Yesterday we turned in my 24 hour urine catch to the lab for the test for heavy metals. Since we live within a quarter of a mile of what the EPA called one of the worst toxic waste sites they ever had to clean up, we’re very anxious to hear the results on that one. Obviously, there are several metals that could cause the PN, so this is a key test. I started to just let DH take the container back by himself, but it’s a good thing I didn’t. They had such a hard time drawing blood Thursday that one of the vials had clotted, so they had to draw more blood from me yesterday. That would have been terrible, to go to the doctor next week and not have all the tests completed.
I’m finding the oddest places that I’m having trouble navigating with the walker. The door to the bathroom at the hospital lab was so heavy that I couldn’t get it open and get the walker through it, too. DH had to get up and hold the door for me. Then, when I got in the bathroom, there was no hold bar — in a HOSPITAL bathroom! I couldn’t believe it! We got the phone number of the maintenance department from the lab people. That was the only number they could give us, figuring they would know who we would need to contact to complain about the bathroom not being compliant.
We went to an old Wendy’s for lunch, and it took 2 people to hold 2 sets of doors open at the same time to get the walker through the vestibule doors, the way they opened on each other. That’s crazy!! Nobody in a wheelchair would be able to get in that place alone. They’re going to get a call, too. We’ve been talking to managers for years about maneuverability issues we saw pertaining to wheelchairs, but we’ve obviously missed some in places we never took my mother. You just don’t notice things like that until you are confronted with them yourself.