Hi Brynne, As everyone else has said, I think purchasing a wheelchair would be a very smart decision! I have a manual wheelchair and an electric one and it has certainly given me my life back. The manual wheelchair doubles as a walker, so I will walk for about 10 minutes and then my mom will push me for the rest of the time that we are out. Like you, I hated being homebound but I also hated what would happen to me if I tried to run errands all day without any help. Now that I have my electric wheelchair, I'll even be able to go to my week long church camp this summer which I am really looking forward to! It was definately a lifestyle adjustment because up until a couple years ago, I never had to use a wheelchair. For the longest time I fought it because I wanted to be as normal as possible, but when I saw how much it helped when I did use it, I stopped fighting it. I've been using a chair for almost 2 years now, and I am still self-conscious when I go out. I'm always wondering what other people think when they see a normal looking teenage girl in a wheelchair. But, I would rather be able to get out and enjoy life in a wheelchair instead of being cooped up in my house watching life go by without me. My friends know that I have to use a wheelchair we when go out, so we always plan around that. And they always fight over who gets to push me. (Smile) Since my house is relaitvely small, I don't use it when I am home. I want to stay as mobile as possible, so I guess you could say I use walking around my house as "exercise". I know that this is going to be a tough decision for you to make, but you are a strong girl and I know you can get through it! (Smile) I will be praying for you and your family. Amanda