Handicapped plaque

[Rockporter]

To get or not to get one is the question?

I have always parked in the outer section of the parking lot because I couldn't stand all the cars so close together that you can't get into your own vehicle without hitting the mirrors on other peoples cars. Or, the wind is so strong here most of the time you have to hold your door close to get out so it doesn't get whiplash and smash the car next to you in a strong wind.

Now that I have been having problems with breathing and my heart, I have been parking next to the cart storage so I don't have to walk far from my truck to put the cart away. Of course I have been parking like this for years because I was having trouble breathing and needed to be as close to the store as possible.

But I am now considering asking my doctor for a handicapped plaque for my truck. I can't walk far without getting out of breath. I am okay if I just go to one store and get parked close enough to the front of the store by the cart storage racks. But if I need to go to big town 28 miles away then it means going to numerous places in the same day.

Today I wanted to go to big town for mothers day dinner but decided against it because I was tired from working with hubby on the compost cage. I did not want to go to all the other places I needed to go to also, so I skipped it. I'll go this week instead. We just went to walmart and I am exhausted, just walking in the store.

So, to get a handicapped parking plaque or not to?

Would you? I have fought against having one for so long I just wonder if it is in fact time to get one. I have three forms of arthritis on top of the lung and heart problem. So, I have reason to get one, I just don't "look sick" if you know what I mean.

[Spartanburg123]

Get one!!!! It will ease the suffering that you have, so that you can enjoy maintaining a good garden. Please do it!!

[AlittleSalt]

Rockporter, yes, get the plaque or plates. When you feel good - don't use them, but when you need them - do use them. It is a personal call at the time.

[peebee]

I know what you mean Rockporter by saying you hesitate cuz you don't "look" sick. My very good friend had hip replacement surgery last year and for a few months she used her plaque to park in those handicapped spaces. A few times I was with her and you won't believe the dirty looks and sometimes comments from people who questioned her otherwise youthful and healthy appearance. She really needed it at that time or else walking further would hurt afterwards and/or delay healing. Not everyone has to be visibly limping or in a wheelchair to be able to use that space. Yet she felt terribly guilty even though she was under a doctor's strict orders and within her rights.
Go for it; why suffer when you have the option to make life easier for yourself?

[Deborah]

GET ONE. NOW. I have one and it's only because of arthritis. I keep mine in the console drawer thing out of sight. Thieves are everywhere. The first time I used it I felt weird-like I'd hit old lady zone. But now who cares! It's wonderful!

[Worth1]

Another guy and I got glared at for using the food stamp card.
We were white well dressed males.
He had back problems and couldn't work.
One lady behind us even commented about fraud.
As far as the handicap thing it isn't me to judge who or why someone has one.
I do know for a fact people abuse it.
I have known several people that would take grandma's car just so they could park up front.
A teenage girl skipping and hopping to the store does not need to be parking in a handicap zone.
My wife refused to get one as bad off as she was.
Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Another guy and I got glared at for using the food stamp card.

I had a roommate with a LINK card one summer. Using one is a great opportunity for social observation....especially when you buy beer or wine for cash with the rest of your food. Ohhh, the dirty looks and sour faces. The cashiers and employees were the worst. They'd bag my stuff, throw it down on the counter toward me, and walk away, no smile or 'thank you.' They were just mean.

If I was a grocery store manager, I would consider that behavior as tolerable as employee theft. It's bad business to chase away any customer, regardless of how they pay.

[brownrexx]

Of course you should get one. Only use it when you feel the need to.

[SteveP]

If you feel you need it by all means get one. But if the extra excersize would be beneficial to you, then you can decide when you need to use it. Personally I don't give a rats flip what other people think about me. I don't need one yet, but I won't hesitate when the need arises. What time a person shops can also make a difference.

[kurt]

It by one shape or another is a mandate by Federal requireme nts.In our county you cannot get a building permit without meeting theAMerican Disabilitys Act (ADA) guidelines.Everyone pays for it,in our county we have stiff fines,if you don't pay they take your license.Remember the guidelines protect the quality of life for the aged,infirm,blind!wheelchair bound,person who have to navigate society,drive work and live at the same time.So if you see me standing there watching some fully capable strong humans pull into the Ada spot ,jump,out with iPhone in tow,sprint to the ATM while your Mercedes is running, worst mistake you made that day.You will be calling the dealer to get your phone FOB replaced since you left it in your running car,you turned around and the wind blew the door closed,key is gone,and the cops are writing you the 500 ticket you deserved because of the call placed by a concerned citizen.That I phone can sure take a nice image of those license plates when confronted,and with the culprits pooh pohing you.So please park in your handicapped spot,with your deserved Ada placard.

I set my aunt in NYC with amazon prime for those large bulky orders that will get door delivery on Sundays.Toilet,paper plates heavy liquids cases soda etc Win Win for her somewhat retricted movements and access ability in the city,

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by Rockporter

.

So, to get a handicapped parking plaque or not to?

Would you? I have fought against having one for so long I just wonder if it is in fact time to get one. I have three forms of arthritis on top of the lung and heart problem. So, I have reason to get one, I just don't "look sick" if you know what I mean.

