Just ask...

In the last article I suggested that we move forward by doing something different…

My sister and a few cousins were going to be in Laughlin, so we decided to take a jaunt over to Nevada to see them along with a good friend who winters in Bullhead City.

In a little over 4 hours, we arrived at the Casino with a lift along with us. I had asked for a renovated handicapped room, and they gave us that. We get up to our room, little did I know that the lift is not easy to maneuver on carpet. Once I had Curly hooked up it took a few muscles to get the lift moved around to lower him into the bed or wheelchair. But the best thing….it worked!

Our days of using the slide board are probably behind us. Today at therapy I had them help me with Curly and the slide board as we will be taking off to Mexico in a few weeks and I wanted to accomplish that trip with the slide board. Plan B is to rent a lift. I have now rented the lift. Sometimes we need to realize that the caregiver is not always able to accomplish what they once could do. We will be fine if they don’t use platform beds. An email has been sent to make sure their handicapped condos are not equipped with platform beds. We will wait to hear from them.

One of the things that plays a big part in our lives and travel is the power of prayer. I talk to God so many times during the day. Curly and I start together in the morning with our prayer and devotions and end in the evening with prayer. Thankful for all the blessings we have received and if I ask for help, He shows me a way. Lately I have found it is the little things.

We were in Laughlin, and I knew our granddaughter was going to be skiing in the World Championships in Lillehammer Norway at 2:30 a.m. I tried to pull up the website to no avail. Finally, I went to bed thinking I will just have to watch a late video. Not planning to be up but 2 am came and I was awake, I grabbed Curly’s iPad and after asking God for help…. I got right in. I woke Curly and a quick prayer for confidence and strength for our skier we started cheering for Sydney and yup, her first World Competition and she won a Silver Medal. We need to ask for help through prayer to make this journey easier to handle.

Sometimes we need to laugh! Tonight, we had an episode with the sling for the lift. Somehow Curly ended up flying sideways with his light weight 6’5” frame. I was able to get him back to the bed so we could straighten out the sling and then everything went fine. After he was in his chair I was making, him his usual cranberry cocktail when he said, “you tried to drop me on the floor”, I responded, “I am Sydney’s grandmother, if I wanted to drop you on the floor, like Sydney, I would have succeeded.”

Yes, we can all go forward with disabilities in retirement. We need to remember through prayer and laughter we will have a much easier time.