Is it hard to roll a manual wheelchair yourself? I have no objection to improving upper body strength, might make for nice toned arms and back! Part of me also feels like I would be a fraud if I used a wheelchair, because it's not as if my legs don't work at all, I just can't walk long distances.
I find it very difficult to roll a manual wheelchair myself.
Can manage on smooth flat floors, such as you get in museums and galleries,
but even in those I'm pretty limited.
Enough to pass from picture to picture for a while, I usually sit in front of an individual picture for several minutes,
at the start I can keep going for a while, but do reach a point where my husband has to completely take over pushing me.
Even that little bit of self movement is precious to me though.
Don't regard pushing yourself in a manual wheelchair as a means of toning muscles!
While I'm sure it might work for some paraplegics, my belief is it won't work like that for people with ME. It's more likely to put you into relapse.
For some reason I've never totally lost upper body strength (no idea why - my legs are shot, had the lead legs feeling from the start of all this), but I still stay within what I see as my envelope of energy when it comes to self-propelling. All the fun things I have done have really given me payback for days or weeks, but though I know the Psychs would prob say it's "boom and bust" and not to do it, I figure I only have one life so I'm going to do stupid (?) but fun/interesting things sometimes. If that makes sense?
Not as if my legs don't work at all either. But as DWP (UK Department for Work and Pensions for our friends outside UK) stuff for PIP disability payments says, I cannot do it safely, reliably, and repeatedly. Plus I'm inclined to fall over without support as have "mild" vestibular probs. It's not being a fraud to use something that enables you to get around better. Lots of older people use a walker with a seat so they can rest every so often - it's not that different for us. Actually, if your walking is significantly better than mine, that might be a way to go? I do realise it's a bit difficult if you're young! I'm 69 now, so most "normal" people can accept I'm slow (plus some also probably think I'm stupid too) so I haven't had rude comments. At least not yet!
In my previous post I just wanted to help you realise that using a wheelchair isn't all downhill - for me it's been more a blessing.
But it wouldn't help if I didn't have somebody to push me.
And I've just had a new one, provided by NHS!
Shock horror - I was totally gobsmacked!
I think my GP took pity on me when one of the reasons I got turned down for PIP initially was that wheelchair was my own and "not prescribed by a medical professional"! I'm very lucky with my GP, she's
- she has been very kind to me in the shortish time I've been seeing her. Can't believe how fortunate I am there.
If you have any questions just ask or PM me if you think I may be able to help. I do remember how difficult it was to use wheelchair at the beginning. But much easier than trying to stagger round using a stick or crutches for those longer distances.