the question is...

Recently I was asked: 'How's Paul?', so here is most recent news about him. He is still miserable with the shingles outbreak (I know - it sounds like a problem some roofers might have when it's too wet to work. Or a combination of criminals tunneling out of the big house and unexpected attic infestation.) This has been going on for over a month. And the guy thought that if he took the anti-viral Rx,. that he would be completely done by the end of the week. Sad. So though I hear an occasional rumbling of discontent, there is not much in the way of relief - especially things that he is willing to comply with. Which is a story for another time...

The current mini-crisis concerns the power chair, and it's failure to operate on his terms. It was supplied, fully covered by insurance. Though he had to pay for the transportation/accessories/electric lift to be installed on the back of his vehicle. This makes the chair portable, though the supplier specifies it is for home mobility only. The basic chair has been gratis, no expense and quite convenient for someone who would otherwise be severely handicapped with mobility issues. As he experienced some problems with powering of the power chair back early in the year, he went to the battery store to have it checked. Insurance will allow replacement of the battery once a year, so he got a new battery installed. But it still was not providing the on-going energy he expected - often having to recharge the battery mid-day to meet his needs. Convinced it was a problem the supplier should deal with, he called for resolution. They said it was not their responsibility.

He did not want to replace what was a nearly new battery, plus another trip to the store got the response that this one was not defective. I said: 'don't you think the ability to be mobile at your convenience is worth the cost of a battery?'  He tried to convince himself the problem could be with the charging device, that the equipment, previously perfectly designed and adequately provided, was no longer functioning properly. He mumbled and grumbled a bit more, then went back to the battery store and paid for a battery.

I recently asked him how it was working, after getting a new battery installed and he readily admits that it's getting him where he wants to go. I decline the perfect opportunity to say 'it', so I am diligently practicing the art of biting my tongue.