No Elevator For Two Or Three Months

Shit just got real. I know it's a crude expression; nothing more fitting came to mind when I got the notification this morning. I knew it was coming; we've been talking about it for months here in our condominium building. The other two buildings have been through it; now it's our turn.

This morning I got the notification that the elevator in my building would be out of service for rebuild and replacement starting Monday, March 2nd, until further notice, mostly likely for two months, possibly for three. During that time I will have not way of getting up and down from the garage into my apartment, no way of leaving short of calling the fire department or asking someone to lift me down the stairs and back up again.

This means that from March 2 until May 1 or possibly even June 1, I will be home bound, apartment bound, without extraordinary measures to get me in and out. In other words, I will be a prisoner in my own home, trapped by the loss of the mechanical means I need to get out and about. It means no late lights, no Trivia Tuesdays, no Name That Tune Thursdays. It means depending on the kindness of others for the normal, everyday tasks like shopping or picking up medications. It means no spur of the moment drives into the mountains, no quick weekend getaways, no events, no activities, almost no social life.

There are a couple of options that I can see. One is to take off on an extended road trip or something like that, where I am away for a few weeks or more. That way at least half of this duration I will be out of town. It will be expensive and lonely; I will miss my friends and life here at home. Another option might be to see if I can find some temporary accommodations, at least for a month or so. That way I can be here in Calgary; I just need to find a suitable place. Or I could just stay home, toughing it out, doing the best I can, calling the fire department or other helpers when I need to go out, adjusting my schedule and lifestyle to match.

All in all, it's a problem, just another of the many problems in life made all the more difficult by ALS and the wheelchair. It's not the first problem in my life lately, nor will it be the last. It's just a bigger one than most. No matter what I do, no matter how I do it, March through June will be challenging and expensive, at a time when I really do not need the extra stress. I'm not sure what I will do; I'll just do what I have to do.