Before I broke my foot, my husband and I had planned this great get-away to a rustic cabin in the Smoky Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. Since the timing of the trip was specifically to celebrate my brother-in-law’s special birthday, canceling or postponing the trip was out of the question. My husband rented a wheel chair and bought a walker for me, saying, “Honey, we will make this work.” After consulting with my sister-in-law, who assured me there were just a few steps I’d have to negotiate to get to the cabin, we left Thursday, my heart light and my spirit renewed. Never trust your loved ones. They will lie through their teeth, if it suits their purpose. Here, then, are the few steps I had to “negotiate.”
Oh, you may say that surely I jest, and you would be partly correct. These aren’t the actual steps I had to climb, but they might as well have been, because when we arrived at the cabin, the actual steps were so daunting, I was ready to turn back. Here are the real steps, no joking.
My doctor has forbidden me to put any weight on my foot, so I decided the only way I could scale those heights was to sit on my butt and pull myself up, one stair at a time. The two brothers had another idea:
You can almost hear my husband laughing at my expense. Brother-in-law, taking the picture, was laughing even harder.
Despite the brothers’ protestations that the hand truck idea would really work, they begrudgingly let me do it my way. My husband cut two pieces of cardboard, and I went up backwards, one step at a time, while my husband kept switching the cardboard pieces from one step to the next to save my poor trousers.
By the time I got to the top, the sun had nearly set, but it was definitely an occasion that screamed “Fist pump!”
Celebrating the climb with hubby and sister-in-law. I felt like I had scaled Mt. Everest.
This trip, though quite a challenge for me, was terrific. It also has presented me with more blog fodder, so expect more to come in the next few days.
Coming East 
Oh Susan. This brought back memories of Christmas Day at my daughter’s house. To climb the six stair from the living area to the front door I decided that hands and knees were the best option. My grandchildren, while appearing to be solicitous of their G’s problems couldn’t help the grins on their faces. And remember, after six months all will be back to normal. I like your boot. It’s an improvement on my bright red Santa plaster/boot. 😛
I just had another visit with the doctor this morning, Judith, and she said it was healing beautifully! I have to wear the boot for another month, but she wants me to start putting weight on my door, so that is a good sign. I know you completely understand how this upsets one’s usual routine and ways of doing even the simplest things. As Theresa of Avila once said, “This, too, shall pass.”
Talk about resilency and gumption – you could do several posts just on that. Good for you for not letting the Mt. Everest of stairs keep you down.
Thanks, HG. I just didn’t want to let everyone down who was counting on this trip. We made the best of it, and we had a great time.
I am sure the scenery is worth all the climbing. You are so courageous and inspiring! Looking forward to seeing you on top of the Mt. Everest!
Um…I think the cabin steps were mt Mt. Everest, Shanghai.
That’s a LOT of stairs! Glad you negotiated them with some great help! 🙂
Thanks, WS. And I didn’t break anything else!
Wow! That was quite an endeavor; sounds like you had lots of support though. My mother broke her foot years ago, and that’s the way she got back in our house after having the cast put on her foot. Thankfully, she only had about 4 steps. But I remember how difficult it was. Thanks for following my blog and your comments. I’m planning to return the favor!
Saw that you & Patti met – maybe the 3 of us can get together one day – I’m in Smithfield. Yes, that’s the view from my back door on today’s post. And yes, thankfully, Marshall lives just a few miles away. He’s a sweetheart!
Have a good Wednesday!
I would love it if the three of us met, Dianna. Patti would have to drive, though, because I absolutely hate driving far or on the highway, which we have to do to get out of Hampton Roads. It would be a fun trip, though! Maybe this fall when I don’t have this boot on and can walk again.
I see a road trip in our future! 😀
Wouldn’t that be a fun day, Patti!
Now the beauty from that porch was surely worth the “butt climb”, right?!
You are so right, Suzicate!
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I’m so glad you were able to make the trip, no not THAT trip, the journey to the mountains! Looks like you handled those stairs in style! Speaking of stairs, loved the title of this post. When I saw that, I knew you were just fine.
Ha-ha, Jenny. Yes, I am really fine, as long as I don’t start feeling sorry for myself.
You had me laughing and crying the whole time. My jaw dropped when I saw the first photo of the stairs.
Glad I made you laugh, Jenny. It really was pretty funny. You should have seen my jaw drop when I first saw the real stairs.
Are you sure you aren’t my sister? My sister lives in a house built on a steep bank. You might even call it a small cliff. There’s a long flight of stairs to get to her house…like this yours. The month she turned 60 (what an omen) she broke her ankle very badly and like you had a walker for several months. And just like you, she went up those steps on her butt. Daily. For months.
Hahahaha, NQO! Yes, I think I must be your sister. Unfortunately, our house has stairs, too, so I’m still going up and down on my butt each and every day. Three weeks tomorrow.
OK–you are flat-out amazing. You are inspiring, sister, no two ways about it! I’m from NC and went there as a child. So thrilled you got to go feast your eyes on something so beautiful and be with fam.
