swalker
Very helpful member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2014
- Messages
- 1,580
- Reason
- DX MND
- Diagnosis
- 07/2014
- Country
- US
- State
- CO
- City
- Vail
I started very early. The reason was that I became convinced that using a wheelchair would conserve my energy and prevent damaging falls. Getting a wheelchair also restored my freedom, allowing me to do things that I had given up on doing such as going for long "walks".
It took 4 months from my first visit to the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider until the wheelchair was delivered. So, be sure to start much earlier that you think is necessary.
All PALS will eventually need a wheelchair. There is no value in putting it off and potentially great value in getting one "early".
For example, getting the wheelchair adjusted perfectly for my body took a lot of trial and error. To make an adjustment, I would sit in the wheelchair and figure out something that needs to be adjusted. Then, I would have to get out of the wheelchair and make the adjustment (typically using one or more wrenches). Then I would sit back down in the wheelchair and see if the adjustment is correct, iterating as necessary. You do this for quite a few adjustments, so being able to get in and out of the chair on you own makes it much, much easier to make the adjustments.
Also, as I was learning the limits of the wheelchair, I managed to get it stuck quite a few times. Being able to learn those limits while I could still relatively easily get out of the wheelchair so we could get it free made things much easier.
Steve
It took 4 months from my first visit to the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider until the wheelchair was delivered. So, be sure to start much earlier that you think is necessary.
All PALS will eventually need a wheelchair. There is no value in putting it off and potentially great value in getting one "early".
For example, getting the wheelchair adjusted perfectly for my body took a lot of trial and error. To make an adjustment, I would sit in the wheelchair and figure out something that needs to be adjusted. Then, I would have to get out of the wheelchair and make the adjustment (typically using one or more wrenches). Then I would sit back down in the wheelchair and see if the adjustment is correct, iterating as necessary. You do this for quite a few adjustments, so being able to get in and out of the chair on you own makes it much, much easier to make the adjustments.
Also, as I was learning the limits of the wheelchair, I managed to get it stuck quite a few times. Being able to learn those limits while I could still relatively easily get out of the wheelchair so we could get it free made things much easier.
Steve
