My Love Story
As you may know if you read much of my original page, http://www.jpickup.com/, I
am a quadriplegic as a result of a motorcycle accident that I had in 1984. I was 19 years old
at the time. It was almost exactly a year after graduation. In an instant my life changed forever and ever since that
time it has been one change after another. Some good changes, some bad changes but never stale or boring.
First the accident itsself and all of the unknowns. With a broken neck (a C-1 fracture for all of you medical people),
a head injury, and severe internal injuries, the doctors never expected me to live. When I stubbornly refused to shut up
and die quietly they realized they would have to send me to a rehabilitation center. I spent eight months in Atlanta,
Georgia in the rehab center. It was the longest time I had ever spent away from my comfortable home in Augusta. After
physical rehab I had to be retrained for a new career. I took an opportunity to go to Atlanta for an additional year,
this time for training in computer programming. I graduated at the top of my class and returned to my parents' home in
Augusta once more. Within a couple of months I got a programming job and spent the next ten years getting better and
better at what I did. Then I decided to move. I wanted warmer weather, my own home, and a place where a guy in a
wheelchair could get around without needing to drive. That was West Palm Beach, Florida and that was where I found my
love.
During most of my stay in Augusta I did very little toward pursuing any kind of relationship. I knew that I needed some
kind of companionship but I wasn't quite ready for the dating scene yet. There were so many barriers still in the way.
I didn't have much money, I was unsure about my driving skills. I had a van and went to and from work, out to eat and a few
other places in it but it was scary. It didn't have a driver seat, nor a foot-operated brake or throttle so it wasn't safe
for someone else to drive. I could get into someone else's car but my wheelchair could not be folded or disassembled to
fit into a normal car. So much for normal dating.
Anyway, when I moved to Florida I found a whole new set of changes to adjust to. I had another accident in my van the week
before I moved so when I saw how the people in south Florida were driving I began to look at other means of transportation.
I found that with the accessibility level down here I can get most anywhere within a few miles simply using my electric
wheelchair. To go farther than that I can use the public bus system. I was suddenly able to go more places and do more
things. I was meeting all new people at work, at the new places I could go and things were good. I felt like I was sixteen
again and just learning about dating and meeting women. I had a couple of relationships. Some good, some bad and I made a
few mistakes but oh well...
The greatest things in life seem to happen at the times when you least expect them. Due to some minor physical setbacks
that I had, I realized that it was really difficult not to have someone around to help me all of the time. I could and had
lived by myself while I was going to school but it was just real inconvenient. I didn't want someone who would just come
in on a schedule. I wanted someone to be there most of the time that I was home. That would be very expensive and since
I receive no help of any kind from the government or anywhere else except my salary from my job, paying for full time care
was pretty much out of the question. Not being the type that ever gives up, I began thinking. I don't have lots of money
to spend, mostly because it all goes toward past medical bills and a mortgage payment on a nice house... hmmmm... that is
a nice 4 bedroom house that I shouldn't be living in all by myself. Hey! Someone who wanted to save that $800 or so that
they now pay for rent might be willing...
I found someone where I worked who was having trouble keeping up with her rent and had worked as a caregiver in the past and
we worked out a deal. That worked well for a while but I had begun yet another big round of lessons. We had a few problems
and I soon found myself looking for another caregiver. However, this time I decided to get two caregivers since I had two
empty bedrooms. That way each one would only have half as much to do and would have a pretty sweet deal. I started putting
advertisements in the post and hiring that way. I learned many new lessons about hiring and managing employees, different
people with various personalities and lifestyles, having two women living in the same house, putting everything in writing,
and lots of other things. After watching many caregivers come and go, a very special one came along. It's always darkest
just before dawn and this was no exception.
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