Re: Laurie (independence)/Barbara

[Guest guest]

Good idea, Barbara. I'm on crutches and find it hard to run the sweeper or sweep and scrub my kitchen and bathroom floors while standing. What I do is: to run my sweeper, I have an old desk chair on wheels. I sit in the chair and wheel it around the apartment. It works pretty good. For my kitchen and bathroom floors: I bought a little hand broom and dust pan combo and I sit on my butt. Then to scrub the floors, I put water in the bucket and sit on my butt again, using a rag to scrub. It takes longer to do it that way and it's hard to get up and down from the floor, but, hey, it works. And it's alot easier than trying to stand with the crutches under my arms and either a sweeper, broom or mop in my hands. Also, for doing laundry, I sort the laundry on my bed, then put it in a basket (2 loads at a time), put the basket on the floor and use my crutches to push it across the floor to the washer and dryer. I guess maybe it's a good thing that I live in a one story apartment. I'm not sure how I would do it with stairs to deal with. Hope this info helps someone who has been having a hard time trying to figure out how to do these everyday cleaning chores. I'll be watching for more ideas from other group members. Hope everyone has a low pain day. Faith

Laurie - Maybe all of us here could share some of the ways/gadgets/innovations that we have found to help us get some of the more ordinary tasks done throughout or day. As weel, we could list some of the resources out there (e.g. the "special" van for folks who are disabled) and the other ways that we emotionally cope. Barbara

Barbara, >It's a hard thing to do when giving up someones independence. But I have found other ways around it. It' takes a little imagination one will be amazed at how the mind can think of other ways to go on living. >Laurie Rock, jazz, country, soul more. Find the music you love on MSN Music!

[Guest guest]

Barbara

Sounds like a winner. Lets get all are heads together and think of the little things we do to be independent. Like when that one item you need at the store is on the lowest or the highest shelf and you just happen to have the folding reacher with the suction cups attached and you just lock and load. Or the putting the foot pedal to the sewing machiene velcroed to the side of the cabinet so I can use my leg instead of my foot.

VELCRO IS A WONDER. pPutting a little rope on the door so you can close it as your going out in the w/c or scooter. Using the icepick things on crutches or canes so you don't slip on the ice. I could go on but I know all you guys have a million of them. Lets go-roll

Love Laurie

[Guest guest]

Barbara and Faith,

I was on crutches for the 9 months of this, I slipped on some water on the kitchen floor, fell against the counter top broke a rib. My husband found out about this walker that has 4 wheels and a basket underneath the seat, anyway I resisted it as long as I could, I think because it would make this disease more permanent to me. So I went and got one, what a difference it made, I walk better with it than with my crutches plus with the seat and basket I can carry a lot of things from room to room and even put my laundry baskets on it. So if you are going to have to use some kind of walking device I suggest one of these and my insurance paid for it, it cost $195.00, but I am never going to walk by myself so this makes it easier.

Lin

-- Re: Laurie (independence)/Barbara

Good idea, Barbara. I'm on crutches and find it hard to run the sweeper or sweep and scrub my kitchen and bathroom floors while standing. What I do is: to run my sweeper, I have an old desk chair on wheels. I sit in the chair and wheel it around the apartment. It works pretty good. For my kitchen and bathroom floors: I bought a little hand broom and dust pan combo and I sit on my butt. Then to scrub the floors, I put water in the bucket and sit on my butt again, using a rag to scrub. It takes longer to do it that way and it's hard to get up and down from the floor, but, hey, it works. And it's alot easier than trying to stand with the crutches under my arms and either a sweeper, broom or mop in my hands. Also, for doing laundry, I sort the laundry on my bed, then put it in a basket (2 loads at a time), put the basket on the floor and use my crutches to push it across the floor to the washer and dryer. I guess maybe it's a good thing that I live in a one story apartment. I'm not sure how I would do it with stairs to deal with. Hope this info helps someone who has been having a hard time trying to figure out how to do these everyday cleaning chores. I'll be watching for more ideas from other group members. Hope everyone has a low pain day. Faith

Laurie - Maybe all of us here could share some of the ways/gadgets/innovations that we have found to help us get some of the more ordinary tasks done throughout or day. As weel, we could list some of the resources out there (e.g. the "special" van for folks who are disabled) and the other ways that we emotionally cope. Barbara

Barbara, >It's a hard thing to do when giving up someones independence. But I have found other ways around it. It' takes a little imagination one will be amazed at how the mind can think of other ways to go on living. >Laurie

Rock, jazz, country, soul & more. Find the music you love on MSN Music!

[Guest guest]

Yeah them walkers with wheels and seat and basket are a godsend I have one sitting in my closet. It was a life saver for awhile.

Laurie

P.S Medicare paid for it.

[Guest guest]

Yeah them walkers with wheels and seat and basket are a godsend I have one sitting in my closet. It was a life saver for awhile.

Laurie

P.S Medicare paid for it.