Test-Drive, Day 3/4

[davidgillon]

Spent yesterday using the chair around the house again, my pelvis is a little better, but I still can't stand up for longer than a couple of minutes, so again very useful to have for things like prepping meals. I had planned on going into Rochester, but decided combination of clunky chair, touristy streets complete with occasional cobbles, minimal skills and inability to stand was probably a bad one. If I go in tomorrow instead (which I normally do - though all my Saturday friends are away on holiday at the moment), then the High Street is closed to vehicles, which will make things much easier to manage if I can't manage the pavements.

And I'm starting to realise that all those places I go that I've intellectually noted as non-wheelie-accessible in the past are now actively no-go-zones for me if I choose to use the chair....

I haven't actually made it out of the bedroom as yet today (didn't get to sleep 'til 7AM due to unhappy pelvis), so I've not done anything with the chair as yet today, and it's drizzling, so outside is out, but I've been noodling how to try out wheelie-ing/bumping up kerbs in a relatively safe indoors environment (or at least one that is softer than the road and footpath outside if I go ass-over-teakettle...). Wheelie readers, feel free to make suggestions for stuff I really need to know how to do (and stuff I should probably carry with me if out in the chair).

Comments

[kaberett]

The way I got the hang of wheelies was practising holding a wheelie _without the antitips on the floor_ in a chair with antitips on. I'm now pretty comfortable holding really deep wheelies. (The other way to do it is have someone hovering behind you to catch you.)

Getting a certain amount of fuck-you attitude to doing the It's A Miracle act is valuable.

[davidgillon]

Getting a certain amount of fuck-you attitude to doing the It's A Miracle act is valuable.

Yeah, going to need to work on that one!

What about stuff to always carry? I'm figuring small Philips screwdriver for running repairs - I found two totally loose screws holding the pushrim on, and tissues in case of rolling through anything shitty, anything else spring to mind? (Solid tyres, so no need for a pump).

[kaberett]

My bag contains:
- Allan keys
- set of screwdrivers (on my multitool)
- hand sanitiser
- spare pair of wheelchair gloves (want me to link? I like the Fitjo ones on ebay)
- wheel stuff you don't care about at the moment: tyre levers, mini pump, spare inner [you really do want pneumatic not solid wheels if at all possible; they're more comfortable and much lighter, not that it matters a very great deal on the chair you've got at the moment...]

[davidgillon]

Do point me at the wheelchair gloves, I have a pair, but they're very summer-weight and just not up to this weather.

Hand sanitiser is a really good idea. Not certain there's anything on the beast actually requires an Allan key, but I really should check, ditto whether I need more than one size of screwdriver (which would be an excuse to buy a decent multi-tool).

Pneumatics - yeah, sigh...

[davidgillon]

Found the Fitjo ebay shop, but spoilt for choice on wheelchair gloves - which ones get your vote?

[kaberett]

I have the full-thumb half-finger for summer, and the leather & airmesh full-finger for winter!

[davidgillon]

Thanks! Order going in today

[jesse_the_k]

Indeed, I have literally said, "and now for my Lourdes maneuver" when there's watchers.

One thing to practice is juggling door opening with the new ergonomics of the chair. There are four use cases, and each has its own best path. My powerchair places my feet out at 75°, so I shouldnt reach directly forward. If you haven't seen the move, it's quite a dance, and would be a wonderful thing to practice with interior doors with springs and level floors. (And if they have round knobs I give up and holler. Doors which swing in to my path without a closer don't get closed after I go through.) When opening doors that swing away from my path I use my hard-toed shoes to begin the open process, then reach my hand in when there's room to grip.

Be careful, cause your flexibility may seduce you into overreaching.

In terms of what to carry, any carryall/duffel with a single long strap can be readily hooked around the canes (still have room to push if you're wanting it) Put the bag between the canes, drop it until the strap is at the high point around five inches up from the canes. Now yr left and right hands will operate in mirror-fashion. Make two halves of a larks head knot: pull the strap out, over the top of each cane and then under so the strap is stretched tight. Now the weight of bag tightens the connection to the canes. I've found that a simple rectangular bag is great if you'll be asking other Folks to reach or place things.

