I am not disabled so I absolutely realize that my perspective is not a lived experience. I am a physical therapist and one way that I describe mobility aids/ assistive devices for my patients is that they’re kind of like energy coupons. You get to save 75% of the energy it would have taken to do a task and reroute that energy somewhere else and sometimes that’s the difference between participating in life the way you want or not being able to do the thing.
YES!! I have MS and even on my "good" days the fatigue is oppressive. Being fatigued increases my risk of falling, as well as decreases my ability to concentrate. If I'm going to be participating in something that requires balance, walking/standing, and any sort of mental aptitude only 2 of those 3 things are possible.
Love this! I hear so many people say they have dealt with PTs or doctors who saw mobility aids as 'giving up' or warned people 'not to get reliant on them' and therefore pushed them to damage their health just to avoid mobility aid use. Thank you for being one of the medical professionals helping to see them for what they are - tools to AVOID pain, fatigue and damage BEFORE it happens, not a 'last resort'.
It's a "choice" in the same way Jo's leg surgery was "elective". Does she literally 100% need it and can't live without it? No, but that doesn't mean it isn't significantly helpful and improves her quality of life
Exactly. Elective doesn't mean "getting it because you want to", it means "not getting it won't kill you". I had an elective hysterectomy because I was sick of passing out from menstrual cramps. Doesn't stop strangers on the internet from telling me that I've ruined my life and am now useless. Apparently they only view me as breeding stock. Plus I wasn't planning on ever using the accursed thing, so win win. And the post op pain was nothing compared to my periods, so significant improvement to my quality of life. Sorry for rambling.
@@waffles3629 I hate it when random strangers - online or otherwise - decide what your whole life must look like from one small little fact that doesn't include the whole long story.
@@victoriahodgdon1529 yep. I had a stranger the other day "decide" that English wasn't my first language because I corrected them that two queer terms weren't the same. Oh and that meant I was gatekeeping by telling that group what they should call themselves. Yeah, wanna guess whose a part of that group? Yeah, me. And so many people discount my mental health struggles just because I grew up with enough to eat, a roof over my head and clothes to wear. Like my parents income has nothing to do with it.
@@victoriahodgdon1529 yeah, it's crap. I had someone tell me I couldn't have PTSD because my parents are rich. (Side note- they are not, they are at highest lower middle class, so enough to comfortably live on, but a few big emergencies would be a problem) Like wow, uh, WTF? And my PTSD isn't from my parents, so I don't even understand how they thought the two are connected.
I felt so awkward when I decided to get a chair because I can walk. The thing was it hurt so much and I could only walk for about five minutes max. I wish there was more information for the general public to know that you don't have to be unable to walk to use a chair. Thank you for what you do.
If someone has obtain a wheelchair and is using it. I'm not gonna say anything to them. It's not my business. Like people typically don't use those or a cane for kicks and giggles. (besides the weird Halloween trend of being old people)
I think there's definitely more visibility for ambulatory wheelchair users these days, but I really hope it gets even more widespread so people stop policing y'all existing in public.
I’m 73 and have lupus with myositis. Walking is exhausting and on the occasions I have vertigo, it’s much safer to use my scooter. Yes I can walk but I can do more safely with a scooter.
On vacation, my dad ended up using a wheelchair for part of our time at NASA. He has Parkinsons and it wears him out. He can walk perfectly fine but he used the chair to reserve his small amount of energy for when he really wanted to use it
Yes, same! My mom rented a motorized chair at an event we went to recently, even though she normally walks everywhere on a daily basis, because because her bad hip would never have let her stand and walk for that many hours uninterrupted. With the chair, she could sit down and rest her hip whenever she needed to while keeping up with the rest of us, so we could all enjoy the event all day together. It's so true how better accessibility really does help everyone!
THANK YOU!! I have chronic fatigue syndrome and I have someone push me in a wheelchair to conserve the very small about of energy I have. people give me dirty looks when I get out of it and it sucks. keep spreading awareness. love your channel
I also have chronic fatigue syndrome. I have had my diagnosis for 10 years now, but as time goes on, I have been considering mobility aides a lot more lately. What helped you with your decisions around aides?
@@kryssillam.6533 well I still struggle with the fact that I need to use them but it greatly helps with the amount of pain and fatigue I will feel later. I have had my diagnosis for 7 years now and was only 15 when diagnosed. it’s hard but if there’s something that can help even a tiny bit I say do it no matter what anyone else thinks
Louder for the people in the back, sister! I'm so FED UP of hearing bigots invalidating wheelchair users who they've previously "caught standing up from their wheelchairs", and claiming "so they are surely lying about their disability"! It's one thing to be clueless of other people's circumstances, now claiming things such as the example I pointed out above is just straight up cruelty.
Yep, I had people accuse me of that constantly when I used a wheelchair when I had an injured shoulder and ankle. Like I had a boot on my foot and people would accuse me of faking being paralyzed. I couldn't use crutches, but my other leg was fine.
I had a friend who would occasionally use a wheelchair because of vascular issues. One time in a restaurant she stood up from her wheelchair temporarily so she could slide into the booth, and a woman on the other side of the restaurant started shouting at her. SMH.
More people should know about this tbh!! Mobility issues exist in a spectrum, there are plenty of reasons to use a mobility aid. I started using a cane a year ago because I realized how much I was avoiding putting myself in situations where I’d have to walk, just because I was afraid of the pain and fatigue that would come with it. Now I can do the things that I want without feeling as afraid, yesterday I went to a walk in the park. Can I walk without it? Of course, but it exposes me to much more pain. Mobility aids are liberating :) ❤
I love my cane, I wish I used it more often but so many times I've been made to feel ashamed about it. I was gifted both of my canes, I am so extremely grateful that I have at least two people in my life who don't understand how I am feeling entirely but still want to help me get more done. I want to put stickers all over mine and decorate them but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm glad you've found something that is helping you feel better!
As someone with multiple sclerosis… YES! Thank you. I will use my chair strategically. It doesn’t mean I’m paralysed. Maybe my leg is “offline” that day, maybe I’m “energy banking”, maybe I’m feeling particularly (dangerously) unsteady. It’s a tool.
When i was in university the disability service director used the analogy that someone in a wheelchair won't just get up and leave it if they actually needed it. This analogy was used to make me feel like I didn't have the right to the service I was requesting. I was only starting my own journey with disability and didn't know a lot but that statement never sat well with me
I think disabled people of all sorts can sometimes struggle with the idea that we're allowed to use the tools that make our lives easier even though we could theoretically do without them. For me, my ADHD makes it really hard to cook sometimes, because I struggle a LOT with executive function, so I make it easier by leaving the pots and pans on the stove, and buying the steam-in-bag potatoes, and the individually wrapped salmon filets & chicken breasts and the one Healthy Choice frozen dinner I can eat with my celiac, and those things make it so much easier. Yes, my kitchen is cluttered, and yes, I theoretically COULD buy the chicken in bulk and bag it myself, but if I forget or don't have the executive function, I might not get that done, and then I struggle to cook that week. I'm really glad your chair allows you to have a better QOL, and that you've moved past that struggle phase!