Don't hesitate another moment. Get it. My wife fought it for as long as she could, but now she has the plate and the blue plaque to hang on a mirror if she is in a different vehicle. And, best of all, she's settled into it and realizes that she can now do some things that she thought she would have to give up (hmmm....sound familiar??).

[KarenO]

Perhaps my Canadian point of view is unwelcome but I would disagree that people are disabled "sometimes" or when they don't feel good and not at other times.I think it's more important to investigate why you are short of breath increasingly and hopefully your symptoms can be managed.
I think the few labelled disabled spaces available are really meant for folks who require mobility aids such as wheelchairs or are on oxygen etc.
Caution as well regarding officially labelling yourself as handicapped from an insurance point of view as well as a drivers licence point of view.
I hope you feel better!
KarenO

[b54red]

Get one and don't worry about it. You only have to use it when you have to or think you will be having a problem if you don't. If your doctor thinks you need one then he will give you one and if he doesn't he won't. I know there are abuses but there are abuses of everything so you can't base your need on that.

Bill

[GrowingCoastal]

Originally Posted by KarenO

Perhaps my Canadian point of view is unwelcome but I would disagree that people are disabled "sometimes" or when they don't feel good and not at other times.I think it's more important to investigate why you are short of breath increasingly and hopefully your symptoms can be managed.
I think the few labelled disabled spaces available are really meant for folks who require mobility aids such as wheelchairs or are on oxygen etc.
Caution as well regarding officially labelling yourself as handicapped from an insurance point of view as well as a drivers licence point of view.
I hope you feel better!
KarenO

Karen, then why do people with only a need for a cane after hip replacement surgery get a card given to them? One friend who went through that did need to be closer as she healed. People with heart ailments and other problems that are invisible are also given these cards to allow closer parking. Some of us are 'disabled' with less physical trauma than others and I think that is generally well appreciated. Maybe only in this area where seniors are the majority.

I would consider my parking in a handicapped spot now to be an ask for bad luck! I don't ever want to need one myself but if I did I would take it and use it when necessary.

[Rockporter]

Originally Posted by KarenO

Perhaps my Canadian point of view is unwelcome but I would disagree that people are disabled "sometimes" or when they don't feel good and not at other times.I think it's more important to investigate why you are short of breath increasingly and hopefully your symptoms can be managed.
I think the few labelled disabled spaces available are really meant for folks who require mobility aids such as wheelchairs or are on oxygen etc.
Caution as well regarding officially labelling yourself as handicapped from an insurance point of view as well as a drivers licence point of view.
I hope you feel better!
KarenO

Well, you would be one of those persons who give the looks and the comments (maybe under your breath or maybe by speaking loud enough for others to hear you). Or perhaps you are someone who just doesn't really understand people are handicapped without a wheelchair, or oxygen hanging about their noses.

For me, I will explain to help you understand things a little better since it is apparent you haven't read any of my other threads talking about my condition. So let me educate you.

I have been through numerous tests to be diagnosed with my heart operating at only 39%, it is Diminished Heart Refraction caused by Cardiomyopathy, which doc thinks was caused by a viral infection sometime back.

My lungs are staying open (inflated) instead of expelling all of the air when I breath out, which has been diagnosed as Pulmonary Hypertension. This makes getting enough oxygen in my blood a far cry from normal. Both diagnoses cannot be fixed. There will be no getting better or feeling better for that matter.

So, in this case there is no getting better and there is nothing the doctor can do. My heart might repair itself but not to 100% or even 80% and there are no guarantees it will get better. My lungs will never return to normal. So because I have chronically inflated lungs, my weakened heart has to work really hard to pump the blood through the lungs. He explained things this way to me.

If he and I were to race down the hallway in a fast sprint the heart begins pumping and all the arteries and vessels open up to provide oxygen throughout the body. Only my heart and lungs are doing the opposite. Mine begin closing instead of opening to allow the heavy blood flow through, which is depleting my oxygen, and making my heart work even harder to pump the bood through. There was once a new medication being studied for Pulmonary Hypertension but it failed miserably at it's job. Instead, the men were coming into the office with huge smiles on their faces because of the side effect they were having from the medication. It was called Cialis, aka Viagra. There is no other treatment available as of now. Looks like Mayo clinic is working on something but my insurance won't cover it and I don't live anywhere near one of their clinics anyway.

Now let's add in the three forms of arthritis I have which are Lupus SLE, Rheumatoid, and Fibromyalgia. The first two forms of arthritis attack your body by causing major inflammation throughout. This in turn causes damage to your joints, which leads to swelling, stiffness, and sometimes immense pain, but there is always pain. The Lupus SLE attacks your internal organs which would of course include the heart and lungs.

So, the next time you see someone parking in the handicapped zone and look healthy to you, try to remember they may not be as healthy as you think. Walking in one store is enough to make it so I cannot do much more the rest of the day, especially if I have been in the garden a few hours prior to this. I do the best I can with what I can, but if having a handicapped plaque and parking in said spaces makes life easier for me, then I think it is appropriate and I would have to take that position, then tell your canadian point of view where it can go. Nothing against canadians by the way. Just people who think they can diagnose others just by looking at them.

Have a great day KarenO, and remember that yes, one day you can feel okay, but the next is a whole other story. I hope to continue seeing you around here.