I Think It Is Time

Yesterday morning I had a revelation. It came in the form of a hard fall as I was trying to get out of the shower. What did I realize? That my amputation is permanent so perhaps it is time to make my bathroom more accessible.

I hate falling. Yes, the physical pain is intense. Perhaps worse is the frustration and fear that I feel whenever I take a tumble. I hate feeling out of control which is precisely what is lost during a fall. With the exception of taking down my shower curtain and bar, nothing was injured during my ungraceful exit from the shower.

To date, my bathroom accommodations have been limited to putting together a shower chair and getting rails installed when we remodeled our main bathroom. The bathroom adjacent to our bedroom, the one which I use the most, has not been modified. I placed a suction cup grab bar on the shower wall in lieu of installing a more permanent, and apparently more stable, option. Take a note: suction cups do not maintain their holding strength indefinitely.

I use the grab bars that we had installed in our main bathroom, so I am not sure why I have been hesitant to modify the other bathroom. I think my procrastination is the result of not wanting to incur another expense and not wanting to deal with the hassle of locating a contractor. Perhaps part of me has been reticent to fully admit that I need a permanent modification.

When it comes down to it, there is a stark difference between what I need and what I want. I know that I need secure grab bars, but it certainly doesn't mean that I am happy about it! I don't want to have to modify my bathroom, but the reality remains that I need the assistance. My bruised knee and bum are all the proof I need.

Yesterday I was lucky. I didn't hurt myself when I fell, but the event did serve as a wake up call. I am not happy about it, but I know it must be done. Today I will be calling around to find a handyman to install a grab bar.