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So, wheelchair
Sep. 7th, 2014 04:50 pm Or rather convincing my GP I need a wheelchair assessment from Wheelchair Services as a first step towards getting a wheelchair that actually meets my need as someone with HMS and fairly severe seating issues.
I have an appointment on Tuesday, which almost certainly means I'll get the older, somewhat lazy doctor with fixed ideas rather than the younger one with more modern, flexible attitudes (who mostly does Mondays and Fridays). The advantage is that she's known me for 25 years, the disadvantage is that she's known me through 25 years of misdiagnoses and I'm fairly certain she doesn't know what my actual diagnosis is. I'm not even certain my diagnosis is in my medical records as that came out of the Pain Clinic rather than rheumatology or ortho, I'll have to dig out the pain clinic letters and see what they said.
So, problem: convince an old-fashioned, lazy doctor on the verge of retirement that a wheelchair is a good thing.
Points to be made:
I'm doing this whatever happens, but I'd prefer to do it with the support of the specialists
I'm prepared to fund a suitable wheelchair myself (ouch!), because the chance of getting the appropriate set-up via Wheelchair Services is likely nil.
I'm already walking better because of the pain clinic, this has nothing to do with 'giving up walking'
Walking better is just showing all the things I've given up doing and still can't do, such as going in to London
I tried out a chair for 5 days at Worldcon, 5*14 hour days, no negative effects, normally a single seven hour day, or less, on my feet is likely to put me in bed for the next day or more.
Trying out Kaberett's chair convinced me that I need a properly fitted solution on a rigid (or fold to rigid) chair, not just a cheap folding manual. It was possibly the most comfortable I've been in 25 years.
Getting a chair may be a necessary precursor to getting back to work.
My arms are increasingly an issue. I now have parasthesia in my left arm almost 50% of the time, my right shoulder has started to sublux regularly, using crutches may mean I'm walking, but stresses my arms and shoulders. A wheelchair gives options, creates the ability to alternate between crutches and chair and just basically creates a back-up plan.
Am I missing anything obvious? All suggestions gratefully received.
I have an appointment on Tuesday, which almost certainly means I'll get the older, somewhat lazy doctor with fixed ideas rather than the younger one with more modern, flexible attitudes (who mostly does Mondays and Fridays). The advantage is that she's known me for 25 years, the disadvantage is that she's known me through 25 years of misdiagnoses and I'm fairly certain she doesn't know what my actual diagnosis is. I'm not even certain my diagnosis is in my medical records as that came out of the Pain Clinic rather than rheumatology or ortho, I'll have to dig out the pain clinic letters and see what they said.
So, problem: convince an old-fashioned, lazy doctor on the verge of retirement that a wheelchair is a good thing.
Points to be made:
I'm doing this whatever happens, but I'd prefer to do it with the support of the specialists
I'm prepared to fund a suitable wheelchair myself (ouch!), because the chance of getting the appropriate set-up via Wheelchair Services is likely nil.
I'm already walking better because of the pain clinic, this has nothing to do with 'giving up walking'
Walking better is just showing all the things I've given up doing and still can't do, such as going in to London
I tried out a chair for 5 days at Worldcon, 5*14 hour days, no negative effects, normally a single seven hour day, or less, on my feet is likely to put me in bed for the next day or more.
Trying out Kaberett's chair convinced me that I need a properly fitted solution on a rigid (or fold to rigid) chair, not just a cheap folding manual. It was possibly the most comfortable I've been in 25 years.
Getting a chair may be a necessary precursor to getting back to work.
My arms are increasingly an issue. I now have parasthesia in my left arm almost 50% of the time, my right shoulder has started to sublux regularly, using crutches may mean I'm walking, but stresses my arms and shoulders. A wheelchair gives options, creates the ability to alternate between crutches and chair and just basically creates a back-up plan.
Am I missing anything obvious? All suggestions gratefully received.
