[Blind-rollers] weird about feet

Fri May 10 23:31:58 UTC 2019

Hi Lauren and All 
I got my own powerchair a couple of months ago and I love it. I do hit things sometimes but that's life. Give those sodding PT's all the details of how hard the manual chair is on you. Lay it on thick.  I am totally with you about keeping feet on the floor. IN my manual chair I pull myself along via my feet, steer with the right hand and cane sweep with my beft. This works well but is tiring.
The second I get into my house the footrests come straight off and go in a box near our front door. Same with the powerchair. footrests are the bain of my existance. 
I went away recently and only took the powerchair with me. It has controls on the back as well as in the usual place. I did most of the joystick work inside the centre I stayed at but others took the controls in busy areas such as the dining room, or when we were out on trips. 
Somehow I rarely have elevator problems and people have been in with me without a problem. I wish I had more helpful ideas than that about how to improve things for you. Just keep at it. 
If you haven't already, get yourself a different cane that's longer than what you'd usually use.  Up to your nose or even near the top of your head is good because you can feel things far out in front of you so you have more advance warning of obstacles or people.
I hope some of this is helpful! And hello to other footrest hating rollers. 

Sorry if this seems long winded or their are typos, this was typed at 12:29 AM from Braille Screen input on my iphone soon after waking up. 
Take care
Erica in the  UK. 

----
Erica Cole 
Follow me on Twitter: @ladymunch

Sent from my iPhone 

> On 10 May 2019, at 08:05, Lauren Merryfield via Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I don't want to tell them how hard it is to use the power chair or they will
> recommend that I not get one from my insurance. I want them to realize that
> I can use it okay, just need practice.
> Thanks,
> Lauren
> 
> "Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the
> trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be
> a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of
> the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy
> judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all
> meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to
> the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an
> upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and
> uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm
> to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the
> blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to
> the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the
> temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign
> of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to
> the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the
> heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the
> firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We pray God
> to protect thee from the heat of jealousy and the cold of hatred."
> --Baha'u'llah
> May God bless you and, as my cats would say:"Meow when you feel like it!"
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Susan
> Tabor via Blind-Rollers
> Sent: Thursday, May 9, 2019 5:51 AM
> To: 'Blind wheelchair users list' <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Susan Tabor <souljourner at sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] weird about feet
> 
> Hi, Lauren:
> 
> If you feel your physical therapists do not understand how hard it is for
> you to use a manual chair, give them all the details; spare nothing! Tell
> them and tell them and keep telling them till they get it!
> 
> Meow!!!
> 
> Blessings,
> Susan
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Lauren
> Merryfield via Blind-Rollers
> Sent: Thursday, May 9, 2019 4:44 AM
> To: 'Blind wheelchair users list' <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Lauren Merryfield <lauren at catlines.com>
> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] weird about feet
> 
> Hi,
> I have decided that I can have my feet on the floor when I'm using the chair
> by myself and feet on footrest when someone is helping me, just as I do with
> the manual chair. The physical therapist is saying that I should always put
> my feet on the footrest but she does not understand the better info we get
> with feet on ground.  
> 
> Same for being at home. I go barefoot most of the time at home because that
> gives me more info.  Especially with cats.  
> 
> One of the pt-s came and was so negative it put me in a funk Tuesday
> evening.  She gave this long list of terrible, drastic, dangerous, unsafe,
> things that could happen to someone using a motorized chair without sight. I
> finally asked her if any of those things had happened to me and she backed
> off a litt.e 
> 
> She said I was "borderline" and she recommended my going back to the manual
> chair. They don't understand how exhausting using that chair is.  
> 
> Right now I am doing a little better in the hallways but I'm still getting
> lost downstairs which I didn't do as much with the manual chair.  
> 
> My most difficult thing right now is the elevator. Any tips on motorized
> chairs and elevators would be helpful. I've decided not to travel with
> others in the elevator until I get it better. But sometimes I end up taking
> the scenic route up to the next floor when I mean to be down on main. Then
> people come in so I can't turn around to get out very well. So I still have
> to work on that one.
> Thanks,
> Lauren
> 
> "Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the
> trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be
> a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of
> the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy
> judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all
> meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to
> the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an
> upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and
> uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm
> to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the
> blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to
> the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the
> temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign
> of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to
> the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the
> heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the
> firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We pray God
> to protect thee from the heat of jealousy and the cold of hatred."
> --Baha'u'llah
> May God bless you and, as my cats would say:"Meow when you feel like it!"
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Becky
> Frankeberger via Blind-Rollers
> Sent: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 2:54 PM
> To: 'Blind wheelchair users list' <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Becky Frankeberger <b.butterfly at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] weird about feet
> 
> Howdy do I ever agree with you about touching the floor. I thought the foot
> rest fold up to the side, at least the manual chairs do. But thank you
> Lauren about keeping the feet on the ground when I need to understand where
> I am tip, warm smile. Then when I am sitting resting, the foot rest would be
> a blessing.
> Becky  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Blind-Rollers <blind-rollers-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Lauren
> Merryfield via Blind-Rollers
> Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2019 5:24 AM
> To: 'Blind wheelchair users list' <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Lauren Merryfield <lauren at catlines.com>
> Subject: [Blind-rollers] weird about feet
> 
> Hi,
> 
> When I have my feet on the footrest, I can't tell very well where I am. When
> I use my cane, I can't always identify what I am touching.  When I have my
> feet on the floor, I have much more of a sense of where I am and what my
> cane is touching. I didn't know where my feet were would make such a
> difference. 
> 
> 
> 
> Another physical therapist came out yesterday and she said I was
> "borderline" and wasn't sure I could use the power chair safely. She listed
> all kinds of things that could happen. I told her they hadn't happened yet
> so why have that list as a
> 
> Means of glass half empty in my case? 
> 
> 
> 
> I certainly need practice and I do run into things sometimes but I haven't
> broken anything yet or killed anyone yet.  I do not want to go back to the
> manual chair as she suggested. 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Lauren
> 
> "Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the
> trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be
> a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of
> the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy
> judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all
> meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to
> the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an
> upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and
> uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm
> to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the
> blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to
> the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the
> temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign
> of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to
> the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the
> heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the
> firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility. We pray God
> to protect thee from the heat of jealousy and the cold of hatred."
> 
> --Baha'u'llah
> 
> May God bless you and, as my cats would say:"Meow when you feel like it!"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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