38 replies to this topic

[ParaforGod]

Hi everyone,
Im sure most of us have fallen out of our chair at some point. I know I have and after I saw I was O.K. some of the times and circumstance where pretty funny until this last one. It wins. Until Sunday I had fallen out of my chair only 3 times in 6yrs. and 2 of those were not my fault. As I have said my husband passed away in the accident. I have been wanting to go to the cememtery for a while but my daughter told me I didn't need to go by myself sense the grave is down a small hill and she also was afraid I might fall. Well guess what? I did fall and yes I was by myself. I had the best time Sunday. I went to the mall and then to church that evening. I decided to stop at the grave. I had to park quite aways from it. I have been by myself several times in my old chair. I was told my new chair was for even more rugged areas because of the wheelie bars on front and back. One of the wheels hit a little dipdown area and over I went head first. I allways carry my cellphone in my hand while outside as it proved to be a good thing. Anyway I tryed to call my daughter and couldn't get her so I had to call 911 they came online and said what is your emergency I said my name and Im a T4 para and I've fallen out of my chair in the cememtery and told my location. My next words were my daughters going to kill me. A good thing I didn't die they might have gotten her for murder Ha! I wasn't hurt. Just a small scrape, and two small bruse places. A sore right arm. I gave my apologia then the EMT's stated don't worry we do this all the time. I then said I bet you've never picked a bodie up out of the graveyard before and they laughted and said no this is a first. By this time it was dark and I told them it is a good thing Im not afraid of the cememtery. We had some joking and fun out of what could have been a bad situation.

[Tinbasher]

Was taking a local polititian about town to show him how dangerous the potholes in the roadway were to chair users. Wheeling along talking to him my caster got in a pothole and I slid out of the front right in the middle of the roadway. Im sure he thought I was just labouring my point!

My scariest was at work when i reversed into the elevator and it was stopped about two feet below the floor !!! My first thought was that it wasnt there at all. If my bowels hada worked I woulda Sh*t myself.

I never reverse into an elevator now without checking!

Tom

[ParaforGod]

Tinbasher,
Thats great. I know what you mean about the bowels.

[juls]

I have only fallen out of my chair twice and both times my boyfriend fell on top of me!
The first was a wheelchair race in a carpark..we were flying along in the lead when all of a sudden my chair flipped over slamming my face into the ground and Andy flipped over landing on me. I broke my wrist (the plaster from a previous brake had only been off for a few days!) smashed my two front teeth and had a very bloody lip.

The second time was on our front verandah..Andy was walking towards me when he did this little jump trying to avoid standing on a grasshopper. He tripped over his feet and fell on me..slamming me into the concrete!!

As you can see..Andy is accident prone I try to avoid getting to close to him now

[Survivor35]

Juls, same Andy that took out the garage door, right? haha.

Anyway, I've only come out of my chair once, (and no, Juls, not alcohol related. haha) My dad was being silly outside with me, pushing me in a race with my little girls, when we hit the landscaping bricks going into our driveway... well, laws of physics being, the chair stopped and I kept right on going.... Scared the tar out of me, but we laugh a lot about it now.... our next door neighbor happened to be washing dishes, which window faces our yard, so she got a good laugh out of it once she called and found out I was okay.... dumbass dad. LOL

[russ1]

Was out watching my son play football, well the car park was across from the pitch separated by a small stream - well to get there I went the long way round along the road over a proper bridge and than a long push along the grass. After tha match decided I could do the steep 4 ft drop into the gully and the little wooden footbridge like everyone else. Got to the top of the slope and then bottled descending the slope on my own on my backwheels (way too steep to roll down) and my wife said she'd steady me but I didn't have the push handles on so she just grabbed the back of the chair. As soon as we hit the steep bit gravity took over and she couldn't hold on, I didn't have my own balance so ended up back on all four wheels heading very quickly towards the 4 ft wide timber bridge with no sides over the stream, got onto the bridge and then somehow managed to fall out forwards right in the middle of the bridge, all the odds would have had me ending up in the stream, still don't know how I didn't. And in front of all the other parents too.

[ParaforGod]

Thoses are great guys & gals its good we can laugh when its over.

