wheelchairs can be dangerous

A few weeks back I was going to one of my Sunday family brunches. I had arrived at the restaurant ahead of everyone else for the first time, so proceeded to get out of my car. My process is to get my chair out from behind the driver's seat, then move my car seat back. As I began to move my seat, I noticed in the corner of my eye that my chair was moving away... slowly... As I reached for the chair, I realized that it wasn't moving that slowly... everything was happening in slow motion. I sat helpless as the chair moved, past the back of my car... across the lane... over to the parking entrance... down the entrance and finally to stop. Stopped by a car entering the parking lot. As the driver got out and saw where the chair came from, all I could think was what my chair might have done to his car.

The gentleman came up to me and simply said smiling, "I think you lost this?" I apologized and asked if his car was ok, and he said not to worry, it was fine... accidents happen.

So I learned, a wheelchair in the wrong hands, that is no one's hands, can be dangerous!

evolution

I've been a quad for over 35 years, as hard as it is for me to believe. I've seen myself put on a few pounds and slow down a bit. It's all been a slow progression, but the kind of progression that pretty much everyone goes through as they age.

In the last few years, I've continued to challenge myself to grow, most notably going back to school, starting a new career and moving back to Montreal. But my biggest challenge has been one that I didn't choose. It's been dealing with the aging process as a quad. I've dealt with a recent fall and the resulting broken leg. I've been less active for a number of reasons which has lowered my stamina and diminished my strength in some ways. I've had to deal with rotator cuff problems that are painful and limit my mobility. Each problem is significant in it's own way, but together they seem to grow off each other. Now I'm dealing with difficulty transferring, and it's all forcing me to deal with the reality that my level of independence is changing. Honestly, there are days that I feel that my best days are behind me. On those days, I try to remember that what I have learned in those 35 years is that those days go by, and new ones bring new hopes, new challenges and new successes.

perfect fit

Today I went to see about a new wheelchair. I've been thinking about it for a few days trying to make sure I knew all the important things to consider when picking the right chair. Here's a hint... start making a list weeks before. There are so many things to consider when changing chairs, you don't want to realize once you've got the new one that it's all wrong. One little mistake can ruin it.

Just a few things to remember; is it heavier than your current chair (more weight to push around), the size is important (fitting in your home, your car, turning radius), back support height and type, folding or non-folding, foot support (will it change how you transfer), front wheel type (rubber or pneumatic) and side guards (dirt and moisture protection between wheel and your hips). By thinking about it way ahead, you can watch for things in your everyday life that may be impacted by a change in your chair.