(Carol Lefelt continues her ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronicle series’ with a look at her love/hate relationship with her wheelchair)
After a month completely homebound, I’ve bit the bullet and ordered my first wheelchair. On the one hand, I’m excited about it because I am sick of being cooped up in my house, and just to be able to “walk” around the neighborhood with my fiance and to actually be a part of the world seems like a marvelous thing.
On the other hand, it’s difficult to think that I might need to incorporate this wheelchair into my identity. I hope it’s a temporary measure. I’m afraid, if we run into people we know, what they may think. Hell, I’m even afraid my doctors will believe in me less if I show up to appointments in a wheelchair. (“She’s bought a wheelchair this time. Munchausen, clearly.”) Eve789
Many cities now have cuts at the ends of each block, so that wheelchairs, baby strollers and skateboards can ease from the sidewalk down into the road without great ado. But these curb cuts have deteriorated; they are sometimes so uneven that my hands tense and automatically clutch the arms of my wheelchair as I prepare for another great wobble as Steve pushes me along – in New York, in New Orleans, in Austin, in port cities on a Carribean cruise, in a picturesque French town.
The sidewalks themselves have also crumbled with age. They are often broken, filled with holes and cracks and uneven sections caused by tree roots or shifting land. Often cobblestones, brick sidewalks or fancy paving stones enhance the quaint and historic atmosphere. All this means that I am severely bounced along, my kishkas (my Jewish intestines) flying up into my throat and my body twitching in an uncoordinated St. Vitus Dance. I hate it.
Steve does his best to avoid the worst hazards, but he can’t see ahead what I can, and so I face this dilemma: do I let him ram the wheelchair into the rut or protruding sidewalk, risking my being dumped out, or do I scream wildly in warning so that I appear an idiot to the world? I have to scream loudly, you see, because otherwise Steve will say, “What? What? I can’t hear you!” My dilemma is complicated because sometimes when I do shriek, he’ll get annoyed and insist, “I can see it. You don’t have to carry on.”
This is not fun.
“Hallelujah! It’s a miracle! “
Stores present another difficult scenario. If there’s a step up and it’s a small place, I’ll get up to walk around and we leave the wheelchair at the door. So far it hasn’t been stolen. But imagine the faces on passers-by as they see me rise; I feel like such a fraud. (Steve always threatens to shout, “Hallelujah! It’s a miracle!”) I want to tie my handicapped placard from my car around my neck to authenticate my wheelchair use.
Tight aisles present obstacles for people in wheelchairs
If there’s easy access to the store, or if it’s too big for me to wander around on my own legs, then we take the wheelchair inside, and that’s a whole other trip. The aisles of most stores are not wide enough for wheelchair travel, and so we often find ourselves stuck, or else my wheel catches or bumps into something, which then goes tumbling to the floor. People all turn to stare, usually with pity. If it’s a shop owner or salesperson, the stare is more a mixture of pity and irritation.
If a food store is small, like our favorite, The Whole Earth Center in Princeton, I can shop on my own feet. But in a regular mega-supermarket, I put a plastic basket on my lap, and Steve pushes me up and down the aisles, dumping items into the basket and squeezing them into the small spaces around me until I’m peering through a large mound of cereals, bottled water, and toilet paper by the time we arrive at check-out.
When all of our eco-friendly shopping bags are filled, the clerk piles them on my lap in a careful balance. I can’t seem to find the equanimity to deal with this undignified helplessness and am grateful when Steve lifts the groceries from my lap into the car and I can slink out of the public eye into the passenger’s seat.
Our journeys also involve ramps and hills on various terrain. I worry when Steve grunts and groans on long climbs, though he insists, “Hey, I’m the guy who climbed Mt. Rainier and Mt. Kilamanjaro. I can do anything. Strong as bull.” Then on the descent, I can feel the wheelchair starting to run out of control, with Steve screaming, “PUT ON THE BRAKE! PUT ON THE BRAKE!”
Consider now the art museum. Most paintings are hung just above my line of vision; consequently, I quickly develop a sharp pain in the back of my neck. Steve has no idea which paintings I’d like to linger by. At first, I’ll give direction. “Wait; I’d like to stay longer,” or “I want to read what it says on that wall,” or “Please move me closer so I can see the name on that one.”
I hate my wheelchair. But I also love my wheelchair.
It’s not long, however, before I understand that his silence and the wheelchair jerks mean he’s starting to feel like my servant, and so I just sit back and let the wheelchair go wherever. Often it moves me away from the explanation I’d only half read or the sculpture I wanted to get a different view of.