[bigsmiles]

We had just been to a funeral and made our way back to the car . He got the wheelchair as close as he could to the car so he could transfer himself over in the passenger seat. As he tried to transfer from wheelchair to car he didn’t have enough strenght and told me he felt he was slipping. I tried to hold on to his trousers with one hand and support his back with the other but it was no good and he slipped between the car onto the floor. Luckily there was this nice guy sitting in his car a little further a long who came over and together ...took ages..we got him back into the car seat. I Know it really shook my friend up as he was breathless for a while after trying so hard to pull himself up unsuccessfully , and I felt really bad as there was nothing I could do to help him . Times like that I wished I was taller than 5ft3 and heavier than 8stone as try as I might I just couldn’t stop him falling. We both sat silent in my car for around fifteen minutes just taking deep breathes ….and yes we had an audience too!... he hasn't been in my car since

[ParaforGod]

Its nice the guy helped but isn't it amazing how many people will watch and not help

[PsychoSimon]

I was in the supermaket two weeks ago, and they have just had an upstairs section built, with two ramped escalators, and a lift at the back of the shop for wheelchairs and prams etc.
I had been going up the excalator quite happily for a couple of weeks, easy, just roll on at a good speed and lean forwards holding my wheels to stop me rolling backwards down it. Easy peasy!

My confidence started building at this and I decided I could go down the down one as well, as long as I stayed balanced on my back wheels. Just to be sure I thought "Take it slow and all is good" so gingerly ege up to the top of the ramp on my back wheels, and as soon as I hit the moving ramp I was on my back (didn't occur to me that holding my wheels tight wasn't a good idea when the floor is just about to start moving under me!!!). I was in hysterical laughter all the way down as I couldn't beleive what I had done!
This was then multiplied by a million when I got to the bottom (still on my back) and everyone behind is having to walk backwards to avoid standing on me!!
the security guard once he realised I was laughing couldnt keep a straight face either lol.

Wish I could see the CCTV footage!!!!

[Big Valley]

PsychoSimon, on Apr 29 2007, 02:28 PM, said:

I was in the supermaket two weeks ago, and they have just had an upstairs section built, with two ramped escalators, and a lift at the back of the shop for wheelchairs and prams etc.
I had been going up the excalator quite happily for a couple of weeks, easy, just roll on at a good speed and lean forwards holding my wheels to stop me rolling backwards down it. Easy peasy!

My confidence started building at this and I decided I could go down the down one as well, as long as I stayed balanced on my back wheels. Just to be sure I thought "Take it slow and all is good" so gingerly ege up to the top of the ramp on my back wheels, and as soon as I hit the moving ramp I was on my back (didn't occur to me that holding my wheels tight wasn't a good idea when the floor is just about to start moving under me!!!). I was in hysterical laughter all the way down as I couldn't beleive what I had done!
This was then multiplied by a million when I got to the bottom (still on my back) and everyone behind is having to walk backwards to avoid standing on me!!
the security guard once he realised I was laughing couldnt keep a straight face either lol.

Wish I could see the CCTV footage!!!!

I use escalators all the time. I choose to hold on to the railing with one or both hands so I am held firm against the step and can not roll back. Going down a escalator should be same as how you went up. You need to back on to it and ride it down facing backwards. As long as you get your back wheels in the right spot before the stair separate and are holding onto the railing you won't go any where. My only fear on using an escalator is the thing will break down when I am in the middle of it.



On time while in Las Vegas I used one of the outside escalators they have for going up and crossing the streets with these bridges they have. Well I didn't think about how hot that black plastic railing was going to be sitting in 110+ sunlight all day. Got about 2 sec. up the stairs and yelled for the guy behind me to please hold on to me. Man was that hot but couldn't let go.

[xeena]

I fell for the first time a few months ago,at home.I was in the outer parlour watching TV and had to move to the inner palour while climbing the ramp i dont know what happened i found the chair falling backwards it fell and i fell out of the chair ..didnt hit my head{thank goodness} had to wait there till someone got home...

[Survivor35]

While on this subject, I have to ask how many of us are capable of getting back in their chair from the floor if they do happen to take a tumble? They wouldn't release me from PT until I managed this godforsaken transfer, they said it was necessary and perfectly reasonable to expect a T6 to manage this.... it took about 5 months and lots of upper body strength building, but I can do it... despise it, but I can do it. Anyone else go through this?