I had a stroke in 2018. Most days, everything is kosher. Don't even need a cane. The bad days, though, are extreme. A cane is the minimum I need and a wheelchair is a life saver. When I go places like the zoo, mall, or where I would be on my feet for extended periods of time, the wheelchair is a blessing. I was lucky enough to be gifted the one I have, rather than having to pay for it. I've noticed that many of the larger Zoos and Aquaria offer them for rent now, right along side wagons and strollers.
Seems kind of like someone might "choose" to use a wheelchair in the same way that people "choose" to go to bed on time. I mean sure I could stay up until midnight and get up at 5:30 to get ready for work, but I'm going to have a much harder time getting anything done and I certainly won't have energy after I get home to do anything that is enjoyable or maintains the baseline cleanliness of my home
My friend and I both used wheelchairs off and on in high school and early college for different reasons, but we were both physically able to walk, we just needed the assistance. I think unfortunately everyone who has been in a wheelchair has a "not all wheelchair users are completely bound to it" story, and I'll never forget my friend's version of this story. One day she was at the store getting into her car in the parking lot and she stood up to get into the passenger seat. A woman started shrieking and crying out things like "THANK YOU LORD, GOD IS GOOD, THANK YOU JESUS" and things like that because she thought that she had miraculously been healed in that moment and was able to walk out of the blue when it was time to get into her car 🤦♀️
How rude and narrow minded of that woman!!! So many people have no idea what it’s like to need an aid to get around in life or the ability to only walk a very short distance without pain.
Yep, it's incredibly annoying and I was only in one for a month (pro tip- don't injure your shoulder when you have a busted ankle). I had a boot on my foot and I still got accused of faking being paralyzed. Like I was never claiming to be paralyzed.
I used to be a case manager for people with various disabilities and found that a lot of able-bodied people didn’t understand the use of a wheelchair as an aid rather than a necessity. A good analogy to get the idea across is if I was moving and had to carry a 50 pound box from one room to another, I could do that just fine. But if I had to carry that same box several blocks away, I’d be looking for a hand truck to avoid being unnecessarily exhausted or risking pulling a muscle.
I use a chair at times for safety. I have an invisible disability that causes unexpected falls. So sometimes when I’m out the chair is the best choice. Judged? Oh just about by everyone but the bus driver who just gets sometimes I walk fine, most days I use a walker, and on the occasion, the chair. You do you and whatever you need to do to make your life the very best it can be.
many people use a chair or scooter because of chronic pain or a number of other reasons besides not being able to walk. yes someone who uses a wheelchair might be ABLE to walk but it might not be the best option for them.
I had an injury that took a while to recover from. I knew I would eventually be able to walk on my own once I healed etc. But I got a cane because it helped me spread my energy better on the slice of life I had that day. I decided to have fun with it and get a customized one because at the end of the day it helped and it helped me achieve my goals.
I’m a 26 year old male that’s had 360 spine fusion on my lower lumbar, 3 rods 10 screws, I have a handicap placard through the state of TX and I used the trolly carts at the grocery story for a long time while recovering and I got ridiculed more times then I care to admit simply because my temporary handicap isn’t visible and put on display for the public. Sucked but I was always ready to clap back with “here, wanna see my scars?” Or “would you like to call my surgeon?”
I’m so sorry you went through that. I think those clap backs would be perfectly reasonable. People can be so obnoxious, like how is it anyone’s business why you’re using any device.
My mum has arthritis and problems with her spine and will occasionally use a chair at events or very crowded and busy places like an airport. If we have all the time in the world she would prefer to walk and just go slow and stick to areas where she can avoid getting bumped but that’s not always an option and as she looks young and her disability is invisible she often doesn’t get any of the allowances other disabled people get. Like if she needs to get through a gap, people often refuse to move enough to actual let her out but she can’t support her body enough to twist and walk through
My Brother has really bad anxiety, when he gets a panic attack he can't move at all. One time, we were in a crowded airport, and a panic attack came and he couldn't move. I hated how many people glared at us moving him in a wheelchair to a quieter, less crowded spot. Like, You don't know what's going on with him, Keep your judgement to yourself!!
I’m always so happy seeing other “part time” wheelchair users! For a long time I didn’t know that there where others like me, so I felt alone and often doubted myself. That definitely changed and I’m so grateful for that!
Service dog use is similar in lots of situations… Risk/reward based on chance of discrimination and chance of medical issues. It’s a need but people get weird.
I am slightly ambulatory and can stand and walk very “short” distances. The pain I experience from walking through is what keeps me in my wheelchair. My wheelchair allows me to do so much more then I would ever be able to do without it.
THIS!! My mama and I both use a wheelchair because of our disabilities. We don't always need to, but it definitely helps to have the choice to on days where it is more difficult to walk and pain is very bad. Luckily in my case, I don't need to use it often. I wish more people understood that a person can still struggle and it not be blatantly visible, and just because someone has the ability to do something, doesn't mean they don't struggle at all or shouldn't be allowed to make the most of resources available to them that can/will help them in performing/functioning easier!!
I've got something like Marfan or EDS. Usually I'm okay but on my worst days I'm barely mobile. I agree, people are much nicer when I have a cane. Moreso because people are not conditioned to think of people my height as being physically disabled, so they think "this big guy is moving slowly for shits and giggles". When I use a cane, then the penny drops for them that I'm disabled.
Omg yesss. I'm hypermobile and probably have EDS or some other connective tissue disorder, and I've started using a wheelchair about 2,5 years ago. First just an "off the rack" one, because I wasn't sure if it would be the right choice for me, but a year later I got a fitted chair, because I noticed it was indeed the right choice, but the ill fitting clunky chair was harming my shoulders. Essentially I use my chair for the same reasons as you do, but with a different cause. Being an ambulatory wheelchair user with an invisible disability comes with it's own issues, but it's still much better than trying to manage without a wheelchair. Funnily enough though, unlike you I mostly use my wheelchair out of the house instead of at home. I wonder if that says more about us or our respective environments. (my flat isn't accessible, but I live in a very flat area and a small town with most things within "walking" distance)
I find that I have so much more freedom because I now use a scooter or wheelchair when I leave the house. Gone are the years that I felt left out and forgotten. I finally feel like I have my life back! Hopefully it's not a forever thing, but it's certainly good to have options now.
i’ve considered getting a wheelchair for days that i’ll go out somewhere or go shopping because the last time i went out shopping by then end i couldn’t really walk anymore and i was in so much pain, i was only out for like 2 hours
I have a lot of chronic conditions that limit my mobility and mean that standing is unsafe. I can walk but it is painful and exhausting. I realised I needed help when I would have to sit in the aisles of shops and bum shuffle along the floor. My wheelchair is amazing, it's not easy because of the way the world is set up and because of others ignorance. But you know what your body needs and if it's not working, using a wheelchair is not giving up, it's the oposite of that, it's knowing you could do more with that help and having the courage to do what you need to to live the best way you can. BTW, Im 23 and I started using a chair just over a year ago after using other aids for a few years. My favourite thing is to shout "hallelujah, it's a miracle 🙌" every time I stand up. Just one for the list.
