Additional strains

People, who are blessed with good health, may not realise the financial strain that chronic disease can have on a family. With a loss of income, when someone has to stop working, the burden of providing for the family is left solely on the shoulders of the healthy spouse. As if this is not enough, the problem is compounded by unforeseen additional expenses such as the many unpaid days off work that the employed spouse might take for trips to the hospital or surgery which require their presence. In addition the petrol costs, parking fees, a taxi now and then – all keep mounting up. Occasionally special equipment has to be purchased, and in our case, unable to find a disabled friendly home we have to build a house especially designed to suit my needs. This endeavour brings with it not only a huge financial burden but taxing emotional anxiety, putting great tension into an already difficult situation. Non slip tiles for the bathroom are a necessity, and are far more expensive than regular flooring. Also bars to hold onto need to be purchased and installed for safety in the bathroom. Flower beds in the garden raised to wheelchair height, add additional costs to build, using yet more materials. The list goes on and on, and money flows out of our bank account as if it’s water running down hill at great speed. One receives no help financially, or otherwise, and all these extra expenditures that have been going on for years take their toll. Anyone who is disabled, unless born with a silver spoon in their mouth, struggles to make ends meet. This is a topic most are ashamed, embarrassed and reluctant to admit or talk about. But it is a very real problem, and one that doesn't go away.