NEWS FLASH! My Man In Motion...Craig's Wheels, Old...Now New!!

Finally, after adjusting from a desktop computer, testing an IPad, and compromising with my first ever lap top... I have completed the long awaited, much anticipated "Craig Gets His New Wheelchair!" expose :o)
Because he has had it for a couple of months, it isn't new anymore, but hey, better late than never. It made me happy to know that my dear husband has gone from a very old (in chair years), literally falling apart wheelchair to a brand new, safe set of wheels! Never before have I seen, nor have any of my old manual chairs been used to the point that pieces can be pulled off! Take a look in the video below to see what I am talking about.
Are You Looking for a new Wheelchair? 
When it comes to Craig and I, we both  recommend the QUICKIE brand. So we are biased. We do recommend researching brands. These days online, it is easy to check out actual chairs and the companies and all the models available as well as, having access to the feelings, thoughts and reviews of actual wheelchair users. Who better to ask than actual users! As a wheelchair user most of my fifty years of life, it always bothered me when mobility equipment and such is designed by non-users.
Watch Craig's First Day With His New Chair And Two Months Later!
Click here or the YouTube video  image below!)

Why Walking Way Overrated?
It is one reason why we are here at Walking Way Overrated, sharing our thoughts on many related topics. It is our hope to offer useful information to assist any fellow wheelchair users or interested persons. After all, I know how often I research daily, topics of all kinds. I love it when I can find real people, withe real experiences and advice about whatever subject I maybe trying learn about. It helps me a lot to know I am not alone.

So we hope if you like this article please share it, like it and subscribe to keep posted! We really appreciate all the support we can get.

Yay! Craig's New Manual Wheelchair Is In Motion!

Yay, it has been a while, but I have been planning on sharing more...until I get the time to....Good News! Craig got his new Quickie 2 Manual Wheel Chair. He has his Xtender wheels mounted on so that is why the wheels look the same. But hey, look at the new colour, CANDY RED!" He is enjoying having a chair that is actually connected in all the right places. Stay tuned and I will be sharing more soon! (Still getting used to our new lap top).
See ya soon!

CRAIG'S NEW WHEELCHAIR IS IN!....Well Sort Of

A while ago I said we would post the steps that Craig was going through to replace his dilapidated eight year old manual wheelchair. I apologize,  I haven't written since that day. What I can say is, the

That meant, the vendor representative had to come and finalize all the details and specifications of the chair. If you are in need or will be in need of a wheelchair for the first time, you will learn that just getting any old wheelchair isn't what is best. Yes, in countries where mobility devices are hard to come by, many will use whatever means they have to get around. In our country and I assume the US of A, a physic therapist or occupational therapist assesses your needs. In Craig's case, they made sure the seat dimensions were correct, as well as the height from the seat to the floor and the height of the back of his wheelchair. If there are weight issues, then they also need to make sure the client weighs under 250 pounds or maybe with the brand/model he is getting it is 260 pounds. He found out after purchasing the Quickie Xtender power assist wheels that there is a 250 pound weight restriction. Not something  you want to find out after you purchase a device like that. We discovered the warranty would be void if he exceeded that limit. Thankfully, he was under, but it sure opened our eyes to not assuming, the vendor will let you know all those kinds of details. I know weight can be a sensitive issue for some, but it is better than finding out after the purchase, that your chair can't can't handle your weight and can't be fixed under warranty. Be sure to do your research on the product as well as the specifications and restrictions.

Aside from those details, they also needed to make sure that he gets the special supports under his arm rests. Some people use their arm rests to lean on for transferring. Like Craig has done. It means standard chair arm rests can not handle the force nd pressure and require metal bracing underneath the arm part. Often when a new chair is ordered, a new medical cushion is required as well. Google wheelchair cushions and you will find many exist. However, we only recommend ROHO cushions. They are rubber, with air modules or cells. They come in different thicknesses and the air can be distributed evenly in one big compartment or as in my case, I have the Quatro version, divided into, you guessed it, quarters. Because I have severe scoliosis, the valve can be released, so I can learn one way or the other, let the air fill up more in one of the quarters, then lock that air in place. You never want to just use a cheap foam cushion if you are a regular, full time wheelchair user. You can end up with serious conditions that are avoidable like, pressure ulcers or osteomyelitis bone infections. And just plain, pain!
Supports Needed
Some folks like myself, require physical supports that can be inserted once in your chair. Or some have a specialized wheelchair back that can have lumbar supports that are permanent or removable, and/or swing away lateral supports and such - all to help keep your spine straight. Many, including myself, can end up with scoliosis as a secondary issue, due to poor seating or lack of seating supports. Sitting in a wheelchair that doesn't have proper positioning for your body, can lead to physical deformities that could be avoided if everything was well supported.
Patience Required
As for Craig's Chair, it was officially ordered over one month ago so today he phoned the vendor to find out if it is in yet. And yay, it is in their building! He is in desperate need of it because his old one is literally falling apart.  They told him that it isn't assembled yet. So he has to be patient along with however many other customers. An understandable thing, but hopefully it happens soon because the back canes that broke a while ago, are twisting and messing with the chair.
Since he has to wait, he just left to get the hand brake fixed because it is letting loose, not a good thing when you are transferring from point A to B. At least it is in the city. As well, the vendor has to set up the chair according to the specifications decided upon in the seating clinic with the physical therapist and vendor.
So that is where Craig's new chair is at as of this moment. As soon as there is more movement, I shall post some more!
Have a great day!
Any questions, comments or suggestions about topics, please comment down below!

