My plate has been overly full lately. Trying to write a post has felt merely impossible. Once I get a topic rolling or an idea in my head, something comes about to change my direction. So let’s see if I can stay on track…
First off, as some of you may have already seen on my ‘Life + Lemons’ page, I’m a proud new owner of ‘Blue Steel’ – a brand spankin’ new wheelchair. He rides smoother than a baby’s bottom and nicer than some diamond earrings. He’s THAT good. 

How’d I get Fancy Blue Steel, you ask?!

A wonderful organization in Missouri, called Missouri Vocational Rehab (Voc Rehab), sets you up with home and car modifications, medical equipment devices and work place modifications, if need be. Because of my recent employment with One Hope, I was qualified for these much needed modifications. When one with a disability works or goes to school, Voc Rehab will cover most, if not all, expense of this. How awesome is that?! 
So as far as the home mods…
I have a new place of residence that needs some accommodations addressed. Voc Rehab came to assess the home to figure out what modifications would be done to make living easier and more independent. The final word: a stair lift to get me up and down the stairs since the house is a split level…not handicap friendly at all! A roll in shower, so I can do just that…roll in (in the wheelchair) and scrub up. An electronic lift attached to the back deck to bring me “up” and enter through the back door and to exit the house the same-ish way. Hop on the lift, go “down” and roll around to the front of the house to get in my car. 

Speaking of car…

The modifications to my car is a toughy. It has come that time to switch over to hand controls. Meaning, I will no longer be using my feet to control the gas and brake; it’s all done with my hands. I have this “stick” under the turn signal that you pull forward and push back to accelerate and brake. There’s also a knob on the steering wheel that you grasp onto to steer and turn. It’s a lot easier said than done. 

It doesn’t stop there…

I also got a nifty chair topper that goes on the roof of the car. Looks like a luggage carrier. It stores my wheelchair and even niftier-it is controlled by a touch of a button-a hook comes down, you attach it to the wheelchair, hit the up button and away it goes. Like a glove!

Technology for the win! 
But this will definitely take some time to learn. I picked up this beaut today and froze behind the wheel. I had a hard time and after my two lessons, it’s safe to say I need like 2…hundred more. It’s like learning to drive all over again! 
With this day and age, it’s so wonderful there’s many resources to enhance my independence. It’s not easy, though. There’s many hoops and obstacles to jump to even get the ball rolling to be approved for these resources. It’s a job in itself. Many Case Workers and State Officials, just about every day…there’s phone calls to be made, emails to be typed, research to be had, doctor referrals to be written, cases to be appealed, benefits to be denied, tears to be shed, objects to be thrown and curse words to be said. 

All these obstacles are due to having a job, while needing to keep my son and I health insured, and a few extra bucks to afford child care and keep food on the table. 

It’s exhausting, but “just keep swimming.” Wise words of Dory–many Thanks, fishy!

When I lay my head on that pillow at night, I give myself some praise for not completely losing my shit. Although, there’s been some close calls😜

Today, I survived more calls to the Social Security office, I gave my son lots of love – I fed him, I bathed him, we played, we learned, I tucked him into bed, I did some work for the wine biz, I blogged and I smile big that I faced another day and {pardon my French}, fu***** nailed it! I sometimes wonder how I do it, but then I look at Eli and think “That’s how I do it.”

Cliche as it sounds, my kiddo is what ignites my flame💞