So Katie broke her leg about a month ago. She's doing good! But she's not allowed to walk upstairs and she can't stand much

So we've got a chair lift and a proper wheelchair on the first floor, and a less than proper wheelchair on the second floor

GOOD NEWS? Her chronic back pain has lessened?? Or her body is just so busy panicking over the leg ordeal it's not sending obnoxious pain signals from her back

While the broken leg situation is new, I can see why my dad was getting so stressed and wanted me home

A lot of people were telling me "but why you, why don't your other siblings help?"

So let's break it down

Sam: Too wrapped up in her own world. She is busy living her best social life and often steps on toes (without thinking) to make plans for herself. Family feels kinda secondary or like overlooked because it's such a constant she doesn't focus on it.

Scott: HE MEANS WELL but he is aggressively too helpful and then takes it personally when he's asked to stop LOL

He's also busy af and his wife is a nurse who is equally busy af

Alex: NURSE. She's busy. Her wife is also super busy. Their schedules never align and they are rarely home at the same time so they can't actively look after Katie.

Munchkin: BABY. in Colorado. Need I say more

So Alex is 2 hours from us. Scott is 20 min away

Sam is 8 hours away

SO AS YOU CAN SEE..........

No one can be bothered

Too busy with their wives, lives, and work. All 3 are home owners. Munchkin is working on a farm and a 4ish hour plane ride away

So they can't really help on a regular basis

Alex and Scott have chipped in from time to time but their homes are not friendly places for someone who needs to sit or avoid walking. Both houses are basically vertical

Sam's house is far less complicated but upstate NY is cold. So that's out

So here we are.

Anyways, this kinda irked me while I was visiting Sam

She usually wanted to drag me everywhere but she wouldn't let me go hiking with her

"it wouldn't be good for you"

And like Okay, thanks for looking out for me, I think. But I can be the judge of that

I think she was worried I'd slow her down, so that's just a delightful feeling

And now with Katie

Oh, neighbors are great by the way

They wanna host a little get together thing for us as the newbies

But we're on a mountain, farmland, the get together is a bit of a walk

So we're trying to find a way to get Katie there, her to be comfy and still in her own means of being independent while at this outdoor event that'll be on a gravel path/cul-de-sac

So I brought up the hiking thing because DELIGHTFULLY

well two reasons

DELIGHTFULLY one neighbor is an avid hiker and there is a hiking trail nearby, but we have to cut through a historical (ticket purchased) landmark to get there

She offered to take me! Granted she is unaware of my RA but in the same breath she joked that her knees aren't great so she would make a poor hiking partner and instead I took that as NO YOU ARE PERFECT. PLEASE HIKE WITH ME lmao

So that's one thing. The other is, we have an interesting parallel with Sam not letting me go hiking and us trying to get Katie to this event

I'm not saying we are doing this right, I think it's more making sure we aren't taking her own control away?

Because that's how I felt when Sam wouldn't let me go so it's odd that happened so recently that I can relate to it for this instance

Anyways, the get together is next weekend and we need to make sure to bring the chair that SHE can steer rather than the crap chair that needs someone else to steer even if the wheels are a bit better

ANYWAYS. NEIGHBORHOOD: Deer, bears, hummingbirds oh my

Doing great tbh

Also man people do not realize just how much effort caretaking is?

Like I have been having to do it for my mom because she fell on the stairs a few weeks ago and hurt her knee and it's not even that bad! Nothing is broken! She's just supposed to stay off it for a while

But it's SO exhausting to have to be constantly up and down getting stuff for her and helping her do things

It's really easy to go "but why don't you help??" if you've never actually had to do that before

I have post it notes on the top and bottom of the stairs for her to help avoid too much extra stair climbing for me. It works decently! But even then, there's always something unpredictable

Oh, that is a really good idea, actually

But ya, I don't think people realize what it takes to assist someone with mobility concerns

Yeah, exactly. There are so many things you just take for granted and don't even think about

With my arthritis I've kind of been there? Like not to this degree but I've had bedridden days/weeks

So like, being on the receiving end you idk. Just have a better understanding of what the expectation is

Scott and Alex, to their credit both tried to look after Katie while my dad had to sort out the new house and deal with me flying in

Scott's house was too difficult so Katie went to Alex's

BUT THEN SHE BROKE HER LEG at Alex's lmao

Man if I weren't dealing with this on my own end I would absolutely offer to come by for a few days just to cook some meals or help out in general

That's really sweet, Luna

LUCKILY Katie can still cook. In fact, she insists when she's having a good day. Bad days we insist she doesn't lol

KATIE IS SWEET, I remember how nice she was when I met her

You should come visit when your mom is doing better c:

And you can tell her that LOL

I would love to!

I MEAN we are like next to Monticello so

IDK IF YOU LIKE MOUNTAINS bears deer and dead president houses, but we've got it all over here

Oh. There's a vineyard down the road with free tastings

Have I convinced you lmao

HAHA I would love to once things are a bit less crazy on both our ends-- oh no, that is the siren song right there LMFAO

lol ya maybe in the fall if both mother figures recover smoothly

FINGERS CROSSED

Sounds like a plan to me haha