[Erin524]

ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!

I called a local pharmacy that also supplies medical equipment a couple of months ago. We wanted a handrail on our stairs. (took the original handrail off because we had a stair chair thingie installed and the original rail was too big and interfered with the stair chair)

Had an appointment set up and absolutely no one showed at our house. Called to ask about it, and they had no clue what I was talking about. There was no information in their computers saying that we'd called.

Yesterday, I called the same place, and set up an appointment to get some handrails put into my fiberglass insert shower. Was told they'd be here this afternoon between 3 and 330. A little after 330, I called the pharmacy to see if the guy was running late. They had our name in the computer, and that we were on the schedule. For tomorrow! (I'm not here tomorrow...going to eye doctor at 3) My mom heard me make the appointment. It was supposed to be for today.

So, I was talking to the guy, told him I was frustrated since both times I've called to get something installed, things have gotten screwed up. I was about to let them come at 530, when the guy told me they only had 3 different rails. Did I want white, ecru or this silvery rough edged kind. Which wasnt what I was told yesterday by the girl who set up the appointment. She said that the trucks carry a large assortment and that they'd have the ones pictured on the website. (nice ones that dont look so "hospitalish")

I ended up canceling having them come out. I'm frustrated enough about needing hand rails, and then having them screw up the appointments both times I've called them for something just got annoying. I'm just going to go buy handrails for my bathroom from a hardware store, and then see if there's another pharmacy in town that will come install the <bleep> things in my shower.

I'm also remembering when we called this pharmacy another time to do some maintenance on my mom's stair chair thingie, they didnt show that time either.

I'm not so much frustrated at the conflicting information that the girl gave me yesterday about what the rails looked like, it's the fact that they cant seem to get their appointments correct in their computers.

[Dejibo]

We have the same trouble in New Hampshire. We have tons of folks advertizing tons of services, BUT...getting them to show up is the trick. We wanted a deck installed. Went to Home Depot, and got a subcontractor thru them 6 times! not one of them showed up to give us the estimate. Right now we need some landscaping work done. We have spoken to 5 different companies, and NOT ONE! has called back with an estimate of a time to start.

If someone would just start a company with the slogan "we show up!" they wouldmake a killing around here.

[mrsD]

I have alot of trouble with stairs...and we have LOTS of stairs.

I use a light weight aluminum hiking stick for our stairs, and find it is better than a hand rail. I got mine at Dunham's for about $15. I use it all around the house and outside gardening, to give me balance etc. (I originally bought it for winter use outside in slippery conditions, but I find it very useful all around). It is far better than a cane, is adjustable, and very light weight.

Check it out.

[Erin524]

The stairs arent a big deal for me right now. I just use the stair chair thingie. It's just a seat that goes up and down the stairs. Has a nice remote just in case I need to call it up the stairs to me, or down the stairs to me.

I've been mostly using it to go down the stairs. I've been crawling up the stairs when I need to. (hey, it's exercise!)

What I really wanted were the grab bars in the shower. I'm irritated that the pharmacy keeps screwing up the appointment times and ending up wasting my time.

I'm thinking about calling a carpenter and having someone who is not associated with the pharmacy install the grab bars.

Either that, or if I win Powerball this weekend, I'll rip out that stupid fiberglass shower and have a nice tiled shower installed (actually, I think I want marble tile) with the grab bars installed during the building of the shower.

I wish.

I just dont understand why they keep screwing up the appointments. I really hate having my time wasted. (comes from having been stood up twice for a couple of dates about 20yrs ago)

[SallyC]

My Remodel Hunks got me some beautiful hand rails, to match the bathroom plumbing, and installed them perfectly in the bathroom.

[Erin524]

I'd love to remodel my bathroom. I just dont think my dad will go for it.

My left arm feels so strange right now. Really weak, almost like I can barely move it.

I'm tired of trying to get stuff done like the grab bars in the bathroom, or trying to get a doctor to listen to me that something is wrong.

My right arm feels similar, but not as bad. Starting to wonder how I'm going to use the bathroom if it ends up like my left hand/arm.

[Koala77]

Erin, although desirable, it's not absolutely necessary to have grab rails installed.

It's just not possible where I live, but I do have a shower chair with hand grab rails, and also an over-the-toilet-seat with hand grab rails, that I can also shower on.

You just buy one!

Surely that's preferrable to having nothing to hold onto while you wait for some-one to come instal permanent ones, which from the sounds of things, might be a very long time happening.

I added a photo of one of the many varieties you can choose from. This is a cheaper one, in case finances are a problem.


.

[Erin524]

There's no room in my shower for one of those chairs.

There's a built in shower seat, but it's not really the type that someone with mild mobility problems (or future really bad mobility problems) should really be using.

I slide off that seat when I use it...it's also not right under the shower head, so if I wanted to sit under the shower head, I have to take the shower head off the holder (it's the kind with the hose). But then I have to sit and hold it, and my left arm is to the point this week where I couldnt even push an empty grocery cart with it. Too weak to hold it up. Even my hand is having problems typing this post.

I just talked to my dad about remodeling the shower. He said that I could research how much it would cost, and that he wouldnt be totally against a remodel.

I guess when he let me build my fancypants desk in my bedroom, I might have proved to him that I can pick out tasteful stuff and not go overboard on the costs.

I actually could have gone a little nuts on my desk. My dad told me he was surprised when my biggest splurge on the desk was the countertop. (went for manufactured stone and not laminate) He said he probably wouldnt have minded if I'd gone for a nicer wood or a fancier countertop. (now he tells me!)

While I'd love travertine tile in the shower and a heated tile floor in the rest of the bathroom, I'm not going to go nuts on a remodel if he lets me do it. (it is his house) Just nice normal tile inside and no built in shower seat so that I actually have room to maneuver in the shower. I'll get rid of the vinyl floor in the rest of the bathroom tho.

All I want is a shower that I can use that doesnt look like crap (they hired the wrong people to remodel my mom's bathroom upstairs) I want to get rid of the fiberglass shower insert and just have a nice normal shower with tile that matches the rest of the existing bathroom, with grab bars. A shower that I can put a nice shower chair inside of. (something that I dont have to keep in the shower all the time if I dont need it)

When we were shopping for this house 8yrs ago. If I'd have known I was going to be tortured with MS, I would have insisted on a tile shower then and grab bars that dont look like afterthoughts.

If I get the new shower, I think I will ask for the fancier showerheads...the kind where you're getting sprayed on from 3 different directions.

[lefthanded]

I vote that SallyC's Remodel Hunks show up at Erin524's to help her with her grab bars and hand rails.

[Koala77]

There's no room in my shower for one of those chairs.

Erin, what are your shower bay measurements, including the size of your shower door?