Bridging The Gap!

Recently our under van lift made by the Braun Corporation hasn't been working so well. Thanks to God's leading, by putting the idea into our head, we were able to call on a good helpful friend Maurice, to make what we needed to make our unusable lift, usable. We are waiting for the part to get the lift totally fixed, but frankly, I feel safer with our new aluminum bridge. Not sure what I am talking about? That is why I am posting the "Thank You" video about this very subject.

Under Van Lift vs Inside Van Lift.
Our lift is called an "under Van Lift" which means it stores or stows away under our van. The one I grew up with that my folks had was the more typical inside van lift. It takes up interior space and would hinder me being able to sit beside my husband while I drive. See a previous video all about our wonderful van below. (or click here)

We'd love to hear from you. If you have a van lift or any questions, feel free to email us at walkingwayoverrated@gmil.com or comment below~

Yay, Craig Gets Relief - His First Quickie Xtender Power Assist Wheels!

Watch Craig's First Day With His New Quickie Xtender Wheels (click here to see the video)

Free Wheelin'
Here are a few photos of Craig taken day he finally received his new Power Assist Wheels made by Quickie Xtender. He has had them now for a month or so and he is loving them. May 20, 2016, was the first day he got them (the day these photos were taken) We live in Ontario, so we haven't seen how well they will do in our lovely winters or if he encounters serious rain. In fact he was warned that they are not waterproof per-say, but obviously he would be able to flee if rain came down.  Not going to worry about that, just enjoying them for now. He actually first learned about them when he saw a friend cruising uphill in the middle of winter, so that should prove he will be okay in our unending winters.
Power in the Hub
Craig has hurt his shoulders on more than one occasion due to the fact that wheels aren't meant to be his arms. A common issue for persons who have pushed their own wheels for decades. His injuries to his rotator cuffs (one on each shoulder) occurred while he was transferring from his bed to his wheelchair. Meaning, when you use your arms for legs and you injure those "legs," you still need to use them to get around, kind of difficult to rest the injury. It is why these wheels came highly recommended by his physio therapist. He still has to push and use his shoulders and arms, but these amazing wheels are created with sensors in the rims, that are connected to the reliable Yamaha made motors, in the hub of the wheel and then connected to the small battery pack that you can see on the back of his chair below. The harder or faster he pushes, the chair will pace itself accordingly. It is super cool.

Freedom! Craig's first day using his new power assist wheels.

He has felt the greatest relief when he does our grocery shopping. Trying to push a cart with one hand and his chair with another, especially with those stubborn  shopping cart wheels. Not too mention the weight increase as you add more and more goodies.
Phew!
And the added bonus? His sheer enjoyment just being able to go up the many hills in our neighbourhood! I am so happy for him.
Power Means Freedom!
I remember when my muscles were weakening to the point that pushing my manual wheelchair down the long halls of my high school in the eighties, was daunting. When I was about seventeen, I was blessed with my first power wheelchair! The sense of freedom was incredible. No more having to depend on others and no more slowly creeping down the halls, bit by bit...struggling to move my wheelchair and myself, to my classes. The difference between my wheels and Craig's? A power chair is driven fully by motors and two large batteries, about the size of car batteries (making my present power tilt chair weigh at least 250 pounds - without me in it!). The chair pictured below, was driven with rubber drive belts that powered the large rear wheels. My modern chair (picture below the ancient 80s one) has much smaller rear wheels and no drive belts. I believe they are called direct drive wheels, the front ones are regular wheels with no motors). And as you can see, my newer chair has tilting capability. It makes dental appointments and movie watching a dream. Literally, a dream, I fall asleep really easy when laying back like that!

Craig doing it the old fashioned way - 100% ARM POWER!

Highly Recommended
So if you are blessed like we are, in a country where mobility devices can be partially paid for with government programs, insurance settlements, Workers Compensation, or if you want to invest without any financial assistance- we can both attest to the fact that electronic mobility devices make life quality increase a hundred fold. Far worth it, if you can manage it.

