My New Powered Wheelchair – Disappointments and Comforts!

I was looking forward for a new wheelchair from the time I started to experience back pain (from the beginning of this year) and that’s mainly because of the pelvic misalignment and mild scoliosis in spine that we find through a diagnosis in April. Without delay we approached a leading wheelchair manufacturer in Chennai to get a comfort wheelchair that perhaps decreases my back pain and prevent further spinal curvature. You might get more detail about the alignment and discomfort from my earlier post here. 

We placed an order on May 20 after discussing with him (the wheelchair manufacturer) at home; who came on our invite and as we know him already and being the manufacturer of my old power wheelchair, I thought he perhaps know my condition well and do his best to provide me the comfort I seek. Following his websites and the models he posted there, I thought of picking one from that that suits my need. But only listening to him at home reveals that those are models just to give an idea about the wheelchairs they manufacture to those unknown and he manufacture a wheelchair only on order.

He sent me a quotation listing down the facilities on the powered wheelchair including the specs I requested, with a notification on delivery within 45- 60 days. Though I was quite disappoint with the days his delivery marks, I console later that my normal powered/electric wheelchair took 30 days to deliver about 8 years back, the deluxe perhaps take that much. But what really happened was I got the wheelchair only after 100 days. We started inquiring about the wheelchair from the minimum days to delivery, in hope he deliver as soon as possible since my condition wasn’t comforting. But he keeps extending his delivery period from week to week on a constant basis of our inquiry.

He delivered the wheelchair on the day 101! To say the truth I was frustrated at the look of the wheelchair, which stood like a robot with big boot and being taller than expected I was somehow taken aback. I had no idea how he going to design my wheelchair. Because he hadn’t showed me exactly how the wheelchair would come up and also I hadn’t thought to ask him about the wheelchair height (from the ground to seat) as I didn’t find great difference in height when checking the wheelchair models in his website. Though the seat height is just about 4” more than the old wheelchair there’s great difference when putting me to seat. Perhaps it could become normal as we used to but right moment it matters lot!

I have nothing to complain much about seating in this new wheelchair, which has a bucket seat to sooth my back and very comfortable sitting to relax with reclining backrest and elevating footrest and handling! The wheelchair is much powerful than the previous one, where I used to drive in 3 of the total speed of 5. But in this I get the speed of riding on 3 in 1 apart the top speed of about 10-12 km/hr in 5 speeds. Though I feel comfort and increase in my level of confidence with the power of the new wheelchair, I somehow dislike on the look. The base and bottom of the wheelchair look disdain and the color of green isn’t likable and rather being thematic it outshines oddly.

I am a person don’t want to be noticed unnecessarily in public and the same goes to my wheelchair and I want it to look decent and though it wasn’t appealing much, I wish it was grayish instead being green. This wheelchair doesn’t come out exactly what I anticipated but it need to be rectify a lot to be more comfort and we have also stressed him to reduce the height of seat as main cause. I don’t feel any discomfort with the height but my parents do find hard to put me on seat. I took the wheelchair to road couple of times to check its ability and to see how comfortable it was on the long run. And few days back I took it to the doctor clinic, across the main road (LB road, Adyar) to check for my cold. The wheelchair is said to run 15 km per charge, but I guess it should be giving less than 10 km. Hope to test it more after the rectifying process, where the wheelchair will be brought back to the company. 

My Bicycle Diary (Part II)

Part I here

There’s nothing like pedaling the bicycle as fast as I can, though my maximum speed is almost below normal there’s a feel of achieving something that when exists from my own strength and energy is unequal to anything. I think not only cycling, but anything that has a personal touch and contribution from same is always special.  Even though we have or get assistance from others on any job/work but when it comes to things we are passionate or close to be, doing it on self is something satisfactory that no one could repudiate.  Sometime I feel lack of power to pedal the cycle and those times what help me (to move ahead) were the ramps built in front of many houses and my uncle having his own workshop with ramp in front of it to make way cars enter the garage. I used to bring the cycle above the ramp and pedal fast along with the force to cover certain distance and repeat it from some others ramps.

Cycling is one of the best parts of my active life then and the only vehicle I drove on my own using my ability. I got great control over the handlebar by propelling the cycle helped me to drive Scooty (a sort of Scooter), but rather independently I ride it with the help of my dad who used to support from pillion when the bike need to halt, as I can’t balance its weight on foot. But those are a decade and a half old story. I have drove bicycle for more than 6 years but I wasn’t powerful unlike when I started to pedal bicycle and as I lose power subsequently and walking becomes difficult I quit cycling. The memories of cycling are always evergreen, although I couldn’t remember all of it, certain incidents and phases continue to exist. Thanks to Aarumugam (six face) and if he hadn’t spent time teaching us cycling we couldn’t have got the opportunity to learn quickly since every other was busy with their lives.

Not that riding cycle alone is fun but also going for a ride with your friend or favourite person who could pedal fast. I don’t remember my father or mother following our cycle journeys; it was the employs of the workshop run by the uncle whom we interact mostly and it was a time I was drop out of school for a year and I used to spent all the time with them and it was Arul (a young employ at workshop) used to take me for speed rides in cycle which I find so thrilling. Sitting sideways on the centre bar and holding the handlebar it was fun to kick start a ride and it is a way I used to go around with my neighbourhood friend who has enough ability to pedal me along. Many a time there used to be clash between me and my brother over driving cycle and sometime I along with the friend put him wander (street-by-street) by driving fast and let them chase away. But many a time he has been supportive to me and pushed the cycle for me to drive fast.

