Sling Days

As I get weaker, things get harder to do. There is just no way around that equation. So I have a lot of devices and tools and helpers to make things easier to do. Some days those tools are more for the helpers than they are for me. This morning was like that.

My HCA, Micheal, had a rough night last night. He got woken up by a call from Nigeria at about 5:00 AM. By the time he got off the phone, it was time for him to go to work, a workday that includes doing a lot of things for me. When he told me about his night, I thought this might be a good moment to show him how to use my sling, something he has never done before.

Most HCA's don't do a lot of sling work; it's more of a hospital function than a home care function. My apartment, with all the health accoutrements, is a lot like a hospital room these days. So I showed Micheal how it worked, how it made it a lot easier for me to move myself when there was no help, and how to get me in and out of both my commode chair and my wheelchair.

His eyes fair lit up when he saw how it worked for me. He was almost animated, something he is not naturally prone to. He smiled when he saw the lift go up, me with it in the sling. He found it very easy to get the wheelchair under me, positioned, and for me to set myself into the chair with virtually no assistance from him. This was, if you may recall, his first time.

There have been two outcomes from Michael's introduction to the sling. First, and foremost, he has realised that it doesn't have to be all grunting, pulling, and pushing with me on the transfer board. There are times when the board works well. There are times when using a sling makes life easier. He is all in favour of easier. The second outcome, nearly as important as the first, is that he now realises how important it is for that sling to be in the right place when he leaves. It is definitely there today. This is a good outcome for me.