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Another Wheelchair
Written by Chloe on Sunday, January 4, 2009
A year ago wheelchairs were not on my mind. Paraplegia was on my mind, as were BIID and leg braces. I figured that I’d need a wheelchair after I was paraplegic, but I did not understand the point of a wheelchair before the paraplegia. Now I understand. Now I have two wheelchairs.
Old chair: Granny chair.
I felt guilty about wanting to get a second wheelchair; it was a lot more expensive than the first wheelchair; more credit card debt, bye bye fine dining. I brought it up with my partner. She said "You’re paraplegic. You NEED a wheelchair". Well, I wasn’t going to argue with that.
The day came to visit the wheelchair dealer to get measured and finalise all the details of what I wanted. My partner did my hair for me. She’s much more talented at such things than I am, and she deemed it a special occasion worthy of the extra effort to look my best.
The wheelchair guy spent three hours with me, taking measurements and figuring out together exactly what options I wanted on the Quickie GPV. He had me transfer to several chairs in the store with different dimensions to be absolutely sure that I would get a good fit. It seemed very impressive that this guy would spend so much time with me. He had already spent an hour with me discussing different models and options during my previous visit, when I had picked up the replacement Invacare Veranda.
The GPV arrived at the dealer thirteen days later. The anticipation was substantially more exciting than first time around. Before the arrival of the Veranda in July, I was clueless about how deeply being in my own wheelchair would affect me. This time I KNEW how much I would love being in the new wheelchair, how it would validate my self image, how right it would feel.
On the arrival day I was at work, two days before Christmas (ah, what a nice Christmas present!). Of course there were the usual exchanges of pre-holiday pleasantries. I was so bubbling over with excitement that I just couldn’t resist spilling the beans to a few folks: that my GP had written me a prescription for a wheelchair and I was going to pick it up that afternoon. Nobody expressed any surprise at this. I guess I must have done a good job crutching around at work for the last few months. It has been a while since anybody has said "I hope it gets better soon". It has been long enough that people are understanding that it’s not going to be getting any better. If I decide to wheel at work at some point there shouldn’t be too much fuss now.
New chair, Quickie GPV
I was at the dealer within an hour of the arrival of the GPV. Hey, I wasn’t going to let it sit around collecing dust! My partner arrived there too. We weren’t sure if I’d be able to fit both chairs in my car. The wheelchair guy spent two and a half hours adjusting everything on the new chair so that I was perfectly satisfied with it. He taught me how to do wheelies in it too. I was so overcome with joy at doing wheelies that I kept on doing them over and over again, laughing all the while. —- Well I had to interject here. I’m writing this the same day, after we came home. The GPV is in the living room, where my partner is watching a movie. She just came to tell me that she couldn’t resist getting in my new chair and trying a wheelie. She flipped backwards, hit her head and hurt her back. Nice going girl!!! —- Back in the wheelchair store I transferred to the Veranda after all the wheelies so that the guy could make some more adjustments. I thought I’d try some wheelies in the Veranda now I had the hang of it in the GPV. Wow, BIG difference! It’s just about impossible in the Veranda. Ah yes, I love that the GPV turns on a dime too.
Time came to do all the paperwork, including handing over the prescription. The prescription meant a lot to me; a big validation. I’m glad I kept copies. I’m tempted to frame one and hang it on the wall; but who in their right mind frames a wheelchair prescription to hang on the wall?
We went home with the GPV in my car and the Veranda in my partner’s car. We had errands to do. My partner went to the grocery store and I went to the liquor store; so I had my first opportunity to be out in the GPV and practice car to wheelchair transfers with the differences necessary for the new chair. As I was waiting in the checkout line I looked down at the chair. Yes, this does feel better, look better, handle better.
On the way home I contemplated a couple of things. Firstly I added up the total amount of time the wheelchair guy had spent with me in regard to the new chair, spread over four visits. It was seven hours. I’m impressed with that. That’s good service.
The other thing I contemplated was how much has changed in a year. Almost a year ago I had seen a physician. He and I were having a bit of a confrontation. His point of view was that I should never ski again, lest reinjuring my back would make me paraplegic. My point of view was that I’d rather be a paraplegic skier than an able-bodied non-skier. He suggested that I should try being in a wheelchair for a week and see how I like it (assuming that I wouldn’t like it of course). In retrospect I think he planted a seed. I had never been someone with a fascination for wheelchairs. I had just viewed them as something that would come with paraplegia; no big deal. In April I had told Dr. First that I would be far too embarrassed and self-conscious to use a wheelchair in public. Then I started visiting transabled.org and reading about what seemed to be pleasant wheelchair experiences that people like me were having. I bought the cheapest wheelchair I could find. The Veranda is listed at $119 in the SpinLife catalog. I thought it would be at least a year before I used it in public.
