25th Birthday in Vegas
My care worker Jeff started with me back in February of 2017. I had known him for several years at that point however as he previously worked as a care worker for my best friend. One month after he started working with me, I asked him if he wanted to go to Vegas to celebrate my 25th birthday. Sure enough the answer was “yes!”. We started our planning by making sure I had a commode and hoyer lift rented for our hotel room. We planned to stay at Bally’s and tons of adventures planned. We arrived in Vegas, April 17th (my birthday) to find a cheap $40 commode that you find at Canadian Tire and an acient hoyer lift. Of coure we immediately had to test out the lift and came to find that the lift was going to be an adventure in and of itself. We quickly realized that the beds were boxed in underneath not allowing the legs of the lift to fit underneath the bed. In order to get me into the bed Jeff had to push the lift into the corner of the bed and then tip the lift forward off its wheels until my butt was just on the bed. He then had to unhook the sling and drag me into the proper postion on the bed. Lets just say he got a workout every day. As soon as we figured out the lift situation we hit the ground running and started our drinking adventures.
Rolling down the strip after more than a couple of drinks, my friend Megan who had also joined us on our vacation realized that she had forgotten her toothbrush. We headed to a CVS to grab one, when we entered the store the lights inside this place were bright LED lights. I was still drunk at this point by the way. Instantly, these lights made me feel sick. I opened my mouth to tell them that I didn’t feel well and as I did that, it all came out. I was devastated, I had thrown up all over my brand new black high top converse that I had got especially for the trip. My friends were worried about me, but all I cared about was my brand new shoes. Jeff being the hero that he is somehow managed to salvage my shoes.
I went to bed after this eventful evening with a garbage can joining me. I realized that this garbage can was there for me right when I needed it and because of that I gave it a name. I had said to Jeff “ this garbage can is my best friend!”. Jeff replied “ Oh yea? What’s your best friends name?” to which I replied “Gerald” . I haven’t seen Gerald since that trip, I wonder how he is doing. I woke up with only a minor headache thanks to how much I vomited the night before. We started our next day in Vegas and first thing on the to do list was to go to the Converse store and grab me a new pair of shoes. Our first day in Vegas had whiped me right out so we spent the rest of our trip shopping, sitting by the pool, and avoiding all CVS stores.
I learned a few lesson on this trip, the first of which is all hotels should have rooms with ceiling lift tracks. The track itself is fairly cheap and anyone who needs a lift box most likely has one at home they could bring. Second lesson of the trip, never wear your brand new shoes out drinking in Vegas. Lastly CVS needs to turn down those lights! I mean they are in Vegas, come on.
