears him our mentally. We are thinking about him retiring when he hits his next birthday. He'll be 62.
Carole, it's almost our birthday, do you have any plans. We'll probably get something and bring it home to eat since we don't want to take Mom out when things with Covid are ramping up again. Wade keeps asking me what I want and I tell him that I get whatever I want whenever I want, so there isn't anything I need or want that I don't already have! LOL! There's a young girl in our church who shares our birthday too, she'll be 11 this year. She and her sister sing and they are amazing. They play quite a few instruments as well - definitely blessed by God in music!
Hope y'all have a wonderful day. Love you0 -
So glad you're able to sing with the ladies again, Kim! Music is such a wonderful way to express praise. I really can't imagine what our lives would be without it. While I don't talk in front of people, I feel that I speak or testify through my playing.
What type of job is Wade doing? And is he working from home in those long shifts?
August is birthday month! Beth's was the 21st and ours in only a few days, Kim. Now that we're close to Beth and Daniel, they take me out to eat for special occasions, which I adore. I'm like you in that there's nothing I need, so that works perfectly. On Mother's Day, they picked me up and took me to a "fancy" barbecue place with a long waiting line. Beth had made reservations, only to find out that she had made them for the wrong week. The manager was incredibly nice and worked us in anyway, so it was a memorable evening. That was just a few weeks after we moved here and I was thrilled to celebrate things together on or close to the day, rather than cramming everything into yearly visits. Still feel that way and suspect I always will. I'm pretty sure we'll do something similar this weekend.0 -
Is anybody watching the news today? I've been heartsick with disbelief and anger over the last two weeks, but couldn't trust myself to speak online. What I feared would happen is now beginning.0
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It makes me heartsick as well. So many lives lost because this president didn't do things in the right order and he keeps trying to blame Trump! Not just American lives, we actually had far fewer loses than the Afghani's - last count I heard for them was 60 dead, even little ones. It's a bit scary to think how wide open that country will be for terrorism. Biden thinks they will keep it there, but they didn't on 9/11! I heard some scary numbers from shootings in Chicago last weekend, dozens of people shot and killed! Biden's policies again! Is there no wonder that the USA isn't mentioned in the Bible in the last days. We are becoming a non-entity very quickly. Phew!
Wade works from home taking calls from the Beckman-Coulter hotline. Hospitals or labs call the hotline when they have a problem and he tries to work it out with them before having to call in an engineer (which was his previous job). Because we moved to an area where they didn't have many labs or hospitals that had their equipment they graciously found a place for him in their hotline section. We weren't sure they were going to offer him the job, so the day that they did he had already accepted a position at the hospital here. He called the hospital back and explained the situation and they understood and told him that if his situation changed to let them know. When he's in his office we leave him alone until he comes out for a break or for his dinner half hour. If I need to tell him something important I send him a text and he gets back to me when he is free.
Much nicer day today, a bit overcast so not as hot. Praise the Lord!0 -
What a blessing that Wade gets to work from home, Kim! Is he able to work things out for people most of the time so that they don't have to call an engineer? And does he enjoy working from the comforts of home? I sure would.
I couldn't get over the amount of hatred for Trump when he was in office. I might not have cared for him all that much personally, but appreciated many of his policies. It never works when you vote "against" someone rather than "for" someone, and we're seeing the results of that now. It seems like the socialists are calling the shots and I just don't see a good ending to the Afghan situation. I'm afraid you're right in that we'll see more terrorism like today. I have to keep reminding myself that God is in control and to give Him my fears.0 -
I was thinking about that as I was praying for people in Afghanistan, especially the new converts there. Christianity has been blossoming in that country. God has known from the beginning of time (at the least) that these days were coming and exactly what was going to happen. He knows, He doesn't orchestrate; we still have free choice, He just knows the choices we are going to make - and He has a plan. Leaving this life isn't the worst thing that can happen, choosing to leave your relationship with Jesus is the worst thing that could happen! You get to go to heaven the second after you take your last breath, be it from old age or from having your head severed from your body - you're with Jesus!
Wade loves working from home. He wouldn't know where he was going or how long a call was going to take when he was a field engineer, here, he starts at a specific time and he ends at a specific time; and he does solve most of the problems. He's the guy now who used to send in calls for him to take when he was an engineer. Some of his engineer friends get the calls that he can't figure out over the phone. Sometimes it wouldn't have to have been a call if someone would have read the manual on how to change a light bulb!!! LOL! Seriously! It's amazing how uneducated people can be working in a lab with our lives in their hands! Oh, they went to school but who knows what they didn't get taught! They sure weren't taught how to think.
Mom's birthday today, she's 82. She is struggling mentally. Her memory is good she just has trouble stringing thoughts together or doing or thinking about more than one thing at a time. She had a couple of calls today and when one was interrupted by another call she got totally lost in her other conversation and just said, "Good-bye." I told her to keep talking, we would talk to the other person when she was done with this call. She went a couple more minutes but she was done. She did the same with the other call, they're chatting away and she suddenly says, "Well, I'll let you go." Her sister was a bit flustered but said, "Okay, you're ready to go?" Mom said, "Yes" and that was that! Just strange. Today it seems she is jumping back and forth with being unresponsive and being coherent. Kind of disconcerting because I'm not sure what she is understanding. God has given us an incredible amount of grace and patience and wisdom to take care of her, and I am very grateful! I just keep praying that the Lord will slow the progression in her brain so we can keep her with us until He comes to take us home!