It was awesome, Reeling! The mountains are gorgeous. It was so nice to get away after being stuck in the house for so long.
Gracious! By hook or by crook! No way should you have missed the trip – I’m glad you kept your indomitable spirit and made it work.
Thanks to that husband of mine, SC. And my brother-in-law and sister-in-law were incredibly helpful. I have a great family!
OMG, Susan!! It’s so funny, but I felt the pain for you when I saw the picture of the stairs. Last weekend I was running in our two-level house for a small house work and I thought about you, ”Hope Susan doesn’t have to deal with stairs.” Here you are… I agree with E.C.–“You must have the patience of a Saint and a sense of humor to match.”
If you don’t laugh, Amy, you cry, and I can’t go there. Thanks for your sweet comment.
Never let any handicap get in your way, you’ve just got to think outside the box sometimes though. I don’t know if I’d have been so trusting to ride on the sack truck! Scary stuff. Have a great trip. Actually, don’t trip. 😉
Thanks, Eye. I’m back now, and I didn’t break anything else—which wouldn’t have been the case if I had let the boys take me up the stairs on that handtruck.
OMG! I cant believe you did that more than ONCE. SO FUNNY! And I have been to chimney rock, and they have an elevator 😉
Yes, Kathleen, my sister-in-law told me they had an elevator at Chimney Rock. She and my brother-in-law went there the day before we arrived because they knew it would be too much for me. Wish they had an elevator to get to the cabin!
Good Golly! You must have the patience of a Saint and a sense of humor to match. lol I’m glad the visit went well and you overcame the challenges and shone as brightly as ever. Way to go!
I just want to add that the ingenuity of humans to build stairs in around and over any terrain is just amazing. Great photos of all those stairs. 🙂
Thanks, E.C. That first set of stairs is actually at Chimney Rock, a place I obviously did not scale. My brother-in-law took that picture.
I think all the stairs are an amazing feat of engineering and the ones you did scale or scoot on was amazing too. 🙂
Good for you!! This post was entertaining and inspiring. You are a trooper blessed with wonderful support. Way to laugh your way through it. Nicely done!
Thank you, LD. You have to have a sense of humor with these things or you’ll go crazy.
Despite your mobility challenge you sound so much better with the fresh air and change of scenery! I am so impressed with the flow of creative ideas for getting you into the house. The hand truck was cute, although there may have been a few more “breaks” after the bumpy ride up those stairs ~ and we won’t think about the trip back down… So nice to hear your perky voice again!!
Thanks, Carol. I did have a great time getting away. A change of pace was good for hubby, too, after all the extra work he has to do now.
Congrats on reaching the top. But how did you get down again?
My husband loves his handtruck and he’s always thrilled when he can think of a reason to use it. I think I’d have preferred your method of climbing the stairs. I’ve seen too many things fall off the side of that tiny platform. 🙂
I came down the same way I went up, Shary, just not backwards. We went down once in the morning and up once in the evening and didn’t venture out again. Too much work to do it more than that. I agree with your assessment of the handtruck. I would have been the thing to have fallen off!
Oh Susan, this post is so funny and so heartbreaking and so wonderful. The pictures are fabulous and I can’t tell you how much I admire your sense of humor faced with that stairway to the top o’ the world. Looks like a wonderful cabin though. Now that you are up there, enjoy and make the family bring food in! 🙂
It was a great cabin, Dor. The mountains are beautiful and a nice change from the sea. And the family did wait in me hand and foot. Wish I could have done some hiking, though.
Bless your heart! Did you get a medal for scaling Mt Everest? You should have. So glad you got out, and that your trip was great, so sorry for steps. You look wonderful though, hope there was some ‘liquid refreshment’ waiting for you at the top! Thanks for the post and the smile this morning. DAF
Yes, DAF, plenty of liquid refreshment! LOL
Wow, Susan. After seeing what you conquered here, the trip over to the beach should be a piece of cake. Kudos to George and his brother for their ingenuity!
Actually, Al, the sand might be harder. George and I might take a run over there to check it out before we commit.
Good idea. Give us a call before and we’ll talk about it over a glass of wine.
You’re on, Al!
You go, girl! Triumph! Love those pictures. At least you have blog fodder out of your ordeal!
Lots of blog fodder, Darla!
You got me with that first photo and I laughed so hard. But even the real thing, as you say, how daunting! Yet, you did it!! So impressive. (p.s. we just saw a movie where the main character transports his father — who has a broken foot — via handtruck! I don’t think I could’ve done that either.) Woohoo!
Glad the boys didn’t see that movie, Julia! They would have insisted on using that hand truck and I think I would have been in a world of hurt.
Hahahahahahaha!! Those people who climb Mt. Everest have NOTHING on you! That cardboard probably saved you from having a splinter removed from your butt as well…just saying. I’m so glad you got to go to celebrate…beats sitting on the couch.
Yes, Life, we thought of the splinters, too!