Hope your day is going well. Today is a bit of a painful day, if my previous post today did not indicate. The weather shifted again enough that instead of snow melting and going away, it got cold enough to get snow again last night. Not only did this trigger a migraine but it also was warm enough to melt so now the roads and sidewalks are covered in ice. It is nearly impossible to manage with a wheelchair in winter as it is. Add ice and it is alot like spinning your car tires when you are stuck in the snow in your car. So often in winter I feel trapped, at least my cell is more comfortable, has a tv and laptop and I control the lights.

However this creates a problem that I struggle with all the time in the snow and ice. How do I get my service dog out for the walks she needs? How do I go and get groceries? Right now I have some mobility however with my spine issues being degenerative that is slowly decreasing. In order to walk around my apartment building I need forarm crutches with ice picks obviously and I need my dog to NEVER pull when I am walking her plus I get to freeze my butt by sitting on every single set of stairs I go by. My apartment building is designed where one door leads to suites on left and right. There are three of these connected. So lots of stairs this though makes it a very cold walk for both my dog and I. I feel horrid and a bad pet owner for not being able to do something as simple as take my dog for a walk that let’s her burn off energy and all that. A walk should last an hour at a normal pace for a pup, the distance I do takes max five minutes at a normal pace. For me at least half an hour which means not much stimulation for her especially since we don’t get to go out often with her in her working vest to help out with this one. I go to the mall in spring, summer, fall… any time there is not ice that is not far from me and we just go all around inside because I can handle the linoleum the easiest and the trip to the mall is about 20 minutes which is enough time for her to relieve herself both ways.

Often in winter you will see zip ties around my wheels when I am out. However stores and inside the home that is not the best cause it chews up the floors so I have to cut them off when I go in and then put them back on when I go outside again. This is not a quick task either. It really makes me wonder why there are no winter wheels or at least chains or something for wheelchairs. It’s not like we just go poof in winter or hibernate like a bear lol.

So when my pain is up and I am down because I can’t even go further then my front door the two really make it so I am really not ok.