My new stuff

[irismarie]

Am so PLEASED you have got all that going for you. I LOVED being able to go shopping in my power chair when S took me in his van/ Now he is gone the van has gone with him so I no longer have the means to get out except with pushchair and I really do have to be pushed now. Not so good! . Bummer! But really really glad you are getting it all together. It is what make such a difference to out lives, isnt it!
If onlt all these things were not so expensive or on permanent loan........

 

[tdamess]

glad it all came together for you

 

[BarryG]

So I was outside this evening enjoying the nice weather while it lasts and watching the sunset. As it was starting to get dark I decided to go in and rolled my chair onto the porch lift, checked that everything was ok. The chair was in the right place, the footplates were moved out of the way, the chair was turned off and the lift was turned on. So up I went all of two feet and the lift broke down again, no up no down.

For the second time in a month, I had to climb off of the lift and wait for help to rescue the chair. Luckily Beth came home five minutes later and was able to manually crank the lift down so I could get the chair off.

I have asked the ALS society to do something (it is a loaner) because I don't trust it and wont be using it again even if they repair it. I don't expect new but I do expect safe.

 

[KeeKer]

Sorry to hear about your misadventures! How will you get out if the lift doesn't work?

 

[BarryG]

My power chair is now on the ground floor so I can get out of the house and into the yard and the van but I don't have it on the main floor and am using my walker there. A good thing the stair lift inside works so well.

 

[KeeKer]

Glad to hear you at least can still get out and about!Can they fix the lift for you?

 

[abbas child]

I'm wondering (along with Colleen) if this is an electrical problem, do you know anyone personally who is an electrician and could just fix it for you? I'm glad you can get outside and also have access to the van... but the walker use on the main floor is a problem, Barry... Rats. Quality control fails once again, but it shouldn't be such a normal experience.

 

[BarryG]

The problem with the lift is that it is an old piece of junk that shouldn't even be installed in a house in the city where a repair man is only a few minutes away let alone here where they have to drive for three hours to get here. It is essentially a winch with a platform attached and the cables keep coming off of the spools and get wrapped around the shaft so not only will it not go up or down but the platform takes on a tilt. Very scary!

The ALS society is arranging for a new one that will be the right size for my chair but it will take a couple of weeks so until then I am using my walker. Oh well as long as it's before winter!

 

[joelc]

I am so glad they are replacing it for you! I was worried about your safety while using it. I can relax again! LOL. A couple of weeks will go quickly.

 

[abbas child]

Well Barry, I'm very glad they will replace it (and hopefully take this one out of its misery). Hope your new one gets to you fast... and fits under your chair correctly. I'm glad using the walker is possible, meanwhile.

 

[KeeKer]

I'm with everyone else! Very relieved that you can get a replacement! Was worried about you sitting alone out there just hanging in the breeze :O
Am keeping my fingers crossed that it gets to you before all your nice weather is gone!

 

[Madison1943]

Hey Barry, I got a deck lift and a concrete sidewalk to the bike path in the back yard. Then I had to replace the sliding glass doors with French doors so I could get out by myself. It ain't pretty, but it works, even with my dog on a leash. I have a van too that works great, but the ez lock is broken half the time. When you're replacing legs and feet with things, everything has to work. I've been stuck in the van when the ez lock wouldn't let me out many times. But I can and do get outside by myself. If just don't know how long it's going to work--the worst problem isn't the mechanical parts, it's my floppy body. I'm having major trouble getting out of my chair. But congratulations on the lift. It makes a huge difference to me.
Carol

 

[BarryG]

Thanks Carol, I agree, when our bodies don't work the mechanical things have to work. The guys came a couple of weeks ago and replaced my old lift with a brand new one with a much larger platform and it is great! I was trying to post some pictures that I took with my phone but I cant transfer them from the phone to the computer because my cell phone company has disabled Bluetooth file transfer so I have to pay them to send pictures as an email attachment. Jerks!

Anyway, I can now just drive out the front door, onto the lift, down to ground level and from there it is into the van, the yard or the basement.

Maybe I will get a real camera and post some pics. My sister are coming to visit in a week or so, I'm sure there will be a lot of cameras then.

The weather is still very nice here so we are going to go for a walk tomorrow, I'll get Beth to take a camera.

 

[Peter12155]

Barry, glad to hear you've got part of your problems fixed. Freedom of mobility is such a big thing with us. I love your Golden Retriever.

 

[Lavender Lady]

Barry love your avitar pic. i am watching the Munsters on T.V. this a.m. they are funny!