Agreed. I have a walker with a seat. I can walk without it but only for about half a block. Then my legs and spine give out. And if I use it I can walk for 4 hours or so without overdoing it
When my mom moved into a senior living community, her apartment was about as far away from the lobby as it could be without being in a different building. She COULD walk from her apartment to the lobby, but she would have to stop frequently to rest and she was still exhausted when she got to the car. It didn't take us too long to realize that using a wheelchair was a better option for conserving her energy.
I'm glad you started using a wheelchair! I've followed you since your first amputation and I understand that you still experience a lot of pain and discomfort.
I totally sign that. Since I lost my leg to vascular issues, my still attached leg is not in best shape, too. So having the wheelchair to cover longer distances really helps. Plus, I'm still getting used to the prosthetic. But originally it was just to cover the time till the prosthetic could be fit, since there was quite a bit of dead skin that needed to heal from below, but took nearly half a year to properly close up.
I grew up in hospitals. Having 14 operations on my feet. 13 before I was 3. I have also been using wheelchairs for 22 years and I’m 30. Thank you jo so much. People look at me like I’m faking I’m disabled needing disability parking a service dog. And I pack my wheelchair in the car and drive away. People give me looks and say things like. Am I faking it? No. Just because I’m in a wheelchair doesn’t mean I’m paralysed. Geeezzzz. Also. So sick of being told how strong I am to be doing all the things I’m doing regardless of my disabilities. What else am I going to do. Lay down and die? They just don’t get that it’s not by choice when your able to walk.
“Why do you need a wheelchair if you can walk?” “Why do you need a car if you can walk?” “Well, I can’t walk for that long, or fast enough.” “Exactly.”
that people assume these things and ask you that upsets me so much. Nobody asks able people, If you can stand, why are you sitting down on that chair or on that couch. they don't assume that people should stand up 24 hrs a day. ugh!
I can't handle the nasty glares I get for being a healthy looking young woman, anytime I use any sort of crutch. I have POTS, which itself would benefit from a wheel chair, and have experienced injuries that ended up worse than they should have because I wouldn't use any aid. The one time I let myself use one of those electric chairs in a Walmart, after I'd injured my foot pretty bad but it wasn't broken and my pants covered the bandage, I haven't let myself use any help in public. Even when I broke (hairline fracture) my pelvis, and needed to limp with a cane for a couple months, I just didn't leave my house for the first two months. As soon as I could put pressure on it, I walked around without the cane and hid my limping. Pretty sure that's contributed why it still hurts a good bit after a year and a half. Has flare ups so bad some days that I need to grab the cane. I hate how judgmental people are. No one uses those damn things for fun. The electric chairs are slow and bulky and noisy, canes are annoying, crutches hurt like hell when you are short and have fibromyalgia, and wheel chairs are hell when you have no upper body strength, short arms, and your muscles respond to the slightest bit of exertion as if you'd done an intensive workout.
Totally agree. Ngl i use aids on long days. Cons, airports, multi hour shopping. For the same reasons. Mostly when cali weather disagrees with my prosthetic.
Today, I am getting my wheelchair. I am so excited to get this new tool to help me lessen pain and assist me to get around and be more independent. Thank you for letting people know this!
I saw a woman walk into an airport and then get a wheelchair to get through everything else. And the staff didn't bat an eye about it. So it goes to show, yeah there are different reasons to use one that are valid.
My mom has spinal stenosis which leaves her in a lot of constant pain and makes her legs weak. Over the years, she has used a variety of mobility aids, including canes, walkers, and motorized shopping carts. She also has a disabled parking placard for the car. She gets judged for parking in a handicapped spot and then getting out of the car without her cane, but those same people don't see how difficult it is for her to get back in the car or her pain level the rest of her day. I have a bad knee that hurts and is unstable while going up and down our stairs, so I use a walking stick to give me a little more stability in our house. I don't normally climb a lot of stairs outside of our house, so I don't use it in public.
I love that your putting this out there for everyone to know ! My grandma has stage 4 breast cancer and will take a ride in a wheel chair when offered just to keep her energy for washing dishes or making herself food at home 🙏❤️
I quite agree, I have mobility issues and use a Zimmer trolley at home and when out for very short distances I use a lightweight walker but for anything else ,including going to the office I use a wheelchair, and the use has dramatically expanded my social life allowing me to do many more things 😊😊😊
I’m really glad you made this. I still have both legs, but the joints in my knees and ankles are really bad. I’ve had days where I literally couldn’t walk more than fifteen steps in twenty minutes due to pain and looseness in my joints. I’ve an increased chance of strains and sprains, so when I’m walking while one of those sessions is going on, I risk injuring myself quite a bit. I am getting to the point where I know that I need to get some mobility devices to help me get around and live my life, but I’m scared of the stigma, and it’s a challenge to get past that. So thank you for sharing your reasoning for using the chair. This and your whole channel have helped me to put a different perspective onto my challenges and the declining condition of my body, and I’m feeling more hopeful and positive about my future because of it. Thank you.
I think the biggest misconception people have about disability, is that it's a static consistent experience. They expect you to pick a level of mobility/functionality and just stay there.
Unfortunately, insurance companies perpetuate the problem. I’ve had patients work so hard to be able to take just a couple steps to a bedside chair or bedside toilet, and that was the extend of their ability and we were both so excited and proud, then insurance comes back and denies them coverage for a wheelchair because they are “ambulatory” 😡🤬
yes! i’m not physically disabled i can still walk in my day to day life. When i go places that require a lot of walking like an amusement park or walking trails (i’m lucky enough to live by a park with a handicap trail that’s pathed ) i need to use a wheelchair or i’ll overheat and feel sick. i hate that if i tell someone that i sometimes use a wheelchair they think i can barely walk, when in reality it’s the opposite
Yes! I don’t use one very often nowadays, but in places like say, theme parks or the fair, where there’s a ton of walking and line waiting and I need to be able to keep up with the group, plus I just don’t want to be miserable the whole day, I absolutely love it. I would not have been able to enjoy our family’s Disneyland trip without it.
Glad I saw this. I am a very large person with Rheumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis. Among other issues. Up until a couple years ago, I was stubborn and insisted on working (retail of all things). I had a chair for when I needed to work register, but before the pandemic, I ran the education program for the store, fabric and crafts. My knees have been bone on bone at least since some point in 2016. Walking is painful to say the least. I can stand for a couple minutes without support and walk with a cane outside the house. I've been fighting support aides, including the cane, for years, primarily because it feels like I'm giving up. I need to get over that and accept that right now, I need the help. I know what I need to do to work my way out of this situation, the question becomes how. All this to say thank you for a different viewpoint and one I needed to see. I'm sending this to my husband and maybe we need to consider some things.
