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Wheelchairs and snow

Recently, much of the central US has experienced a record cold snap and snowfall. In Oklahoma City, we’re at more than 3 times our average snowfall for an entire season. Two storms back to back have dumped about 10” of snowfall. Because we don’t see this very often, only major roadways get cleared leaving neighborhoods and, crucially for this tale, apartment complexes to pretty much fend for themselves.

Last night, apparently somebody did try to clear part of the sidewalk outside my apartment. The operative word is “try”. They left about a 28” gap at the base of the wheelchair ramp. Which would be fine...except my chair is 32” wide. I only busted through the impasse via sheer force.

If you’re going to clear a path, please be considerate of those with wider wheelchairs and go all the way with it. We’d really appreciate it. #SpinaBifida #Wheelchairs #Winter #snow

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I’ve been looking into wheelchairs as a part time mobility aid.

I’m 18 years old and I have hEDS, hip displasia, chronic pain, and a tendency to get dizzy when standing for long periods of time (though no doctors know why at the moment). My pain has been steadily increasing in frequency and intensity for about three years now. I used to be extremely active but that has decreased over the years. I still am somewhat active, it’s just painful and requires me to push myself through the pain quite a bit sometimes. I’ve looked into other types of mobility aids some but due to elbow and shoulder pain and instability/dislocation a cane or walker isn’t a good idea for me. However, I feel like a wheelchair is a big step. I still can do things it’s just painful, and since I’m young I’m not sure if a wheelchair is something I should look at now.

Any thoughts, ideas, or reccomondations are really appreciated! ❤️
#ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #Wheelchairs

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At what point should I start using a wheelchair?

So I have a great deal of muscle atrophy in my legs from Charcot Marie Tooth and it’s been getting noticeably worse over the past five or so years, leading to increasing levels of pain in my legs from walking, meaning can I walk less, and lose more muscle, and on and on. Even physical therapy is pretty much just to keep range of motion in my ankles.
At this point, 12 years since my diagnosis, the prospect of getting out of bed is daunting. Every step I take is weighed against how much more pain I’ll be in if I stay on my feet that much longer. Even walking to the bathroom gets put off until it really can’t be anymore. I live with my parents and sister so I have help, but my life outside the house is pretty much nothing because if walking down the hall too many times leaves me bedridden, going out and walking around is impossible.
I do have a wheelchair that I use for the very rare outing, usually with my family, because I also have muscle atrophy in my arms and nerve damage in my hands making in hard to push myself for more than a minute or so on flat groud and impossible on an incline, so I have to have people to push me. Because of this, I’d need a power wheelchair. It’s always been inevitable that one day I’d need one, but now that that day is getting a lot closer: at what point do I actually have to start seriously looking into buying one? If walking is causing me this much pain, should I just give in? My house is small enough I’d probably use my manual chair inside but I don’t want to start doing that until I have a power chair so I don’t just make it even harder for myself to leave the house. #Wheelchair #Wheelchairs #WheelchairUser #muscleatrophy #mobility

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Good news - bad news - worse news

Good news - after one year struggle with state health bureaucratic system I'm entitled to new active light wheelchair payed by state. Bad news - usually there is one month waiting list and now is even longer. Badly news - I'm in quarantine hoping not to have high temperature because I'm on Warfarin. #Wheelchairs  #BloodThinner #WheelchairUsers #ChronicSpinePain #Paraparesis   #Happiness #ChronicIllness  #Undiagnosed #Sadness #Spasticity #COVID19 #European #stayhome

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Wheelchairs and snow #Wheelchairs

I don’t mind snow. I really don’t. But if I’m in my chair with the summer no grip tires it’s a different story. Went swimming the other day. Went in with no snow on the ground. Came out with at least 3 inches. Just got wailed on. Nice I thought. Real nice. Had to cross 4 lanes of street to get to the bus. hahahahaha. Incredibly the snow plow gang was out and put a nice pile of snow along the curbs. Plowed my way through the first curb and on the street I go. Not even half way across and the light is changed. hahahahaha Holding up my hand to traffic and looking at the curb on the other side. more snow. A nice lady asked if I’m going to need help. I said, “hell yes.” She booted snow away and I thanked her and I made the bus. Got the winter grips the next day. the end.
#Disability

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Hey, it’s been a while

A lot has happened. I’ve gone from going on hogs up and down my street in September, to full time using a wheelchair. My left leg is completely paralyzed, and my right one has electrical pain in it. I can’t use either. I’ve lost who I was, I’ve lost my friends. I’ve lost my hobbies, which included competing with my dog and running. The only thing I have left is guitar which is also going down the drain because I am losing the feeling in my left arm. They still haven’t figured out what is wrong. I have no idea what to do.

#WheelchairUsers #Wheelchair #Wheelchairs #WheelchairUser #helpneeded #NervePains #Nervedamage

3 comments
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Finally

I’m getting a wheelchair. I’ve needed it for a long time and my doctor finally listened to how much pain I am in and allowed me a wheelchair. Any advice? Especially for getting around high school? #Advice #help #amps #AmplifiedMusculoskeletalPainSyndrome #amplifiedpainsyndrome #Wheelchair #WheelchairUser #WheelchairUsers #Wheelchairs #Wheelchairs

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Some Wheelchair Resources


A year ago, I bought an electric Wheelchair by doing a GoFundMe. I put together some resources to help other people when looking at electric wheelchairs. I hope it helps! I bought a lightweight, foldable chair, but some of the questions I suggest thinking about are relevant when looking at other chairs too. It was hard to accept I needed one at first, but I am so grateful and happy to have it now. I am ambulatory, but have ME and POTS, and it makes a huge difference in my functioning.

docs.google.com/file/d/1_lp3SosDpoZo6MdcJykaeFLAWDzWj6dM/edit

#AmbulatoryWheelchairUser #PosturalOrthostaticTachycardiaSyndrome #EhlersDanlosSyndrome #ChronicFatigue
#Wheelchair #Wheelchairs #Disabililty #resources #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis

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My father is looking for anew better job or degree career. #WheelchairUsers #Wheelchairs #BackPain #SlippedDisk

In 2002 my father fell off a ladder from a 2 story building while working(carpentry) and broke a majority of his lower disks in his back. Today he was told that he will eventually be in a wheelchair and needs to find a job that’s less stressful on his body in order to slow it down. I’m not completely sure what my question is but I’m just wanting some answers to something related to this and felt this would be a good resource.

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