You're probably wondering what's gone on at chez moi for the last three weeks or so...
Early days mean I've been up at six and gone by half past seven, putting in a good hour three times
per week with the trainer, doing thirty to forty minutes of sprints in my chair for cardio and then spending 45 minutes in the pool. I haven't gotten home before 2 in the afternoon, which is a huge chunk of the day. Two evenings per week I leave about 6:45 PM and return after ten, once for choir practice, the other for services. Much of this time is spent waiting for public transport. Another chunk is spent on laundry, cleaning and cooking, from which there is no escape unless one is wealthy enough to hire a cleaner. I do utilize my neighbor, but only on an as needed basis and he charges a fraction of what a professional would in terms of expense.
This morning I had a builder in to assess the cost of making this flat more accessible. Unlike others who have looked, measured, scratched heads and slunk away with nary an estimate, this one was personable and quite candid regarding the potential problems and costs associated with re-doing doorways and the bathroom, which is small and narrow. He would have to move walls, pipes and drains, loosing a foot or two in the bedroom, re-tile. The cost might be higher than the unit is worth in the current housing market and would leave me with no cushion at all, financially speaking. He took photographs and promised to call again after consulting colleagues at the local remodeler's association. In the interim, I'm attempting to contact realty agents to see what is available that was built after 1990 that should have wider doors and a more open layout. Of the three persons recommended by friends, none have returned my calls while another has sent a form e-mail with her contact information.
I'll see what happens...
Until Next Time...
15 comments:
You would think estate agents would be biting your arm off in the current market....
You are so right, Fly...But some of them restrict themselves to higher end properties than what I inhabit which is just your basic four room flat...
Haha, Fly just wrote EXACTLY what I was going to write!
How bizarre is that?
SP
Great minds think alike sometimes, SP! Now, I get the joys of house hunting on wheels!
Would there be any grant money available to improve your unit? Maybe you can get financial assistance so you wouldn't have to foot the entire bill.
May I ask how do you sprint in your chair? Is that using your arms at a specified rate?
And speaking of the chair itself is it a standard size and is there a smaller one for use in the house that would fit the house rather than making the house fit the chair. I saw a documentary on FDR the other day and when he was diagnosed with Polio and they told him he would not walk anymore, he made his own chair out of a kitchen table chair with the arms sawed off. Now this was after he had been president for a few years, he just did not want the public to know he needed one...is that a possibility?
I think a good finish carpenter could make you a chair that would do everything you need it to and then some depending on your collective creativity. But a word of advice if you do go this route...get references and ask detailed questions. I for example could see a use for a seat that swiveled on ball bearings while the legs stayed stationary...that sort of thing. I hope this didn't offend you but the first question I really want to know what that means.
Walking man,
My chair is custom made and cost 4000 which insurance did not cover. It is small and has a small turning radius which is why I got it. The wheels, which I need to move about, scrape the bathroom door and door frame which are simply too narrow. Most wheelies live with unmodified housing because it is simply too expensive for them to do. I do have a desk chair that swivels and have fallen from it a couple of times. To answer Steve's question, grants are few and far between, though I'm continuing to look.
Running sprints means that I start at one end of the court and propel myself as fast as I can down the length of it. 11 laps equals one mile and I usually do 3-4.
Tradespeople do seem to be very easily put off by requests other than the totally straightforward. I hope you find a solution to the problem. My sister and brother in law have built a new ground floor extension with all the adaptations and special bits and pieces that Heather needs. The local council provided most of the money, I think, which was very fortunate.
I hope you find a solution. I was interested in your answer up above about sprints - that sounds hard work!
Sprinting in a chair involves starting from one end of the court which is a professional size and moving to the other end as quickly as possible. 11 laps equals one mile and I've been doing three to four miles each time. It is excellent an cardio workout for me.
Thanks e...I was curious about the first and know there has to be a different answer than killing your savings on modifying the house. I can see how a seat turning could be dangerous for you and casters not the best idea I ever had. But thanks for letting me know what a sprint was and how far you had to go for a mile, now I know another person I do not want to arm wrestle for money.
I'm excited to hear you are singing in a choir. I am assuming this is the choir at your synagogue. Music adds a special dimension to any religious experience.
I do understand how Blogging sometimes has to take a back seat when we are dealing with things like taking care of our bodies. Glad to hear you are working so hard with your trainer.
Great minds think alike...
There isn't a lot of money out there compared to the people who need it...
I think I've worked myself into exhaustion...physiotherapist says to slow it down a bit...
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