Old Quad

With my thirty year anniversary of entering the quad life approaching, I've been thinking back over the years I've been given. As a result, I've come up with this list of observations.

You know you're an old quad when:

1. your every day equipment brings up memories of the “good old days” for caregivers.
2. you order new equipment, and notice a change, and realize it has been this way for years.
3.  you have been “in the medical field” longer than your caregivers
4. your doctor asks you what orders to write.
5. you can’t begin to count how many people have seen you without clothing.
6. medical students look to you for advice just like their instructors.
7. the original doctor(s) that treated you have been retired so long that current doctors never heard of them.
8. you can relate medical history with what you were doing in school.
9. you have outlived every statistic for life expectancy.
10. you have comebacks for nearly every comment you receive in public.
11. the place you order supplies from knows you on a first-name basis.
12. you fully know you can’t do anything without caring support of those around you and God’s care and protection.

I'm thankful for all the unique experiences I've given and look for more to come in following years. That's it for this week in the (old) quad life.