Monday, March 26, 2012

Grocery Therapy

Once a week, I prepare the grocery list. Here are some of the typical steps:

- Try to get the pad of paper that's on a magnetic hook on the refrigerator door. Forget I need both hands to grasp it. Drop the pad on the floor. Curse.

- Bend over to get the pad and hook. After few tries, I put the hook back with my affected hand. Tell myself: it's therapy.

- Open the fridge. Realize I didn't use my affected hand. Close the fridge. Open it with my right hand. Look in the fridge and see what we need.

- Go to the table, and haul myself up on a stool. Wish that the person who designed the kitchen used a leg brace. She would have known that counter-height tables are a bad idea.

- Start writing the list with my "good" (left) hand. Pause when I can't remember the first letter of "cheese." Tell myself: it's therapy.

- Finish part of the list. Stand up, after a quick check to see that my both feet are really on the floor. Go to the freezer, open it. Curse when bags of frozen vegetables fall to the floor, narrowly missing my left foot. Decide I need a break.

You get the picture. After writing the list, I type it, with both hands: it's therapy. Most weeks it takes me about two and a half or three hours for the whole process.

So a few weeks ago I was very proud of myself: for the first time, not only did I make the list, I did the shopping myself. Well, almost. After I put everything in the cart, I met our wonderful helper and asked her to wait in line. I went outside, sat on a bench, and basked in the sun. It was therapy.

9 comments:

  1. I understand your frustration completely. Bathrooms are very fun either.

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  2. Sooo funny! We can totally relate! I love this blog! Hello friends, We finally have our blog up and running. We would love for you to check it out and/or subscribe. We enjoyed writing articles for Stroke Connection Magazine, (Nov. Dec. '06, "The Grief Process," and Jan. Feb. '12, "Surviving With A Positive Attitude.") We are excited about the release of our new book! Hope to see you soon! Dave Nassaney & Charlene Nassaney
    http://1arm1leg100words.blogspot.com/
    (We have a video about OUR shopping experiencs, check it our on the blog)

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    1. Welcome, Charlene and David! I look forward to reading your blog.

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    2. Thank you Grace, I haven't seen you on there. Watch our video link on the blog, as well as our new book! Thanks again!
      Dave

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  3. Thats better than the one time my wife verbally told me three items to buy and I had to make three trips, and I don't have short-term memory problems.
    Dean

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  4. I laughed repeatedly. Thanks for the humerous inspiration.

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  5. I really should be following a routine like you...however frustrating. I always make a list and then decide when I'm at the store that I "forgot" to put something on the list. I come home and put the stuff away finding I already have 3 of the item not on the list...that I was so sure we needed. I think I have a 3year supply of mustard..I just keep buying it!!

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  6. Shopping is most certainly great therapy. Tiring but great. You have good reason to be proud of yourself. I am so glad you are able to do some shopping independently. Only the beginning.

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