Here’s the most awkward moment in a museum. Steve leaves me for a while as I’m staring at a wall in a sort-of crowded room, and someone not paying attention walks right in front of me and blocks my view. “Uh, excuse me,” I might say, and watch the person turn around and experience that moment of embarrassment and pity. “I am so, so sorry.” Or that person’s companion might push her out of the way and point to me.
Everyone, of course, looks down at my legs.
I suppose I could buy a motorized wheelchair. It would certainly free both me and Steve. But I don’t like identifying with those plump, smiling, white-haired dowagers scooting around their kitchens and laundry rooms portrayed in television ads, even though, at 70, I’m a senior citizen.
The biggest drawback is size and weight. Steve can toss my collapsible wheelchair in the trunk of my Toyota Camry or in the back of his Subaru Forester, and it’s no big deal to take it out when we reach a destination. How would he manage a 273 lb. Invacare Pronto M91 Power Chair with a Semi-Recline van seat, Sure Step Suspension, and True Center-Wheel Drive Technology?
I get a tiny taste of what using one of these inventions would be like when I try to navigate a motorized go-cart in a supermarket. The ride is jerky; it takes a while to become accustomed to the speed mechanism. I’m gently gliding up an isle when suddenly I realize I’m heading for a woman ahead and picking up speed! There’s no way to slow down or steer out of the way without smashing into a gigantic display of organic chicken soup. All I can do is let go of the “forward” switch I’ve been pushing, whereupon the cart jerks to a halt and I get whiplash.
“…it sure beats sitting home watching the Law and Order rerun of with Henry Winkler as a wife-killer”
Too often I find myself stuck someplace – the fish counter, say – and the only remedy is to back up. I push the left hand back-up lever, and suddenly an alarm starts beeping, as if I were driving a truck. Again, I can’t control the speed, and so I go careening backward as other shopper shriek and run out of the way.
Yes, I’m complaining. I hate my wheelchair. But I also love my wheelchair. It’s awesome. It’s taken me places I’d never have been able to go, and it sure beats sitting home watching the Law and Order rerun of with Henry Winkler as a wife-killer. But when I’m pushed headfirst into the corner of an elevator, right next to the staring toddler in a stroller, I still shrink inside.
- Find more of ‘A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronicle’ here.
Hi Carol and Cort,
I feel exactly the same about my wheelchair and I have similar experiences when in an airport or store and people watch me stand up after seeing someone pushing me along. Hallelujah, my daughter also says, She is healed. That is so funny we say the same things due to our wheelchairs. They definitely make life more of an adventure than without.
I also use a scooter outside, and in Arizona I can go right in the grocery story, load stuff up in a backpack-type bag on the back, scoot through the aisles to pay, and off I go back home (a short distance). I feel so independent in that moment. However, in Canada it is often not weather friendly and very difficult to get the scooter from A and B, and I rarely have anyone around to push the wheelchair so I am much more homebound.
I totally agree that we should have matching body passes when we get our parking passes. In fact, I told my doctor about that. I was thinking “Why does the car get better treatment than me?” Just because you get prime parking, does not mean you will get prime treatment when you hit the line-up inside. So I think if we wore a small pass like that, then you should go ahead in the line-up or be served first. That way we wouldn’t have to ask and explain our situation and it could be more subtle. That would be great for those of us who are unable to stand long or are too weak to wait.
Somebody out there should create this. I like it.
Carol,
You write so beautifully and I can really relate to all you are saying. I now have two scooters that I cannot live without. I have a small one that can come apart into 5 pieces and total only weighs about 85 pounds. I use it for indoor places. The hard part as you point out about the stores is maneuvering through them and a wheelchair is smaller. I wish I had a camera on my head to film what it is like to maneuver the aisles in a department store. It is very demanding and I have to twist until my body til it hurts and take about 3-4 tries to get around many corners. We recently purchased a larger one for outdoor use. It has been the biggest blessing. We go on so many outdoor adventures through the nature preserves and biking trails that are available to us and provide beautiful scenery. (My husband bikes beside me) If we were decide to take it in the car on a regular basis, we would have to get a ramp. It would most likely be a portable one. Not ready for a permanent ramp yet. I have hope that one day I will not need them. It had been 9 years since I had been able to go through the nature trails and the first time we went, I wept with joy! Being able to be outside in nature is good for the soul!
Hi Cheryl,
Can you give me some information about the scooters? I’ve only seen the very heavy motorized wheelchairs and this sounds like something different I might be able to use.
