The other day I used a wheelchair on my own for the first time. I have used them before when I’ve gotten injured, but other people always pushed me and the ones at the grocery store are motorized.
I had already walked enough that I needed to rest or I would hurt myself. So I decided to use the wheelchair available at the next shop. It took me a bit to get situated. I am used to things being in states of disrepair so at first I thought one of the wheels was broken or needed grease, but it really just had the break on.
Once I got that figured out I had to go look for my friend. I quickly realized there wasn’t an easy way to hold my cane and move the chair. I called out to my friend when I spotted them and at first they thought that I was just letting them know I was there. They told that they were going to this side of the isle or something I don’t remember. I called out again. “I need you to take the cane.” That is when they looked at me and realized that it was falling out of my lap onto the floor and into my path.
Once they took the cane it didn’t take me much time at all to figure out how to maneuver the chair. Like the motorized ones at grocery stores it moved a lot like a rowboat. Only with finer control than the grocery store ones and even more like a rowboat. Which I have a lot of experience in. It took a lot of arm strength, but a bonus is that it didn’t take the same wrist movement that caused me to have to quit row boating so I didn’t have a problem once I figured it out. It may have gotten tiring if I had to do it all day, but for the short time I was in it I didn’t have much trouble.
Now I know I either need a collapsing cane or I need someone else to take mine when I use a wheelchair in the future. Anyone who uses a wheelchair more regularly have any advice?
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