Shaunam
New member
I'm trying to figure out a way to make things easier with Charlie in the car. For those of you who aren't familiar with Charlie's situation, she has brain damage and can't handle her secretions well, so she has to be suctioned frequently. She can't be left alone even for a few minutes and always has to have someone in the back of the car with her, or, on short trips, someone to watch her closely and suction her from the front seat.
This whole time, we've been driving a tiny car so I've had to always leave Adrian with someone so the nurse can sit in the back seat with her. We are going to be getting a minivan soon (yay!), but that doesn't solve the whole problem. For one thing, we aren't always going to have a nurse. Medicaid will at some point say no more and probably before she is ready to be without a nurse (just from personal experience, they give less care than needed). Secondly, I'd like to actually be able to leave the house when I don't have the nurse. I'm sick of being cooped up on the weekends.
So here's what I need to know: Is there a way I can safely put a mirror back there so I can see her? OR Is there ANY way to safely put her rear-facing in the passenger front seat?
I know in most cases, both of these things would be completely unnecessary, so therefore not worth the risk, but in Charlie's case, there's also the very real risk of choking to death on her own secretions. Kind of a risk vs. benefit kind of thing.
It would be nice to have her next to me so I can suction her while I'm driving (I know, that doesn't seem safe, but it's actually easier than trying to dial and talk on a cell phone, just for reference) but I know that's kind of way out there, so at the very least, I'd like a mirror to see her. She chokes silently, so it's not a matter of just listening for her.
Any insight you have will be helpful!
This whole time, we've been driving a tiny car so I've had to always leave Adrian with someone so the nurse can sit in the back seat with her. We are going to be getting a minivan soon (yay!), but that doesn't solve the whole problem. For one thing, we aren't always going to have a nurse. Medicaid will at some point say no more and probably before she is ready to be without a nurse (just from personal experience, they give less care than needed). Secondly, I'd like to actually be able to leave the house when I don't have the nurse. I'm sick of being cooped up on the weekends.
So here's what I need to know: Is there a way I can safely put a mirror back there so I can see her? OR Is there ANY way to safely put her rear-facing in the passenger front seat?
I know in most cases, both of these things would be completely unnecessary, so therefore not worth the risk, but in Charlie's case, there's also the very real risk of choking to death on her own secretions. Kind of a risk vs. benefit kind of thing.
It would be nice to have her next to me so I can suction her while I'm driving (I know, that doesn't seem safe, but it's actually easier than trying to dial and talk on a cell phone, just for reference) but I know that's kind of way out there, so at the very least, I'd like a mirror to see her. She chokes silently, so it's not a matter of just listening for her.
Any insight you have will be helpful!