[bigsmiles]

Surely this would depend on age and fitness of an individual. My friend manages to transfer quite easily from bed to chair but has more of a struggle getting in and out of a car (especially mine ) as his legs seem to get stuck with him being 6ft, one won’t bend. He doesn’t have a great deal of upper body strenght either as he’s spent a considerably long time lying down in hospital . There would be no way he would be able to get up from the floor once down there. I think perhaps a younger person would learn this and be able to get back up….my friend is in his fifty’s. Saying that I imagine there are some very fit and motivated fifty plus among us!

[edlee]

I fell out of my chair quite often the first year I was out of rehab. Mostly due to tipping back too far and ending up on my back. Once, tho, I was at my daughter's house, outside alone. I was trying to roll past two cars in the driveway. There was a sloped lawn on that side. I got too far into the grass (which was damp), And started to slide sideways. I got straightened out so that I was pointing down the hill, but Even though I was holding on to the wheels I was sliding down the hill. After about twenty feet, I saw the gravel road getting closer, and decided the lawn looked softer so I bailed out. I managed to grab the chair before it got away and sat there beside it ,laughing my butt off. No one came out for a while , so I just sat there in the grass, like a misplaced lawn Gnome. I didn't bother trying to climb back into my chair since the slope would't allow it. Finially my daughter came out. Her first question was "What are you doing", I told her that the grass looked comfortable so I though I'd sit in it for awhile. After she finished laughing I got her to bring the car to the side of the road below me, and I slid down through the lawn , and pulled myself into the passenger seat. It wasn't painful, or really difficult, but it's not something I'm anxious to try again.

As to survivor35's question. My rehab facility wasn't that forceful about getting me to climb back in my chair. I wish now that they had been. It probably wouldn't matter anyway since I've gained a lot of weight since then. My nornal procedure has been to drag myself and my chair to the nearest sofa, Pull off the cushions, then use the cushions and sofa as a sort of ladder to climb up high enough to transfer into the chair. It sounds tedious, And it is. Fortunately , most of my falls have been indoors.

[Big Valley]

Survivor35, on Apr 30 2007, 06:56 AM, said:

While on this subject, I have to ask how many of us are capable of getting back in their chair from the floor if they do happen to take a tumble? They wouldn't release me from PT until I managed this godforsaken transfer, they said it was necessary and perfectly reasonable to expect a T6 to manage this.... it took about 5 months and lots of upper body strength building, but I can do it... despise it, but I can do it. Anyone else go through this?

Can't do a floor to chair. I have to find something in the middle to hop on on then up to the chair. The chair is just to high to be able to get both hands on then lift up into. Not being able to use truck control to twist or move my butt into position just leaves me at a halfway point. If there is someone with close injury level to myself and can do this I would love to know the technique. I am plenty strong just can't seem to know how to do it.

[ParaforGod]

I can't do floor to chair I tried and tried in rehab and just couldn't do it.

[gsp23]

My mom and sister were at my house cleaning (neither of which have a cat). My mom had gone outside briefly to bring out the garbage and when she came back in she didnt close the door all the way, she swung it closed behind her but because of the wind she didnt swing it hard enough and it blew back open a little bit. I didnt at first realize this as I was in my living room, but was heading across my upstairs and was passing by the stairs. As I saw this I yelled quick for her to go down and close the door before my cat got out. I think my cat heard this because lo and behold here he comes down the hall and was getting a good spring going towards the stairs. I tried to stop him quick by pinning him but I saw him sliding out from that even so as I was reaching down to grab him, I fell at the top of the stairs. I did end up catching him but with the angle I was at I found myself with me holding my cat the second step down with the rest of my body at the top of the stairs. My mom was halfway down the steps at the time and she turned to hear the ruccus and laughed at me while at the same time asking if I was ok. And wouldnt you know it, my sister cam walking up the stairs at that time to see me before I could get back up again.

With regards to getting into my chair from the floor. When I was in inpatient rehab I wasnt taught how to do this because my upper body strength and dexterity was so poor it would not have been possible. I have since regained quite a bit of upper body strenth but havent figured this out yet. I do plan to get this figured out though before June as hockey starts again in June and I want to be able to get back into my chair on my own after I get out of my sled so I dont have to rely on someone to help lift me up like in the winter.

[bdmpastx]

During my lunchbreak at work, I went to take care of my tollway tag at the local tollway plaza and on the way out going down their makeshift ramp I fell out and right into a huge puddle of water. I was pissed. Not to mention embarrased. The ramp was about 14 inches long for a 6 inch drop. I should have just done a curb hop down instead of using their ramp.

