Sunday, July 13, 2025 – Day 334

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Good morning, everyone! It’s Sunday.

Two months from today is Alex and Nicole’s wedding—but who’s counting? (Me. I’m counting!) Honestly, I think my body might just hold up until then. I’m still walking… not gracefully, but technically, it counts. And I’m really happy with where things stand right now. A year ago, I wasn’t sure I’d even be walking at this point. So yeah, this feels like a win.

It was about two months ago that a technician came out to take measurements for my new power wheelchair—the fancy-dancy one with all the bells and whistles designed to keep me mobile and functional as ALS progresses. At the time, the big question was how quickly Medicare would approve the chair and all the optional features. The original estimate had delivery slated for September… after the wedding.

I’d been warned the chair—or at least the extra features—would probably be denied at first, triggering the long, slow appeal process. Bureaucracy in action. And while it’s frustrating, I get it—too many people game the system, and it makes life harder for those of us trying to play by the rules. (Yes, I still consider myself one of the “good guys” in the Medicare system.)

So imagine my surprise when I got a text Friday morning saying the wheelchair was ready for delivery. Wait, what?! I was shocked—but thrilled. The only hiccup? Delivery was scheduled for the exact same time our Waukegan friends were arriving for our afternoon together. I didn’t want to delay our visit, but I also didn’t want to postpone the chair another week—the technician was heading out on vacation and couldn’t deliver again until the week of July 21. So…we decided to juggle both. Wheelchair delivery and friend time. It would work out. Right?

As you read yesterday, we had a great day with the Waukegan gang. And yes, the new wheelchair arrived as scheduled. The technician walked me through the controls, I took a quick test drive, and then signed off that everything was in working order. Mind you, this wasn’t like an Amazon delivery—no porch drop-off with a photo. This chair is worth $25,000, so it came with a bit more ceremony.

Sure, I already had a power chair—one that I’m incredibly grateful for—but it came with a lot of limitations. It struggled with uneven pavement or any lip greater than a half-inch. Hitting a bump would stop the chair cold—and if I wasn’t strapped in (spoiler alert: I wasn’t), there was a real risk of getting launched.

Yesterday morning, we took the new chair out for its first real spin—and it was awesome. It’s whisper quiet, has actual suspension to soften the ride (not quite Cadillac Escalade smooth, but close), and it tops out at a zippy 6.0 mph. I lobbied for a turbo button, but Medicare declined that option. Probably for the best. 😄

We took a few photos and videos of the chair in action, so I’ll wrap up here and let those do the talking. Bottom-line on this chair. 👍👍👍 And there is a bonus…it’s John Deere green!

Have a great Sunday.
Love you guys! ❤️