A New Track Chair

A couple weeks ago we found out that Independence Fund awarded Dean with a Track Chair! Dean was not very happy that I applied for one and he wasn't very happy when we found out that they chose him to receive one. He doesn't want to need one, he wants to believe that he can somehow will himself to do what he pictures himself doing while he stays home 99% of the time because he can't get out and enjoy what he wants. He lives in a kind of denial about it and little Dean and I end up living a very boring existence because of it.

This all changed when we went to Alaska (I'll write about THAT awesome experience in my next post). They had a Track Chair up there that they had just gotten the previous week. Dean was the first wounded warrior to try it out. He LOVED it! He immediately realized that this chair would give him the independence and the freedom to do what he loves to do, be out in nature and relax without having to fear getting too tired, without having to plan out his energy reserves, and without having to put more responsibility on me.

When he was riding on it I realized that we haven't had a normal paced walk where I wasn't having to worry about his stability, energy level, or pain level in 3 years and how having this chair will allow us to do things we used to do! When I applied for one I had hoped that if he were awarded one he'd be able to see the benefits I could foresee and now he has. I am super excited!

Dean will get his custom made chair in September or October and we can't wait!