When I was pregnant and recently postpartum I would use the electric wheelchair thingies in Walmart. Yes I CAN walk but it caused me pain, my back would feel like it was breaking and I felt like I couldn't breathe so I'd use a wheelchair and be able to do what I needed to do more comfortably
I live in chronic pain and have many joint subluxations so I use a wheelchair. It's been life changing and I can do so much more. I was bedbound and housebound for 8 months before I got my chairs, now I can do just about anything on my own.
Okay everyone is telling there story, so o am to! So my mother a out 3 years ago? It was very hard to walk because she had a very rare condition (literally 1 of 6) she had the worse case. She was in a wheelchair for about a year and a half, we made a ramp for her, and she would not walk for days at a time! Yet she has been walking for 1+ years, she has gotten a lot better!! She just got into a motorcycle accident soo. . . Yeah but I'm glad she's doing WAY better, also glad you got to get a wheelchair to help for your need's!
Thanks for sharing this. It helps remove the stigmatization that using a wheelchair means you are helpless and your life is less. Wheelchair users get so much more mileage on this adaptive device and freedom than would without its use.
Ambulatory wheelchair user here! Chronic pain (possibly Ms or fibromyalgia) on top of several other health conditions means that sometimes using a wheelchair is the best option for me!
My dad has heart issues and last year he got a lot worse for a while and couldn't stand or walk for more than a couple of minutes at a time. The whole family had bought tickets to go to Kålmården (a zoo here in Sweden) and my dad would not have been able to go but the zoo had wheelchairs you could use during your visit. With the wheelchair he could come with us to the zoo without worrying about his health and have a great day with his kids and grandkids. So use all the tools you need to make your life better and don't give a f**k about what people think.
I can walk, but I also use a wheelchair quite a bit at home throughout the day and electric carts in stores that have them, because I can only stand up for short periods of time due to crushed vertebrae and osteoarthritis. It’s amazing how much stress it takes off my body, and my dog appreciates that I save some of my limited stand up time to take him on short walks since we live in apartments and I can’t just let him outside.
As a person with severe back issues, several fusions, degeneration, osteo and nerve compressions throughout my spine… some days I can walk and some days I can’t. I preserve my back when shopping most of the time…meaning walking on hard floors for a short period of time sends me into severe spasms… I can avoid it by using my wheelchair. Can I walk ~ yes most of the time. But I am always in varying degrees of pain. Hope this helps others to understand.❤ thank you so much for putting this into a video.😊
People have that misconception about so many things. Hearing aids, glasses, walking canes, simply letting people know when you have unusual dietary needs... I always find it shocking, when I see people denying themselves the tools to make life easier and more enjoyable. But then again, when I am in that situation I do the same thing. Society has really romantized suffering through life unaided. It's hard to unlearn that.
The idea that someone has to be a wc user 100% of the time or 0% of the time is such a narrow-minded, ableist perspective. Sometimes people get tired! Sometimes they have pain! Sometimes they have balance issues and can do short distances with a walker or cane, but need a wheelchair for longer distances so they don't fall! People who use aides to help them move know what they need to do to be safe and comfortable, just let them.
God this reminds me of when my brother had a panic attack at the airport. It lasted like an hour, he couldn't move at all. Once we got through the crowded common area, he finally relaxed enough to walk again, only to stay in the chair out of shame of "Not really needing it". It made me so sad that he couldn't use the thing he needed to get through a tough time without being judged.
I want to thank you for this. I had my leg amputated in February and feel like I should be able to walk by now. It is so much easier to get things done in the wheelchair. My balance is not good so I have to keep both of my hands on my walker. I felt like I was not doing enough to walk.
For me dealing with this really bad Crohn's flare up the information is so bad that a wheelchair helps me get around and have my freedom and not be bedridden I did that for way too many months and I think that did more damage than the illness itself. So I can completely agree with what you were saying it's so awesome that you're bringing awareness to this situation because I get funny looks whenever I'm at the store and I can't reach something cuz seems like everything I want is on the top shelf and I get up and and reach for it and then I get dirty looks cuz that's what people are thinking that I don't really need it and that maybe I'm going for sympathy or something who knows that people are thinking sometimes it can be extremely bizarre and a reason that you or I or anyone else that has a rational mind can't come up with such outlandish reason. 💃🐹🥰💕 🌎💚🌍💚🌏
we choose all sorts of things that make our lives a bit easier all the time, even if we don't end up using them 100 % of the time. i admit i probably would be "surprised" if someone in a wheelchair got up to do something (maybe i have also been conditioned to think that a wheelchair is only for people that cannot at all survive without them) but i hope i would not judge them for it
Prosthetic legs are tools like a wheelchair. Neither are a leg replacement. They are tools that assist you in getting around. They are both needed to get back your independence. It’s wonderful you use both and can use both. ❤
Thank you for this, I think this is exactly what I needed to hear to feel that my choice to use a wheelchair is 'valid'. I have spinal stenosis / cauda equina and suffer with chronic pain. I use crutches, but some days I'm in so much pain that I decided a wheelchair would be beneficial. I'm still in pain in the chair, but at least it's more manageable
I can attest to this!!! My mom has muscle problems and while she can walk around at home without problems, she needs crutches, a wheelchair, and/or a scooter (depending on the situation) to go places outside of the house because walking is just not doable in big places like that. These tools are important!!
My femur recently broke into multiple pieces when I was hit by a car. It was remade with a titanium rod. My kneecap also broke and was repaired with screws. I am five months post injury and still can't walk without a walker and even with it, I can only walk short distances. Wheelchair is the most reasonable and effective option. Life doesn't stop for anyone.
I agree 100%. A few years back I had Achilles Tendinitis in both legs, and my doctor had told me I couldn't go on my feet for a few months. Yes, I could have absolutely got up and walked, but that would be defying my doctor's orders, causing me pain, and in the future if I just didn't use the wheelchair it might become bad enough I'll need to use the wheelchair much longer or for the rest of my life. My injury was not at all visual, and I had two healthy LOOKING legs. Nobody should be judged on using a wheelchair if they need or want to.
I use a chair most of the time because of complex regional pain syndrome, look it up if you want but my legs just decided not to be very good at their job one day when I was 12. I gave up my life because of pain and my chair helped me to be a some kind of teenager. My chair doesn’t reduce pain but gets me out of the house more, my pain is completely uncontrollable and I’m probably going to have to live with it for the rest of my life. I can walk and some days, and I do, but it makes ‘normal’ activities so much harder.
You’ve said this so much better than I could. I never know what to say. It’s not a choice. I need it. I can *sometimes* walk or even dance, without it. But I have to lay in bed 6-10 hours a day and need help getting carried to and from the bathroom, can’t cook or go much of anywhere without it. So yes, I can “function” without it…uh…but no I shouldn’t have to?