I have also drove hire cycles few times and though I had a wish to try different cycles and when my brother refuses to give me a change I took for this. I remember I liked and feel easy to drive the Anjali cycle (a bicycle which was famous then following the Tamil flick Anjali); it has a long and narrow seat with back support and could accommodate 2 kids at a time. The hire fee used to be Rs.1 per hour but I leave the cycle before the time, even though the shop keeper doesn’t seem to be accurate I fear what he may say. When we shifted to our grandpa’s house for a year, while we reconstruction our home, and being close to my school I got to cycle along with my classmate for some time and the street of our grandpa’s used to be crowded so we mostly end up lifting the cycle to terrace to make little rounds. It used to be a large terrace with all sides wall; it feels safe to ride on. 

The bicycle we used has been a worth product (BSA Champ) and worked for long years, which has been used by our other two cousin when my brother brought another for him. My first bicycle ride (not pedalling) I remember was with my father. He took me to home from grandpa’s making me stand on the bar holding his shoulder in one arm. I really hate sitting on the bar as it make feel discomfort, I always wish for a baby seat (a small seat on the bar connecting handlebar and seat) which has been in my friend’s father cycle. The days that are close to my heart and final rides of me on a bicycle were with my grandpa. Sometime if no one comes to pick me from school, which is near his home, he would come in his bicycle and put me seated on the carrier and the school bag in the handlebar he make a great balance despite his difficulty in climbing and pedalling. I would cherish those moments forever and it bothers me much when I see him fighting with Parkinson latterly.

End

My Bicycle Diary (Part I)

I think not many would have led a life without pedaling a bicycle at least in their childhood and it is a dream for every child to get a bicycle when they see other kids enjoy riding their own. I’m no more exception! I got my first (and last) bicycle when I was 8 or 9 years old and although I have a dream for bicycle it was my doctor (whom we consulted for my disorder and it was the time of discovery that I was affected by Muscular Dystrophy) encouraged my parents to get me a bicycle as a part of my exercise. Knowing this, my maternal uncle decides to get us (me and brother) a cycle but it took some time for him and the waiting period was something put us on eager and dream a lot about cycling.

My uncle is a car mechanic and had his workshop adjacent to our home and stepping out is indeed into his workshop. After the school we used to spent time in the workshop, apart playing with friends at backstreet and during this time we frequent to cross his sight as a kind of reminding him about the cycle. We had no idea about the cycle, what brand or kind to buy and it is he chooses the right one for us. It was a cycle belongs to the middle category which can either ride by children as well adults if seat was lifted to their comfort height.  I think he should have bought the cycle with a perception to ride for long period as we are in growing age then. I still remember the evening he took one of his employ in pillion to buy the cycle so that he can let him pedal to home while he returns in his bike.

He bought the cycle for about Rs. 1500. Those days I don’t know the value of money and that price seems to be a huge sum for me and from the size of the bag (a kind of backpack) I thought he should have bundles of currency inside.  I have no idea still why he took that bag along with him when the amount could easily slip into his purse.  Mom did some puja to the bicycle, which is a custom here to be carried with any newly bought things and it is a belief that by doing such prayer the thing will last long and work good. The next day been a weekend and Saturday, we catch up with the cycle early in the morning and one of my uncle’s workshop employ, Aarumugam, taught us how to ride the cycle. And that was the first time I try to pedal a cycle and within an hour I rode it individual.

Our area in Adyar is somehow quiet except the office and school time, learning cycle is easy enough and he (Aarumugam) continue to accompany us through our initial days of leaning and used to hold back the bicycle wherever we go. Though I started to ride the cycle without a support in an hour time, I don’t know how to land and also need someone to hold the bicycle to climb on. At one point he left the cycle and stayed behind or I rode leaving him and I don’t know how to land but that moment (with a turn ahead) I went close to a pile of sand (that unloaded on the roadside for a building construct) and fall/slide over it slowly along with the cycle so I don’t get hurt. And I followed this idea for some time until there was a sand pile.

I used to drive bicycle too slowly as I lack strength to put it fast and I do drive alone rarely, as I don’t want to risk falling somewhere. So mostly my brother used to accompany me, at least he follows me not to miss his round. Every evening we used to go for a round in cycle, apart getting conflict between the numbers of rounds, I mostly give away as I could not pedal for long.  Sometime my brother used to help me pedal fast by placing his foot on mine, while sharing the seat with me, give his force upon mine. When driving like this one evening, we unexpectedly fall down and my front tooth uprooted fully. It was an unforgettable incident happen with my cycling experience which identity is left in my tooth still.

I came home with a bleeding mouth bearing the tooth in one hand. My mom was in quite shock and took me immediately to the dental clinic at the street end, but we had to wait some time until the dentist arrives half an hour later. We don’t know how to handle the uprooted tooth, so folded it in a paper and brought to the dentist. I just remember how we used to bury the milk tooth in mud when it falls; according to our elders instruction and belief that showing it away the tooth will not grow. Perhaps because of that my mom would have folded in papers, but the dentist on arrival reveals that it should have dropped in milk or water to perhaps to keep alive the roots. The dentist fixed the tooth at its place and tied it along with the other tooth using a wire and was left to set on its own. I wasn’t sure getting back my tooth, but glad it decided to grip hold the gums.

Continue...

(I think the post could extend to another length or I could write more on this front... so will write in two parts and the other will follow soon or perhaps be next) 

Steel Handrail

For today’s good fences meme, run by Run a Round Ranch, was shot from the heart of Chennai.

The steel handrail of the statue of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.G. Ramachandran, on the Mount Rd. The bronze statue erected across the Mount Rd, near Agurchand Mansion, was shot while waiting for the signal.

RGB Monday

Like my previous post on RGB, here is another colorful image that comprises red green and blue.

These are colorful concrete flowerpots that kept to sale on ECR! The image expose mild motion as it was shot from moving car.