“Tilt and Slow Down

Unbelievable this is seriously true. Lat night I leave work and I am heading for my home bound train and I am being good crossing the street tilted back in my chair just a little so the foot peddles are not hitting and pavement or anything else which might cause the peddles damage. I get to the Planetarium station, just across the street and I see the Blu-line and train, the train I need and everything leaves my head and I crank-up them speed. You guessed it as I come of the crown of the street my foot hangers dig into the bumps of the raised blind warning pad on the sidewalk driving the foot peddle into my chair breaking the hanger at the exact place as I had done the day before. I could not believe it. I just there in traffic stunned—I finally tipped the chair back and limped the rest of the way top the platform. I of course missed the train.

I limped all thee way home with my chair tiled back. My right foot kept slipping back and of the plate but I was just great full I had not had Josh take off thee foot-plate. I was crestfallen, I just wanted to get home. Dianne, who had been meeting me at the train station all week was out shopping and did not meet me so I forged ahead home—I needed to get the peddle out of its receiving part, this is the part which I destroyed and at least with the hanger out and my foot-plate down I could cruise with a little comfort. I thought of stopping at a service station even at strange houses in the neighborhood where I had noticed folks working on cars. They would understand. But nogo no one was out. I even considered at an automotive place like Sears Automotive or Pepboys bur just decided to go home. I lucked out in that no sooner had I got home and was outside on the deck waiting for DD or anyone to come home—my across the street neighbor, Dan, came home and I swooped. Dan pulled the foot hanger off sand I was free of the offensive broken part.

Now, I have to once again head back to the wheelchair shop. This time the repair is going to be expensive, time consuming and I will not doubt have it all over to do do again when I next run my foot peddle into the street. I was hoping could get Frank or someone to pound the piece straight he said he could not do it because the metal is so brittle—he feels the part would surely break. I still think I can do it—even if the piece held or a day. I called the shop this morning and started the process of ordering in the part I need. The part is nearly $100.00 if they install the part it will be another 84.00!! Frank says he'll install the part if I can get it in. So that is where I am waiting for the part to arrive and tomorrow I have rehab and I know Sue is going to want to see me with m,y new foot peddles in place...well it isn't going to happen tomorrow but I am going to start the process of training myself to “tilt and slow down”.