I would open a shop that had different aids for people with physical disabilities. I’d have things like canes and walkers and wheelchairs,even the most up to date wheelchairs that climb stairs, along with lift chairs and special toilet seats and caregivers, yes actual trained people who you can hire to help you bathe,dress,and groom you as well as cook and clean for you. DO you need the person to live in or out? It’s your choice. Sound good?  How about a chauffeur service to take you anywhere you need to go? What’s the twist you ask.

It would all be free of charge. And you would get whatever you require within 48 hours. All you would have to do is prove that you are physically disabled with your doctor accompanying you into our shop for your first visit, and you’ll be in our system .

Because if you have special needs, you should be specially cared for . After all it’s not your fault that you’re physically disabled, and you shouldn’t have to pay through the nose for the things that you require to live a life with dignity and as much independence as your disability allows.

I know this is impossible to achieve without an amazing healthcare system doing it for you, so it’s just my dream… for now.

The only thing that I need to have on my person at all times, including when I go to the bathroom, is my cellphone. As a wheelchair user, if I have an emergency situation, like if I fall,or if I’m unable to get up from the toilet for some reason, and my cellphone isn’t with me, it’s not a good thing. Because my husband’s hearing is waning and because my voice is not as strong as it was before my stroke, yelling for his help doesn’t always work. Although now that we’ve replaced our carpets with vinyl planks, sound travels further . Even so,I don’t feel fully safe without my cellphone.

I write my blog as a way to communicate with anyone who might want to know what it’s been like to undergo a huge life change as a result of a medical event. If anything, I’d like to see more people get an echocardiogram before the age of 40 because it would save a few thousand lives. I talk about the massive stroke that I had, but it was a side effect of the tumor that had been growing in the right atria of my heart for more than 20 years without my knowledge. It’s a rare condition, and I was one of the lucky people because the stroke saved my life. The biggest side effect of an atrial myxoma tumor is sudden death  before the age of 50,which is why I said, have the echocardiogram before the age of 40. I had no idea that my heart was a ticking time bomb. There are very few signs of the tumor, and by the time I noticed that I was getting short of  breath when I walked, I thought it was due to aging as I was about to be 50. Fifty is the life span of a person who has an atrial myxoma tumor. The stroke happened 5 weeks after my 50th birthday. Im not exaggerating when I tell you that I barely lived through it. Had I known about the heart tumor before I had a massive stroke, I wouldn’t be a wheelchair user today, 9 years later. If this blog can do anything to help someone else avoid paralysis or sudden death, it’s done its job.

I would go outside whenever I wanted. I’d be able to drive my car. I’d travel whenever and wherever I wanted. I would dance. My life would be full of freedom and the energy that comes with it. And all because I would no longer be paralyzed nor brain damaged .

I couldn’t tell you what the most expensive meal I’ve ever had was. But I’ll tell you about the time I left a 100% tip. It was the first time I had Indian food in Montreal, Canada .I went to a little restaurant on St Catherine Street with a girlfriend and we ate a meal with 3 courses and desserts. It was the second best Indian food I’d ever eaten. I was shocked when the bill came, and it totaled 20 Canadian dollars for both of us. I happily paid the bill and left a 20 dollar tip. I told the server that I was surprised by the amount and that they could easily be charging more. She asked me to wait and ran back into the kitchen, and the next thing I knew, the chef appeared . I gave him my compliments and told him that he was undercharging  for such terrific food.  The smile on his face was overwhelming and sincere, and there were tears in his eyes as he turned to go back to the kitchen. 

I think it’s important to give your feedback to anyone who does such a great job and undervalues their work so much. I hope that exchange gave him some more confidence in his work.  It was a meal that would have cost 3 times more in any other Indian restaurant and was far better than most.

The following news from my country of Canada is going to be uninteresting to most people. In fact, most people wouldn’t consider this news at all . It’s not anything that really affects anyone except for a raccoon. But it affected me greatly because it made me smile, even giggle a bit. The news is so depressing in Canada if only because most of it has to do with whether or not Donald Trump is going to debate Kamala Harris .why does that depress me? Because it isn’t actually Canadian news. In fact, it’s barely news at all. I’m getting so tired of seeing Canadian news shows trying to get more eyes on them by including the words Donald Trump. Yes the election in the USA  is entertaining to watch from a distance, but it’s not even going to happen until November. And yet the Canadian news follows every little fart Trump makes. Please tell me more about our own politics, and don’t try to make it less boring than it is. Because politics should be boring! Especially Canadian politics. My rant is over and I invite you to enjoy the short Canadian news story that made me smile…

https://youtube.com/shorts/lcEGy6HavOc?si=tZVdaue8k2SstL1E

I’ve never been a drinker, and since my stroke, all I can handle is a yearly sip of champagne,which is barely more than I used to drink anyway. I quit smoking about 15 years ago. Since the stroke, I’ve even  stopped smoking pot and now take it in edible form because of chronic pain and only when needed. My only remaining habit is online shopping,and mostly during the month of July when I have my birthday, my hubby’s birthday, and my mom’s birthday. Although I do admit to getting excited when I actually need something throughout the year about going on Amazon to shop for it and at the best price. Things like denture adhesive,oral swabs, and mouthwash ,or perhaps a new revlon lipstick shade. I’m addicted to the Amazon essentials Women’s cotton t-shirts. They’re so soft, and they fit perfectly. Oh, and since I found out that they sold skechers shoes last month, I’ve bought a couple of pairs,because even a paralyzed girl needs more than one pair of comfortable shoes.

If you’re curious about what it might be, click the link below, and Neil Degrasse Tyson will explain everything