My dear Grandpa and me in my first power chair. (1980s)

If You Don't Use It...
If you do get a power mobility device and are physically able...make sure, if you can use your arm muscles, to exercise as much as you can. You see that old saying, if you don't use it, you will lose it, still applies. Craig has relief using the wheels, but because he has "regular" muscles, he still has to make sure he doesn't become totally dependant on the power assist wheels, so he won't atrophy his muscles. Healthy muscles have a memory and the longer you do not use muscles, the more they weaken.
In my case, since I have spinal muscular atrophy, my muscles unavoidably weaken, so help like this, makes movement on my own possible. Moving what you can, in any case, definitely has benefits.

My most recent power tilt wheelchair - year 2006 or so.

We'd love to Hear from You.
If you are wondering about mobility devices, use them, or are thinking about getting one, we would love to hear from you! Please comment below.


Pushing Ahead: An Easier Way
Guide To Wheelchair Selection

Praise God, We Made It Through….

This time last week, I was sharing about how I was about to try spending the night sleeping in my power tilt wheelchair. Did I make it? Well, here I am. I meant to write about it the next day, but...needless to say, my brain cells were lacking all last week. After some much needed R.E.M. sleep, I can now put words together, to share the following.
I Must Be Dying…

First of all I want to thank God for giving Craig and I the strength to make it through last week. A quick recap (read about it here), my main Personal Care Attendant had to suddenly be off for a week or so, to recover from a back strain injury, acquired at home. Which meant,  I had an, "Uh Oh, what am I going to do" moment. When you depend on the arms and legs of others to get in and out of bed, among a myriad of other tasks, the temptation to panic arises during those moments. And anyone who knows me, knows that even though 99 percent of my life span, has been spent relying on the assistance of others, I am the opposite to a laid back person. When the girl I count on suddenly is unable to give me a hand and I don't have back up assistance for those "just in case moments," my initial reaction isn't as I know it should be… relax, pray to God for help, sip a cup of coffee and

Me in 1966. The best way to sleep in a bed or crib :o)