I never saw a wheelchair as bad thing for others to use, but as my mobility worsened I saw it as a get out clause for myself and wouldn't use one on that principle. I borrowed a powered chair from a friend (my hands and wrists are affected so I can't use a manual chair) and I've never looked back. I honestly don't know how I coped before I used a chair, before I had my own one. Sometimes just letting yourself have use of an aid can do an infinite amount more good than any amount of bad you can imagine. I thought I'd become lazy, but instead in able to get up every day and drive most days, look after the dog. So much, because of a chair
Thank you! I'm a zebra (have eds) so some days I can run 5 km and feel peachy, whilst other days walking to the bathroom already is a chore and I literally need to sit on the toilet for 10 minutes for a break, before going back to the couch or bed. And those days I wish I'd have a wheelchair, just to make life a little easier. Thankfully my office chair has wheels, and that helps a little.
I developed a severe pain in my feet as an effect of a stroke I had years ago. I started using a wheelchair at work, I could not have walked to my office. I'm well enough that I don't use it much now, but I wouldn't have been able to keep working without it.
I use my wheelchair in the kitchen, and other than that it's for going places. I can't walk a whole store trip because of my back and partially my legs, and when my back is tired my legs give out more which is quite the risk. I got over my fear of "walking" my wheelchair because why should it matter to people. It's a lot easier than using my arms the whole time. I'm not going to put myself through a lot of pain because of other people's opinions of who and who shouldn't use one. But even though I know this, I am still extremely bothered by people who think that all wheelchair users can't walk.
I had been using crutches for about 12 years, but going out had become about going where I needed to. I couldn't do much more. The problem came that the less I went out the harder it was to walk on crutches because, trust me, you need to keep fitness up for them. Getting my chair meant I could go out more, and I did! I would walk places even though it had been snowing and oh does it get cold in a chair! For reference, for every 1mph you travel, take 1⁰C off the ambient temperature. Then add in the fact you're not using your muscles to keep warm. I still, coming up to two years later, question if I'm faking my need for the chair because people think it's the last resort for people who can't walk at all. What you have to remember about TABs is they've probably only used mobility aids for injuries/surgery, it was temporary and held them back compared to normal life. What they don't realise is we didn't start from a point of being fit and healthy, we were struggling and the mobility aids gave us life. Where they see it's difficult getting into that shop, we see that we couldn't have gone as far as that shop before.
i have chronic pain. i used a wheelchair for the first time recently at the zoo- and i was able to get through the whole thing. i couldnt have done that by myself- it was so cool. mobility aids are just what the name says. they arent just for when you *can't* move around, they're there to *help you* move around
I got some perspective on my wheelchair “choices” this weekend when my hotel caught on fire. I would never choose to walk down four flights of stairs (I would say I “can’t”) and I had the choice to go to the wheelchair refuge area and in this situation the firefighters probably would have taken me down in the elevator. But of course I had no details on the situation aside from that the building was on fire. So I gave my rollator (a walker with a seat) to a healthy looking man and I got myself down the stairs. And I’ve been in a metric ton of pain for the two days since. Like pain that before I became disabled would have required getting bucked off and run over by a horse. So anyway, now I know what it would be like if I “chose” to walk down the stairs.
These devices aid people in their day to day. They are assistive technology. No one bats an eye at glasses. Without lenses I would be blind though I technically can still see. Assistive technology enables people to do things. Whether they could without it is no-one else's business. I say this and still feel awkward about the things I use to make things easier or less taxing on my body and mind. I need to use earplugs in crowded spaces but often dont put them in, just in case someone assumes I'm being rude or might be intellectually challenged. I'm ashamed that I might need help in spite of my disability because I've been made to feel so. But guess what. A wheelchair eases off the worst of pain. Or makes tasks less challenging. There is nothing to be ashamed of and if you need help. You need help
My boyfriend's aunt has a motor chair because sometimes she can't walk well. She can walk but some days all her muscles are just really weak so it's a lot of effort to walk. Some days it's so bad that she can barely talk.
I have used the electronic riding carts at the grocery store when I was in recovery after each of my c-sections. What stinks is feeling like people may be looking at you thinking you are being lazy when really you are taking care of yourself and following doctor's orders
I am not disabled so I absolutely realize that my perspective is not a lived experience. I am a physical therapist and one way that I describe mobility aids/ assistive devices for my patients is that they’re kind of like energy coupons. You get to save 75% of the energy it would have taken to do a task and reroute that energy somewhere else and sometimes that’s the difference between participating in life the way you want or not being able to do the thing.
YES!! I have MS and even on my "good" days the fatigue is oppressive. Being fatigued increases my risk of falling, as well as decreases my ability to concentrate. If I'm going to be participating in something that requires balance, walking/standing, and any sort of mental aptitude only 2 of those 3 things are possible.
It's like the spoons theory! Gotta save those spoons!
Well said! I'm rbk my prosthetic as good as it is seems to require about 20 to 25 percent more energy out if me just ro keep up with other people.
Amen!
Love this! I hear so many people say they have dealt with PTs or doctors who saw mobility aids as 'giving up' or warned people 'not to get reliant on them' and therefore pushed them to damage their health just to avoid mobility aid use. Thank you for being one of the medical professionals helping to see them for what they are - tools to AVOID pain, fatigue and damage BEFORE it happens, not a 'last resort'.
It's a "choice" in the same way Jo's leg surgery was "elective". Does she literally 100% need it and can't live without it? No, but that doesn't mean it isn't significantly helpful and improves her quality of life
Exactly. Elective doesn't mean "getting it because you want to", it means "not getting it won't kill you". I had an elective hysterectomy because I was sick of passing out from menstrual cramps. Doesn't stop strangers on the internet from telling me that I've ruined my life and am now useless. Apparently they only view me as breeding stock. Plus I wasn't planning on ever using the accursed thing, so win win. And the post op pain was nothing compared to my periods, so significant improvement to my quality of life. Sorry for rambling.
@@waffles3629 I hate it when random strangers - online or otherwise - decide what your whole life must look like from one small little fact that doesn't include the whole long story.
@@victoriahodgdon1529 yep. I had a stranger the other day "decide" that English wasn't my first language because I corrected them that two queer terms weren't the same. Oh and that meant I was gatekeeping by telling that group what they should call themselves. Yeah, wanna guess whose a part of that group? Yeah, me.
And so many people discount my mental health struggles just because I grew up with enough to eat, a roof over my head and clothes to wear. Like my parents income has nothing to do with it.
@@waffles3629 good God, don't even get me started on the public attitude towards mental health issues and disabilities 🙄
@@victoriahodgdon1529 yeah, it's crap. I had someone tell me I couldn't have PTSD because my parents are rich. (Side note- they are not, they are at highest lower middle class, so enough to comfortably live on, but a few big emergencies would be a problem) Like wow, uh, WTF? And my PTSD isn't from my parents, so I don't even understand how they thought the two are connected.
I felt so awkward when I decided to get a chair because I can walk. The thing was it hurt so much and I could only walk for about five minutes max. I wish there was more information for the general public to know that you don't have to be unable to walk to use a chair.
Thank you for what you do.