[RYAN68]

Oh i've fell out at home countless times, was tipped over backwards by my drunk friend a few months ago, she was hammered and tried to give me a hug, she put all her weight onto my backrest, and over i went. We goto this country bar, and there is a lot of line dancing, anyways it never fails that some drunk woman tries to get my to somehow roll around out there with her, mind you im usually pretty buzzed too , but I think i've been over backwards there prolly at least 5 times. But somebody always just grabs the back of my chair and pulls me up.

in my rehab, they didnt want me to do floor to chair transfers because I was still in my shell. but I can get in and out of my chair really quick...I guess it helps to have long arms and be young

[Big Valley]

RYAN68, on May 2 2007, 12:17 PM, said:

Oh i've fell out at home countless times, was tipped over backwards by my drunk friend a few months ago, she was hammered and tried to give me a hug, she put all her weight onto my backrest, and over i went. We goto this country bar, and there is a lot of line dancing, anyways it never fails that some drunk woman tries to get my to somehow roll around out there with her, mind you im usually pretty buzzed too , but I think i've been over backwards there prolly at least 5 times. But somebody always just grabs the back of my chair and pulls me up.

A drunken women's hugs are more like wrestling moves.



It is almost a reflex for me to instantly lean forward when someone grabs me from behind.

[stef01be]

I went into a nightclub with some friends and the dancefloor was 1 step down... you feel me coming, right?

There's a girl pushing me and neither of us notice the step.
I do a mean dancemove, landing face down in the crowd, separating the guys from the girls.

I'm a quad, can't get back in but before I could say "WTF!" I was back in my chair, holding a fresh blonde! (the beer)
No blood, no broken teeth or limbs so all was good :-)

Was quite the entrance and I got free drinks all night, just for being stoopid! Go figure.

S.

[BlackCherry]

I've only ever fallen out once, it was on my 21st birthday. Everyone else thought it was funny but I don't know.
There are revolving doors to enter the place I was going, I dont think theyre made for wheechairs but the disabled users door was locked so my friend pushed me through those doors. Thankfully I was so so very drunk that I cant remember it at all. Truly dont have any recollection of being on the floor or falling out which is good. I do remember my friend telling these men that I was just drunk and they wouldnt make such a fuss if he fell over in the same state. He picked me up and we carried on drinking.

I think I would be really embarrassed if I did it sober. I can easily get myself back into the chair but I image it would cause a stir in a crowded place that I wouldnt be able to as people would want to help. Id be ok if I fell out on my own.

[McRobb]

Well, I can say that I have joined the fallen crowd now because I had my first one last night.

Was going down onto my deck from a ramp that is a bit too steep at the very end. have used it for two years and although I am careful, I always figured that it needed some adjusting. Last evening, it was a beautiful evening and I thought I would go out and plant a few flowers in my pots. For a switch, my husband has taken my van to Kansas City to have it worked on yet again and will not be home until Saturday afternoon. But, I am not worried so out I go.

Got to the bottom of the ramp and I am being very careful and going slowly and my electric chair has the smaller wheels in front of the drive wheels that seem to bang up when I change from a angled sloop to a straight one - rather disturbing and sort of jolts me forward sometimes rather violently.

Well, the bottom of the ramp and the chair worked together to catapult me onto the deck, face first. And, my phones were in my chair which I thought had fallen sideways but had not. Anyway, spent about 2 1/2 hours flat on my face while my hubby finally calls and calls and then sends someone to see why I am not answering my phones.

So, 911 call and lots of help to get me onto a gurney and up to my bedroom when we used my lift to get me back to the chair. Very scary - T6,7 injury means that my lungs do not do that well with lots of pressure on them. If my husband had not called and wondered, it would have been another 2 hours before my person came to help me to bed. So, now we are down to how do we keep this from happening again.

No way could I get myself up and back into the chair - I cannot even transfer. Not funny and sorry I cannot laugh about it - too soon, I guess. some bruises and sore shoulders and arms, big toes tat got beat up and a fat lip seem to be all the damage but I do not want to repeat this!

[russ1]

Big Valley, on Apr 30 2007, 07:07 PM, said:

[Can't do a floor to chair. I have to find something in the middle to hop on on then up to the chair. The chair is just to high to be able to get both hands on then lift up into. Not being able to use truck control to twist or move my butt into position just leaves me at a halfway point. If there is someone with close injury level to myself and can do this I would love to know the technique. I am plenty strong just can't seem to know how to do it.

