Because I am a published author, there are conferences I must attend for learning and for self-promotion. I want to go to these things. And with this rollator, I can! Always having a seat with me is an enormous thing. Last year at Can*Con 2016, people suggested I sit on a window sill while waiting in line for a panel. That was a solution, I guess, but not a very good one. Also, I kinda hate asking people for chairs all the time. It's going to be nice to just chill and be independent.
In 2014, things were so bad for me, I was sure we needed to move. I couldn't get up and down the stairs without wanting to cry. The thought of me once run-walking five days a week to now barely being able to take steps without a cane freaked me out. I felt panic-stricken. My sleep was atrocious because of experiencing pain levels 8 and 9 on a frequent basis. All my activities had come to a halt. I was practically house-bound. And since I am an extrovert, the loneliness was unbearable.
Cait Gordon—author and editor 