Thanks,
Carol
It’s hard to surrender to the chair but it sure saves a lot of energy and allows you to get out and about. I much rather the sing, I’m free, by the Rolling Stones than, Stuck Inside These Four Walls.
Last summer, my husband and I went downtown to enjoy the free concert in the park. He pushed me around the streets and we stopped to get ice cream. The store was crowded and too small to maneuver the wheelchair so I stayed parked outside. The store is on one of those triangle corners so there’s a large bricked pathway in front. Plenty of room, right?
A horse and carriage came around the corner and it was up on the sidewalk. I was in its path. The carriage driver wouldn’t move so we sat there and stared at each other until a kind person moved me out of the way. That was one of the worst experiences. Talk about feeling small and helpless.
However, most of the experiences using a wheelchair are very positive because it feels fantastic to get out and do something normal.
It is said, there are correlations with Autism and CFS, with regard to cause, even though unknown.
It is also reported, Digestive Enzyme therapy is eliciting very good results in the Autism spectrum.
Basically, one just takes Digestive Enzymes before each meal and also between meals.
Apparently, digestive enzymes digest more than just food. It seems they also digest (break down) negative microbes in the gut, which in turn, improves the terrain of the Immune System, (which resides in the gut) so that it may return to full and proper function!
Is this old news to you? Or, have you given it a try? RP
I used digestive enzymes for the 6 months or so I saw Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez. Might be worthwhile for me to try again. Any particular brands you like?
Carol
I’m experimenting with different types and brands. I think the mildest for me was Swanson’s BioCor Optimum Complete. Vitacost Mega Digestive Enzymes was stronger for me.
If you try digestive enzymes and get no reaction, I believe you can rule out gut issues for the most part, in my opinion.
Then, I would suspect something more in line with virus’ and/or Late Stage Lyme.
As for me, I get a very dramatic reaction to any method of killing off gut pathogens. Primarily, painful elimination, both ways. Obviously toxins.
Beautifully written, Carol. I just returned from grocery shopping with one of those little motorized carts, and I always feel strange to be able to walk when I need to.
My wheelchair (I named her Pepper) has allowed me to get back out in the natural world as my wife pushes me around. I’ve just started learning how to control myself on downhills, and have discovered it’s actually pretty fun! Thank you for using your gift as a writer to help me know I’m not alone.
Can you recommend a good one Rich? I tried one that was too harsh. Thanks!
I should add, in addition to my reply to Carol, probiotics elicit the same reaction for me. Very frequent, painful elimination. Especially, during the night.
I have been thinking it would be nice to have a wheel chair myself. Bleh. My daughter actually suggested it so she could push me around to see some of the things she enjoys that I haven’t been well enough to see. I’ve used one before and it’s been quite a ride. Emotionally it’s more like a roller coaster chair, exciting that I can do more, but awkward in so many ways. I’m an experienced driver of the “beeper carts” at grocery stores though. Again it’s a love/hate relationship. Why in the world do they make them beep so loud when you back up??! One time several years ago my teenage son took me grocery shopping. We had my beepy cart and a large regular cart packed to the top with groceries. My son liked to grab on to the motorized cart and have me either push or pull him and his cart. (You take whatever help you can get.) On the way to the car I went over a speed bump kind of sideways and we managed to tip both carts over, spilling groceries all over the parking lot. THAT was an adventure. It’s really funny to us now though :).
sorry, off topic but I found this REALLY good 2013 paper on NK cells, autoimmunity, CFS – including discussion on rituximab:.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595639/
I can only imagine how you must feel in a wheelchair – it must be hard to get used to the ‘looks’.
I must say that since I’ve had some debilitating chronic health problems (not CFS or FM related), I have a new appreciation for the elderly, sight impaired or wheelchair bound. I go out of my way to ensure they have a clear passage crossing the road and ensure they always go into lifts first and, if necessary, wait for the next lift so they can use all the space they need.
Someone suggested I get an electric buggy (during my recent last couple of months being mostly housebound due to a chronic foot pain and heart issues). I’m kinda getting used to the idea that one day I won’t be able to walk much and will need some motorised transport.
I now, NEVER, doubt the validity of a person’s use of a wheelchair (when they stand up & walk a few steps or even around a narrow aisled store). I KNOW what it’s like to have trouble walking, but not necessarily be a paraplegic.
