Nanajo1
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 23, 1999
- Messages
- 3,331
I'll try to highlight my mobility issues on this site. But first a little background. I have MS, which seems to be moving from remitting-relapsing to more progressive. De Nile is a big river I have been standing in the middle of it for a while. I have always viewed my mobility issues as an inconvenience that needed small accommodations. My colonial house is not accessible to a wheelchair but I only needed it for distance and a well placed chair, wall and maybe a cane to lean on got me around just fine. I do have a stair lift to get up to my bedroom level. But I never saw myself as needing a lot of help getting around. I was able to get down my out door stairs to my hand-controlled van and to my power chair to do my shopping, get to work, live my life with minimal problems.
Well here in MA we have had a very snowy winter. Ten days before our trip we got 24" of snow which was not going to be a problem because a warming trend was predicted, and the airline strike didn't happen. But, all of a sudden I developed painful leg spasms. I immediately started on some meds that had helped in the past but after 3 days no relief, so the MD said letâÂÂs try something stronger. Well that slowed the spasms but also my right leg decided to take some time off and I could not walk at all.
I refused to panic. We tried to readjust the meds again and tried another. Some improvement but not a lot. At this point I finally told my MD that I was going to WDW. He was supportive and suggest another regime and encourage me to call from Fla if I ran into real trouble.(I took that to mean that if I was close to total collapse!) The next obstacle was an ice storm arrived at 3Am the morning of our flight! So we left for the airport at 4 Am for our 7 Am flight. I had a little trouble getting out of my house but the ice poring down was a great motivator. We live in a Snow belt so has soon as we neared Boston the ice turned to rain. So no problem. I got a manual chair at the curb and was placed in one of those the little ,little chairs to get down the aisle to my seat. This is a new incentive to join Weight Watchers. Late take off, turbulent flight, and a one hour delay waiting for landing permission in Orlando but no mobility issues. Wheelchair was waiting for me at the plane door. Despite being almost 2 hours late Elwood from Tiffany's was waiting for us. I stayed in the car while DH did grocery stop. Arrived at BWV around 1:30, got a manual chair to take me into Guest relations for check in and pick up my ECV. Room was ready! Scooter was there. We go up to the room, My requests were for non smoking and close to the elevator. So far so good. But remember request for close to elevator? Well we could not be further from the elevator. Three long, long corridors which is only a problem if you want to make a quick trip back to the room for something, unlike being able to use the stairs. The scooter was making a funny noise in one of the back tires. It was annoying and I worried it might break down at some point. A quick call to Walker and they did replace it within the hour. I had not requested a handiroom, remember, I am only minimally immobile. Well it became clear the 1Br needed some accommodation. (I never thought to see if a handi room was available). DH brought in the balcony chairs and set one up in each of the bathroom sections, The chairs at the eating bar were place strategically so I could move from chair to chair to sofa etc. This was adjusted as the week went along. (Have I told you what a prince I have for a DH?) We got the call the new ECV was here, so down we went picked it up
It had been a long day, our plan to go to Disneyquest seemed to be a reach so we got an umbrella from bell services (did I tell you Fla. has us to thank for ending the rain shortage)? We found a dry table outside the Big River Brewery and started our vacation. Well the rain let up and after DH finished his first of the BRB featured brew and I my Tiramasu and coffee we just did our walking tour of the Boardwalk to check out the work being done. No real mobility issues. Later we went to the Belle Vue Room . It is a quaint lounge inside BWV, with lots of furniture, the staff couldn't have been nicer moving sofas, tables etc so I could transfer and sit on a sofa with my DH. We grab a pizza at the out door pizza place and headed home. This has been a bit long so IâÂÂll stop now, I think IâÂÂm boring myself! I'll pick up in a couple of days.
Nanajo DVC 8/98
Offsite 5/78
Contemp 11/85
BWV 3/99
OKW 11/99
BWV 3/01
OKW 11/01
[This message was edited by Nanajo1 on 03-28-01 at 09:12 AM.]
Well here in MA we have had a very snowy winter. Ten days before our trip we got 24" of snow which was not going to be a problem because a warming trend was predicted, and the airline strike didn't happen. But, all of a sudden I developed painful leg spasms. I immediately started on some meds that had helped in the past but after 3 days no relief, so the MD said letâÂÂs try something stronger. Well that slowed the spasms but also my right leg decided to take some time off and I could not walk at all.
I refused to panic. We tried to readjust the meds again and tried another. Some improvement but not a lot. At this point I finally told my MD that I was going to WDW. He was supportive and suggest another regime and encourage me to call from Fla if I ran into real trouble.(I took that to mean that if I was close to total collapse!) The next obstacle was an ice storm arrived at 3Am the morning of our flight! So we left for the airport at 4 Am for our 7 Am flight. I had a little trouble getting out of my house but the ice poring down was a great motivator. We live in a Snow belt so has soon as we neared Boston the ice turned to rain. So no problem. I got a manual chair at the curb and was placed in one of those the little ,little chairs to get down the aisle to my seat. This is a new incentive to join Weight Watchers. Late take off, turbulent flight, and a one hour delay waiting for landing permission in Orlando but no mobility issues. Wheelchair was waiting for me at the plane door. Despite being almost 2 hours late Elwood from Tiffany's was waiting for us. I stayed in the car while DH did grocery stop. Arrived at BWV around 1:30, got a manual chair to take me into Guest relations for check in and pick up my ECV. Room was ready! Scooter was there. We go up to the room, My requests were for non smoking and close to the elevator. So far so good. But remember request for close to elevator? Well we could not be further from the elevator. Three long, long corridors which is only a problem if you want to make a quick trip back to the room for something, unlike being able to use the stairs. The scooter was making a funny noise in one of the back tires. It was annoying and I worried it might break down at some point. A quick call to Walker and they did replace it within the hour. I had not requested a handiroom, remember, I am only minimally immobile. Well it became clear the 1Br needed some accommodation. (I never thought to see if a handi room was available). DH brought in the balcony chairs and set one up in each of the bathroom sections, The chairs at the eating bar were place strategically so I could move from chair to chair to sofa etc. This was adjusted as the week went along. (Have I told you what a prince I have for a DH?) We got the call the new ECV was here, so down we went picked it up
It had been a long day, our plan to go to Disneyquest seemed to be a reach so we got an umbrella from bell services (did I tell you Fla. has us to thank for ending the rain shortage)? We found a dry table outside the Big River Brewery and started our vacation. Well the rain let up and after DH finished his first of the BRB featured brew and I my Tiramasu and coffee we just did our walking tour of the Boardwalk to check out the work being done. No real mobility issues. Later we went to the Belle Vue Room . It is a quaint lounge inside BWV, with lots of furniture, the staff couldn't have been nicer moving sofas, tables etc so I could transfer and sit on a sofa with my DH. We grab a pizza at the out door pizza place and headed home. This has been a bit long so IâÂÂll stop now, I think IâÂÂm boring myself! I'll pick up in a couple of days.
Nanajo DVC 8/98
Offsite 5/78
Contemp 11/85
BWV 3/99
OKW 11/99
BWV 3/01
OKW 11/01
[This message was edited by Nanajo1 on 03-28-01 at 09:12 AM.]
