Enough Rain Already

Is it just me or has there been an exceptionally large number of rainy days this month?!

I have never been a fan of rain or humidity. Having pretty curly hair, and a lot of it, this particular weather has always been my enemy. Even the hint of humidity in the air would turn my hair into a frizzy mess, even if it was pulled back in a ponytail. This was something that did not elude me while going through chemo and I was completely bald. For once I did not dread the rain and humidity. The weather could do what it liked, I had no hair to mess up. Even now, my hair is still short enough that the weather can't do much to it.

Despite my short hair, my hatred for the rain has returned. My problem now is the inability to carry an umbrella. I've tried playing around with different umbrellas to see if there was a way but even ones with a curled handle don't work out. The best I can do is wear a raincoat. The outer shell of my ski/board jacket is waterproof, so I've been wearing that on rainy days. It's not as effective as an umbrella, especially if I want to carry a bag, but it's better than nothing. However, this is just issue one I have with the rain.

Issue two is more of a safety concern. Rain actually terrifies me. I understand how ridiculous this sounds but there's a perfectly rational explanation behind it. The rubber ends of my crutches are great and have fantastic grip... when they are dry. Add water to the mix and they are an accident waiting to happen. There are dangers and hazards everywhere. Just walking down the sidewalk or crossing the street, manholes and any other metal covers become extremely slippery in the rain. With each step I have to be aware of not only where my foot is landing but also where I place my crutches.

Now lets assume I have made it to my destination without incident. Nearly all public places/stores, with the exception of maybe some offices, have tile or hardwood flooring. It's the perfect choice for such high traffic areas, easy to clean. Unfortunately for me, wet rubber has little to no hold on smooth flooring. My only saving grace is when places have a mat at their entrance. Here I can wipe off the ends of my crutches. I'll stand there for a good minute twisting each crutch into the mat, trying to dry it off as much as possible before I dare step off the mat.

I have yet to take the subway but I'm sure I will sometime soon. I fear the day I have to take it in the rain. Not only will the floors and stairs be slippery, there is no mat to wipe my crutches on, and it already makes me nervous anticipating the number of people that may be hurrying to get around me.

Thankfully I have yet to fall. I'm really hoping to keep that statistic to zero. Twice I have had my crutch slip out from under me because it was wet, both times on the right side. To keep me from falling my right leg instantly had to support much more weight than it's use to. It freaked me out more than it hurt but it definitely wasn't comfortable. I could do without anymore close calls as well.

In conclusion, STOP RAINING!!!!!!