CAREGIVING: Well, we had another episode of buckling today. I thought I had it all figured out: how to get Kathy out into the car and back into the house using the wheelchair. We had to go pick up some prescriptions at Stop & Shop and since it was really nice out I thought I would go today and bring Kathy. I could have waited until tomorrow when our new aide, Hope, is here. Oh well.
Once again, I got her down the stairlift and out to the porch on a wheelchair and down a few stairs into the car OK. Did some shopping and got the prescriptions, but I noticed she was very tired when I got back into the car. When I got home I thought I should park closer to the curb for her but that was the mistake. The car door wasn’t opening all the way and she couldn’t reach the hand rail. Time is my enemy when she is up on her feet. She can stand. And she can pivot, sort of. And she can walk a few steps, sometimes. But her feet could not move. I kept trying to lift her and move her around the car door, but she would not let go of the one secure armrest. I tried to get her back in the car, but that didn’t work either. Her feet were glued to the sidewalk.
Finally, I got her so she could sit on the bottom step. Then I lifted her butt up one step at a time. At the top of the fourth step I was able to use some leverage to pivot her up. I got her into the wheelchair. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. This was daytime and no one stopped. But to be fair, I wasn’t giving body language to say “Help!” either. It was embarrassing to be honest. I don’t think I hurt her, but I had a hell of a workout.
This time I’m not sure her meds or low blood pressure were to blame. It just was the wrong time and the wrong day and the wrong way to park. Live and learn. Wait, I’ve said that before.