If someone has obtain a wheelchair and is using it. I'm not gonna say anything to them. It's not my business. Like people typically don't use those or a cane for kicks and giggles. (besides the weird Halloween trend of being old people)
I think there's definitely more visibility for ambulatory wheelchair users these days, but I really hope it gets even more widespread so people stop policing y'all existing in public.
Yes!! This is my situation too. You’re not alone!
@@ADWebTV I didn’t know that’s a trend 😂
I’m 73 and have lupus with myositis. Walking is exhausting and on the occasions I have vertigo, it’s much safer to use my scooter. Yes I can walk but I can do more safely with a scooter.
On vacation, my dad ended up using a wheelchair for part of our time at NASA. He has Parkinsons and it wears him out. He can walk perfectly fine but he used the chair to reserve his small amount of energy for when he really wanted to use it
Yes, same! My mom rented a motorized chair at an event we went to recently, even though she normally walks everywhere on a daily basis, because because her bad hip would never have let her stand and walk for that many hours uninterrupted. With the chair, she could sit down and rest her hip whenever she needed to while keeping up with the rest of us, so we could all enjoy the event all day together. It's so true how better accessibility really does help everyone!
THANK YOU!! I have chronic fatigue syndrome and I have someone push me in a wheelchair to conserve the very small about of energy I have. people give me dirty looks when I get out of it and it sucks. keep spreading awareness. love your channel
Yikes, those glares are the worst. People are so judgmental, I am so sorry you go through that.
This hits hard
I also have chronic fatigue syndrome.
I have had my diagnosis for 10 years now, but as time goes on,
I have been considering mobility aides a lot more lately.
What helped you with your decisions around aides?
@@kryssillam.6533 you just have to try it and you'll soon realise how helpful they really are. Good luck
@@kryssillam.6533 well I still struggle with the fact that I need to use them but it greatly helps with the amount of pain and fatigue I will feel later. I have had my diagnosis for 7 years now and was only 15 when diagnosed. it’s hard but if there’s something that can help even a tiny bit I say do it no matter what anyone else thinks
Louder for the people in the back, sister! I'm so FED UP of hearing bigots invalidating wheelchair users who they've previously "caught standing up from their wheelchairs", and claiming "so they are surely lying about their disability"!
It's one thing to be clueless of other people's circumstances, now claiming things such as the example I pointed out above is just straight up cruelty.
Yep, I had people accuse me of that constantly when I used a wheelchair when I had an injured shoulder and ankle. Like I had a boot on my foot and people would accuse me of faking being paralyzed. I couldn't use crutches, but my other leg was fine.
I had a friend who would occasionally use a wheelchair because of vascular issues. One time in a restaurant she stood up from her wheelchair temporarily so she could slide into the booth, and a woman on the other side of the restaurant started shouting at her. SMH.
More people should know about this tbh!! Mobility issues exist in a spectrum, there are plenty of reasons to use a mobility aid. I started using a cane a year ago because I realized how much I was avoiding putting myself in situations where I’d have to walk, just because I was afraid of the pain and fatigue that would come with it. Now I can do the things that I want without feeling as afraid, yesterday I went to a walk in the park. Can I walk without it? Of course, but it exposes me to much more pain. Mobility aids are liberating :) ❤
I'm still learning this.
I love my cane, I wish I used it more often but so many times I've been made to feel ashamed about it. I was gifted both of my canes, I am so extremely grateful that I have at least two people in my life who don't understand how I am feeling entirely but still want to help me get more done.
I want to put stickers all over mine and decorate them but I haven't gotten around to it yet.
I'm glad you've found something that is helping you feel better!
As someone with multiple sclerosis… YES! Thank you. I will use my chair strategically. It doesn’t mean I’m paralysed. Maybe my leg is “offline” that day, maybe I’m “energy banking”, maybe I’m feeling particularly (dangerously) unsteady. It’s a tool.
When i was in university the disability service director used the analogy that someone in a wheelchair won't just get up and leave it if they actually needed it. This analogy was used to make me feel like I didn't have the right to the service I was requesting. I was only starting my own journey with disability and didn't know a lot but that statement never sat well with me
So sorry for the insensitive reception you got at that time. I hope there is better acceptance and respect for you now. 💝
@@muriel5826 I have definitely learned a lot since then and know how to better advocate for myself
I think disabled people of all sorts can sometimes struggle with the idea that we're allowed to use the tools that make our lives easier even though we could theoretically do without them. For me, my ADHD makes it really hard to cook sometimes, because I struggle a LOT with executive function, so I make it easier by leaving the pots and pans on the stove, and buying the steam-in-bag potatoes, and the individually wrapped salmon filets & chicken breasts and the one Healthy Choice frozen dinner I can eat with my celiac, and those things make it so much easier. Yes, my kitchen is cluttered, and yes, I theoretically COULD buy the chicken in bulk and bag it myself, but if I forget or don't have the executive function, I might not get that done, and then I struggle to cook that week.
I'm really glad your chair allows you to have a better QOL, and that you've moved past that struggle phase!
You are the person who knows your body best. Do what you need to do.
I had a stroke in 2018. Most days, everything is kosher. Don't even need a cane. The bad days, though, are extreme. A cane is the minimum I need and a wheelchair is a life saver. When I go places like the zoo, mall, or where I would be on my feet for extended periods of time, the wheelchair is a blessing. I was lucky enough to be gifted the one I have, rather than having to pay for it. I've noticed that many of the larger Zoos and Aquaria offer them for rent now, right along side wagons and strollers.
Seems kind of like someone might "choose" to use a wheelchair in the same way that people "choose" to go to bed on time. I mean sure I could stay up until midnight and get up at 5:30 to get ready for work, but I'm going to have a much harder time getting anything done and I certainly won't have energy after I get home to do anything that is enjoyable or maintains the baseline cleanliness of my home
Honestly this is the best description that I've seen to this 😂
My friend and I both used wheelchairs off and on in high school and early college for different reasons, but we were both physically able to walk, we just needed the assistance. I think unfortunately everyone who has been in a wheelchair has a "not all wheelchair users are completely bound to it" story, and I'll never forget my friend's version of this story. One day she was at the store getting into her car in the parking lot and she stood up to get into the passenger seat. A woman started shrieking and crying out things like "THANK YOU LORD, GOD IS GOOD, THANK YOU JESUS" and things like that because she thought that she had miraculously been healed in that moment and was able to walk out of the blue when it was time to get into her car 🤦♀️
Yikes! That must have been uncomfortable for your friend.
How rude and narrow minded of that woman!!! So many people have no idea what it’s like to need an aid to get around in life or the ability to only walk a very short distance without pain.
Yep, it's incredibly annoying and I was only in one for a month (pro tip- don't injure your shoulder when you have a busted ankle). I had a boot on my foot and I still got accused of faking being paralyzed. Like I was never claiming to be paralyzed.
Oh man... that's terrible, but really funny. I hope you guys are both doing well and God keeps mysteriously blessing you, lol.
@@ekuu8918 Thank you 🙏🏻 you as well!