August 5th was my 27th anniversary with CFIDS. A couple of years ago, I began having problems with my feet. Podiatrists were useless as was Lyrica. It must not be neuropathy, but I don’t know what the heck it is. But my feet are in constant misery. I was inspired to get a scooter when I could no longer “shuffle” (as opposed to walk) my dog. I am pretty much housebound, and having been a very outdoorsy person BC, I was missing the walks as was my poor dog. It was hard to give in to the idea of not being able to walk, along with all of the other pains/problems of this wretched disease, but I am so happy I made the decision. I roll out at night when it gets even vaguely cool (I live in South Texas), Sadie has herself a righteous romp, I get to see some stars, and feel the breeze on my face. (Of course, I also inhale copious quantities of allergens & pollution, but at this point I no longer care.)
I really appreciated your article, Carol. It so captures the love/hate relationship we have with making the choices we have to make.
Carol, I have a GO GO ELite that was about $1100 and is wonderful to get around on. It has a sharp turn radius and is not nearly as heavy or cumbersome as some of the ones that I think you are referring to. I take it on airplanes too. It is not good for bumpy roads. I use it in my neighborhood but a trip over cobblestone roads in Old San Juan earlier this year messed it up. If you stick to indoors or easy roads, you should be fine with it. It gives you more autonomy than a wheelchair. You can also find them used on Craigslist and some places that sell them will sell refurbished ones that should be cheaper. If you need more help, I am glad to help you. You can email me at gapeach453@wowway.com
Thanks to all the information about the electric scooters. I am definitely going to investigate!
Carol
I love your writing Carol and always look out for your articles on here.
Wheelchairs can be difficult to manoeuvre and I remember the frustrations of not being free to look around a shop or gallery in my time and at my pace. Now I am bedridden I long to be well enough to be able to manage short trips out in a wheelchair pushed by someone. Staring at the ceiling day in day out, month in month out and now year in year out is torture.
Wheelchairs and scooters provide a way of widening one’s limitations for those who can use them. They are great.
Thank you Carol-very well written.
I wanted to comment on the discussion on digestive enzymes and what the connection to the study posted by Mattthias on multiple sclerosis, CFS and NK cells might be.
MS patients lack the enzymes that digest dietary proteins. These enzymes are called protease. Here is a study from Mayo Clinic on this.
In the following study from Mayo College of Medicine the researchers stated that an “array of studies” implicate protease in multiple sclerosis pathogenesis.
Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2008;318:133-75.
The multiple sclerosis degradome: enzymatic cascades in development and progression of central nervous system inflammatory disease.
Scarisbrick IA.
“An array of studies implicate different classes of protease and their endogenous inhibitors in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis based on expression patterns in MS lesions, sera, and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Growing evidence exists regarding their mechanistic roles in inflammatory and neurodegenerative aspects of this disease…”
A lack of these enzymes leads to undigested protein fragments and DNA in the bloodstream.
Specialized immune cells called “dendritic cells” target these protein fragments and DNA.
In the following study the researchers stated that emerging evidence indicates that dendritic cells play a critical role in the initiation and progression of MS.
Targeting dendritic cells to treat multiple sclerosis.
Comabella, M., X. Montalban, C. Münz, J.D. Lünemann. 2010. Nat Rev Neurol. 6(9):499-507. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2010.112. Epub 2010 Aug 17.
“Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered to be a predominantly T-cell-mediated disease, and emerging evidence indicates that dendritic cells have a critical role in the initiation and progression of this debilitating condition…”
Dendritic cells release IFN-gamma.
In the following study the researchers concluded that patients with MS had high levels of IFN-gamma, TNF, and IL-6 secreting dendritic cells.
J Neuroimmunol. 1999 Sep 1;99(1):82-90.
Multiple sclerosis is associated with high levels of circulating dendritic cells secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Huang YM, Xiao BG, Ozenci V, Kouwenhoven M, Teleshova N, Fredrikson S, Link H.
“Recent evidence emphasises a pivotal role for dendritic cells (DC) in the control of immunity by priming and tolerising T cells. DC capture and process antigens, express co-stimulatory molecules, migrate to lymphoid organs and secrete cytokines to initiate immune responses. In multiple sclerosis (MS), autoreactive T cells are proposed to play a pathogenic role by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines, but studies on DC are lacking…Patients with MS had higher levels of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-6 secreting DC than healthy subjects…Circulating DC secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines may represent another focus for the study of both immuno-pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions in MS.”
IFN-gamma induces an enzyme (IDO) that activates a tryptophan degrading pathway called the kynurenine pathway.
In the following study the researchers concluded that interferon-gamma, in particular, induced the tryptophan degrading enzyme IDO.
