What a journey! Rarely during my life have I been ill, yet, much to my chagrin, after all this time, I am still adjusting to all the ‘ins and outs’ of doctors, medical appointments, and medical equipment. Obviously, I am a slow learner. I started this whole process over three years ago, and I still can’t pull this all together.
This is my latest challenge: Hoyer Lift vs. Easy Pivot Lift.
Psychologically and emotionally, this is very difficult. Why would I want to spend time, money, or energy looking for the best equipment so others can lift me and move me from point A to point B? It puts reality right in my face that I am/I will be paralyzed. This is a hard concept to swallow (fortunately, I can still do that).
In the middle of this, you have to laugh.
The Easy Pivot Patient Lift vs. the Hoyer Lift, I barely know what these pieces of equipment are, and now one of them is going to be a major part of my life, unless Cliff and Tricia take a vote and decide never to move me and leave me forever in my bed or in my wheelchair. Fortunately, they are nice people, and I don’t think they will do that. Getting sick and needing help is a sure sign to be kind to your spouse and children. They really do get to decide what happens to you as you get older.
Over the past couple of weeks, I have spent time making phone calls, looking at equipment, and Facebooking ALS friends about equipment preferences. It is frustrating when I must make important decisions about things that are foreign to me. Cliff and I are going to see a demonstration of the Easy Pivot Lift next week. I have gotten mixed reviews, but so far, from what I have seen, I like it better than the Hoyer Lift. But what do I know about these things?
Not that it isn’t complicated enough, there is Medicare to deal with, which is another story for another day. There are so many challenges when facing medical issues. A person really needs to be their own advocate, find out facts, and see what works best for them.
As always, and as I keep coming back to, the real challenge is not the doctors, medical appointments, or medical equipment; it is my attitude. Keeping positive is a daily challenge, so I hang out with positive people, like these wonderful young women. They are the best!
–Susan
