Calling all adventurous quads. My family and I are wanting to spend a few days in Florida next year, but with the exception of hospital stays I have not been anywhere overnight since becoming a quad in 1987. I'm a C4, powerchair dependent, 55-year-old, and my mother is my sole care provider. We have wanted to take a trip for years but can't imagine how to accomplish it. My brother and his family think we should take a trip together next year, so having them along will relieve some of the stress, but he has serious back problems and would be little or no help for mom. Even with them along we can't imagine how to manage being away from home overnight, much less three or four nights.
Do any of you have experience with this type trip? Are accommodations available in some of the bigger cities along the Florida Panhandle, say between Panama City Beach and Gulf Shores Alabama? Are Hoyer lifts (or similar equipment) available for short-term rental? Are rooms with hospital beds available at some or any of the bigger hotels? I have tons of questions to go with the hundreds of excuses why we can't do it, but mom and I would really like to see the ocean again and spend a few days birding and relaxing on the beach. Can it be done without breaking the bank? For the record we are in central Tennessee, and would be driving down in our Toyota van. Advice, suggestions, or experiences from any of you with similar mobility/health-related limitations will be appreciated. Greg T. Tennessee