FASEB J. 1991 Aug;5(11):2516-22.
Relationship between interferon-gamma, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, and tryptophan catabolism.
Taylor MW, Feng GS
.
“…In particular, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) induces an enzyme of tryptophan catabolism, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which is responsible for conversion of tryptophan and other indole derivatives to kynurenine…”
The following study confirms that kynurenine pathway activity is involved in MS. The researchers found elevated levels of kynurenic acid in patients with MS and concluded their data demonstrated the involvement of the kynurenine system in the pathogenesis of MS.
Acta Neurol Scand. 2005 Aug;112(2):93-6.
Kynurenine metabolism in multiple sclerosis.
Hartai Z, Klivenyi P, Janaky T, Penke B, Dux L, Vecsei L.
“…The concentration of kynurenic acid is elevated in the plasma of MS patients, and there is a tendency to an elevation in the RBC…Our data demonstrate the involvement of the kynurenine system in the pathogenesis of MS…”
This exact same process is taking place in CFS. It is the activated “kynurenine pathway” that is responsible for the low NK cells in CFS and MS.
T cells are types of white blood cells that tailor the body’s immune
response to specific pathogens. T –helper 1 (Th1) cells target viruses,
cancer cells, and other intracellular pathogens. T-helper 2 (Th2) cells target
extracellular pathogens, organisms that are found outside the cell. Natural
killer cells (immune cells that kill cancer cells) are part of the Th1 immune
system.
The study entitled “T cell apoptosis by tryptophan catabolism”
states that, “Tryptophan metabolites in the kynurenine pathway, such as
3-hydroyanthranilic and quinolinic acids, will induce the selective apoptosis
…of Th1 but not Th2 cells” (Fallarino, 2002). Apoptosis is cell death.
Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) overexpression was found in the following
study to suppress natural killer (NK) cells and contribute to cancer cell
growth.
Overexpression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in
Human endometrial carcinoma cells induces rapid
tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model.
Yoshida, N., K. Ino, Y. Ishida, H. Kajiyama, E. Yamamoto, K. Shibata, M. Terauchi,
A. Nawa, H. Akimoto, O. Takikawa, K. Isobe, F. Kikkawa. 2008. Clin Cancer Res
14(22):7251-9.
“…Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a tryptophan-catabolizing
enzyme that induces immune tolerance in mice. Our prior study showed that
high tumoral IDO expression in endometrial cancer tissues correlates with disease
progression and impaired patient survival… IDO overexpression in human cancer cells contributes to tumor progression in vivo with suppression of NK cells…”
Missing protease, dendritic cells and the kynurenine pathway are involved in fibro and CFS as well.
In the study entitled:
“Kynurenine pathway activity linked to fibromyalgia fatigue” researchers
concluded that, “KYN-p (kynurening pathway) activity is associated with
FM fatigue in humans and a murine model” (Boomershine, 2009).
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are also involved in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). One study found that CFS patients had approximately 4.7 times as many pDCs as the controls (De Meirleir, 2013).
I have been making some posts on another pathway that is involved in MS and CFS due to these missing enzymes on an MS board. Again, the exact same process is taking place in CFS.
http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-discussion-f1/topic22806.html
Carol,
I’ve used a Quickie motorized wheelchair for about 15 years now. I have a lift on my car. I love it. I have found that it enables me to go anywhere I want to go. I can shop, take a “walk”, travel, take my grandkids to Disney World, or anything else I want to do. Went on a cruise last fall. It will travel in the belly of the airplane.
I use the beeper chair at stores that have them because they have a basket attached. Yes, the isles are crowded, but people will usually move over when asked politely, or a sales person will move stuff, and I get to shop when and where I want.
When going up or down hills, my chair will stop and break when I let go of the joy stick. I have been on 45 degree hills and it goes nowhere when I let go. It has 5 gears and each gear has a range from slower to faster. It will go 5 miles an hour in 5th gear turned all the way up or creep along at barely a walk in 1st gear turned all the way down.
I like my chair better than a scooter because it has a zero turn radius and can turn get around in small or crowded places a lot easier.
I also like a motorized chair because my hands will hurt when I have to grip the wheels to turn them and I hate depending on someone else to push me. When I go for a walk with my husband, he gets to walk beside me and hold my hand. Much better for conversations.
You just have to decide that being able to go and do is worth the chair. I had my hairdresser tell me the other day…..
When I get to be your age, I want to be like you. My grandma just sits at her house and doesn’t go anywhere…..