Saving your spoons, I get it, I wish everyone did!
Those who count spoons do.
I used to be a case manager for people with various disabilities and found that a lot of able-bodied people didn’t understand the use of a wheelchair as an aid rather than a necessity.
A good analogy to get the idea across is if I was moving and had to carry a 50 pound box from one room to another, I could do that just fine. But if I had to carry that same box several blocks away, I’d be looking for a hand truck to avoid being unnecessarily exhausted or risking pulling a muscle.
I use a chair at times for safety. I have an invisible disability that causes unexpected falls. So sometimes when I’m out the chair is the best choice. Judged? Oh just about by everyone but the bus driver who just gets sometimes I walk fine, most days I use a walker, and on the occasion, the chair. You do you and whatever you need to do to make your life the very best it can be.
many people use a chair or scooter because of chronic pain or a number of other reasons besides not being able to walk. yes someone who uses a wheelchair might be ABLE to walk but it might not be the best option for them.
Let’s all yell this so people in the back can hear 👂🏻 So they stop being so judgmental over things they have no idea about
I had an injury that took a while to recover from. I knew I would eventually be able to walk on my own once I healed etc. But I got a cane because it helped me spread my energy better on the slice of life I had that day. I decided to have fun with it and get a customized one because at the end of the day it helped and it helped me achieve my goals.
I think more people should use wheelchairs, but bc of stigma and poor access many don't
I think that is 10000% accurate
I’m a 26 year old male that’s had 360 spine fusion on my lower lumbar, 3 rods 10 screws, I have a handicap placard through the state of TX and I used the trolly carts at the grocery story for a long time while recovering and I got ridiculed more times then I care to admit simply because my temporary handicap isn’t visible and put on display for the public. Sucked but I was always ready to clap back with “here, wanna see my scars?” Or “would you like to call my surgeon?”
I’m so sorry you went through that. I think those clap backs would be perfectly reasonable. People can be so obnoxious, like how is it anyone’s business why you’re using any device.
My mum has arthritis and problems with her spine and will occasionally use a chair at events or very crowded and busy places like an airport. If we have all the time in the world she would prefer to walk and just go slow and stick to areas where she can avoid getting bumped but that’s not always an option and as she looks young and her disability is invisible she often doesn’t get any of the allowances other disabled people get. Like if she needs to get through a gap, people often refuse to move enough to actual let her out but she can’t support her body enough to twist and walk through
Me too. 🙏🏼🙏🏼
Me too. Did you know that most muesums have a wheelchair that you can use? Once again I can enjoy muesums.
My Brother has really bad anxiety, when he gets a panic attack he can't move at all. One time, we were in a crowded airport, and a panic attack came and he couldn't move.
I hated how many people glared at us moving him in a wheelchair to a quieter, less crowded spot. Like, You don't know what's going on with him, Keep your judgement to yourself!!
I’m always so happy seeing other “part time” wheelchair users! For a long time I didn’t know that there where others like me, so I felt alone and often doubted myself. That definitely changed and I’m so grateful for that!
Service dog use is similar in lots of situations… Risk/reward based on chance of discrimination and chance of medical issues. It’s a need but people get weird.
I am slightly ambulatory and can stand and walk very “short” distances. The pain I experience from walking through is what keeps me in my wheelchair. My wheelchair allows me to do so much more then I would ever be able to do without it.
THIS!! My mama and I both use a wheelchair because of our disabilities. We don't always need to, but it definitely helps to have the choice to on days where it is more difficult to walk and pain is very bad. Luckily in my case, I don't need to use it often.
I wish more people understood that a person can still struggle and it not be blatantly visible, and just because someone has the ability to do something, doesn't mean they don't struggle at all or shouldn't be allowed to make the most of resources available to them that can/will help them in performing/functioning easier!!
I can walk but sometimes I use a wheel chair because I have cerebral palsy in my legs . And it helps me with my strength in my legs .
I have a limp. I use a cane for the same reasons you described here. People are also a little more friendly when I use a cane. 😂
I've got something like Marfan or EDS. Usually I'm okay but on my worst days I'm barely mobile. I agree, people are much nicer when I have a cane. Moreso because people are not conditioned to think of people my height as being physically disabled, so they think "this big guy is moving slowly for shits and giggles". When I use a cane, then the penny drops for them that I'm disabled.
Omg yesss. I'm hypermobile and probably have EDS or some other connective tissue disorder, and I've started using a wheelchair about 2,5 years ago. First just an "off the rack" one, because I wasn't sure if it would be the right choice for me, but a year later I got a fitted chair, because I noticed it was indeed the right choice, but the ill fitting clunky chair was harming my shoulders. Essentially I use my chair for the same reasons as you do, but with a different cause. Being an ambulatory wheelchair user with an invisible disability comes with it's own issues, but it's still much better than trying to manage without a wheelchair. Funnily enough though, unlike you I mostly use my wheelchair out of the house instead of at home. I wonder if that says more about us or our respective environments. (my flat isn't accessible, but I live in a very flat area and a small town with most things within "walking" distance)
I find that I have so much more freedom because I now use a scooter or wheelchair when I leave the house. Gone are the years that I felt left out and forgotten. I finally feel like I have my life back! Hopefully it's not a forever thing, but it's certainly good to have options now.
I choose to use a wheelchair when I leave my house to save energy because I have more than one autoimmune disease. It's NORMAL and okay!
i’ve considered getting a wheelchair for days that i’ll go out somewhere or go shopping because the last time i went out shopping by then end i couldn’t really walk anymore and i was in so much pain, i was only out for like 2 hours
Do it! :-D
I have a lot of chronic conditions that limit my mobility and mean that standing is unsafe. I can walk but it is painful and exhausting. I realised I needed help when I would have to sit in the aisles of shops and bum shuffle along the floor. My wheelchair is amazing, it's not easy because of the way the world is set up and because of others ignorance. But you know what your body needs and if it's not working, using a wheelchair is not giving up, it's the oposite of that, it's knowing you could do more with that help and having the courage to do what you need to to live the best way you can. BTW, Im 23 and I started using a chair just over a year ago after using other aids for a few years. My favourite thing is to shout "hallelujah, it's a miracle 🙌" every time I stand up. Just one for the list.
Agreed. I have a walker with a seat. I can walk without it but only for about half a block. Then my legs and spine give out. And if I use it I can walk for 4 hours or so without overdoing it
…I prefer a sedan chair…but it’s sometimes it’s difficult conscripting lackeys to command…
When my mom moved into a senior living community, her apartment was about as far away from the lobby as it could be without being in a different building. She COULD walk from her apartment to the lobby, but she would have to stop frequently to rest and she was still exhausted when she got to the car. It didn't take us too long to realize that using a wheelchair was a better option for conserving her energy.
I'm glad you started using a wheelchair! I've followed you since your first amputation and I understand that you still experience a lot of pain and discomfort.
