choices

How do you know when to take the plunge on another assistive device?
How long is too long to wait where you are negatively impacting your health as opposed to maintaining functioning and quality of life?
Where are you on the spectrum of want to need to can't live without?
Do you listen to the Dr's that say you need to work towards removing assistive devices or to the Dr's that tell you to use them to improve your functionality and quality of life?

I'm on the fence (as it seems I often am when trying to manage my chronic health problems) about whether I should cave and get a shower chair or bench. I find showers exhausting but I don't want to take yet another visible step that confirms my failing ability to function and complete normal every day tasks. Some of my Dr's say I need to get rid of things I already use like my cane and others say I need to rethink my use of things that can allow me to function better which may mean adding more assistive devices.
What do you think?
Where is the line for you?
When do you know it's time to take the plunge?

#ChronicPain #assistivedevice #showerchair #Disability #Migraine #Fibromyalgia #HEDS #Stigma #choices #Undiagnosed #POTS

My wife is waiting to hear back about what day her new job starts. She went for an interview last week and the manager said they were planning to start either April 4 or the following week. But she did get the job. So that's the good thing!

The hard thing is we got a call yesterday from the place where her daughter (high functioning) does her autism therapy and they told us her insurance changed and they don't take it. So either we get her back on the plan she used to be on or services end Friday. The only way to change that is to actually call them, which gives my wife extreme anxiety. She's gonna try because if they can change it back, keeping her at the same place would be easiest routine-wise. But the other side is if we keep her on this new plan, it covers another place in town that does the same type of therapy but they also offer respite care and other services all inclusive that we have to go to outside agencies to get since this other place doesn't have those. So, all told, this might be better for all of us in the longer term. But the current place is getting her ready to return to traditional school. And if she goes to the new place, the easiest thing to do would be keep her in online school cuz, while from a therapy standpoint she is ready to go back to school, from a practical standpoint of socialization and what her individual needs are, she wouldn't do well. She's still struggling to do practically anything independently. There just never seems to be a moment for us to enjoy anything or catch a break... #Autism #OppositionalDefiantDisorder #Insurance #choices