I'm "Moosh"! Power wheelchair user for 25+ years

[Moosh89]

Hey everyone

My name is Melissa, but my nickname is "Moosh". I live in rural northern Saskatchewan, Canada and I've been in a power wheelchair since I was 4 years old due to a rare form of muscular dystrophy.

I've had 4 power wheelchairs in my lifetime.

My first one was a green "KidPower" chair, my second was a blue Invacare Action "Tiger". My third and first "adult" chair was a 1997 Invacare Action Arrow Storm Series. I was the second user as I get most of my chairs through Saskatchewan Aid to Independent Living (SAIL) and SaskAbilities council. That chair was an absolute TANK. So many stories with it. I had it since 1999-2000. Finally in 2010 I had to give it back because parts for it were no longer available due to its age. I then got my 4th and current chair, a 2010 Invacare Action Arrow Storm Series. When I got this chair, there was talk that I would be eligible/required to get a new chair in 10 years.

Its 2020 now and unfortunately coming time for a new chair. Its "unfortunate" because I'm used to "Invacare Action" 4 wheeled rear-wheel drive chairs and SaskAbilities apparently has a new supplier which has been giving patients 6 wheeled "mid-wheel" drive chairs. These are no good for me personally for a variety of reasons, such as my environment, living rural as well as my lifelong experience of driving a traditional rear-wheel drive chair and going into spaces where a 6-wheeled chair just won't fit.

Our current plan is to ride this one "til the wheels fall off" and then we will likely have to look at buying a newer Invacare "Arrow" chair out of pocket. The upside of this is I can finally get much needed upgrades instead of a bare-bones version that SaskAbilities is permitted to supply me with.

I recently tried to get front fork suspension castors installed on this chair but my requisition from my OT was denied as a non-essential item by SaskAbilities.

I'll be looking at pricing out a new Arrow with hydraulic tilt (which I have) and a few more "bells and whistles" such as aftermarket upgrades and features to really make it "my own" and comfortable/durable for years to come. I'm glad to have found this forum to discuss my future of mobility!

M.

[martin007]

Welcome to the Burgerman´s forum.