Christopher Pike
New member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2017
- Messages
- 4
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 02/2011
- Country
- Riv
- State
- California
- City
- Corona
Hello Everyone,
Although I have had ALS over five years, I am a new member to this forum and would like to introduce myself.
I was diagnosed back in February 2011.
Physically, from the chin up, I am doing well. I can still speak – albeit softly – and eat which I am very grateful for. South of the chin, however, is a different story. I have partial use of one finger and that's about it.
I use Dragon – voice recognition software – to control my computer. With it, I can control my computer entirely with voice commands. I prefer Dragon over Windows Speech because it adapts to the user's speech pattern and can be streamlined and customized through programming. A very useful free app is Google Voice. With it, you can use your computer to make phone calls and send text messages.
I use an Invacare TDX SP power wheelchair with a sip and puff controller. I have a Roho air bladder seat cushion which I highly recommend. I believe it is the key piece that allows me to sit comfortably for extended periods of time. I am in my chair 24/7. It fully reclines and I doubles as my bed. The only time I am out of my wheelchair is when traveling, bathing and toileting. This set up works quite well. Best of all, it spares my wife the considerable work of transferring me to a bed and back each day.
We do not own a wheelchair van. Because of the cost, we elected a more economical option which has worked quite well. We use a Harmar wheelchair lift. We added air bladders to the rear springs to supplement the carrying capacity of our Siena van. We use a Milford Person Lift by AutoChair – a compact portable motorized lifting arm – to lift me out of my wheelchair and transfer me into the van.
We also use the Milford Person Lift in the home. It attaches to a mobile base which my wife uses to transfer me from my wheelchair to the shower chair for bathing and to suspend me over the commode for toileting. It is portable so we can take with us to use when traveling.
I hope this information can be of benefit to others.
Cheers
Dan
Although I have had ALS over five years, I am a new member to this forum and would like to introduce myself.
I was diagnosed back in February 2011.
Physically, from the chin up, I am doing well. I can still speak – albeit softly – and eat which I am very grateful for. South of the chin, however, is a different story. I have partial use of one finger and that's about it.
I use Dragon – voice recognition software – to control my computer. With it, I can control my computer entirely with voice commands. I prefer Dragon over Windows Speech because it adapts to the user's speech pattern and can be streamlined and customized through programming. A very useful free app is Google Voice. With it, you can use your computer to make phone calls and send text messages.
I use an Invacare TDX SP power wheelchair with a sip and puff controller. I have a Roho air bladder seat cushion which I highly recommend. I believe it is the key piece that allows me to sit comfortably for extended periods of time. I am in my chair 24/7. It fully reclines and I doubles as my bed. The only time I am out of my wheelchair is when traveling, bathing and toileting. This set up works quite well. Best of all, it spares my wife the considerable work of transferring me to a bed and back each day.
We do not own a wheelchair van. Because of the cost, we elected a more economical option which has worked quite well. We use a Harmar wheelchair lift. We added air bladders to the rear springs to supplement the carrying capacity of our Siena van. We use a Milford Person Lift by AutoChair – a compact portable motorized lifting arm – to lift me out of my wheelchair and transfer me into the van.
We also use the Milford Person Lift in the home. It attaches to a mobile base which my wife uses to transfer me from my wheelchair to the shower chair for bathing and to suspend me over the commode for toileting. It is portable so we can take with us to use when traveling.
I hope this information can be of benefit to others.
Cheers
Dan
