Re: Lazy?

[Guest guest]

Loni, welcome to the list--hope you find the info & encouragement you need

here. I wanted to respond to a snippet from your intro. As many others on

this list can tell you, dealing with non-enlightened/understanding family can

be one of the most difficult aspects of living with disability and/or chronic

pain. By " family " do you mean husband and other kids, or parents?

Please, please, please--whatever you do...do what's best for you! And, you

are the ONLY one who can know what is best for you..

If it means using a wheelchair and helper pup, so be it! (Why can't the

world see these things as no different than a calculator or spreadsheet is to

an accountant? Or a cherry picker is to a telephone repairman? Nobody says

these people are " lazy " for using these kinds of assistive devices!!! But,

I'm about to climb up on a soapbox here, so I'll hush!

Perhaps your family is afraid--for you, for themselves? Maybe they think

they're going to have to " take care of you " for the rest of your life? I know

my folks went through that stage, not realizing that " aids " helped me become

*more* independent.

Perhaps your family can't or won't " hear " you when you try to explain

things...so, without apologies or justifications, maybe you could simply say,

" I know you don't understand, but this is something I have to do for me. "

If it's any comfort--coming from a total stranger--I think it's wonderful

that you have the wheelchair and assistance dog to help you!

Gentle hugs,

Debbie

<< From: k9krazy@... (Loni)

Now, Because I have been involved in dogs, and train dogs for the disabled, I

have a wheelchair here... I am finding that I use is more and more... my

daughter likes to sit in my lap. .. and it doesn't stress my back out...

also... I have an Assistance dog I have trained to help me get up and down,

help me when I need to bend over... and also retrieve stuff from the floor.

(toys, paper,... etc....)

My family says I am being lazy for using the chair and dog... I try to

explain that because my back is so unstable, by me using the dog and chair, I

can get more stuff done, and not hurt as bad as before.