Quote:
Originally Posted by poncho-mike
I started going to Charlotte Autofair in 1978 as a spectator, then later as a vendor. I loved walking the fields looking for parts.
Around 1986, I was in a car accident and had some problems with pain in my right hip. A doctor diagnosed me as as having a defective hip joint that was aggravated by the accident. The ball on the femur was elliptical shaped and one leg was an inch shorter than the other. I was told I would need hip replacement by the time I was 50. I continued to walk the show and used anti-inflammatories kept the pain down. As I started walking less I gained weight. By age 50 or so, I had to make a decision if I wanted to continue to walk the show, either have hip replacement surgery or get a scooter. I felt too embarassed to ride a scooter while I still looked healthy, so I stopped walking the show and began selling parts. I can't say I made the right decision, since I allowed vanity to make my decision for me. I felt people would judge me the way some of you are judging people on scooters
I would be careful about making observations regarding people who are riding the scooters. Not all disabilities are visible to the casual observer. I know there are probably a lot of people that abuse these, but many people that look healthy have issues that are not readily apparent.
I finally had my right hip replaced a couple of months ago, and plan to spend a little time walking the swap meet this September.
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Very true! I myself went through Leukemia let me tell ya, I never totally recouped. My strength levels are horrible, that’s only one side affect. I lived in a 200 year old farm house, we had to sell it and got a rancher, I cannot do steps, hills etc. I don’t have a scooter yet, but I see it coming in my future. Most of my side affects from treatments are not visible to the naked eye, but trust me I have many. Kidney issues, heart failure, cornea issues to name a few. So when you see someone on a scooter that may look completely fine.....they may not be. I beat the Leukemia, but not without many many complications, that will put me in a scooter if I choose to continue being involved in what I love.