The Flip Side-Riding in a Car

My son, keep your father's command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. Proverbs 6:20 NKJV

It wasn't that long ago, I was helping my dad, as his caregiver, get him into the car. It's wasn't easy getting his body to bend in the right places to fit into a car. Parkinson's Disease can be like that, making the body rigid just where it needs to bend. Now, that I've broken my heel and was told I couldn't walk for three months, I became the caregivee and my husband was trying to get me into the car.

 At first, the Orthopedist Doctor wanted me to sit in the backseat on trips of an hour or more. I was supposed to support my leg with the cast on several pillows. Initially, I was told to keep my injured foot higher than my heart. I think that was so I didn't get any blood clots. The tricky part was getting a seatbelt around me. I tried to extend the seatbelt as far as I could, so it could go around at least part of me.

 Once the Orthopedic Doctor told me I could ride in the front seat, I had some new issues to handle. How could I get my cast and, later, my aircast into the car and in the spot under the glove compartment. It was of special concern if we were riding in my husband's car, because there was even less leg room, because of something that looked like air conditioning tubing.

 I watched all types of YouTube videos about getting into the car with a cast. God always knows our needs and led me to one that made it possible. They used material to make a sling to put your casted leg in, so you could guide your leg to the correct place as you held each end of the material and directed it into position.

 I found a way that worked even better for me, based on that YouTube video. I used an old, stained pair of stretch pants. I would put the V part of the pants where the two pant legs connect right under my cast. I could hold on to each of the pant legs with a different hand and guide my leg in my make-shift sling up and over and down into the narrow spot under the glove compartment. Fortunately, the pants rolled up and didn't take up much room, so I could keep them in my car.

 Additionally, I found that I liked having a little mini pillow to rest my casted foot on when I was sitting in the front seat. I found that when I wrapped the little mini pillow in a plastic grocery bag and knotted it, I didn't have to worry about getting the little mini pillow dirty when I put my foot on it.
Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Healthy Diet for Older People
By: HealthyBalancedDiet via You Tube


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