I can do the straightforward lift your bum in if I have something to push up from on the non chair side that's at least half as high as the chair but just can't do it pushing up from the floor with out any abs at all. However I can get back in using what seems to have been called the quad floor to chair transfer. Quad Transfer It's a bit awkward doing the flip at the top but mainly because I still have a lot of tone in my legs abd my knees get stuck in the uprights at the front. However it does work - I'm T2 and well into my 40's - the guy in the video is C8.

Hope that helps

[lune14]

My worst fall to date

http://www.apparelyz...h...ic=2415&hl=

[Big Valley]

russ1, on May 15 2007, 12:36 PM, said:

Big Valley, on Apr 30 2007, 07:07 PM, said:

[Can't do a floor to chair. I have to find something in the middle to hop on on then up to the chair. The chair is just to high to be able to get both hands on then lift up into. Not being able to use truck control to twist or move my butt into position just leaves me at a halfway point. If there is someone with close injury level to myself and can do this I would love to know the technique. I am plenty strong just can't seem to know how to do it.

I can do the straightforward lift your bum in if I have something to push up from on the non chair side that's at least half as high as the chair but just can't do it pushing up from the floor with out any abs at all. However I can get back in using what seems to have been called the quad floor to chair transfer. Quad Transfer It's a bit awkward doing the flip at the top but mainly because I still have a lot of tone in my legs abd my knees get stuck in the uprights at the front. However it does work - I'm T2 and well into my 40's - the guy in the video is C8.

Hope that helps

That was helpful. I will try that technique very soon and see what I can get done. If he can do it I know I can get it done. I can see my pants being almost backwards by the time I am done.



Any more videos similar to that on any other techniques?

[ihaveaheartofgold67]

Tinbasher, on Apr 28 2007, 02:54 PM, said:

Was taking a local polititian about town to show him how dangerous the potholes in the roadway were to chair users. Wheeling along talking to him my caster got in a pothole and I slid out of the front right in the middle of the roadway. Im sure he thought I was just labouring my point!

My scariest was at work when i reversed into the elevator and it was stopped about two feet below the floor !!! My first thought was that it wasnt there at all. If my bowels hada worked I woulda Sh*t myself.

I never reverse into an elevator now without checking!

Tom

that was so funny .not the elevator thing but the sh*t pants thing,lmao i would have done the same. i havent fallen out of my chair being an electric one but i had a manual one before this one and was strolling outside of my rehab hosp,when my caster on the right side got stuck in a sewer grate.u think any one would come around when u want help, i sat there for 25 min trying to get unstuck out of the grate,before a elderly man came to my rescue,let me tell ya stay away from those sewer grates!!!!

[russ1]

Big Valley, on May 15 2007, 10:33 PM, said:

Any more videos similar to that on any other techniques?

http://video.google....546997844108265
is a 'normal' floor to chair - I can't get anywhere near doing this

[gsp23]

russ1, on May 30 2007, 08:01 AM, said:

Big Valley, on May 15 2007, 10:33 PM, said:

Any more videos similar to that on any other techniques?

http://video.google....546997844108265
is a 'normal' floor to chair - I can't get anywhere near doing this

I cant do that way either, some of the guys on my sled hockey team do it that way. I just finally accomplished a floor to chair transfer and a graceful chair to floor transfer last week and mine is not quite either method shown, I do more of a variation on the second one...

Chair to Floor
Put my feet on the floor and slide forward on my seat as far as I can. Move my feet out a bit more in front of me and keep moving to the edge of my seat. Hold onto the tubes just infront of the seat with both hands and lower myself to the ground just in front of my footrest.

Floor to Chair
Basically reversed of above... I line up in straight in front of my footrest with my legs out in front of me and then I pull them up to a bent position. I reach up behind me and grab onto the bars just in front of my seat and pull myself up. I work my hands back on my seat till I am mostly the way up and then I sit down and work myself into a normal comfortable position and then pull my legs back up onto the footrest.

This method would require some tricep strength to accomplish but it is the only way that I can seem to do. When I was in inpatient rehab they never taught me a transfer like this because everyone kept telling me that I wouldnt be in a wheelchair for long so I didnt need to learn it. So it was pretty much up to me to figure out a method that I could do as well. Hopefullly some of the tips offered will work for you or help you with a variation that will work for you.