"That's it?" I thought.
"This thing is supposed to give me my life back?"
The next morning, I decided to test it in the driveway. Sarah showed me how it clicked right into the door latch - solid as a rock.
No wobbling, no slipping.
The moment I used it to stand up, I literally gasped.
For the first time since surgery, getting out of my car was... easy. Natural. Pain-free.
The handle was positioned perfectly for my height.
The horizontal grip let me push up with my good leg while the handle supported my weight.
No twisting, no awkward angles, no grabbing onto things that weren't meant to hold me.
I stood up smoothly, confidently, like I used to before the surgery.
I actually started crying - but this time from joy.
That afternoon, I drove myself to Publix.
Same parking spot. Same car.
But this time, I got out like a normal person.
Other shoppers walked by without staring.
No teenage heroes needed. I bought ingredients for my famous tres leches cake - something I hadn't made in months because I couldn't get to the store.
That weekend, I drove to my granddaughter's soccer game.
The following week, I drove myself to my book club for the first time since surgery.
Then to the hair salon.
Then to lunch with my friend Rosa.
Each time, getting out of the car was effortless.
The GripStander fit in my glove compartment, ready whenever I needed it.
My physical therapist was amazed at my confidence improvement.
"Whatever you're doing differently, keep it up," she said.
If she only knew it was a 50 bucks tool that gave me back my independence.
But here's what really gets me...
I spent months thinking my "car problem" was unique to me.
That I was weak or broken somehow.
Turns out, thousands of people struggle with this exact same thing after knee surgery.
We just don't talk about it.
The shame keeps us quiet.
The embarrassment keeps us home.
Meanwhile, there's a simple solution sitting right there. Look, I'm not saying GripStander is magic.
It's just a handle that locks into your car door.
But sometimes the simplest solutions are the most powerful.
