I recently wrote about getting my new wheelchair, but I realized I haven't followed up on how I'm liking it. I only use my wheelchai when I actually go out in public, but when I stay at home (like I do most days) I opt to sit in my recliner since it's much more comfortable.
Anyway, I took my wheelchair out on its maiden voyage when I went to church last Sunday. As soon as I got in it I started noticing things that didn't feel quite right. I also noticed differences when I was actually riding in the van, too. In my old wheelchair I fit so snugly, which is what I like so that my body feels as supported as possible. Since my new wheelchair is an inch wider I felt myself being jostled around quite a bit more, especially while in the van. So the next day I had my mom call Larry (the man that adjusts my wheelchair) and he came a few days later to make some adjustments.
I took my wheelchair out again this past weekend for another test spin. The adjustments Larry made helped a lot, so round two felt even more comfortable than the first. The thing for all of you "normal" people to realize about wheelchairs is that it takes a lot of tweaking and adjusting to get just the right fit. Wheelchairs are definitely not "one-size-fits-all" and need to be adjusted depending on a person's limitations and specific needs, so it's nice that they are relatively customizable and adjustable.
The best part about my new wheelchair is the beautiful red coat of paint! My old wheelchair was a dark blue, so I'm glad I decided to go with "candy red" when I picked the color of my new wheelchair. Now she matches my bright red minivan!
I'm going to give myself a few more weeks to get used to my new wheelchair just to make sure I'm completely satisfied/comfortable, but as soon as I get to that point I'm going to donate my old wheelchair. There are so many disabled people in the world (especially in third world countries and in other places around the world with a high poverty level and I know that there's someone out there who's life will dramatically change for the better when they get my old chair! Click here to check out an extremely inspiring video!
Anyway, I took my wheelchair out on its maiden voyage when I went to church last Sunday. As soon as I got in it I started noticing things that didn't feel quite right. I also noticed differences when I was actually riding in the van, too. In my old wheelchair I fit so snugly, which is what I like so that my body feels as supported as possible. Since my new wheelchair is an inch wider I felt myself being jostled around quite a bit more, especially while in the van. So the next day I had my mom call Larry (the man that adjusts my wheelchair) and he came a few days later to make some adjustments.
I took my wheelchair out again this past weekend for another test spin. The adjustments Larry made helped a lot, so round two felt even more comfortable than the first. The thing for all of you "normal" people to realize about wheelchairs is that it takes a lot of tweaking and adjusting to get just the right fit. Wheelchairs are definitely not "one-size-fits-all" and need to be adjusted depending on a person's limitations and specific needs, so it's nice that they are relatively customizable and adjustable.
The best part about my new wheelchair is the beautiful red coat of paint! My old wheelchair was a dark blue, so I'm glad I decided to go with "candy red" when I picked the color of my new wheelchair. Now she matches my bright red minivan!
I'm going to give myself a few more weeks to get used to my new wheelchair just to make sure I'm completely satisfied/comfortable, but as soon as I get to that point I'm going to donate my old wheelchair. There are so many disabled people in the world (especially in third world countries and in other places around the world with a high poverty level and I know that there's someone out there who's life will dramatically change for the better when they get my old chair! Click here to check out an extremely inspiring video!
3 comments:
cool video - thanks for sharing it. I am pretty sure the church has a wheelchair program as well. I am glad you are going to "pay it forward" and help another in need =) you are good at that.
I wanna see a pic of you in your new ride!:)
Hey I just started blogging and I love your blog... well your attitude is really what im attracted to. My injury is a bit lower c5c6 but while i may express it differently i feel that positive attitude like yours is really the most important thing. I hope you dont mind that im adding ou to my bloglist. http://luisguillermo-quadriplegic.blogspot.com/
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