Major inconvenience

A week ago last Wednesday, Jodie drove her power chair home.  It smelled really hot.  She called Eric and he met her in our garage.  One of the metal tube casings in back of her chair was very hot.

Jodie called our insurance.  They told us to take the chair to a shop in Milwaukie.  The shop in Portland is no longer servicing power chairs.  We were a tiny bit relieved to hear that, because they serviced it earlier this year, the chair has not been holding a charge.  Jodie use to be able to travel from home to her office (a mile) and back twice (4 miles) before her chair needed a charge. Now, a single one-way trip and the chair needs a charge.

I took Jodie's chair to the shop on Thursday...ten days ago.  They did not offer her a loaner, and we did not want one after the accident Jodie had in her last loaner.

It took a week for the shop to get authorization to work on Jodie's chair.  It could take another week or two for parts to be ordered and the chair to be fixed.  I can't begin to tell you the hardship this is on her.

She is using our manual wheelchair at work.  It does not fit her well.  We bought what we could afford, and we bought it for emergencies.

We are leaving the wheelchair at work during the week and Jodie is using her crutches to get from the van to her office.

I have trouble pushing Jodie in the manual chair.  Last night we went to a retirement party at the Fourth Street Pub.  I was having trouble getting Jodie up the curb cut.  A stranger saw me struggling from within the Pub.  He came running out to help us.  The guy had a prosthetic leg.  I was really amazed by his kindness!

Anyway, say a prayer that Jodie's chair is fixed as fast as possible.  It is more than just her ride now.  It is her comfort and her independence.