Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!rex!samsung!olivea!oliveb!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!7.1!Nadine.Thomas From: Nadine.Thomas@p1.f7.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Nadine Thomas) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: Wheelchair use Message-ID: <16719@bunker.UUCP> Date: 9 Jan 91 21:58:37 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: Nadine.Thomas@p1.f7.n300.z1.fidonet.org Distribution: misc Organization: FidoNet node 1:300/7.1 - Reach Out, Tucson AZ Lines: 47 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Index Number: 12786 AA> PN> sooner. It just that first seat that is so hard. AA> PN> Pandora AA> My biggest worry about using a Wheelchair the first time,was if I AA> would ever AA> be able to do without it. AA> Later, Andy, this was the first message I am reading this morning and it was quite a shock for me - I'm sorry I missed the original thread and Pandora's post. I have been talking with a friend about how I really am needing an amigo [three wheel cart] right now [this past week] but I am terrified that if I start using one I will never be able to NOT use one. I almost fell several times [3 times in just 2 hours the other day] but it still scares the stuffing out of me. I was at the drug store yesterday [a friend took me after getting blood tests] and they had garland etc. drapping the sport wheelchairs and the 3-wheelers and the regular wheelchairs etc. and I wanted to puke - I KNOW that someone who is using a wheelchair may be asking for a sport one or a new one but it revolted me because I am sooooooo scared of having to use one that just the thought of it makes me feel ill. I don't want to lose that part of my independence. My friend told me that she has and still does use a chair for certain things - when she goes to Disneyland she uses one and there are several benefits - first is that she and whoever is with her gets to go to the head of all the lines [no waiting], and another is that she gets to enjoy more then if she was to attempt to walk it. I understand her logic but I have to get past something INSIDE of me. She told me that it has not made her dependent on the chair but it has given her more independence when she has needed to use it - shopping is easier etc. Please, keep this thread going and I hope we get more input about it. I just made a call to a neighbor who has had a stripped down model of an amigo sitting on his back porch for over a year - I am going to ask him what he is going to do with it - maybe he will loan it to me [his answering machine picked up - drat]. I hope I don't lose the courage when he calls back. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!300!7.1!Nadine.Thomas Internet: Nadine.Thomas@p1.f7.n300.z1.fidonet.org