- Joined
- Nov 12, 2015
- Messages
- 657
- Reason
- CALS
- Diagnosis
- 11/2015
- Country
- US
- State
- CA
- City
- San Diego
We arrived home yesterday late afternoon after a wonderful but exhausting trip to Yellowstone. It is certainly HARD traveling with a PALS, even one who can transfer easily and walk a little with a walker! I learned a lot from this experience...it is much easier if I can book several days in one place to avoid having to lug all of the equipment in and out of rooms; ADA rooms are highly variable (Yellowstone was great but Grand Teton had a bathtub with a grab bar - not helpful!). I sure wish my PALS was a little less in denial and would have let me get a handicapped placard and a power chair or scooter. As it was, I pushed him in a transport chair throughout the park, even dragging him on dirt surfaces to get him to a picnic table or to various sights. I also spent much of my time assisting him with toilets (also variable - a toilet marked with a handicap sign required transiting up a curb...seriously?) and in and out of the car. I was able to do a few small paintings while we were there while my PALS sat patiently having a picnic, but had to rush him to the car at one site when it started to hail. I also had a stupid fall at Grand Teton - missed a step and fell flat out onto the asphalt in a parking lot, injuring my hand. That made it much more challenging with the push chair but luckily I did that on the last day.
At any rate I'm so thankful that we were able to do this trip together. My PALS had never been to Yellowstone and had a wonderful experience despite my couple of meltdowns. The delight in his face as we watched Old Faithful together was priceless. We saw literally hundreds of bison, but only a few elk in Yellowstone. In Grand Teton we saw a moose and her calf, along with quite a few more elk. He was on the bipap a lot of the time; he seems to need more breathing support these days, and I'm not sure what to make of that.
I will share photos on Stories of Hope when I get a chance to go through them. For now catching up...and thankful that his caregiver is here today. I have to admit I was thrilled to see her!
V
At any rate I'm so thankful that we were able to do this trip together. My PALS had never been to Yellowstone and had a wonderful experience despite my couple of meltdowns. The delight in his face as we watched Old Faithful together was priceless. We saw literally hundreds of bison, but only a few elk in Yellowstone. In Grand Teton we saw a moose and her calf, along with quite a few more elk. He was on the bipap a lot of the time; he seems to need more breathing support these days, and I'm not sure what to make of that.
I will share photos on Stories of Hope when I get a chance to go through them. For now catching up...and thankful that his caregiver is here today. I have to admit I was thrilled to see her!
V