Did your first chair suck?

[jessie.gray]

My first wheelchair was an older Everest and Jennings Traveler (the kind you see in hospital lobbies), that weighed over 50 pounds. It was very hard to push around, pick up to put in a car trunk, and was not very flattering (it was a gross silver steel color). Plus, there was no way to remove the armrests, and I can't stand armrests on wheelchairs.

Now, I have 2 nicer chairs: a Quickie 2 that's dark purple (my backup chair) and a Colours Eclipse that's bright red (my main chair). At least you can push these ones around easily LOL!

Jessie

[Cherry]

Originally Posted by Juke_spin

Hi, Cherry. You'd have to go (up in heat) a ways to burn ti.

Hehe Bring on a classroom full of teenagers each adorning a blow torch. i'd manage it

[SCI_OTR]

I noticed this poll is still open. Anyone else care to vote or comment?

I will be referring to it during a presentation I am giving at the American Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals next month. This is the slide that will lead into my discussion...

[arndog]

Yes - my first chair sucked. The rehab hospital told me to get a 16 inch chair width even though I fit into a 14 inch. They told me I would gain weight even though I have been an athlete all my life and 8 years post injury still fit into a 14 inch width chair and am still an 'athlete'. I am very annoyed that they steered me to that 16 inch chair and didn't have the faith in me that I would stay fit and not gain weight.

[DaleB]

I dunno if I already answered...too lazy too check...but 4 years later I'm still using my first chair as a backup and "lawn and garden" chair. It's a fine chair, for the price point, A Quickie GT, but it was measured FAR to big. I got the same line as arndog...and they put me in a 17" x 18" chair. I fit, with room, in a 15x16 chair.

[betheny]

SCI-OTR, you just made my day! If I'd known then what I know now (largely thanks to you, and tyvm for that kind sir) I'd have had an option for "My first chair sucked for 2 or more of the reasons above". It's a sad state of affairs when a user can buy off ebay, sight unseen, and get farrrr better results than the pros gave when we were but newbies.

arndog, get into a 14" stat! I'm using a lil kid's chair and loving it.

[Katja]

I thought my first chair was wonderful, because I didn't know any better. It was a 20" wide Quickie Revolution with molded mag wheels.

Now I'm in a 15" wide TE Terminator.

About a year ago, I was thinking about getting a TiLite TR, and went to a DME and got measured for the second time. I thought he was pretty good in general, but he still wanted to put me in an 18" wide chair. I just don't get it. What's with all this extra width?

[SCI_OTR]

Originally Posted by DaleB

I dunno if I already answered...too lazy too check...but 4 years later I'm still using my first chair as a backup and "lawn and garden" chair. It's a fine chair, for the price point, A Quickie GT, but it was measured FAR to big. I got the same line as arndog...and they put me in a 17" x 18" chair. I fit, with room, in a 15x16 chair.

If you are able to vote, then you haven't voted before. I don't know if you caught my other post about your plans to go to WWRC. I quoted a different phrase you used for the GT.

Originally Posted by betheny

SCI-OTR, you just made my day!

Thank you for posting it in the first place. I've been sending the link to other therapists for a couple of years, but I doubt many took the time to click, read, and truly think about the results and it's implications. The SCI therapists attending ASCIP in Vegas next month are from the VA's 24 SCI Centers or part of NIDDR's Model Spinal Cord Injury System program. I guarantee they will be challenged to think about it. I'm also suspecting they will get a laugh from your "Keanu Reeves" comment which I will be quoting.

[betheny]

If you meet Rafferty Laredo from TIRR, he's excepted from the general OT's-Suck theme. Although he did allow me to fall into the clutches of the Keanu wannabe.

Still can't believe I was in a 21" chair.

[grommet]

It was a very good chair actually just very bad measurements for me. Man that thing hurt. Always had me twisted up and I transferred out any time I had the chance. My new Tilite TR is almost perfect. The only thing I would change now is the front end angle, it's 90 and I'm thinking of trying 85 or less even.

Good question. I figure the only way to figure out the right equipment is to spend a ton of money and lose most of it. I finally got NaturalFit's and so far, I'm hating them. On the pile of stuff-that-didn't-work they go. Sigh.