The Hair Cut

Yesterday my mother took her first voluntary, self propelled trip out of the house and back .,. the first trip since mid-April.

The time in between has not been boring. Three hospitalizations, many ambulance transports, and ongoing home care visits!

But the final result was ... ta-da ... a trip to get her hair cut!!

The trip itself was a bit of an adventure - not a nail biter - but a sincere effort for us both.

1. I determined that the temperature, air quality and general weather conditions were good enough. Her oxygen ran low earlier in the week with walking so I wanted near perfect external conditions for this trip. We had it. Check!!
2. Getting that darn wheel chair up from the basement, and then down my outside steps and then shoved into my trunk made me break out in a sweat. But I did it. Check.
3. She descended the 20 outside steps to the car with only one rest period. Oxygen was pretty good. Check.
4. She took the 5 minute car ride to my shopping center. Check.
5. She sat in the wheel chair from the car to the salon and surviving my wheel chair driving. Her blood pressure probably went up when I almost dumped her on the floor of the salon. The wheel chair wouldn't roll over the salon door sill - but she arrived safely, mostly, so I count it is a Check!! :-)
6. She got her hair cut. The salon chair had a foot rest that proved to be an obstacle but with the help of 3 people she surmounted it. Check.
7. I thought she looked tired so we sat outside and enjoyed a Rita's icy treat - the temperature was perfect and we were sitting in the shade. A social moment. Check.
8. The 5 minute ride home was uneventful! Check.
9. The trip up the stairs to the house was a bit more than she could do without several rest periods, but she did it. Check.
10. We arrived home and she was exhausted!
11. Me Too. It took 3 hours to do that round trip. But she looks better. Check, check, and check.