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Mobility Scooter!

Messages
15,786
I finally bit the bullet and we went to look at mobility scooters ... I thought just to rent one, try it out for a while, etc, but we ended up buying one - a Shoprider GK10 :)

It's pretty easy to pull apart for putting it in the trunk, and has all sorts of groovy features - headlights, horn, reverse (with beeping!), arm rests, etc. Everything adjustable, and easy to use. It's a relatively slow one compared to the non-collapsible models, but still seems super fast too me at 8 km/h ... way faster than I'd walk when healthy!

After a busy four day weekend, I'm now totally exhausted so haven't taken it on any outings yet, but it's such a wonderful feeling to know that I can now go shopping again, or even just take a "walk" around the neighborhood. And if my fiance is gone for a few days, it's great to know that I won't be stranded again like I was when he was in the hospital.

Here's the only video of it I could find:
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
It looks good and really useful! Can you do the assembly and disassembly yourself and put it in a car? Or too heavy? Can you drive it into your flat or house?

Great that it gives you added freedom!

Sushi
 

Sallysblooms

P.O.T.S. now SO MUCH BETTER!
Messages
1,768
Location
Southern USA
I am so happy you bought a scooter!:thumbsup:

I LOVE my scooter. Hubby and I got it this winter. It can be changed to silver or blue. Nice red right now. My CFS is not a problem anymore but my POTS is. I had to use a wheelchair for a while. Now, I am MUCH better but for long trips to large stores, malls, museums, this is a WONDERFUL thing. It comes apart so not too heavy, but for ME, it is too heavy. Hubby does it and then off I go! He puts it in the car. I can walk my dog now and he doesn't have to push my w.chair. I love the freedom.

Mine has one wheel in front so nice a small. It is SOOOO COMFY!

I hope to keep healing from POTS, but for now, I am loving my scooter. His name is Little Hoss, ha.

scooter.jpg


LilHossFeb2012.jpg
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
Congratulations! I loved the power chair I rented once on vacation. So much freedom! I hope it greatly expands your horizons.

I liked the power chair more than a scooter because it is smaller. I can get closer to shelves, desks and tables with it
That's a personal preference, though. I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons to prefer a scooter.

Sushi -- I am not able to disassemble a chair or scooter and put it in my van. Well, I probably could, but then I'd have to lie down in the yard for a rest every time. Not too convenient in the store parking lot. :aghhh: There's no point in going out if I use all the energy I have getting the chair in and out of the van. While my insurance would probably cover a power chair, they won't cover a lift to allow me to get the chair into my van. Since a power chair is not useful in my house, and I can't afford the lift, I don't have a power chair. But, oh, how I would love one! :love:
 

Sallysblooms

P.O.T.S. now SO MUCH BETTER!
Messages
1,768
Location
Southern USA
SOC, the little scooter I have is SO good, I get very close to things at the store. It is so small. I guess some are larger though. They are FUN too.
 

gu3vara

Senior Member
Messages
339
Congrats!

My insurance refused my doctor's prescription for a mobility scooter, I can't say how mad I was. It would really improve my quality of life.

It's supposedly not a necessary medical equipment for CFS, I can't walk to the convenient store for Christ sake...!
 
Messages
15,786
Sushi said:
Can you do the assembly and disassembly yourself and put it in a car? Or too heavy? Can you drive it into your flat or house?

I can assemble it myself, though it would a little difficult with the bending. I can't lift it myself to put it in the can, but my fiance can ... and I don't drive anyhow :p

All the houses here seem to have high thresholds, so I can't drive it in or out, but would could break it down to store it inside if we need to. But it can go on airplanes, so I'll probably take it with me if we go anywhere! Plus the wheels get dirty from being on the street, so really wouldn't want to have it inside - and I can walk around inside the house just fine usually, if I rest and don't stay standing too long.

We're keeping it in the shed, which is quite secure and pretty weather proof. We've even got electricity out there already, so charging it is easy. My fiance did have to uproot some of the bricks at the shed door, to give them a bit of a slant so I can drive or push it over the threshold into the shed.

Sallysblooms said:
I can walk my dog now and he doesn't have to push my w.chair. I love the freedom.

Having a dog is something I've been thinking of, but there was no way I'd be able to walk one! So that is much more of an option now :)

SOC said:
I liked the power chair more than a scooter because it is smaller. I can get closer to shelves, desks and tables with it
That's a personal preference, though. I'm sure there are plenty of good reasons to prefer a scooter.

Yeah, I'm pretty mobile at home, except with stairs - and even the fancy stair-climbing power chairs couldn't handle European staircases! I can manage about 5 minutes of being upright before I'm pushing my limits. So my scooter is more for going to the shopping center less than a kilometer (half mile) away, or being driven to outings at Ikea, etc. And the city center is only 5 kilometers away, so it can easily handle the round trip plus shopping detours before needing a recharge.


gu3vara said:
It's supposedly not a necessary medical equipment for CFS, I can't walk to the convenient store for Christ sake...!

