My Wake-Up Call Moment
Let’s get real. For months, my mornings started terrible. Spilled coffee climbing out the car. Dropped groceries again walking just 10 feet from the garage. Felt like Denise Handicap meant fighting everything. My arms weren’t cooperating most days, simple stuff felt impossible. Got mad one Tuesday after knocking over my favorite coffee cup – shattered on the kitchen tiles. That was it. Time to figure my own way through this.
Building My Survival Kit
Started small. Went digging through the junk drawer first. Found:
- An old rubber jar opener: Game changer! Opened pickle jars solo without calling my neighbor.
- Velcro straps: Strapped ’em tight on remotes, pens, toothbrush. No more fumbling drops.
- Rubber bands: Wrapped thick ones around cups and water bottles. Suddenly, stuff stayed in my grip.
The Car Struggle Was Real
Getting in and out felt like climbing a mountain. Back hurt like crazy. Bought a cheap shower stool for $15. Stuck it right near the garage door. Now? I park close, plant my butt on that stool first. Changed the whole sequence:
1. Open car door slowly. 2. Swing legs out gently. 3. Push off the seat onto the stool legs-first. 4. Stand up easy from the stool. Sounds basic, but holy cow. Takes like 3 seconds now, no agony.
Redoing My Kitchen Setup
My counters were the enemy. Stuff kept sliding off. Tackled it one cabinet at a time:
- Cabinet doors off: Seriously, just yanked ’em off two lower cabinets. So much less bending.
- Non-slip mats: Bought those cheap drawer liners from the dollar store. Covered every shelf. Stuff finally stays put.
- Big bowls: Switched all mixing stuff to wide plastic bowls. Fingers curl around the sides easy.
Where Things Stand Now
Look, it ain’t perfect. Bad days still happen. But Denise Handicap ain’t the boss of my mornings anymore. Jar opener lives in my purse. That grungy shower stool? My garage MVP. Kitchen feels like my space again. I move slower, yeah. But smarter. Biggest lesson? Stop fighting my hands. Work around their grumpy moods instead. Everyday stuff shouldn’t make you wanna scream. Keep it simple, use what you already own, fix the little things one at a time. Game changer.