reflect on how it will all work out….Nope, that's not me, just ask my dear husband…"Craig! What are we going to do? I am going have to live at the hospital or, I must be going to die, so God knows I don't need anyone to help me. Oh and all of this is said loudly,  repeatedly, under great duress, with poor Craig reassuring me that all will work out fine. Do I accept his assessment of the situation? Nope, of course not! Again, the freak out, over reaction, panic and anticipation of a fatal coronary event ensues. And this is just when I have only one employee and am trying to hire a second person.
God's Grace, Really Is Amazing!
Well, thanks to I am sure, God's intervention, a week ago this morning,  as my injured attendant was clearly not doing well physically, an unusual peace flooded my heart and mind.  The temptation to freak out with worry, after she left, did knock at the door, but it didn't happen. Knowing that I had no one to fill in for her, an amazing calmness came over me. I even had a bigger reason to panic, I had been in process trying to hire another morning person, but hadn't yet. And yet still, I sensed that worrying and freaking wouldn't help anything, that God, as He always does, would provide what I needed.  And guess what, He did! Thank You God for Your amazing Grace, for providing me with the best of care and the hearts of three caring, committed, willing and reliable ladies. Did I worry even a little? Of course I tried it, but recanted as God took care of all the details.
The Camp Out
Okay, so yes, God provided for my needs all last week. Thank you Lord for that, thank You for everything actually. I was never stuck in or out of bed and thanks to my dear husband, he helps me out as he always does. But, like I mentioned, I wanted to try to see if I could sleep in my tilting wheelchair, just for the first night. Here's the thing, I didn't have to, I had planned for the worst, hence the plan to not go to bed, but both of my casual gals were able to give me a hand that night and morning. However, I insisted on trying out the camp out idea and decline their offers.
Energize?!
Well, Craig got comfy on the futon in the living room, I got him to wrap me as snug as a bug in a rug with my favourite "Minky" blanket, Star Trek's Deep Space Nine was set to play, while I tried to sleep….and then I tried the video of the book of John….then I tried to shut it all off….and keeping my eyes closed through it all, while Craig was sawing logs, the hours ticked by, 2….3….5…and then by six am - ish,  Craig got up and we made a great scrambled egg breakfast. It all had to be God's grace because there were times that day, where my heart felt like it was going to just stop beating. My disability involves progressive muscle weakness, so I am use to that floppy, limp feeling.  It felt like five pound weights had been strapped to my limbs. Actually that is the best way to help someone understand what progressive muscle wasting feels like. Clamp on some weight to your limbs and carry out your day. Can't be one or two pounders,  try at least five to ten pounds. Pretty much, gravity is my enemy.
Anyhoo, that following night, in our real bed,  as I laid there anticipating a restful sleep, in spite of the second, third and fourth winds,  the physical fatigue intensified and the weakness actually made me nervous. I told Craig I thought I might not make it through the night. Well, I did.  (you have no idea, how many times he hears me say those words)
Lessons
Number one, no, sleeping in my wheelchair is not a good idea. However, if I had no choice, I could survive it, Lord willing.
Lesson two, if someone offers you help, take it. After all, when you ask God for help and He throws you a life line, it is really silly to push it aside. I admit that even though I knew in my heart God would care for my needs, I took control and planned for the worst scenario and as a result spent a night of sleeplessness when I didn't have to. May He remind me of this event, should a similar scenario occur ever again.
A third lesson I want to share with anyone who doesn't know that God loves us and wants us to depend on Him. I have been hiring my own PCAs for about twenty years now, and must testify that without God being life, I wouldn't have been blessed with so many dedicated employees. He loves us and wants us to depend on His care.  I have lived without Him in my life and I could never go back to that life. If it wasn't for the love and care of Jesus Christ, this time a week ago…well, let's just say, I believe I never even would have lived to get to this point in my life.

And thank you so much to my great PCAs. You have no idea how much your willingness, blessed me with reassurance not having to "worry" about how I was going to get to or out of bed. We all made it through and are on the other side.  And thank You God for bringing our main PCA back to us, healed and raring to go. 

One Way I Spend My Time...Handmade Jewelry at A Bergie Creation

Get a Kleenex...

http://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/5-minute/paige-and-tyson-snedeker/

Tempted to stop watching the news lately? I've met those who say they never know what's going on because they can't take it, too depressing for them. As for Craig and I, we may enjoy diversions but, we also believe it is our responsibility to know what's going on with the human race. Craig feels that even though it is often tragic and heartbreaking, knowing what's going on beyond our four walls - helps him know what to pray about or who to pray for. We are warned in the Bible about such days. Thankfully God provides rays of sunshine to encourage and strengthen us, be it through His Word, through friends and family or even through the lives of perfect strangers. Well, people we have never met, who are technically strangers but thanks to modern technology, we get to "meet" these people through media such as television and the internet.

Meet the Snedeker family, particularly Paige and Tyson. Here are rays of light to cut through some of the dark stories of late. "Meeting" this family left me with a kleenex in hand… speechless and in awe of how lives like these can actually be real, but they are. (Click the title to watch the video)

http://www.paigesforgodsglory.org/about/

"The Snedeker Family - No Unhappy Endings"

So, if you find yourself grumbling and complaining about the upcoming big "holiday" event, first of all you may want to rethink the whole thing, it causes that much stress…if not, take a break and watch one of the most incredible stories I have ever seen. Two parents have three young children who all have what appears to be a genetic,  mysterious, life threatening, neuromuscular disorder that has no name. Imagine that? Your children, short of a miracle, will not life a full life span due to a disease that can't be diagnosed. Leaving them, legally blind, hearing impaired, connected to respirators, using  power wheelchairs and completely dependent on the arms and legs of others, Paige and Tyson are two incredibly inspiring individuals. They lost their brother to the same disorder at a much younger age than they are now and they both give God all the glory. Only God can put hope and joy in lives that most would consider not joyful or hopeful.

