Truck Seat Troubles

We're back from Edmonton, after a terrific visit with my brother Jim. Actually Adam got most of the visit. I pretty much collapsed after dinner and headed to bed at 8:00 PM. It wasn't so much sleep exhaustion as it was body exhaustion. I just needed to stop moving about for while. So Adam and Jim got me to the hotel, then went back to Jim's place for a nice evening of catching up.

The body exhaustion seemed to stay with me this morning. Driving was not an issue, but getting into the truck proved to be a real problem. I made three attempts to transfer up that last 2 inches from my wheelchair to the lift seat on my truck, only to fail on all three. In the end, Adam had to give me a hand, boosting my efforts, heaving me onto the lift seat. From there on, all was easy, sort of.

This may be a pre-cursor, a warning sign that my solo attempts at getting in and out of the truck are coming to an end. As my friend Mike noted a couple of years back, it will more likely be my ability to get into the truck that curtails my driving, much more than any ability to drive. As you might guess, I am somewhat less than happy about this outcome.

With Adam's help, I got in and easily made the three hour drive from Edmonton to Calgary. We stopped for the required coffee and rest break at Red Deer, halfway between the two, but only for about 10 minutes. Driving the road was easy, with clear skies, warm air, and visibility to the far edge of an endless prairie horizon. The highway is almost arrow straight for most of the trip, meaning I had barely a steering wheel turn for the whole of it. While I am tired after driving for three hours, my body seems to be recovering just fine.

I'm going to try the self-lift later today; we are headed out for a potluck dinner at a friend's place. It will be interesting to see if I can make it, make the lift from chair to seat. I don't want this to be the last time, not yet. I know it's coming, I just wish it might hold off for a bit. Of course, that is what I have wished for every change in this journey; just hold off a little bit longer. Please.