Wheelchair by Hand ? Is this Better for the Psyche?

DysautonomiaMD's webcam recorded Video - September 10, 2009, 04:37 PM

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• fatigue
• tired
• bed
• life
• wheelchair
• arms
• new self-experiment
• not medical advice
• dysautonomia
• ME
• POTS
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• fibromyalgia
• vomit
• nausea
• paraplegic
• kabc

[DysautonomiaMD]

If you "YouTube" Search now, "d" "y" "s" now leads to:

"Dysautonomia", "Dysautonomiamd" and "Dysautonomia POTS"...if you keep typing, you also get familial dysautonomia. The computer must be keeping track! Our numbers are growing and/or something NEW has happened! Am I the only one who noticed? I just noticed it today. LOL to all, Dr M

[DysautonomiaMD]

I was riding the electric wheelchair from the grocery store, on our way to the car.

So, I turned the wheelchair around on the sidewalk in front of our car, thinking, "Gee. This seems logical."

Oops. I pressed 'Reverse' instead of 'Forward'. The brake was stuck on grocery bag. Stuck in the "Off" position. My wheelchair began to spiral backwards off the curb. A kind man immediately said to his cell phone, "I gotta hang up. I gotta go." My caregiver? Drinking coffee.

There my caregiver stood.

[radlikemad]

i've never actually used a wheelchair of any kind..but i have seriously considered getting one. i think for me i feel like if i were to get one, i might become too dependent on it, and never walk around when i didn't absolutely have to. but still, the thought of possibly being able to stay out longer because of it is appealing! hope you are feeling better, and able to do more things like you are hoping! good luck!

-shannon

[DysautonomiaMD]

I hope you consider getting a wheelchair so that you can get out and be places you otherwise could not go....either that, or else I wish you could get someone to give you a ride on a wheelbarrel (like, for gardening or working on projects outside) so you can laugh and watch the sky............Dr M

[lednugenna]

I think if it is possible you should get both. I use my manual chair when I go out to a quick errand because I have no way to take my power chair but in the power chair you can truly conserve energy be upright and participate a little bit. In the manual chair I do not use the foot rests and I kind of propel using my feet and arms. Also my service dog pulls me a bit when I really need it. You will definitely need to build up to self propelling in a manual chair.

[DysautonomiaMD]

Sept 26? and I come to the conclusion that you are all right.

I'm going to order a power chair so perhaps I can have the best of both worlds, for different reasons, and for different types of activity. I think my World will grow......thank you.

Highest Personal Regards, Dr M

[luminescentfeeling]

Good video again, sorry to see you're so sick though.

It must be hard to stick a video camera in your bed and talk to the world, but it's good that you've got the presence of mind to do this and show people the reality of your life.

All the best.

[TheDarksEmpyrean]

Margaret, I truely hope your suffering disolves as time goes by. Al

[DysautonomiaMD]

Thanks so much for the comments; I just 'wing it' with no script or anything. Just an idea. Guess I'm used to giving lectures and I sense the importance of my assessments for Time's sake, and hopefully help save a life or two. Thank you for who you are, an awesome man despite all. Survivor. You are a pioneer in history that will always be remembered. Highest Personal Regards, Dr M

[DysautonomiaMD]

I'm sorry that our society seems to place a stigma on wheelchairs. I believe our attitude should be: I only care about what God thinks of me; Enjoy a wheelchair, if OK with your doctor*****get out of bed and just sit in a chair.***** Doctor's orders = OOB 2X/d = get Out Of Bed twice a day. Always ask your doctor. Highest Personal Regards, Dr. M

****** I misinterpreted my cardiologist. ******He said it was OK to use the wheelchair where I use my own arms. Talk to your own doctor, remember.

[DysautonomiaMD]

Being able to do things myself didn't matter to me whatsoever when I was desperately ill. Funny. Now that I am beginning to get better, I really do want to do as much as I can for myself. Independence. Go here. Turn on TV. Sleep. Call someone on the phone.. Sleep. Our house, unfortunately, has a step-down living room (4 levels total), so for me, at home,...I think I'd go over the edge of one of the stairs. Thanks again for your sharing your experiences with me. Highest Personal Regards, Dr M