Out on the Road

When we moved into our new neighborhood last year, I looked at the hills around our house, looked down at my wheelchair and thought Hell No. I took one harrowing walk with Scarlett “around the block”, which took 20 minutes and included several encounters with cars blocking the sidewalk, forcing me to wheel down short, steep driveways into the street.

Scarlett was riding her bike about a half block ahead of me the whole time, and if that sounds ok to you people who live on perfectly flat streets, let me just say that it was really not all that ok. I’m from a suburb of Chicago where we went sledding down hills that weren’t as steep as my San Francisco street. That first “walk” resulted in no injuries, and only one suggestion from a stranger that I attach a leash to Scarlett’s bike, but I was seriously sweating.

That was in my first wheelchair, a lightweight cutie that couldn’t handle a whole lot of climbing. When I got my new wheelchair, it was time to try again. I wanted to head out with my daughter, explore with her, just be alone with her for a while. But I was freaked out. Read More>

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Back to the DMV

Last week, I had to go to the dreaded DMV. Though I swore I’d made my last visit there, it turns out neither Rob nor I corrected our address upon moving, and our car registration renewal was sent to the wrong place. I took the earliest available appointment, an after-school option, thus ensuring that I had Scarlett along for the trip. Awesome choice, because if there’s anything more fun than going to the DMV, it’s taking a small child to the DMV. Especially a small child who announces the dire need to pee immediately after you arrive and are assigned a number. Winners all around.

We had gotten there early, and, rather than hang out in the depressing and crowded germ closet that is the DMV, we decided to take a walk (as I’ve said before, this is a term I use loosely) through the nearby Panhandle, which looks just like it sounds, a long, narrow extension to the “pan” of Golden Gate Park. It’s a place I’ve taken Scarlett a million times, because our first apartment was just one block away.

Back then, I walked (REAL walking) through the Panhandle almost every day with my new baby, snuggling her into a wrap against my chest or tucking her into an Ergo carrier to go get my morning coffee. I pushed her in a stroller for miles to get to Spreckels Lake, where we watched people sail small, electric powered boats. Read More>

|Categories: Life, Parenting, Relationships, Venting | Tags: , , | Permalink

Speed4Rebecca

This will sound crazy, but I was looking forward to writing this post. Yes, I’m introducing a new Face of ALS, and that sucks. It’s always hard to do, and every single time, I wish I knew these people for a reason other than our ALS connection.

But this woman you’re about to meet is pretty amazing. Rebecca Hayden was diagnosed with ALS in 2012. At this point in her progression, she types with her eyes and requires assistance with nearly everything, and yet, she is often able to keep things light and see the comedy in her circumstances.

If you don’t have ALS or aren’t as progressed as Rebecca, her posts might be a little shocking. With any serious illness, there are hard moments and there are tears, but it’s important to remember that even with all the changes and challenges, this is still someone’s life. And there is always joy to be found. Rebecca is really good at finding it, with an incredible support team of friends and family to help her. “We laugh a lot,” she wrote to me. Read More>

|Categories: Faces, Life, Progression | Tags: , , | Permalink