Tom's book ~ MS Funnies

[Guest guest]

Well Tom, since everyone else is sharing their " MS Funnies, " I've got

a couple for you.

Before my caregiver, Joy, could convince me that I needed a walker, I

insisted on using a cane. I believed I was less handicapped that way.

Denial takes many forms.

One day, at the Post Office, I had waited in a long-line, longer than

I had expected. After completing my stamp purchase, Joy turned to

hold the door open for me to go out. When she turned back around, to

see what was taking me so long, I was sprawled across the feet of

someone who had just come in. Everyone in the Post Office was rushing

to see if I was alright. A young boy was offering me my cool cane.

Joy could see I was not hurt. Calmly, she walked over to me and

said, " Russ, would you please quit clowning around? Get up! Now hot-

shot, are you ready to get a walker? " The sensitive bystanders all

thought she was really mean.

After agreeing to get a 4-wheel walker, I was slow to learn to lock

the breaks before I sat down on its neat seat. I was awaiting Joy

outside the front door. As visitors were parked some distance away, I

decided not to accompany them to the parking lot. Joy did. When I sat

down, the walker rolled backwards, off the sidewalk, into the

flowerbed. I rolled onto the ground. As it took me some time to reach

the walker and get to my feet, a neighbor was on her way over to

assist when I waved her off. Then, I went into the house.

The next day, the neighbor asked Joy, " Is Russ alright? "

" I think so, " Joy answered. " Why wouldn't he be?

" Oh, he didn't tell you? He fell. "

Upon learning of my roll-around in the flowers, my caregiver made me

agree to lock the brakes before sitting down on my walker. I usually

remember to, but memory is another problem. I do remember though that

someone once told me, " Foolish pride causes some problems for other

people too. "

Russ