18 replies to this topic

[Vanessamaee]

I was injured April 30th, 2011 at the age of 16. I just got out of the hospital almost 2 weeks ago. The ONE thing I havent been able to accomplish in OT is getting my pants up in the chair. lol Its almost impossible! I finally get them up high enough and just say good enough (unless Im going somewhere, then ill push up and have someone pull them up for me.) Im a T3/T4 complete but have very good balance. does anyone have any tricks to getting your pants up? I always get stuck at the middle point, underneath part of my butt. any material go on better than others? everyone says skirts are the best, but im not girly, at all. I was injured bullfighting I dont even own a skirt lol. anything helps! thank you! (:

P.S. Ive only met guys with SCI's and Ive asked them and they always say "OH! I just put them on in bed!" and I always though well thats inconvient. everytime you cath you have to lay down? but then I realized they dont have to really take their pants down to cath... ugh lol (:

[kiwiquad]

Hi Vanessamaee & welcome.
A stretch denim skirt & cowboy boots??
I'm nearly 28yrs post & apart from my wedding dress, I think I've worn a dress/skirt maybe twice!

[Smileyblue]

The way they showed me at rehab was to remove the armrest from one side of my chair, closest to the bed (or whatever else you can lean on).. Then lean way over to the side and pull up the opposite side (your bum lifts when you lean).. Replace the armrest, swivel around, remove the other side, and again pull up the opposite side of the pants.. I repeat until I'm happy they're up far enough..

Hope this helps.. ;-)

[biggdoggpa]

WOW Van, Never thought about that one......... my friend wears a lot of shorts "Under Armor, Adidas, Nike" that easily go on and come off you could even go through the leg to cath if you wanted to, as far as pants you could wear the same sports type of wind pant and it would be a little easier than jeans maybe?

Edited by biggdoggpa, 07 July 2011 - 01:45 PM.

[biggdoggpa]

i.e.
http://ultra90s.blog...away-pants.html

http://www.google.co...iw=1093&bih=478

Edited by biggdoggpa, 07 July 2011 - 10:36 AM.

[Snakeye]

I have no problem getting clothes on (I wear loose-fitting shorts or PJs with T shirts) but I wiggle,slide and scoot about in the chair and the damn things slide down my butt exsposing a bit much..Then when I transfer they sometimes fall down to my knees in public If I don't watch it...I can't feel my hips so my shorts can unknowingly slip downward (I don't wear tight-fitting clothes ever)..Can be emberressing since I never don underwear...

[kim wright]

do you cath on the toilet?
i can not pull up my trousers in my chair but i find it much easier to do it on the loo.

[McTavish]

I mostly wear trousers made with a stretch material as they are much easier to get up, lift the left side pull up, then lift the right and pull up keep doing this till you are happy that they are up enough.When I go swimming I have to get undressed and redressed completely in the chair, so I think I am a pro at this stage. Keep practising and you will amaze yourself at how good you will get. Take care.

[ebeth]

I never mastered the art of putting my pants on while in my chair. My body is very loose and flexible so I can lean over as far as I want, and I still can't lift my butt up to pull on pants. Instead, I have a zipper sewn into the inseam of my pants. When I want to cath, I just wheel up to a toilet facing it, unzip, and cath. I use an extension tube so the catheter can reach the toilet. It works really well and I can cath any where I can wheel up to a toilet. By the way, the zipper's sewn in a way that it is totally not noticeable.

[brockit79]

hey,

Personally I tend to wear leggings with some knee high boots over. I find they are great as you can wear tops/dresses/skirts over too when/if you feel like, they are not too girly but look good with the right boots ALSO they are the easiest things to pull up in a chair.

Each day of lifing your body weight on your arms you will get stronger which will help. What I do is pull them up as far as I can whilst sitting I then kind of hold the waist band whilst keeping your hands on the arm rests or wheels while shuffling forward to the edge of the chair as you do this try to lift yourself slightly (please be careful not to jump off the end of the chair). Your leggings/jog pants/trousers or what ever should now be over your bottom. Then whilst holding the waist band and resting on your elbows kind of shuffle/jump backwards and forwards until the waist band is by your waist or hips or wherever you want it. ET VOILA!