How was I to know that wheelchairs had magical qualities? It’s like a Disney movie. Once you first sit in your very own wheelchair it changes you forever. The magic in my new wheelchair is even more powerful.
I’d like to go back to that physician I saw a year or so ago. I’d like to thank him for his fabulous suggestion of trying a wheelchair for a week. I could tell him that I liked it so much that now I have two wheelchairs.
Tags: BIID, Leg Braces, Paraplegia, Prescription, Transfers, Wheelchair, Wheelies
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13 Comments
2 On 4 January, 2009, Sophie said:
Congratulations Chloe :) You must be over the moon! You ought to find it a lot easier to get around in your new chair and a lot less straining on your body in the process.
I know everyone has their own preferences but I have to ask, why the armrests? (sorry if I sound a little ignorant)
I wish I could see what your prescription looked like. It’s only 2 days til I see my doctor and I’m so nervous. I can only hope it goes a fraction as good as your experience with your doctor!!
Having had the GPV for eleven days now, I have a couple of extra observations.
Firstly the pneumatic tires on the GPV make it a LOT easier to get around on ice, slush and snow because of the increased traction relative to hard rubber. If anyone is contemplating buying a wheelchair that is likely to be used in wintry conditions I would highly recommend the pneumatic tires. Also, casters can get bogged down in more than a couple of inches of snow. The ability to do wheelies allows one to negotiate significantly greater snow depths.
The other thing is that the wheelchair dealer had measured the overall length of the two wheelchairs. The GPV is almost eight inches shorter. I found that this now allows me to get through the tight turn out of the bedroom door into the rest of the main floor. I can spend almost all my time at home in the chair without having to get out of it. Yippee! Also I no longer bash into dining chairs making the tight U-turn out of the kitchen.
Sophie, you are absolutely right. It is now a lot easier to get around and a lot less strain on my body. The armrests are specifically because of my fibromyalgia. Simply the weight of my arms hanging from my shoulders is a problem. If I can rest my arms at just the right height (the armrests are adjustable) it alleviates the pain significantly. And thank you for your review of the GPV on ahiruzone, Sophie.
4 On 4 January, 2009, Sean said:
Glad you’re finding advantages and liking your new chair. Not one to gloat, I hesitate to say “I told you so”, but I distinctly seem to remember having told you that pneumatic tyres would be better, and a shorter frame would also be better, and… Well, I’ll shut up now ;)
Sean, it may seem like I ignore people sometimes, but I really am listening :)
Congratulations Chloe! It\’s very exciting.
I just returned from wheeling and I can\’t wait to get my next chair:)
I used to wonder if having, for whatever reason, to wear leg braces for a while would “cure” me of my BIID. So I got some and put myself in a position where I’d have to wear them a lot.
I’ve been wearing them well over a year now, and I must say that I love my KAFOs more and more each day. They do seem to have magical qualities. I feel so much better with them on than with them off.
Bracy, I agree with you that KAFOs are also magical. I suspect that eventually I shall be wearing leg braces most of the time when I am in a wheelchair. Double magic :)
Hi Gordo. Yes, I did think about getting swing-away armrests, and I test drove several models with those at the wheelchair shop. I have three reasons for not getting them:
Firstly, the swing-aways together with clothing guards would have been significantly more expensive.
Secondly, I find transfers easier with this kind of armrest. There are some grab handles lower down in front, which are hard to see in the pic, that I find useful. The armrests are very easy to remove and put back in if one needs to make a completely parallel transfer.
Thirdly, I like the psychological feeling of my personal space being more enclosed. I’m not sure why, since I’m a very touchy feely person who thrives on physical contact.
I guess it doesn’t bother me that the armrests look big :)
Another thing that Sean told me a year ago was that I’d be wheeling at work soon. I scoffed at the idea that it would happen in 2009. It’s been almost six months now. What will the wise sage predict next?
Sean may remember that years ago I dubbed him the philosopher-king of the BIID community.
You said “I had never been someone with a fascination for wheelchairs.”
Well I know the feeling. As a wannabe single leg paralysis I had always been content with getting around with my KAFO and/or crutches. I had never had any desire to use a wheelchair. But I thought I should try one. I did and I haven’t worn the brace since!
Wheelchairs are just magic.
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1 On 4 January, 2009, Cath said:
Wow Chloe – I can identify so much with what you have written. If only I could have got myself a prescription I’d be a lot less poorer now – though it would never have covered my lovely black Ti lite ZRA, of course.
The only difference being I would never have had the nerve to visit a dealer in person. My ‘pre-loved’ chair came from good ol’ Ebay. Thankfully it is adjustable, although I haven’t worked out whether or not I ought to adjust it yet. Maybe that means I don’t need to :)