Disability Is Expensive

Not that that needed to be said, but it is really, painfully pricey being disabled. And I'm not just talking about doctor's and hospital bills; ordinary, everyday things come with an additional expense - a cripple tax, if you will. Dispiriting and tear-inducing for me, downright prohibitive for most. It sucks.


What brought this post on was the need to adapt my ALREADY adapted minivan. I call my minivan Tom, but that's beside the point. Tom's got a handy dandy ramp, but now that my stupid right leg is essentially useless I decided to get hand controls put in as well.


I was trained to use hand controls before Christmas by a lovely guy, took my van in last week for the modifications and... and... it's just been a cascade of humiliation and cash hemorrhaging ever since. As if being (relatively) young and needing a hand control to drive your ramp van wasn't bad enough, there's been much discussion amongst the gimpy gear hawkers about the best model of hand control for me. The one we agreed on, that I was measured for, won't fit in Tom. There are other options, but there won't be any room for me to shimmy from my scooter to the seat. Again, I was measured for all of this so it should have been sorted out.


So after much back and forth and much of being called "dear" by the receptionist at the cripple emporium, it's been decided that, along with all the other modifications made to Tom, I need a "transfer seat." And it will cost an extra $3000 for it.


I hate this.

Good Gumball

So the Gumball is staying a, er, Gumball. Nine months since my Meningioma diagnosis and the tumor has decided to maintain its size and to continue to leave the surrounding brain tissue alone - meaning no swelling/edema. Great news!