How to Thrive and Be Wheelchair/Home Bound

When both of my knees stopped supporting me and I fell, I knew instantly that my life had changed. I am a large retired man in my late 70s. I had struggled with a walker for two years and, previously, a cane for more than a decade. As I aged, my knees became less reliable and falls occurred more frequently. Last year, when both knees collapsed and I fell, I called some friends that came to my house and helped me by arranging for a rental motorized wheelchair. I learned to transfer from my chairs and bed to my wheelchair. I realized that my house was not configured for life in a wheelchair. A friend introduced me to a very creative and experienced contractor named Rick. Rick and I began a journey that changed my world completely, allowed me to stay in my home, and gave me a purpose that I had not anticipated.

As I moved about my house I saw that many things had to change in the way that my house was arranged. I also realized that I too had to change. From these epiphanies, many adaptations have occurred with my house and with my brain and outlook. I will attempt to be transparent and to write about the stages through which I have passed in the past year. Join me here on Facebook or on the Blog Page on my website, safeharborpathways.com, as I describe the processes that I have developed within my daily routine, the changes that Rick and I made in my house, and the internal “thought changes” that I am experiencing as I navigate my life transitions.

Check out my website dedicated to life transitions at safeharborpathways.com and join me on my journey. I can be reached at bill@safeharborpathways.com.