English: Modern wheelchair (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Another story I am going to write about. I hope you are not getting tired of hearing about my brother.
I received a call today from an office lady. We have been having issues with Al understanding that he can’t take much money when he goes to outings. This is another similar situation. He was going out and wanted to place a car on lay-a-way at Wal-Mart. He needed more money than what I allow him.
She called to see if I would approve it and I said no. Now don’t think I am being mean and rude. I just put up two long shelves in his bedroom. I filled them with his cars. I have filled every table and dresser I can and two bookshelves with his things. I can not afford any longer to place cars, coca-cola and other odds and ends on his floor because of his instability.
The rest that I had no safe place to put I bagged and placed in his closet. The facility also does not like him having these cars in his room because of theft. So I said no. I was planning on going to see him so went a few minutes early to talk to him.
I explained why he can’t have the car and he went into his adult temper tantrum. He accused me of not caring about him. He even went so far as to say that I thought he was a retard. Wow, that one threw me for a loop.
I won and he was upset. I dissected his issues and think that part of him was wanting to throw his fit because he wasn’t getting his way. Another part of him really didn’t comprehend why he couldn’t have more cars. Lastly he doesn’t understand why he doesn’t have his money now. He thinks the facility stole it from him.
I have to admit I think they charge huge amounts of dollars but beside the point I guess. I told Al that he and I have to pay for him to be there. We would save the bigger cars for Birthdays and Christmas.
Finally he settled enough to eat and then his ride appeared to take him. I took her aside and asked her to please quit taking him to Wal-Mart so often. It stirs things up inside his head. That I would prefer if he went to the day program more often than not. I added that stopping to get a diet coke was not a bad idea either. Just keep him out of toy sections and antique stores. He doesn’t need to visit them every single week. She said alright.
I was getting ready to leave and I saw one of the therapist on my way out. She used to come to the house to do Al’s therapy. I stopped and chatted for a few. I asked her how Al was doing in his wheel chair therapy. She said, “We are almost done. He is refusing to do anymore work on it. I am not wasting my time on someone who refuses to do the work. He claims it hurts to bad. As far as the transfer from chair to wheelchair, this isn’t going bad at all.”
I said,”What else are you trying to get him to do?”
She came back with “We are trying to keep him walking”.
I explained,”I have been over this many times with you and have had a recent meeting about not trying to fix the broken parts. I don’t want you to work on the walking. Not that I don’t want him to try but it is getting very difficult for him. I would much rather have you work on the wheelchair training. This is what he is going to need worse as you have stated he can barely walk anymore”.
She looked at me and said, “Oh I would think you would want him to keep walking.”
“I sure would like that a lot, if he could. He still walks but just tiny distances. It seems to me the wheelchair is going to play a large part in his life from now on”.
She turned away and went back to what she was doing and I turned and left the front doors. I was thinking,here we go again. Another day of I can’t get my point across. Another day of others thinking they can fix the broken pieces.
Can’t anyone hear me? I would give Al my legs if he would walk again. But the Parkinson’s Disease is bigger than Al and me put together. I have to accept that he is walking less and less and depending on the wheelchair. So let’s just work on that and leave it at that, please????
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