Mechanical Man

I had my appointment with my physiatrist this past week. You remember, the appointment, the one I almost missed. I am still getting to know this new person who replaced my old physiatrist who retired last year. I like her a lot and have enjoyed getting to know her in fact now I can recognizer when I see her. We are talking about my skills at catheterization because have any problems in the let her know that I was doing just fine that as having no problems draining. For some reason that first, and I knew better, I use the word void and corrected myself and Cara indicated she knew what I meant. It was not verbalized but the fact that I cannot void was understood. Really strange when I started thinking about the whole concept “voiding” was active and “draining” was active but passive at the same time. In order to empty my bladder I must use a catheter and a catheter of course is a form of technology in short mechanical way for me to empty my bladder.

Sometimes if I ponder my situation life too much I get a little spooked at how much I rely on technology or mechanics. You will note, you the constant reader, I wrote about my motorized bed this last week. How much I rely on my bed to sleep and really could I survive on a non-mechanized bed? I thought about this a lot recently I think that I could provided I was either using my manual chair again (which I surely could) and if the bed itself was at the same height of either my manual chair on my power chair to rack and roll right on like I did with my old bed at the apartment before by stenosis issues. It would be difficult but with the help of my trapeze and being able to shift some weight and I could do it it would be hard though. And really right now there's no way I could do shower and bowel management without A T (assistive technology). I cannot believe how lucky I am to be able to do what I do independently as I do.

I shouldn't be too freaky I mean after all what's a butcher knife? A pair scissors? Are any manner of electrical appliances but assistive technology for able-bodied folks, and disabled when they use them or can use them. So should be to weirded out. I just have to make sure that I keep an eye on my assistive technology and to make sure it does not strand me somewhere or sometime. Right now the control mechanism of my power chair and acting very strange and I need to make time to have my device checked out but that means it's time without my assistive technology granted I have a power chair back up that I don't really like to use very much, only when I have to only when it's absolutely necessary that I could give my chair up for a day or so off I have to. The control box is flashing all kinds of weird signs to me as I use it or try to use it. The control box is not messed up to the point where it is cause my chair to malfunction and not work but it's obvious if I don't do something soon something will happen that will not be pleasant.

Whether I like to admit it or not I exist on assistive technology, I am the… Mechanical man.