THE PHYSICAL ASPECT – No. 3

Carrying on with the physical milestones I’ve experienced…

Each physical milestone reached carries with it a corresponding loss of independence. Nowhere is this more evident than in the ‘Big 5’ area of transportation. You’ll remember that I included walking, driving, etc. under this heading. I’ll start with my driving…

I always considered myself to be a pretty good driver, but I must confess that I’m a terrible passenger. Nicky used to dread having to take over the wheel on long trips. It’s not that I’m a nervous passenger or a backseat driver. I just get bored—REALLY bored, and REALLY quickly! Then I can’t help making a nuisance of myself and irritating the driver, especially when the driver happens to be my wife! So, needless to say, when I realized my reaction time was no longer quick enough to safely remain behind the wheel, it was a big adjustment for both Nicky and me. She had to take over all the driving (fortunately, she loves driving), and I had to learn to be a passenger (I’m getting better)!

Giving up driving was easier than I thought it would be, but gradually losing the ability to walk has been quite a difficult and frustrating process to go through. Balance has been the biggest issue, resulting in a few nasty falls before I started looking for something to aid my walking. The first prop was a walking staff given to me by my brother-in-law. It added just enough balance but wasn’t too cumbersome. It also came in handy when I dressed up as Moses for ‘Hero Day’ at school.

When my balance became worse, I exchanged my staff for a 3-wheeled walker, “Bob’s bike” as our friends’ little boy called it. This provided me with much-needed stability while maintaining maneuverability. As the muscles in my legs grew weaker, however, I could no longer walk longer distances or negotiate uneven surfaces. At this point I had to give in to finally using a wheelchair. Only weeks earlier some good friends had given me a motorized cart called a Shoprider. This proved to be ideal for getting around the school campus. And with the modifications done by the school to our office, I could drive it right in. All was going well until there was a break-in at the school, and would you believe it—the thieves also stole my Shoprider!

But thanks to the generosity of many family members and friends, this wasn’t the loss of independence that it could have been. With numerous donations resulting from a benefit concert put on by ‘The Bats’ (South Africans will know them well), we were able to purchase not only a motorized wheelchair, but also a van with which to transport it! Now I’m actually more mobile than before in spite of the fact that my legs are even weaker. God’s provision continues to astound us!