I’m new to all of this, I now have severe myalgia and neuropathy in my legs that came on suddenly yesterday.

I obtained my chair today and within the first hour I have already been unable to get into a restaurant that had a door that was too high off the ground for me to get into.

Any tips and tricks or advice on how to not feel so pessimistic about my future in the chair

i am a teenager and will be using it most days likely but not 24/7. i was looking into karman healthcares S-ERGO 115 but apparently it’s not as easy to self propel as they claim? i will be getting a custom chair someday but unfortunately its not an option for me right now.

I’m using a drive sport 2, and even laying flat in bed my hips and lower back are killing me, I can’t breathe. I have FND and I was denied physio therapy. I also have fibromyalgia that isn’t being treated. Anyone else?

I was thinking about asking my doctor for a hospital bed that Medicare/Medicaid would help with.

I am a power wheelchair user. I use a regular bed with a free standing trapeze rn. I have a history of GERD, fibromyalgia, osteophytes on every disc and joint, messed up neck ...I need to find a solution to waking up every night profusely sweating and feeling like I'm gonna spontaneously combust(it's aggravated with stress and I believe it has to do with bile acid reflux) I think it has to do with the permeability of my gut lining and the resulting acid leakage into the surrounding tissues aggravates the nerves that sends painful signals to my arms, legs, with extensive pain to my neck and shoulder blades! I had to figure this out for myself after years of research and being passed around by the medical community with nothing accomplished except another referral. I was told that I have some "extra" protein floating around but since it's not multiple myeloma, I'm good!!! Uhhh, no I'm not, but hey, we all have mysteries to discover about ourselves, right?

Anyway, I was looking for suggestions about beds that would be cost effective and safe for me, and what do you use for yourselves? Did you get it by way of the medical community or did you find something affordable? What were your needs and how do you get comfortable enough to sleep thru the night?

I want to improve my health, not get worse! I have had home hospital beds in the past but OMG!!! I would not trust my dog to sleep in it! The bed was so high that I needed a step ladder to get into it! The flimsy upper bedrails were useless, and the mattress was like quicksand, lol

The mattress was like sinking deep in mud, no turning, no moving around and God help you if you have to use the bathroom!!!!

Remembering that part gave me anxiety giggling, this is October with all the horror movies that invoke fear and helplessness only there is no blood and violence in this case, just the "sinking" feeling, kinda claustrophobic?

Tell me about your experience with past beds if you like too! What was the last straw that sent you hunting for a better bed?

I make $900 a month on a fixed income. I’m stuck in a drive sport 2 and I’m suffering. I’m almost ready to throw in the towel and stay in bed all day everyday. My local funding program (AADL) doesn’t cover my disability because “I just need therapy” well I’ve been in therapy for 19 years and I’m still wheelchair bound. Also denied from physical and occupational therapy. If my fiance wasn’t so busy financing his parents, maybe I’d be better off. But I have little to no support when it comes to money. And gofundme only works if you’re a dead kid. I’m afraid I’ll spend the rest of my life locked in my mom’s basement. Or worse, homeless.

So I had been wanting one of those adorable inflatable T-Rex outfits ever since I saw one online. When my sweetheart said I always wanted one of those, I would wear it I decided to buy each of us one. She stands 5ft 2in tall and is able bodied. When standing I am 6ft 1in. T-Rex stands around 7ft tall. Honestly I didn't expect it to stay inflated while I was seated.

I bought 2 60mm brushless motor ball bearing blower fans to install into the nape of the T-Rex neck. This is about where the back of my head is. They assist the OEM fan in the hip back area. Just the OEM fan alone the suit inflated in about a minute or so.

With the 2 added fans the suit inflates in about 15 seconds and the head does not fall down when I move.

The image is before the addition of the 2 fans. The dual fan set came with a splitter and allows me to now run all 3 on one 10,000mah brick.

To attach the 2 fans I used VHB tape to seal them to the fabric. Then used a Xaxto knife to then cut out the inner circle for air intake and used 3M extreme strength duct tape on the inside to secure the housing better.

If you try to do this or add fans these little fans have delicate wires I taped mine as strain relief first so the wires don't break at the solder point.

I am mainly a power chair user and am also mostly bedbound. In my country I get both a manual and electric wheelchair as a loan. Unfortunately both were badly fitted, and I can't get a new power wheelchair that would fit me better but because I gained weight my manual wheelchair is definitely too small so the wheelchair technician said I should be able to get a new one. I have severe ME with orthostatic intolerance and hypermobility.

First picture is my manual wheelchair. I have a recline accessory called Kitcool mounted on it (commercial picture in second pic) so I can kinda lie down when not moving and I couldn't use a manual wheelchair without this. I also bought some second hand adjustable angle footrests so I can also have my legs up. Third picture is an active foldable wheelchair the wheelchair technician suggested. I don't know if a fully rigid frame would be even better.

I can propel myself for short distances indoors but rely on people pushing me outdoors or any distance bigger than inside my appartment. I like doing wheelies and enjoy moving around in it but don't have the energy to use it full time. I also noticed pushing myself is not so bad as I only need a couple pushes to the bathroom, but surprisingly it's stopping that hurts my shoulders more than pushing.

I mostly use this chair when I need to be driven somewhere (I don't have my own car) and I can't get a wheelchair taxi for my big power wheelchair. I'm also planning on using it indoors when visiting family where my powerchair is too big for indoors.

If I have the opportunity to get a new chair, I really don't know which way I should be going if I should go for a more active and lightweight one that I might actually be able to use more often, or if I should get a more supportive one. Does anyone have some experience to share?