Yeah, those sorts of standards are pretty ridiculous - it should be based on the disability, not the disease. The city I live in does the same thing. I -might- be able to get a standard wheelchair from them if I'm willing to fight tooth and nail, but no way they'd provide for a powered scooter for ME/CFS. It's stupid and unfair ... but at least now I can join an angry mob to protest it, if there's an opportunity!
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
congrats. VERY COOL !!!

My OI affects my thinking when I'm upright but walking helps this so it's a toss up for me. It's standing that gets me. It would definitely help my muscle fatigue and PEM tho ... :confused:

Medicare paid for mine in the 90's but I'm not sure if they still do. They refused to pay for the lift tho so I had to pay for it. They must think someone who needs one of these could lift it if they just tried hard enough. :p

I gave it away after several years because I found myself less willing to take it in and out of the van. I've regretted that decision many times since then.

Have fun ... x
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
They must think someone who needs one of these could lift it if they just tried hard enough. :p

Yes, I did have a bit of a rant to poor hubby about that. Seriously, if I need the power chair, what makes them think I have the ability to lift the thing into my van? :rolleyes: Completely illogical, imo.

If I have to have a caregiver with me, then the push wheelchair works. Not ideally, I agree. But the power chair is about having some freedom to go out and do self-care things like shopping and errands. At this point in time I could probably work part-time away from home if I had a power chair and a lift. But no, I have to be housebound because my caregiver works all day like a normal person.

Sometimes I just gotta wonder who thinks these things up.
 
Messages
15,786
I had my first outing on my scooter today, and it was great :) A beautiful sunny day, early enough that it wasn't hot yet.

Me and my fiance rolled and walked to the shopping center nearby (15 minute walk), and spent a while in the grocery store then the drug store. It's been many months since I was able to go to the grocery store, so it was great to be able to select things again.

The basket is a little small - could only easily hold a 6-pack of beer and a box of soy milk. But there's plenty of room for a medium sized bag under my legs. I did fine with small curbs and ramps that had a high edge to them, but it was a little nerve-wracking at first, especially when the extra set of hard wheels on the back make very noisy contact with the curbs.

No problems with feeling self-conscious. I think I was grinning the entire 90 minutes actually (hopefully that's not a PEM risk). We saw half a dozen other people in scooters and wheelchairs during the trip, so that was nice too ... though probably fewer of those out during the busy times, versus early in the day when most people are at work.

Manuevering was pretty easy, though that did feel a bit socially awkward at times, when someone was in my way or I was worried about being in someone else's way. But it helped to just think of myself as a shopping cart, since my scooter is about the same size, and park it wherever wasn't too much in the way, and move if someone needed to get around me.

I didn't get any weird looks, though a little kid did stop crying every time I drove by him :p If anything, people were extra concerned about not being in my way and making sure I could get around them. It felt a little weird, since Dutch people tend to elbow their way into wherever they want to be without much concern (and without taking offense), but it was definitely nice :)

Oh, and we saw fish in the canals we went over, and a huge swan nest next to one of the bridges. The house swallows were stealing feathers from it for their nests :p
 

Sallysblooms

P.O.T.S. now SO MUCH BETTER!
Messages
1,768
Location
Southern USA
Your trip sounds great, I can "hear" it in your post! The freedom is so important. You can really enjoy everything without feeling tired or lightheaded etc. How funny about the child that stopped crying. Cute.

Scooters are really great and I love mine. I get all giddy using it!:rofl:


scootgirl.jpg
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
thats sounds wonderful! good for you!

truth be told, i would love to try a scooter too..but since i look youngish and "normal" and since few in my life really believe i am ill, i shudder at the idea of what they would say and think. dumb, i know....
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
hmmm..after reading your post, i am thinking about scooters too..but those small 2 wheeled ones. that way, i can go door to door and walk inside the store to shop, which i think is do-able. for me, the problem is the bus rides to the store. at least it would help with short distances for groceries, etc. but then i dont know where i would put the groceries to bring them back. i buy a lot of stuff since i dont go often lol
 

Sallysblooms

P.O.T.S. now SO MUCH BETTER!
Messages
1,768
Location
Southern USA
It doesn't matter your age for a wheelchair or Scooter. A lot of young POTsies have them. The only important thing is feeling good and doing fun things.
 
Messages
15,786
I'm 33 and look around 25 on a good day. No one seemed to think there was anything odd about me being in a mobility scooter.

I also didn't go with the two-wheeled because shopping trips are too much for me even when driving to the shop, so I need something I can use inside. And my balance goes a bit wonky sometimes - not always to the point of obvious vertigo, but definitely noticeable on something with two wheels. Plus there's a lot more muscular control needed, just to maintain posture, whereas I can sit back and relax on my scooter, and my arms are fully supported by the arm rests while I drive.

I think it really depends on what your limitations are, to find what fits you best. But I don't think anyone should let fear of public reactions affect their decision. Our ability to function is way more important than a hypothetical negative reaction from morons :)