Below is the Link to the Video that left me speechless and tearful (inspirational tears)

  The Snedeker Family - No Unhappy Endings

Below is the website that Paige has featuring her beautiful children's book (click the title to link up)

Paige and Tyson Snedeker - Article from Joni and Friends website

http://www.biblicaltraining.org/testimonials/tysonsnedeker

Below, Tyson Snedeker mentioned in the video about wanting to have a ministry devoted to learning about the Bible. I found this website that he and a friend, Judy Rooks  have called Biblical Training.

Tyson Snedeker -Biblical Training

Meet Mike King - Running the Race | Joni and Friends

Click link to Watch the Video Below

Mike King - Running the Race | Joni and Friends

Yay, Joni and Friends have produced some more inspirational videos. There are other videos they have produced that are on this blog,  but since Joni went through her bought with cancer, there hadn't been any new ones (Understandably so).  That reminds me... more about that in another post.

Meet Mike King!

"Mike King became paraplegic from a motorcycling accident, as an athletic young man. He overcame his depression with a goal to cross America on his wheelchair. After training, he accomplished his goal by wheeling from Fairbanks Alaska, down the Alaska Highway and across the Continental U.S. to Washington D.C. He then found purpose through becoming a paralympian and champion in wheelchair athletics, coaching and becoming a disability ministry leader." taken from Joni And Friends Website

Pasta Making My Way Part 2 - "Pastification Time"

Finally, here is part two of "Making Pasta, My Way." Just my experience learning to make home made pasta for the first time, when I thought I wasn't physically able to do it. In the first part we measured, we mixed, we kneaded, we wrapped  and we rested. And now in part two we roll, we cut, we cook and we eat!

You don't need to be differently abled like me to watch this video, all you need is an interest in making pasta for the first time. Or if you need a diversion from all this Christmas craziness. (Would someone explain to me why this time of year seems to stress people out as they rush madly about buying presents and doing all that stuff we know as cultural Christmas - it's not like they just found out about it, we all had a whole year's notice)
If you have tried to make your own pasta or have questions or even comments, we would love to hear from you!

Pasta Making, My Way...

Pasta Dreams
As far back as I can remember, I have been a lover of pasta. No Italian heritage required to be love pasta. My main source, the packaged kind. Even when my arms were stronger I never thought I could make fresh home made pasta. Thanks to the internet and the countless number of tutorials on ever subject under the sun, the inspiration to try making it hit me hard. At first I tried making gnocchi, something else I never thought possible. Gnocchi may be Italian, but it isn't exactly pasta. I believe it is referred to as a dumpling. Usually made with potatoes, flour and egg, it requires something I am not able to do, knead. Turns out it doesn't require as much kneading as I thought. Since I can't knead the traditional way, it was really exciting for me to figure out how to cause the gnocchi dough to be useable, even eatable. It took a couple of tries to master the texture and method, but it happened. Gnocchi is no longer something I can only buy in the grocery store or at Italfest!

As I continued watching pasta tutorials, it was time to go all out and make pasta. With my semolina in hand, I settles on one of a bazillion recipes for pasta. There are recipes with a heap of eggs, some with a couple, some with just water and/or oil…some with one hundred percent semolina, some fifty fifty, mixed with all purpose flour, some with just all purpose flour…some have oil, some do not. Needless to say, finding one recipe wasn't easy. Remember pin the tail on the donkey? Well, spin yourself around with a blind fold and point, where ever your finger points, follow that recipe. Okay, didn't quite do it that way, but I chose one recipe and started my pasta making adventure. It took a total of about five hours to make enough for one meal for Craig and I, but it worked! Since my hands and arms don't have much strength, as you will see in the video below, my first attempt was making the hand formed pasta called "Little Ears" in English. Was it perfect? No, it was edible. It was dense and chewy, but it was something. Just knowing that it was possible to make pasta by modifying the process so I could manage it, was incredibly satisfying. Then my next attempts involved a rolling pin and my husbands arms. That worked too. Better still, I was able to use the rolling pin, bit by bit, all by myself! Thank You God. How rewarding. 
Let's Make Pasta - Watch The Video Above

Original Illustration by Anita Berglund - Copyright 2014 - Not to be reproduced without permission

Bedpans, And Toilets, And Catheters Oh My!

