wheelchair fight

"Any illness is a direct message
to you that tells you
how you have not been loving
who you are,
cherishing yourself
in order to be
who you are.
This is the basis
of all healing."
— Barbara Brennan

I exchanged my big honking wheelchair for a less honking wheelchair.
The big honking wheelchair was too much for me to manage on my own.
I needed as smaller one.

The lady at the medical supply store put up a fight, claiming the new wheelchair was too narrow for my big ass and too lightweight for my size.

I held firm.
I need to be able to get the chair in and out of the car without an army of helpers (or at least one friend with the strength of an army).
Sure I'd been lucky/blessed for these past two weeks getting help from friends,
students,
family
and random passers by
who took pity on me as I struggled to get the darn thing in and out of my trunk.

But Monday I start teaching a third summer class (I'm teaching 4 this summer).
In the morning and at night meaning
I would have to get the chair in and out of the car as many times as I teach.
The big honking wheelchair (see picture above) was too cumbersome.

I HAD to get a sleeker, more lightweight chair
and I did.

As I said, I had to put up a bit of a fight with the owner of the medical supply store, but I asserted my will, stayed my ground and got what I needed.

There's power in that.
Power replacing fear...nice theme for summer dontcha think?

*Lisa's Video Pick of the Day*
Being assertive is not the same as being aggressive.
Assertiveness is calm and clear.
Being assertive is a form of self care.
In this video Tracy Goodwin tells us we need to rehearse what we are going to say.
I did.
I rehearsed saying that I MUST have a lighter, smaller wheelchair.
It did not have to be bigger than my butt (as the woman insisted).
It could be snug because I only need it to teach a few hours a day.
I'd deal with the snugness.
It worked out exactly as I imagined it.
I got the lighter, smaller chair.
click here or click below