Flying through the air was my dancing trapeze…
It was decided that if there was a trapeze [a relatively routine and common add -on ] affixed to my bed, it would have the potential to assist my mobility.
“Okay…Bring it on!!”
I watched ‘maintenance’ take it out of the box…some assembly required [deadly words from my perspective]. With the attached metal triangle clanking and dancing vicariously in the air, it became a done deal. Later that night, as I began my attempt at sleep, I pushed the arrow that lowered the head of the bed to a flat position…but wait…what the heck seems to be the problem? The bed would not assume the flat position, and so I decided that I would just ignore the issue…mind over matter…and go to sleep.
Well, ‘Hell’s Bells’, an executive decision was made by my sleep center to buzz the desk and ask if they could see what the problem was that wasn’t allowing me to put it flat.
Down to my room came a different former 5th grade student, a very dedicated and mature 19 year old young man, and his accomplice.
He assessed the situation, and with a swinging and clanking triangle dancing above my head [which caused me to put my hands up to protect my head] he removed the trapeze, along with the headboard, and the bed went flat. kind of fast…but oh well…Whew! [Good thing it wasn’t an elevator].
The next day when maintenance came by and found the trapeze hiding behind the door, it was determined that it actually was not the correct trapeze for the rehab bed, and that it was for a hospital bed. So I climb into my bed to relax, when all of a sudden- in walks another trapeze [followed by the maintenance man] and he says, “It’ll just take me a couple of minutes…stay right there…you don’t have to get out of the bed.”
He gets behind where the headboard would be, and again the clinking, free falling triangle is menacing above my head!
The trapeze and headboard are reattached and you would think that there is no more to tell…but wait…
In order to straighten the bed back to its original spot relatively flush to the wall, the bed must be lowered to floor level, so that it can then be rolled [squarish wheels].[ A safety feature, I’m sure.}
RRRR-RR-RRR
As the bed headed for the floor, there was a snap..crack…and the triangle above my head began again to float above my head with a broader range of motion!!
And evidently…the trapeze was no longer attached to the bed!!!
Well, even though assured that the problem had been diagnosed and could be remedied post haste, I politely declined saying,
“Put it on the bed for the next person after I leave. I’m sure that I will get to leave faster if that trapeze is not in the same room as I am!!”
That being said, other than the midnight floor waxing and the trapeze with a mind of its own, I couldn’t have had better care. All of the people were caring, friendly, funny,…the very best! To the point
that I will stay in touch with the friends I have made, especially my 89 year old sweetheart roommate, Irma.
I’ve told the rehab people that when my leg is healed and I am firmly on both of my feet, I’ll come back and volunteer. At physical therapy, they could use more people to wheel people back at the end of their session. And I know that Gracie, wonder dog extraordinaire, would bring smiles to many a resident. [She’s already been cleared with the necessary updated paperwork. Grace has been there before in that ‘spirit lifting’ role.]
Sometimes, it is just so easy to make judgments based on how things look on the outside. Some circumstances like age, residence, behavior, etc. could cause you to dismiss or give no more thought about the person.
In the dining room, I am on a first name basis with both staff and residents. So when Mary [not her real name] burst into song, her dementia and unruly behavior took a back seat to her beautiful voice. She had sung in a choir and and was quite musical. There is an organ in the corner of the dining room, and I asked her if she could play the organ. 
Way to go, Mary!!