It's not high fashion but to start nothing beats a bum bag (US = fanny pack) to carry your wallet, inhaler other vitals. If that would poke your back too much, strap a wallet around one leg.

[davidgillon]

and now for my Lourdes maneuver

:)

One thing to practice is juggling door opening with the new ergonomics of the chair

Been doing that a lot, the door into the kitchen blocks me from the fridge unless I close it and that's a very intricate dance, needing me to get hard up against some of the units to fit. It's usefully teaching me precise manoeuvring. Ditto the cupboard under the stairs (vital, it's where the beer lives!) is an interesting one as I can only get at it side on, and can't reach the handle to close it again, or get into the living room if I don't close it.

When opening doors that swing away from my path I use my hard-toed shoes to begin the open process, then reach my hand in when there's room to grip.

I've been kicking doors open on crutches for the last 15 years, that move's pretty much second nature by now ;)

your flexibility may seduce you into overreaching

Yeah. The air's turned blue a couple of times. As I'm just pootling about the house I've been keeping the back folded (so I'm left with about as much back as on an active user chair) to let me reach out to the side and behind, and I've overreached once or twice.

can be readily hooked around the canes

Just to confirm we're on the same page, by 'canes' do you mean the uprights of the back with the push handles at the top? It's not really an issue anyway as I've a rucksack that will hook over them quite neatly, though I'll probably buy a purpose designed back-bag once we're settled on a permanent chair - the rucksack is meant for my laptop and has a lot of bulky padding that really isn't needed/eats up usable space.

I've found that a simple rectangular bag is great if you'll be asking other Folks to reach or place things.

That's the advantage of being bendy, I can reach myself, even when it's directly behind me :)

WRT wallets, I've always carried mine in my front trouser pocket anyway (male advantage of always having functional pockets) and that probably doesn't need to change.

Thanks for the advice, though!

[jesse_the_k]

Happy to provide advice at any time, even if you don't need it. :)

Responding uphill, I got myself into many years of hurt twisting around to get into the bag on the back. I've never been assessed for bendiness (no party tricks, but some other signs) but even tho' I could twist around, I should not have done it. A half-way decent solution is a bag you can quickly unhook and bring into your lap for any loading and unloading.

Yes, you've identified the "canes" perfectly. Even if you don't have push handles (because you're Kool like kabarett) that upright structure is called a cane—at least here in US.

That padding for your laptop may be worth something after all: I've certainly backed into solid objects more than a hundred times. No matter how bendy you won't have eyes in the back of your head.

I've been kicking doors open on crutches for the last 15 years, that move's pretty much second nature by now ;)

Ah! Now I see why you slotted right into an active campaign against the fuckin' neoliberal state!

Finally, here's a puzzle to chew on while waiting for the taxi: can you imagine a lightweight, inexpensive to manufacture device which would permit a chair user to swing a door closed behind as they've passed through? Probably something compactly attached to the chair with which the user can lasso the door latch?

[davidgillon]

even tho' I could twist around, I should not have done it

Good point, though I don't actually have to twist to reach into a bag behind me, my arm will quite happily go there with me facing forward so long as I don't mind groping about (of course with increasingly dodgy shoulders how long that remains the case is open for question.

that upright structure is called a cane—at least here in US.

Never heard that usage over here, it might be US only.

Good point on backing into stuff, but the padding involves a full-height divider widthways up the middle of the bag (so the laptop is snugly surrounded on all sides), which effectively halves the useful space!

can you imagine a lightweight, inexpensive to manufacture device which would permit a chair user to swing a door closed behind as they've passed through? Probably something compactly attached to the chair with which the user can lasso the door latch?

I actually used the handle end of a reacher/gripper to do precisely that the other day.

Just opened the door to someone in the chair for the first time, lots of 'firsts' going on this week.