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Still Adjusting to New Wheelchair
How long does it take to get used to a new chair?
Five weeks in and although I no longer absolutely hate the new chair, I don’t love it either. Thankfully the dme rep is patient with me. So far I can sit in it all day with minimal discomfort. That’s not to say I don’t feel it in muscle groups I never knew existed when I go to bed. Who knew a person with hardly any muscle tone could be bothered by them. Currently, we’re working on the armrests and joystick mount. I’m waiting on arm pads that don’t cut off my circulation while I’m working on the computer. No kidding, my fingers are tingling right now. Padded ones have been ordered, so tingly fingers crossed they come in soon and do the trick. Of course, I switched chair brands so the joystick mount I’ve had on my last two chairs won’t transfer. We’re still tweaking this one.
Some aspects of the chair I’ll just have to get used to. Like the wide wheelbase in the front. The front wheels were inset on my last chair making it easier to pull up to things. The front-wheel-drive feels like I’m constantly fishtailing on ice too. I’ve adapted, but it’s still weird. For some reason, it feels like I’m driving a stretch limo. The wheelchair guy tried moving the base back to make it more compact, but he wasn’t able to.
The main reason for switching models and drive was for the added features I thought would allow me more independence. At the moment I consider it a wash. Although I like the features, I can’t say I can do more with them.
Is there anything you wish you could change about your chair?
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1 Reply
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There is so much patience required when getting a new chair. Sounds like you’re making progress though! I wish I hadn’t gotten the recline feature on my chair. Ironically, it’s the one thing I DID want. But it wasn’t what I expected, and now I can never get the back of my chair at the right angle. Sometimes I accidentally recline instead of tilt, and I screw up the ergonomics of everything. Then I grow frustrated lol.