To fight the unbeatable foe and kick its ass, sort of

So you know how I said that taking a shower upstairs makes me feel as if I have conquered Everest?

Well, after visiting my sister, I feel like "I can lick 30 tigers today."

Her house is not what you would call wheelchair-friendly, but not a lot of people's houses are.

I used my manual chair so it could be carried up into the house, and I eschewed an escort at the airport to scoot myself along. It is kind of nice and relaxing to push yourself, and an airport is great for rolling because it often has flat surfaces with no carpet.

I got on the plane last so everyone had to walk past the choice bulkhead seat that Claren and I had -- two seats, lots of legroom, just me and her.

In Boston, where my oldest sister lives, I transferred in and out of a minivan to travel. Piece of cake.

To get in the house, we got a chair and I sat in it while two people carried my wheelchair on to the porch. Then two people (usually) helped me up the steps by walking on either side while I put my arms around their shoulders. We reversed the process for going down. It worked quite well. The worst part was that I visited during a rain storm so my shoes and wheels got muddy.

Using the bathroom required people not to peek because I could not get in and shut the door. On occasion, I did sit on the toilet, push my chair out and close the door, but that meant that someone needed to put my chair back in. I can't really explain how I got to the toilet except to say it involved a strong towel rack and one of those suction-cup grab bars placed about six inches off the floor. It was totally safe.

I decided not to risk a shower so I just washed myself at the sink, and I managed not to knock my niece's contacts, makeup or other paraphernalia over.

There were other odd events like getting my nephew to pull me off the couch I slept on, my pants falling down on stairs or slipping to the ground in the bathroom with my legs bent in a way I was surprised they still went.

But I had a blast. I saw my sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew, three cousins, Bruce Springsteen and two friends. And I know now I can do it. I even survived driving in the rain with my 16-year-old niece, and if I can do that, my friends, I can do anything.