I experimented today

[GlenBrittle]

With a manual wheelchair.

Wanda and I went to the mall this afternoon to pick up a few things. I decided that instead of being pushed everywhere, that I would try to do as much moving around by myself as possible. It went pretty well.

The pet store , jewelry store (Yes, she got a nice chain to replace a broken one) , clothing store, and a shoe store. Walking , its not really that far.

By the end of our tours , I was tired. Tired enough that when I got home , I slept for two hours. After that nap I have realized one thing. I cant do that again. It wiped me out , and I am having arm and shoulder aches and pains mostly in the muscles.

Seeing that I have not received my official loaner chair yet , I may skip it and go straight to the power chair. The one I have now is borrowed from the CCAC (local health group).

What do you think ? Hold out as long as possible for the power chair , or just get it now.

Glen

 

[DgtofTNfan]

I got my Dad a manual chair at first for the long distances/endurance. When he went to the neuro doc he tried to be more independent and propel himself but it wore him out and Mom had a hard time lifting it into the vehicle. We opted to switch to a companion chair from the ALS closet that is for pushing only and eliminates the big wheels thus a lot of the weight. Shortly thereafter he got a loaner power chair. It was much better in allowing him to be more independent and conserving his energy however we were unable to transport it without a wheelchair van or get it in/out of the house without the ramp. So I think there are pro/con considerations all around as far as what works best.

We ended up using the companion chair for distances until he received his wheelchair van.

My .02
Dana

 

[Blackpool]

Glen,go for the power chair,why waste your energy when you could be using it for better use, like thinking up some more clever replys. Didn't I word that well.

 

[joelc]

Go straight to the powerchair! They are soooo much fun! It is a blast racing around the malls.

Save your energy.

 

[GlenBrittle]

Glen,go for the power chair,why waste your energy when you could be using it for better use, like thinking up some more clever replys. Didn't I word that well.

I understand this perfectly

Glen

 

[Micheline_h]

go for the power chair...i still use manual upstairs and by mid day I am exhausted and can barely lift my arms.

 

[thelma313]

My dad has a snazzy red scooter that he loves to zoom around in. I agree with the consensus. Go for the power chair.

 

[BarryG]

Glen, I agree with everyone else, go for the powerchair. You have the van now right? And you are getting your house done too so go for the easychair (or electric chair :-D). I have a transfer chair (companion chair) with the small wheels from the ALS society that I haven't used yet so I don't have a lot of experience with wheelchairs but in my opinion anything with a motor is definitely worth having!

 

[georgia]

If you get the PC now you can practice driving and noticing what would need to be done to the house. Going out might be a problem. We got a used mini van so for now it is easier for him to get in and out of and are taking the middle seats out using a portable ramp to transport a chair. Got a good deal with the repairs under $3000. Can resale later when we get a ramp van and still the ramp can be used for steps etc.

 

[John1]

Go for a scooter first. They're cheap and very portable. There are lots of brands. I settled on Pride as they service them here and they seem to be well built. You can buy something like the 3-wheel Go-Go travel scooter for about $1,000 US on the internet or pay about 1800 Cdn at your local dealer. What I did when I bought my last one last Christmas was to find out what it would cost from an internet source then called a dealer in Tucson, AZ where I was visiting and asked him if he would match the price. He agreed so that way he assembled it and was there for any start-up problems.

If you go the internet/dealer route you can make a day trip to NY state to pick it up. There is no GST or import tax bringing it back. They break apart in seconds to three light pieces that can stow in the trunk of your car. Or if you got your lift equipped truck, you can put it aboard that way. If you fly much, you can drive it right to the door of your plane, the crew will whisk it away and have it brought back to the plane door when you land. Plus, as Rosella points out, they're fun to drive but you'll have to beat the kids off. I own four of them ranging from a large 4 wheeler for banging around on trails in the woods and running my dog to a mid-size three wheeler that I use for work and shopping plus I have two Go-Go's primarily for using at home. I got the second one because the early ones were too low and often dragged going over small thresholds. When they increased the clearance by an inch I bought a new one and keep the other at a friend's house to have there when I visit. All together they cost less than a motorized wheelchair I suspect. Someday I'll need the chair but in the meantime I like my bikes.

 

[GlenBrittle]

As I expected , everyone is for the power chair. I will start looking into this with my OT.

Has anyone got one on loan from the ALS Loan cabinet ?

As for the other things mentioned:

Scooter - I already have a loaner from ALS Loan Cabinet. They are great. I can even climb small curbs with it. Wont do to well in the house , but I am still using a walker there.

Porch Lift - the new garage needs trusses before the lift people will install the lift. Its in the works.

Accessable van - it has been purchased and is in the shop getting a once over since its used. Its a used van so I am having all of the fluids etc replaced - super tuneup style.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback.

Glen