A visit to Wes

Wes and I visiting at his place - Andrew took the picture

Smiling buddies

Wes, in his small bachelor flat

My friends, Andrew and Rahel, were kind enough to bring me to Toronto.  We left here about 1:15 to try and avoid the heavy traffic.  We were fortunate that the traffic was not too heavy at that time.  Although it was raining lightly, that did not impede our progress.

Upon arrival in Toronto, we went straight to where Wes lives in North West Toronto.  The nurse had already been to dress his wound and happily we were able to spend a couple of hours just chatting with him in the privacy of his own bachelor flat.

I will be adding more shots in due course to this blog, as Andrew took some as well, particularly of the smallness of his apartment.

Wes was a little nervous meeting new folk, I could tell by his body language.  However, he soon felt more comfortable and we had a delightful visit.  He even felt comfortable enough to share a small photo book with pictures when he was younger.  I was touched by that gesture.

As per instructions from Engiver.Com and my son, we took many  shots of him.  That is the real blessing of digital cameras, the ones that don't turn out, can be deleted and another taken to replace it.

The purpose of our visit was to take pictures for the appeal to raise money to help him move to an accessible one bedroom apartment when Housing finds it for him.

Wes, trying to get around in his apartment

I'll try and describe Wes's apartment in words.  As you come in the door, there is a bathroom on the right hand side.  In the bathroom there is a steel walker like they use in the hospitals after a hip replacement.  You move it by lifting it inch by inch.  There also is a bath board on the bathtub and a raised toilet seat.  It is a very small bathroom, a wheelchair or even a walker cannot fit into it.  He cannot be alone to have a shower as it is too dangerous.

The main part of his room is filled to capacity, a desk, a bureau and his single bed, a tiny two seater kitchen table, turtle tank and on the other side, if my memory serves me correctly, his scooter and his wheelchair are near the galley kitchen.  The kitchen has a stove and a frig in it and a little bit of counter space.

In order to get in and out of bed, there is a standing pole somehow attached to the ceiling and the floor. I don't know how that is done.

As I remembered him, he continues to be as neat as a pin, a place for everything and everything in its place as the old saying goes.  I don't know how he does it!

Wes and I in his flat, taken by Andrew

Wes showed us the meds he was on, told us about the different jobs he had held before he broke his back on a construction site (no Workers' Compensation Insurance) and spoke about his happy times.

It was a good visit and he knows that he is not alone to face everything by himself.  He needs to go back to see the surgeon to discuss his options on Friday since the stump is not healing at all.

All through our time with him, he was cracking little jokes and trying to make our stay as pleasant as possible.

My hat is off to one brave man!  I never realized before how horrible diabetes is and what it can do to the human body.  It is a learning experience for me as we walk through this together.

If you should feel like contributing a dollar or two or more, please consider giving to this gentle soul.  It can be done through Engiver.Com, through me at Paypal or through CIBC on-line banking.

By many people contributing a small sum of money, we can achieve a lot and nobody will suffer financial loss by giving.

Thank you so much for reading this blog.  Should you feel like helping, you also could contact me at wseville@cogeco.ca