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MS Speaks
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#Post#: 3918--------------------------------------------------
A new wheelchair
DIR By: agate
Date: February 2, 2023, 1:38 am
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My third wheelchair is now here. The first one lasted about 25
years but the second one had to be replaced after only 7 years.
It wasn't really broken. But some parts needed replacement and
weren't being made any more. The only solution was a new chair,
I was told.
In a way that was good because I have always needed more back
support than I was getting with the previous chair. Since having
a couple of grim falls about a year ago, the need for more back
support has been more pressing.
So I now have a Permobil TiLite manual wheelchair that comes
with a special back attachment that provides more core support.
And I have a new VariLite Evolution cushion, like the one I've
used for many years. It's an inflatable cushion that has worked
better than anything else I've tried, and I've tried
water-filled cushions, foam cushions, and gel-filled cushions.
But a new chair takes getting used to. Now I have a pain in my
right hip that is undoubtedly connected to the way I'm sitting
in this new chair. I'm hoping to fix that situation by tinkering
with the cushion and the seat height.
This is a slightly smaller chair than the previous one, and that
is a huge plus as it's more easily maneuvered in small spaces.
I've already ridden on a paratransit van twice today in it
without a problem.
This exciting delivery took place yesterday, and that is why I
wasn't here. I've waited 4 months for this chair and could
hardly believe it was really going to materialize.
It even has bright blue sections on its mainframe. Or maybe the
color was called ocean blue. I was allowed to choose the color.
People have been decorating their wheelchairs, canes, and
walkers in various ways. Maybe the wheelchair manufacturers
decided to jazz up the whole wheelchair experience by offering a
choice of colors.
This is more or less like my wheelchair. The armrests aren't
shown in the photo, and the special back add-ons aren't in the
picture either.
HTML https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/zKgAAOSwXR1fOoEG/s-l1600.jpg
#Post#: 3927--------------------------------------------------
New wheelchair--update
DIR By: agate
Date: February 10, 2023, 1:40 am
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Over a week has passed, and by now I've put this new wheelchair
through its paces. It's much easier to maneuver in tight spots.
And there are some interesting attachments to the handlocks:
special elongated removable caps that make them much easier to
operate. You can even flip them off if they're in the way, and
they will dangled inconspicuously under the chair without
dragging on the floor.
I thought it might be interesting to try raising the armrests
just a tad but found that I couldn't get the (included) Allen
wrench to budge the screw that had to be loosened. I abandoned
this idea, or at least put it off till another time, when I can
dig up my abundant supply of Allen wrenches and find one that
works.
So ... so far, so good, and it is so very nice to have a
backrest that actually fits my back. The other chair had a
backrest that didn't conform to my back at all, and I made do
with a supplemental cylindrical foam pillow.
I seem to be writing this just for myself but here it is.
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