I told her that life is a journey and you just gotta go live it anyway you can.
I think God invented wheelchairs so we can get out and live life to the fullest.
This is just my opinion and the way I look at things, but I hope it helps you decide what you want to do.
Sincerely,
Ida Faye
Thanks, Ida, for sharing your enthusiasm and spirit!
Thanks Carol for your well written article and the injections of humour. I can identify with much of it especially with relying on your partner to push it. My partner will often bash with the footplates into the backs of people’s ankles – I see it coming but he doesn’t hear my warning. As someone who also needs a walking stick I have found that this often negates the weird looks people give during those ‘hallelujah it’s a miracle’ moments. Or as we say “she’s healed, she’s healed!” My walking stick is a folding one and it can be popped into the back pocket of my wheelchair. When it’s unfolded and I’m helped out of my chair I find I rarely get the weird looks……except one complete stranger looked at me one day and uttered the words “Hip or Knee?” I ignored it but felt like saying “boomps-a-daisy” just to finish her line for her. I still have a bit of a love hate relationship with my wheelchair but it’s just stubbornness on my part, something I am working on as I realize that any little bit of ‘life’ I can get from using it is worth the occasional ignorant attitude by onlookers. Thanks once again Carol and also to Cort.
Oh so well written and I can identify with this love hate relationship. Two years ago when I was was “officially” disabled I bought myself a scooter after being encouraged by my grandson and many of his friends. I had missed fields trips and they missed me! It comes apart so it fits in the back of my SUV. Anyone who suffers from chronic illness knows that you have to gauge your energy and where and how you spend it. I certainly have gotten “the look” from strangers, but if they watch long enough they begin to understand that getting it out of the car and putting it together is an effort and either they offer to help or at least stop watching. My absolute favorite was at a local store when an woman with a cane hollered across the parking lot for me to wait a minute please. She came over as fast as she could, she wanted to know what kind of scooter I had. She wanted one, had the money to buy it but hadn’t found one that came apart that she thought she could manage herself. (Apparently she had be watching from her car for the whole show!) Its a Go Go by Pride, and I let her take it out, showed her how it goes together and told her where to go to get her own. The guy I bought it from is great about listening to what you think you need and either agreeing or suggesting something else that will work better for you. I have a big bag that I can hang on the back to put stuff in and I did get a bigger basket that I use on the front sometimes. Best part is it is smaller than the ones that some stores provide for customers and any energy you expend you simply browse a bit longer in the stores until you feel like taking it apart and putting it back in the car! Freedom for hours out of the house! At 60 I don’t care what strangers think, I have things to do!
Congratulations Lupie 🙂
Your response, along with others, certainly has encouraged me to look into purchasing a motorized scooter. Thanks, Lupie.
Carol
Well I guess I’m one of those ‘ plump, smiling, white-haired dowagers scooting around their kitchens’ you despise so much, but I tell you it has been a lifesaver for me.
I have 2 motorized wheelchairs, very fancy ones with lots of features. I have one for indoor use with a small turn radius and an off the road with thick sturdy sporty tires for outdoors, in the forest or parks.
The one I use indoors has a lift feature. I push a button and it raises me high enough so I can reach the back of the stove and can reach the cabinets above. I used to love to cook and bake and this chair has made this possible for me again. These are things you can not do with an indoor scooters. I’m usually bed bound and on good days I use my wheelchair to get out of bed.
My outdoor chair is awesome, it made it possible for me to go with my husband and our dogs on a hike to a park or visit a farmers market. Because we have an RV, a 5th wheeler we also have a truck, and a ramp that goes with the truck and loads my wheelchair.
Before I bought my wheelchairs I had and still do, a scooter that fitted in the back of our car. On some days I will still use it. It depends on where we are going. I never ever had a problem navigating our supermarkets. It takes knowing your scooter or wheelchair very well and being confident that you can squeeze through. Rounding corners backing up, it’s like driving a car.
One thing I do find embarrassing is when you use a store cart and halfway through the power runs out. That happened to me a couple of times. A store person (@target) would fetch me a fresh one, load my stuff in the other one and off I would go again.
I always act like I’m alone in the store and never look at other people, especially not children who tend to stare. I once stuck out my tongue at a child that kept staring, I know, childish, and he started crying. I of course looked the other way as if nothing happened. I tried smiling first but that didn’t work, I just became fed up with to be stared at as if I was some kind of freak. 🙂
I did not like your comparison about the dowager Carol, but I’m a happy one because it gives my back a bit of my independence. 🙂