Advantages of current model:

- supportive back

- adjustable angle footrests (but difficult for me to pull up for transfers, I need someone to help)

- attendant brakes for hills (but they don't work well with the Kitcool)

Things I don't like about it:

- really heavy

- needs to be disassembled in too many parts to be transported and complicated to reassemble (I can't do it myself)

- can't hold my torso up in it (currently have a small chest strap, getting "backpack" type of straps that clip together at the front soon)

- too long and bulky, my toes get caught everywhere (the kitcool adds a long "tail" in the back which doesn't help with being too long)

Things I'm hoping a more active model could have:

- more dump so I'm not falling forward so much

- able to push myself more?

- easier to put in car for transport

- no need to pull up footrests for transfers

New chair day! I got the Jazzy Carbon HD. My manual chair got too hard for me to push and I needed more support. So I talked to my doctor and we decided to switch me over to a power chair. I have a tiny car and am unable to buy a new one so I had to go for a lightweight foldable power chair for now- once my car is paid off in 2028 I’ll get a WAV and go through my insurance for a custom power chair.

Any tips for a new power chair user? For the most part I can get the chair in and out of the trunk and fold and unfold it myself- but any tips on making that easier would be so so welcome.

I was waiting for a bus the other day and when it stopped, the driver said, "Do you want the runway?" I found it very difficult not to burst out laughing because I had never heard this before.

It just got me thinking what other strange things people say to wheelchair users that I haven't come across.

I introduce to you my new Sunrise Medical Quickie Q700M Sedeo Pro in Candy Blue with tilt, recline, elevation, and the $650 JAY ION Cushion upgrade that I wanted and the guy surprised me with. It has voice activation, which I didn’t know it had, and they didn’t charge me for the recline functionality, so I essentially got a $37,000 chair for $33,541. I also got it in record time, in about 2 weeks from start to finish. I feel beyond blessed and happy, I’m getting freedom again!!

Have contacted my wheelchair technician waiting on an appointment

but is this a normal amount of play?

My team has finally agreed that the smart drive is completely unsafe for me without the dial, especially as my hands have gotten worse over the past few years.

Smartdrive was the default but there are more options than ever- I want to hear about what's working for you.

I've test driven the M90 and the Power Flex, and I'm also looking at the Aber e-Fix and would love to hear about any joystick options I haven’t mentioned.

Please share:
How reliable it's been, especially past the first year
How it feels on your hands, wrists, and shoulders after a full day
How it handles hills, curb cuts, and uneven ground
How the speed and responsiveness feel in tight spaces and on longer routes
Anything you wish you'd known before you bought it
My RA is progressing, so comfort on my hands and joints matters a lot to me. Thanks in advance for anything you're willing to share, even if it's just one device and one tip.

first new chair day!! ki rogue 2. im a part time ambulatory user with periodic paralysis (ATS) and hEDS. I was dealing with a lot of internalized ableism about getting a chair specifically. but finally getting it yesterday and experiencing going to a store, even on a not so good day, and not feeling super out of it/physically struggling to walk? oh my goodness, it's been so long since Ive felt "present" out in public, especially on a less good day for my legs. my arms were a little tired after because they're so weak, but it was so much better than I expected to feel about it all.

(please disregard the clutter in the bg, we moved a few months ago and still live amongst boxes)

Hi all! I'm taking a college tour soon, and have opted in to use of the wheelchair accessible shuttle. Does that refer to anything specific, or do places get to self-describe their vehicles that way? Will I need to know my tie-down points? (I have a vocic u32 off the shelf wheelchair). Basically, if "accessible shuttle" has a standardized definition, what can I expect?

Has anyone attempted to use an electric snow shovel or, compact electric snow blower to clear sidewalks, ramps or driveways?

I am T10 complete, manual wheelchair user for 20 years. I am looking for any tips or recommendations on which tool would be best.

One concern I had was when a light layer of snow falls, say btwn 1-2” and, it’s wet snow, would a snow blower pick that up?

I would like to avoid rolling through a 1-2” layer of wet snow, making tires tracks that sound then freeze into the slush over night. And then becomes a nightmare to chip away off a wooden ramp/deck.

Any experience that could be shared by anyone who has had experience with this sort of thing would be really appreciated.

Thank you 🙏🏽

So I want to state that this is for informational purposes only but my smart drive recently failed, and I was without its assistance for almost a month. I completely lost all power and function. It would not charge. It would not come on. It was essentially dead, even when plugging it in the charger did not recognize it, I was able to get her to replace my board after they decided that they wanted to replace the battery as well as do some other stuff besides actually checking the board go figure they never listen to the customer. They only assume they know it’s right. But anyways, if you’re smart drive is out of warranty and you have these similar symptoms which is a loss of power and no charging capability and no active lights on the outside then here is a possible fix if you open it up and remove the board and look at the back of the board. There is a resistor labeled R 21. This resistor is essentially the wake up for your motor, it’s a wake up for the computer/the brain and determines whether or not it goes into a sleep and charging mode without this resistor it will permanently stay in a sleep, low power mode and not come on. This goes on switch and itself.

No, I insisted that I get my old board back from Norco so that I could figure out why this failed in the first place so after doing my research in my testing, I was able to find out that even though this resistor looked good due to its ceramic nature, it cracked most likely due to some type of moisture getting in between the connection for the throttle buttons and the smart drive unit itself this is pretty easy to test. You simply need a multimeter and test continuity as you can see from the picture. I posted after a 20xmagnifying glass on it. I could see that it is clearly damaged.