9 replies to this topic

[hurbshankin]

Who's made the transition from power chair to manual chair? I'm currently cruizin' in a storm TDX-3 but just got fit for a ti-lite chair, should get it in few months or so. I've regained a bit of tri-cep function, 2 out of 5 anyway. I think I'll get along OK on level ground but I'm thinkkin' 'bout those inclines.

Post up if you've made the transition, stories, advice or just hello will suffice. Thanks in advance


Hurb

[stephnz]

Hi there

My husband has a similar level of injury as yours. He is 4 months post injury but due to complications has had a lengthy 4 month hospital stay. Next week he will be going to the South Auckland Spinal Unit for intensive physio rehab where he will be for a while. He can move his arms but as yet has poor tricep. Even though they are talking to him about power chairs he is determined to get into a manual, so would be interested in your progress from a power chair to manual. How long post injury are you?
Good Luck

Steph

[coolbreeze]

I am still in a power chair building up my arms biceps\triceps strength injuried since 12/26/07. I have a manual chair but can't move around alot b\c of carpet floors etc.... .
I need more space inside and outside my current home more accessibility.

Anyone know a good website with accessible homes?

Good luck with the manual chairs

[hurbshankin]

Steph, I'm almost eleven months post injury and am just now thinking I could push a chair. OT & PT tell me my arms have come along quickly. It will be interesting.


Coolbreeze, I was 95% done bulding my house when I had my accident. I must have had some crazy forsight, My wife and I designed our house, barrier free shower in master suite, laminate floors, almost 1000 square feet of open space on the first floor, only thing I did not think of was an elevator.

Hurb

[carole338]

I started in a manual chair and just got a power chair for rough terrain. I was completely against a power chair because I knew how important it was to build up my upper body strength. I still prefer the manual chair.

[megatrig]

I could write lots about this!

I'm a C5/6 tetra. No Triceps

20 years in a manual chair

The strength it has given me has been great!

I played Wheelchair Rugby for 10+ years and that really kept my fitness up!

Just bought a set of emotion powered wheels!
Great on a well set up out door all terrain chair for walking my dog, plowing across deep wet grass, up steeeeeep hills etc etc etc

The compactness, simplicity, etc of a manual chair overrides a lot of things!

Kinda like able bods wearing different shoes for different occasions!

Fotty boots for a game of football

6" high heels for that night out (girlies really! lol)

Walking boots for tromping across fields

and so on......................

[eujei]

megatrig, on May 16 2008, 12:46 PM, said:

I could write lots about this!

I'm a C5/6 tetra. No Triceps

20 years in a manual chair

The strength it has given me has been great!

I played Wheelchair Rugby for 10+ years and that really kept my fitness up!

Just bought a set of emotion powered wheels!
Great on a well set up out door all terrain chair for walking my dog, plowing across deep wet grass, up steeeeeep hills etc etc etc

The compactness, simplicity, etc of a manual chair overrides a lot of things!

Kinda like able bods wearing different shoes for different occasions!

Fotty boots for a game of football

6" high heels for that night out (girlies really! lol)

Walking boots for tromping across fields

and so on......................

im also a c5 and i would love to ride only manual chairs. but triceps arent the only muscles you need to ride a chair. and in my case, my pectorals dont work so i find it very hard to push my chair only with the shoulders. do i have to pratice more?

[JT80]

been mentioned before but i find emotion wheels a real help....
you are in a manual chair which brings all the manoevrability/accessibilty bonuses but its not so difficult to push.
helps keep fit/strong too.

[coolbreeze]

hurbshankin, on May 14 2008, 06:10 PM, said:

Steph, I'm almost eleven months post injury and am just now thinking I could push a chair. OT & PT tell me my arms have come along quickly. It will be interesting.


Coolbreeze, I was 95% done bulding my house when I had my accident. I must have had some crazy forsight, My wife and I designed our house, barrier free shower in master suite, laminate floors, almost 1000 square feet of open space on the first floor, only thing I did not think of was an elevator.

Hurb

Wow I know ur happy.
Nice house
My wify wants to stay in this house with no w\c space etc..
I guess we will have two homes b\c my sci needs comes 1st uknow.

[Hapahowlee]

coolbreeze, on May 14 2008, 02:15 PM, said:

Anyone know a good website with accessible homes?

My husband and I moved from the Midwest to AZ about 6 years ago. We actually came out Thanksgiving week of 2001 just to look at rent prices for a temporary stay. Nine days later, we signed papers to have our new home built. Impulse buy. We had plans to find a lot and have a custom built home, but we found a track home with the floorplan almost exactly as we had planned. It's about 3000 square ft and very open floor plan with our master suite on one side and all guest rooms on the other side. I don't like yard work, so we don't have grass, we have all chipped granite with palm trees and a couple of cactus and some shrubs. We got 18 X 18 tile throughout most of the house and actually the only reason we have carpet is because I insisted. My husband used to be a big binge drinker and in a manual wheelchair with no arm rests or belting system he would take a tumble once in a while. I actually came up with a somewhat strange idea on how to get him back up into the chair, but it works. I also came up with an idea so he can use our jacuzzi tub too, but that's a secret invention right now. We had the builders put sliding glass doors on the shower and have a fold down shower bench. He's used to a transfer shower bench, but with glass doors we couldn't do that. He manages to take a shower just fine. We had all tall boy toilets (3) installed, all low boy thresholds and no steps or big gaps anywhere. We have a pool and I secretly loaded the walker my husband wanted to throw out before we moved onto the moving van and since it's aluminum, I throw it in the pool and put his aqua shoes on him in addition to one of those belts people use to exercise in the pool and I stand behind him and he slowly takes steps to walk. We have plenty of room in our home and we don't ever want a two-story. Even though we have carpet in the bedrooms and family room, we got a special type of padding that is easier to roll on. There are all kinds of carpet you can get that's easier to roll a manual chair on if you want carpet. Tile is nice in the Summer when it gets up to 120 degrees, but in the winter it does get a little cold. Guess we just got lucky in finding our home. It was the last one we explored and it was the one we wanted. Sometimes you can find a home that is already built and may only need a few modifications for you. Good luck with everything.