My dad has pretty much given up on asking my sibling for help, because they always act so put out that they're being asked. I had to beg them last week to help me change the light bulbs in my room. I had four bulbs out. It was really dark in here.

and of course, I had three more bulbs go out in the past week, so it's almost as dark as it was last week when I managed to get them to help change the other bulbs.

I'm going to buy LED bulbs, if they're hopefully bright enough. They'll last longer, and I won't have to go to the store as often to get a light bulb. I can get our Orkin man to change the light bulbs. He's a heck of a lot more helpful. (he offered to help, we've never had to ask him)

I'm just glad that I can still drive. I can take my dad to the store, and he can go in and get stuff for me if I give him a list. It's just almost as hard on him physically as it is on me to go inside the store. This is why I'm so peeved that I have MS. I'd love to be able to go to the store to get stuff for my parents.

My parents and I have both noticed that people (other customers) in the stores are jerks. They act as if we're in the way. And then they also seem to stand in our way, and don't notice the big lumbering store scooters coming towards them.

I'm so bored at the moment, I'm almost willing to ignore the pain of spasticity, and see if my parents want to go to the store. I think I'll try to go in. I want cookies, and a magazine. (sibling just called to say they're not coming over, so we have to try to go to the store ourselves)

I know what you mean.

This is kind of where I'm at.

I actually don't think I'll miss driving all that much. I think I'm deciding to maintain my license for one more year, but not driving like I usually do...like every other day will be like once a week for this next year. That will save me mega money for myself since my income is half of what it was.

Thanks everyone.

In my youth I was a street racer and a truck driver almost all of my working career, I am 63 and gave up my license when it expired last year. Perhaps because of 30+ years of driving an 18 wheeler around I look at driving as not just a privilege but a responsibility, know when to say enough is enough? I no longer felt I was safe enough to be driving around.

Do I miss it? LOL there is a lot of things I used to do that I miss, but then there is the reality of my illness, and a lot of things no longer make sense attempting! I can still find plenty of things to do that keep me occupied and happy, so it's no problem for me.

My 26 year old son and his buddy live with me also, they handle anything that needs to involve driving with no complaints, so it's all good!

Me, too. I'm usually very patient and don't say anything if someone acts a little perturbed that I dare to get in their way.

But lately, on the rare occasion I go to a public place like the grocery store I'm not as complacent as I used to be.

I did find somewhat of a middle ground, though. I go on Senior Citizen discount day!! The store is packed with older folks (I'm 54 so I'm well on my way to officially being a senior!) and there's not a scooter available within fifty miles!

Anyone who wants to act impatient with this disabled girl has gotta answer to a bunch of older ladies who could probably whoop your behind before you could say boo!

The big thing I miss about driving is just being able, at the last minute,
to jump in my car/mini and go go go, anywhere, I choose, when I choose..
I do still have, at the ready, a fully charged minivan in the garage, with a
fully charged scooter. So that makes it all the harder not to be my impulsive
self.. I know, I'm 70s but, in my mind, I'm still my DD's age -44.

Enough of my blubbering...on with the show.

Didn't want to make a new thread just for this.

Saw this today and just dropped my jaw. It's pretty self explanatory.

Hisssssssss Boooooooo!!!!

I don't have pictures, but I went to Walgreens yesterday to help my mom get a sympathy card for her sister (my uncle died last week). When I pulled up, all the handicap spots were full. Only two had placards, and one of those placards looked like it had been altered. The spot where the date should have been printed looked like it had been cut, or chewed on. And the registration number on it was mysteriously damaged too.

There are five handicap spots. Two of them are in positions in front of the door, where they don't have signs on a pole in front of the space. But the entire area has yellow paint painted on the curb, and even has the wheelchair "art" painted in the spaces. Almost every time I've been to that store the last couple of weeks, there's been some schmuck with no placard parked in those two spots.

I confronted one of them about a week ago. Asked them if they forgot their placard. That...person...told me that they were going to be just a "few" minutes, and that there's not that many handicap people in the world that would need it. (said to me, standing there with a walker, trying to keep from committing assault by running her over with said walker)

She told me only people with wheelchairs used the handicap spots, and she never sees any people with wheelchairs, so she thought it would be ok for her "few" minutes. (she was in there for 20 or more because I was in there for at least 20mins myself)

When I was using one of the local gyms down the street from us, when I first started using my AFO, and a cane. I'd park in the handicap spot (with my official placard), but there'd usually be some schmuck parked in the wheelchair access spaces. Complained to the management. They didn't think it was a problem because "handicap people don't exercise". Ummm...what?

I used to take pictures of the motorcycles and motor scooters that would park in the wheelchair access spots, and tweet the pictures to the twitter account of the gym company.

What irritates me right now down at the cardiac center where my dad and I go to use their special gym, are the doctors that park in the fire lane in front of the building. Blocking the wheelchair ramps. Last week, the ramp was blocked by a car when we went in. Came back out an hour and a half later. Car was still there, but the doctor that owns the car came out right after we schlepped our way down the high curb. Guy was wearing his scrubs, and had his hospital i.d. clipped to his official doctor coat. Made me mad enough that I would have wanted to make that guy need a doctor. Good thing the MS keeps me from acting on the homicidal urge to run them down with the walker. I don't want to get blood on my wheels.

Erin, have you ever used those extension thingys that you use to change a light bulb in a foyer? We were doubtful that it would work but it was so easy and worked perfectly. We got ours at either Lowes or Home Depot. I'm sure it could be ordered for home delivery.