Love y'all. Have a very blessed weekend.0 -
Bill is almost 84 and Mom is 88. They are both suffering with some short-term memory loss. I worry about my mom, but she knows that she forgets and is very diligent about writing everything down and using a calendar to keep her on track. Bill's worst problems are directions. He always knew where everything was and could get anywhere in the Kansas City area. Now, he forgets where the grocery store and the bank are located. I haven't noticed problems since his surgery, but he hasn't gone anywhere, either.
I was so worried about the anesthesia on Bill. I know that after my Dad had some surgeries that his memory was affected. Luckily, the hospital knew a bit about Bill and assured me that they were using a type on anesthesia that would not cause memory issues. I didn't even have to ask about it.0 -
We've got to stay healthy because our loved ones depend on us! Dwight is 78 and while he doesn't get around well, his memory is still fine. He still likes to read his favorite technical magazine, Scientific American, but can't focus very long. And thankfully he's still able to work with his family's real estate agent in selling the remainder of their property in north Georgia - four 20-acre farms left, I believe.
I enjoyed hearing about Wade's job, Kim. Sounds like he has a wonderful work situation that he's good at and enjoys. You and your Mom have close birthdays just like me and Beth. Hope all of you are enjoying her celebration and I pray that her memory problems progress slowly. Same prayer for Bill, Connie.
Beth and Dwight have always been close. Now that we're here, she picks Dwight up and they go to lunch once a week. I get to spend a good bit of time with Beth, so it's great for them to have a special time together.0 -
I'm so glad that you are able to do more with Beth. I know how much you missed her when they were out of the country!
I'm glad your husbands have become more stable and the issues they faced are being addressed. It's such a fluid thing dealing with mental issues.
Carole, not so sure that he enjoys his job, unfortunately. I think the stress and being responsible for getting it right is the hard thing. I thought he would enjoy the challenges more than he does, he likes to solve puzzling things and work situations out, but he doesn't feel like he knows it good enough to be good at it. His bosses are quite happy with his work, but he isn't performing to the standard he sets for himself and that frustrates him. He hasn't been doing it even a year yet and they tell him to give it two or three years before you feel comfortable. It took about that long as a field engineer before he started to feel like he was good at it. He has good mentors that he can go to though, so that helps. He's ready to retire!
Have a very good weekend!0 -
Kim - retiring at 62 wasn't a good fit for me because of insurance. I'm sure that you guys will do all of your homework, but without medicare until 65, it just didn't work. We could have gotten lesser insurance, but just my insurance would have been over $700 a month and still wasn't as good as what I carried through work. Bill qualified for medicare, so his would have been less, but still more than we were paying for both of us through work.0
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Decisions like when to retire, when to start drawing Medicare - Dwight was good at looking at all our options and we did what felt best. Like Connie said, I'm sure you and Wade will carefully evaluate everything when the time comes. And I hope that time will help him feel more comfortable with the type of work he is doing.
Those 8 years when Beth and Daniel were in Germany, plus the 3 years he taught at Notre Dame and Valparaiso after that, were long for us but important to their careers. Technology helped us stay close, but being with them only once a year was hard. Once they couldn't afford the travel expense, so it was a two-year separation. So living here is a real blessing and our new church home is wonderful. It's as if God saved the best for last.
Connie, is Bill able to go to church? And Kim, does your Mom live in the house with you or just close by? I pray that we all have a good night's rest and a blessed Sunday. Love you.0 -
Bill is not able to go to church because getting out of the house is a major life event! We have 13 stairs to get in or out of our house (either from outside - with a couple of landings and wide steps) or down the stairs in the house to the garage. He is doing well in the house, but hasn't been out since the surgery. The day of the surgery, we were able to drive to the backyard and let him out at the deck, but even that wasn't easy. If it rains, we have a low spot that collects water in the backyard and makes that out of the question since even the lawn mower bogs down in it. We are praying for no rain today or tomorrow until he's home from the appointment. There is about a 30% chance of rain and it is overcast, now.
He also can't get pants on! The boot that they have him in is HUGE and they won't let us take it off at all. Tomorrow they will take it off, change the dressings, etc. They gave him a pair of shorts at the hospital (like athletic shorts) and told me that if he had any sweats that he didn't like to cut them off for shorts. I cut one pair of sweats off, use the ones from the hospital and he has one pair of athletic shorts that I found from when he had the knee replacement surgery a few years ago.0 -
Thanks for the description, Connie. I suspected he couldn't get out, but didn't know the details. Tomorrow's appointment won't be easy, but know that I'll be praying for both of you. We're supposed to get almost two days of rain from the hurricane on Tuesday and Wednesday, but I don't think it will reach your area.
I enjoyed playing at a small church in Unicoi, TN this morning. Small, as in about 40 people, but they're really making the effort to grow. I miss my own church when I go there, but people are very appreciative and I'm getting to know them better. Going there once a month feels like the right thing to do.0 -
I should have gotten up earlier today and got Bill situated so that I could go to church. I am usually up by about 6am, so didn't set any alarm. Of course I slept until about 7:05 and Bill wasn't awake yet. I hate to wake him if I don't have to. Anyway - no church again today. Maybe Wednesday.
I enjoy playing once in a while and I really miss worship team!0 -
I think God puts us in different seasons of life for a time. No matter the difficulty, I've found that He's right there with me all the way, as I'm sure you have, Connie. You're doing a great job with Bill. What time is his appointment tomorrow?0
