The short answer is: chuck yourself backwards out of a wheelchair onto a quarry tile floor. Tried this yesterday. It certainly got me out of the dentist visit, but by golly I feel rubbish today. Sore elbows, back, head. Bruised ego- I was demonstrating my independence by going out of our back door on my own. There is a stone threshold with a low edge on the inside, I have to attack it quite firmly to get my front castors up onto the step. I went at it too gung-ho, forgot to get my weight forward, and just baled out the back. Having been lifted back into my chair by my neighbour and his friend, after being jacked up on my bath cushion, I retreated to my armchair, I spent the rest of the day feeling sorry for myself under my comfort blanket. And my crown still needs fixing back in place. Bah!!
Ouch Kev. I don’t like the dentist either but your avoidance tactics are a bit extreme don’t you think? And after all that you didn’t even manage to knock the offending tooth out? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you really haven’t thought this through properly have you?
I really hope you feel better soon. Lots of paracetamol and pampering is in order. A bit of arnica might help too. And next time just go to the dentist, at least they deaden the area they’re going to hurt first.
Cath xx
Hello Kev,
I could write a book about embarrassing unexpected falls resulting from bravado and sheer carelessness. I’m still suffering from last week’s indiscretion with a tramper. These days (as I’ve been strapped to MS for some time) far fewer people just assume that I’m drunk. It does help to share them on here though! Hope you get your crown sorted soon.
Best wishes Steve.
Nasty for you Kev! Hope you are feeling a bit better today. I am a bit of a scaredy cat with my chair…I have never tipped it over! I have some great little rubber ramps for my door…they work well, although stink to high heaven when its hot!! Because they are rubber they can easily be cut to the correct height. Sadly I can’t recall where they came from but I imagine if you google rubber wheel chair ramps you will find them. They cost about £20 each and were delivered free of charge. They may also be available through your OT. Best wishes, Nina x
Ouch Kev!!! I hate the dentist but I think your way of getting out of it is a bit extreme!!! Lots of TLC this weekend me thinks!!! Sometimes when I’m in pain & feeling like I need a comfort blanket, I have a Lemsip. There’s something extremely comforting about that hot lemon and of course it has paracetamol in as well. Worth a try… just avoid the one with caffein in as it’s a bit to much of a ‘wake up call’. Take care, Pat xx
Oh KeV, you poor thing, you have my sympathy, as I done it sideways once ( God knows how) and yes, it really hurts. Best to take it real easy now and put arnica on your bruises, it does help.
Is it possible to have a portable ramp there, or have the floor ramped up to get rid of the lip? None of this may be possible, I know, but thought it maybe worthy mentioning just in case.
Hope you feel better soon, take care, ((((((hugs))))))
Pam x
Oh Kev I feel your pain, hope you are feeling better and it hasn’t put you off going outside. This ms malarkey gives you no end of embarrassing moments does it? I am stii the topic of conversation regarding my carry on with the bath last week. Bill and girls giving different suggestions on how to prevent further episodes. I keep saying " I am here you know"? Take care Kev and don’t let things get you down. Mags xx
Well I’ve taken it very easy today for sure. I like the sound of the ramps that Nina mentioned, will look for them. We have a big aluminium ramp outside the back door, from OT but could do with a small one on that inside threshold. Also one for the conservatory door. When I got my chair (a Quickie Neon) I was asked how I wanted the balance set. 1 - boy racer, 2 - medium, 3 - plodding but safe. I chose 2 but I think I’ll see if I can have it reset to safe. The first week I had it I tipped backwards out of it going backwards down our front path, which I used to do all the time in my old chair. I learned to be careful on slopes after that. Obviously not wary enough!
Ouch! Way too serious an avoidance tehnique there Kev.
Hope your bruises heal up quickly
Sonia x
Oh Kev you should have known better sounds ouchie to me but I like the blanket idea. Silly sausage
Hope you feel OK, I know when I have a whoopsie it’s sometimes day’s later be for I hurt and then I wonder why I hurt but then I am thick anyway. I turned up to my dentist a day early but she saw me anyway, seems there is no way of escaping their clutches mate. Right it’s after one in the morning best try and get some sleep. Nite.nite.
The really stupid thing is, I actually wanted to go to the dentist really. I just need a crown gluing back in. Then I can eat a bit more easily. D’oh!
Hi Kev, Still haven’t found the exact link for the ramps I bought but my husband just told me they came via eBay, not used ones but from one of those little shops within eBay. Hope you are feeling a bit less battered now and can soon get the crown put back! Nina x
Hi Kev, just a thought, have you got a kerb climber on your chair, cos that should help when going up a pavement with no dropped kerb, so in effect, should also help at your back door.
One thing I do find in my power chair, when you are trying to get up where there is no dropped kerb, I have to make sure the castoor wheels are both facing directly forward, or it won’t go up. Hope this makes sense, difficult to explain, what I am trying to say a is, don’t have your castors facing slightly sideways when trying to negotiate a step.
Hope this helps, and you feel better today.
Pam x
Nina, I have a few on the web and am going to get some. Thanks for that. Pam- I thought I had squared the front wheels up nicely, and I think it was the fact that they did climb the step, but to the extent that I tipped back too quickly. I need to see if I can get an anti-tip bar for my chair. Also I’ll go back to the old safe way of getting out, where Ruth takes me out backwards. Feeling rubbish today, delayed reaction I think.
Oh Kev, yes you need anti tip wheels on the back, did it not have any on? If not, best to get some on there asap for safety, I just a assumed that all power chairs had them.
Take it real easy today, hope tomorrow is better for you.
Pam x
It’s a manual chair, Pam, but you’re right, and the same applies. I turned them down when I ordered it. Too cocky!
Get on the phone KeV and put your order in. Once they are fitted if you want to feel “cocky”. you can always turn them up out of the way.
What’s that saying…pride comes before a fall ! Seriously though its better that you are safe.
Going on from that I am told to wear my safety belt in my power chair, but I don’t cos my thinking is, if I fall out of the chair, if I am strapped in I would be flattened by my chair, so perhaps I am being " cocky" as well!
Take care
Pam x