Okay, that's not Craig or his new wheelchair! This is the olympic athlete Jean Driscoll! Cool wheelchair meant for racing!

CRAIG NEEDS NEW LEGS! Thus Begins Part One of The Quickie 2 Adventure!

Watch The Video Above...
If you have read/watched any of our articles and videos on Walking, Way Overrated,  you know that my husband Craig has used a manual wheelchair for almost 30 years and I have used a power chair since I was about seventeen, my first manual chair, an old Everest and Jennings, Lilac colour upholstery one, when I was about eight or so. I am fifty now, you do the math :o)
Needless to say, we have a pretty good grasp on wheelchairs, what's available, what works for folks with needs similar to ours and such.
 Of course, we can only speak from our experiences and what we have witnessed over these many years, with our fellow users, of wheelchairs.

In Need Of New "Legs"

In our province, we are blessed with a program funded by the Ministry of Health, called the Assistive Devices Program. As mentioned in a previous article, they help fund 75% of wheelchairs, manual and power, every five years. As well, one of the other most important pieces of equipment that has to go with every wheelchair...the seat cushion. It can not be just any cushion. The proper seat cushion is meant to support the areas of our fanny that has the most pressure points. The purpose is not just comfort, but, to avoid horrible health events, like pressure sores. Look up pressure sores or pressure ulcers and you will take your cushion type VERY seriously.
Thank You Lord, that because Craig and I have feeling, we are able to make sure our backsides are well supported. We will talk more about cushion types, uses, prices and all that along this Quickie 2 Adventure, in the future. Just do not ever rely on the cheap "come with" piece of foam, that is sent along with some wheelchair purchases. Yes, they are fine if you are say my mom, who had brittle bones from osteoporosis and the chemo, who then fell,  and shattered her ankle and needed surgery and a cast and a wheelchair, for short sitting stints. She seemed fine, but if she had to permanently use a wheelchair, she definitely would have required a medical quality wheelchair cushion.
Back to Craig's New Legs...
Step #1: Seating Assessment: 
As I just mentioned, we are blessed with being eligible to get new wheelchairs every five years. In Craig's case, he has actually been using his for seven years. Mine, is about nine to ten years old. My  new "legs" adventure, may begin next year. For now, it's Craig's turn...
As we have been covering for almost a year, because of Craig's long term using of his wheelchair, he has rotator/shoulder problems. It happens when your arms are your "legs" for long periods of time. So, he was blessed with being able to purchase the Quickie Xtender Power Assist Wheels. Want to learn more about that adventure, click here and for updates through the year, click here.)

If you are interested in hearing more about the beginning steps to getting a new wheelchair in our province, watch the video we made above. Starring the man of the hour, my husband Craig :o)

We'd love to hear if you have any questions or comments, ideas and tips. Write them down below! Subscribe if you don't want to miss the next article/blog/vlog!!

Just wanted to share the wonderful experience Craig had on his first day when he got his new Xtender Wheels, powered by Yamaha. Next week I will have more information to share updates on all that has been happening. 

Consider Some Assistance

As the years pass by, decade after decade, all of us will face health concerns just simply due to aging.

Add to the aging process...using your arms every single day to get around as one would use their legs and you have a recipe for pain!  Who knew? Perhaps if we did, then just maybe we would have made some different choices, to avoid possibly, some of what we are experiencing now. Oh, who am I kidding, with my impulsive personality, thinking beyond the now, isn't "natural,"  so most likely, I wouldn't have done anything different. But hey, that's just me.
Hopefully, that someone "out there," may glean something useful to apply to their lives. After all, who wouldn't want to avoid causing themselves future pain and discomfort, if they could prevent it? Or if you have a loved one living with a disability and may benefit from knowing what we have learned (and are still learning), keep reading.
For individuals like my husband Craig, who have been using their arms as their number one method for mobility,  pushing their wheelchair every day...year after year...Craig has developed severe shoulder pain. Turns out, the wear and tear of daily wheelchair use, is the cause of pain for many of our peers who also use manual wheelchairs. As logical as it seems, it is not something either of us ever anticipated.

In Craig's case, the pain was exacerbated when he accidentally tore his rotator cuff. For anyone who isn't sure what the rotator cuff is, here is a diagram I found on Wikipedia, click here for more. 

Which reminds me, make sure your wheelchair brakes are always nice and tight. Craig wouldn't have damaged his shoulder if he had maintained his brakes, a lesson learned the hard way!  At almost sixty-two years old, Craig has been assigned daily shoulder stretches to assist in healing the damaged rotator cuff. Through all of this he learned that even without the sudden injury, he still would have had to face shoulder pain.
As the months go by, the pain is slowly lessening but because he still needs to use his shoulders daily  - he can never truly rest. This is why he is now considering something called "power assist wheels." Being a power chair user myself (different than power assist wheels), I originally was concerned he could lose valuable muscles. However, knowing what we do now and witnessing his troubles, it seems a very viable alternative to increasing wear and tear. So we have begun researching just what type of assist he should consider and that is what we want to share here.  We have posted below, some videos of three types of devices that we have seen so far. It is something you may want to consider if you too, use your arms for legs. If you can avoid the long term damage, what a bonus that would be.

E-Motion From Alber 
This is a power assisting add on drive. The device is added to your manual wheel hub area and permits you to push your own chair, and yet assists you up and down hills safely. This means you can still exercise your muscles but you can select the degree of assist you want via a remote control. This device seems preferable to some other devices that are available. Check it out here.

Smart Drive Video Demonstration
This is a unit that can be attached

Spinergy ZX-1 Power Add-On For Manual Wheelchairs