If it is any consolation I really struggled with it too but if you practice it enough it will click in to place soon.

I hope that makes sense and helps you.

Brockit79

[knightrider]

Everyone has their own ways of doing this. When i was first injured i thought "How the hell can i do this" with a strange look on my face when my OT said it's time to learn how to get dressed in your chair.
But once you know how and with practice, it's very easy.

The way i do it, well this might sound different coz you're reading words and not seeing it for real, but anyway...
Training style trousers are best because of the elastic waist band. Once they are up as far as you can get them, lean to one side, say to the left and pull up the right side as far as it can go, then with your left hand push up hard off your wheel so your ass jumps off your chair for a brief moment like a little jump lol, As your are in the air for that very brief moment pull up the right side and the trousers/pants of that side and should be over yo' ass. Then for the left side all you have to do is lean to the right slightly and just slide them up (no jumping needed lol) Then it's just the case of pulling them up to where you find them comfy.

I do the lil jump thing because it saves me time from having to lean side to side too many times otherwise. Especially if i'm wearing jeans, doing the side to side style would just take me ages.

Like i said everyone has their own ways of doing things, and that's mine.
Just practice and within time you'll have your way of doing it.

[maisy1996]

never have mastered putting joggers,leggings,jeans on in my chair, its damn right anoying. maybe one day i will (: what everyone has said will hopefully help you! practice practice practice (:

[Denna]

like a PP said I do the side to side thing until it is as far as it will go then I take two belt loops in the back and while holding onto that kinda bridge my back to kinda lift my butt up and forward until I am almost on the edge of the set and pulling the jeans up. It is killer on the belt loops though. also try youtube they have alot of people on there getting dressed in their chair. and doing all kinds of things. good luck.

[Ches]

Keep practicing Vanessa, I was same as you.. took me a few months to get really good at it. Id make friends help me at times too, especially when I was out drinking and worn out after all the transferring and whatnot, just from going piss.. Id have pants half ass on and ask friends to come "finish me" lol!. I think the real trick is finding the perfect hand placement.. I will never be able to describe my process to you but I will try.. basically I start with my hand somewhat in my pants, at the waist(waist band of pants) and then keeping my hand running along the waist band I bring my hand towards my back.. once there a lil lift and pull pants up as high as you can fast as you can.. then over to the other hand and the other side.. and so on until they are all the way up!

[pelle]

Ches, on 13 July 2011 - 09:07 PM, said:

Keep practicing Vanessa, I was same as you.. took me a few months to get really good at it. Id make friends help me at times too, especially when I was out drinking and worn out after all the transferring and whatnot, just from going piss.. Id have pants half ass on and ask friends to come "finish me" lol!. I think the real trick is finding the perfect hand placement.. I will never be able to describe my process to you but I will try.. basically I start with my hand somewhat in my pants, at the waist(waist band of pants) and then keeping my hand running along the waist band I bring my hand towards my back.. once there a lil lift and pull pants up as high as you can fast as you can.. then over to the other hand and the other side.. and so on until they are all the way up!

thank you for this explenation Ches,

im not able to do it myself yet but am practising! im not a skirt grl either so i have to get the hang of it!

[Harry3082]

Hello Van,
Welcome aboard !!! Sure wish I could help with your question!
I'm betting this time next year you'll be telling someone else a good way to solve that problem! :-)

[Aparr]

Hey Nessa

You're right, sometimes, ok a lot of times, guys have it much easier then girls when it comes to trying to cath. I really can't help you with technique but I can encourage you to keep trying.

[tsh3406]

I do kinda what Smiley and Deena said. I get them on up to my quads, then scoot my ass out to the edge of the chair, then straighten my legs out completely. After that, it's rocking pretty much onto my side, one then the other, while pulling them up a few inches at a time. I have a little elastic thing that hooks in the button hole and the button that keeps a bit of tension on the waist, it it helps keep ya from loosing ground when you need to let go for a sec.

[rue2you]

Practice, practice, practice, practice and then when you think you about have it, practice some more! It will come!