Sometimes an Uber ride is more than transportation. Yesterday, I ordered an Uber to go get my Actemra infusion at the rheumatologist’s office, which is only a few miles away. I waited with my rollator and did what I always do when the driver says hello- “Are you able to help me with my rollator?” I asked. She quickly pointed to her handicap parking hangtag and said, “Sure, we handicappers need to stick together!” I knew this was going to be a good ride.
I got in and quickly exchanged niceties which quickly turned into a full blown conversation about being disabled. We didn’t share diagnosis’s or specifics but both felt like members of a secret club that only those on the inside could understand. We talked about family support, strangers asking questions they had no business asking, and the loneliness of being disabled.
We shared heartbreaking times that we missed out, or worse, pushed ourselves so hard we ended up in bed for three days afterwards. I think it was the first time I talked with someone who understood my life in person and not online. It was so refreshing.
She shared and showed me that she, like me, had a fistula and sometimes people think her fistula is a scar from drug use. I told her I never had that problem, but stored that piece of information in my head for later. I offered some advice about mobility devices, especially about my Zeen.
Unfortunately, the ride was quick and we were saying our goodbyes before we knew it. I thanked her for the conversation and told her it was a breath of fresh air! She seemed to totally agree!
I no longer drive and depend completely on others to get around, except where my wheelchair brings me. I use buses, Uber, and private transportation companies. I find most of my interactions with drivers to be positive or at least neutral. This trip was positively amazing! You never know who you will meet! I hope I offered as much to this driver as she offered to me!