We All Gotta Do It!
From the moment we are born, it isn't a secret that we are always in need of waste elimination. From poopy diapers, to potty training trials, training pants, bed wetting, and graduation day, being able to control it all as needed.

The Bottom Of the Matter!
Until recently, I never considered talking about the physical challenges bowel/bladder issues that can arise when you have a physical disability. After all,  poop talk isn't exactly a socially acceptable topic for casual discussion. But you know what?  It is a hard core reality. And it makes life a heck of a lot easier, when you can ask questions and seek advice on any topic that is crucial to life. After all, if we don't eliminate waste products, we can get pretty ill and even die. So it is serious enough to not be be embarrassed by. Jonathan Merchant isn't embarrassed about it all. In fact, it is why I am writing this post, to share his very personal and "family friendly" video, dealing with his particular disability (spinal cord injury), and his bowel care routine. Craig and I, stumbled upon his video a while ago, and thought how brave he was to share such a personal aspect of life. After watching him, it was impossible to feel embarrassed about bathroom "stuff," ever again. As you will see in Jonathan's video, he is discussing how you can be independent regarding bowel care. We don't all have the same physical abilities, so his method is appropriate for others with the same type of mobility and strength. Look how amazingly flexible he is!
You will notice that he has something attached to his right leg. He doesn't talk about it, but it is called a "leg bag." That is a bag that collects urine which runs through tubing. For males, the tubing is attached to a condom catheter. Females who use this method, use indwelling catheters. I can go into more detail on all that another time.
Watch Jonathan's video if you want and then we will talk some more.

We always learned to call suppositories, the "bullet" method! Depending on muscle tone, strength, whether we have spinal cord damage, or can not feel anything, or lack muscle control, or whatever the case may be, our bowel eliminating methods can vary.  Jonathan's routine is one method that is used routinely, when persons are not able to push out waste material or for those of us who just use suppositories as needed.  Such as, when having very hard stool issues or constipation. Don't' get me started on how much that can hurt! Some need to use suppositories regularly and some require then as needed.

If you have had your own experiences that may help someone in your position. Please leave questions and comments below. I hope to delve into more detail on this very personal issue soon. 

Doing Laundry Sitting Down!

When you sit down, doing laundry can be difficult using a top loading washer. Here is how we do it using the perfect adaptive aid, a front loading washing machine.

Original  Illustration by Anita Berglund - Copyright November 2014 Can not be copied without permission.

I Just finished a new "cartoon" illustration of Craig doing laundry. Was so happy with how it turned out, I am reposting our older "Craig does laundry video." Hope it is informative and fun in one!
Watch the "Craig Does Laundry" video below!

Meet Brett and Paige

Meet this inspiring brother and sister duo. Brett has spinal muscular atrophy type 1 or 2. He is on a ventilator and has a great sense of humour along with a caring, loving sister. Meet these sweet children below on YouTube:

Meet Brett and Paige

Dancing In A Wheelchair, No Biggie, But Underwater...

photos by: Freewheeling Norman Lomax/ Rex Features
http://www.digitalspy.com/fun/news/a403294/underwater-wheelchair-dancing-a-hit-at-cultural-olympiad-watch/

We like to not just talk about relevant topics pertaining to mobility issues and experiences, but pass on those extra unique individuals we learn about who are exceptional at proving why our blog has the title it does. Sue Austin, is one of those individuals. Watch and enjoy, as we are encouraged and reminded once again that walking really is, way overrated. Take a look at dome of her artistry.

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

Promo Video For Our You Tube Channel!