I totally sign that. Since I lost my leg to vascular issues, my still attached leg is not in best shape, too. So having the wheelchair to cover longer distances really helps. Plus, I'm still getting used to the prosthetic. But originally it was just to cover the time till the prosthetic could be fit, since there was quite a bit of dead skin that needed to heal from below, but took nearly half a year to properly close up.
I knew a young woman who broke her left leg and arm. So she couldn't use crutches and had to use a wheelchair.
Explaining this to my insurance company can be challenging.
I grew up in hospitals. Having 14 operations on my feet. 13 before I was 3. I have also been using wheelchairs for 22 years and I’m 30. Thank you jo so much. People look at me like I’m faking I’m disabled needing disability parking a service dog. And I pack my wheelchair in the car and drive away. People give me looks and say things like. Am I faking it? No. Just because I’m in a wheelchair doesn’t mean I’m paralysed. Geeezzzz. Also. So sick of being told how strong I am to be doing all the things I’m doing regardless of my disabilities. What else am I going to do. Lay down and die? They just don’t get that it’s not by choice when your able to walk.
“Why do you need a wheelchair if you can walk?”
“Why do you need a car if you can walk?”
“Well, I can’t walk for that long, or fast enough.”
“Exactly.”
that people assume these things and ask you that upsets me so much. Nobody asks able people, If you can stand, why are you sitting down on that chair or on that couch. they don't assume that people should stand up 24 hrs a day. ugh!
Good point
i don't have a prosthic yet so a wheelchair is my best friend right now but know i will always need it when my stump starts to hurt
I can't handle the nasty glares I get for being a healthy looking young woman, anytime I use any sort of crutch. I have POTS, which itself would benefit from a wheel chair, and have experienced injuries that ended up worse than they should have because I wouldn't use any aid. The one time I let myself use one of those electric chairs in a Walmart, after I'd injured my foot pretty bad but it wasn't broken and my pants covered the bandage, I haven't let myself use any help in public. Even when I broke (hairline fracture) my pelvis, and needed to limp with a cane for a couple months, I just didn't leave my house for the first two months. As soon as I could put pressure on it, I walked around without the cane and hid my limping. Pretty sure that's contributed why it still hurts a good bit after a year and a half. Has flare ups so bad some days that I need to grab the cane.
I hate how judgmental people are. No one uses those damn things for fun. The electric chairs are slow and bulky and noisy, canes are annoying, crutches hurt like hell when you are short and have fibromyalgia, and wheel chairs are hell when you have no upper body strength, short arms, and your muscles respond to the slightest bit of exertion as if you'd done an intensive workout.
Exactly its just a tool of our trade, you don't have to use it but if you need to, its good to know its there and your not up the creek
Totally agree. Ngl i use aids on long days. Cons, airports, multi hour shopping. For the same reasons. Mostly when cali weather disagrees with my prosthetic.
Today, I am getting my wheelchair. I am so excited to get this new tool to help me lessen pain and assist me to get around and be more independent. Thank you for letting people know this!
I saw a woman walk into an airport and then get a wheelchair to get through everything else. And the staff didn't bat an eye about it. So it goes to show, yeah there are different reasons to use one that are valid.
My mom has spinal stenosis which leaves her in a lot of constant pain and makes her legs weak. Over the years, she has used a variety of mobility aids, including canes, walkers, and motorized shopping carts. She also has a disabled parking placard for the car. She gets judged for parking in a handicapped spot and then getting out of the car without her cane, but those same people don't see how difficult it is for her to get back in the car or her pain level the rest of her day.
I have a bad knee that hurts and is unstable while going up and down our stairs, so I use a walking stick to give me a little more stability in our house. I don't normally climb a lot of stairs outside of our house, so I don't use it in public.
I love that your putting this out there for everyone to know ! My grandma has stage 4 breast cancer and will take a ride in a wheel chair when offered just to keep her energy for washing dishes or making herself food at home 🙏❤️
I quite agree, I have mobility issues and use a Zimmer trolley at home and when out for very short distances I use a lightweight walker but for anything else ,including going to the office I use a wheelchair, and the use has dramatically expanded my social life allowing me to do many more things 😊😊😊
I’m really glad you made this. I still have both legs, but the joints in my knees and ankles are really bad. I’ve had days where I literally couldn’t walk more than fifteen steps in twenty minutes due to pain and looseness in my joints. I’ve an increased chance of strains and sprains, so when I’m walking while one of those sessions is going on, I risk injuring myself quite a bit. I am getting to the point where I know that I need to get some mobility devices to help me get around and live my life, but I’m scared of the stigma, and it’s a challenge to get past that. So thank you for sharing your reasoning for using the chair. This and your whole channel have helped me to put a different perspective onto my challenges and the declining condition of my body, and I’m feeling more hopeful and positive about my future because of it. Thank you.
Same. Thanks for putting it into words. 💜
I think the biggest misconception people have about disability, is that it's a static consistent experience. They expect you to pick a level of mobility/functionality and just stay there.
Unfortunately, insurance companies perpetuate the problem. I’ve had patients work so hard to be able to take just a couple steps to a bedside chair or bedside toilet, and that was the extend of their ability and we were both so excited and proud, then insurance comes back and denies them coverage for a wheelchair because they are “ambulatory” 😡🤬
yes! i’m not physically disabled i can still walk in my day to day life. When i go places that require a lot of walking like an amusement park or walking trails (i’m lucky enough to live by a park with a handicap trail that’s pathed ) i need to use a wheelchair or i’ll overheat and feel sick. i hate that if i tell someone that i sometimes use a wheelchair they think i can barely walk, when in reality it’s the opposite
Yes! I don’t use one very often nowadays, but in places like say, theme parks or the fair, where there’s a ton of walking and line waiting and I need to be able to keep up with the group, plus I just don’t want to be miserable the whole day, I absolutely love it. I would not have been able to enjoy our family’s Disneyland trip without it.
A person's chronic issues occur over a spectrum, and so different tools are needed. I switch between a walker and a wheelchair as needed.
That's why it's considered an aid. It helps people and is there to do so and be used 😊
Glad I saw this. I am a very large person with Rheumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis. Among other issues. Up until a couple years ago, I was stubborn and insisted on working (retail of all things). I had a chair for when I needed to work register, but before the pandemic, I ran the education program for the store, fabric and crafts. My knees have been bone on bone at least since some point in 2016. Walking is painful to say the least. I can stand for a couple minutes without support and walk with a cane outside the house. I've been fighting support aides, including the cane, for years, primarily because it feels like I'm giving up. I need to get over that and accept that right now, I need the help. I know what I need to do to work my way out of this situation, the question becomes how. All this to say thank you for a different viewpoint and one I needed to see. I'm sending this to my husband and maybe we need to consider some things.
Thanks for your story. It needs to be told.
When I was pregnant and recently postpartum I would use the electric wheelchair thingies in Walmart.
Yes I CAN walk but it caused me pain, my back would feel like it was breaking and I felt like I couldn't breathe so I'd use a wheelchair and be able to do what I needed to do more comfortably
Agreed, it is a major misconception. The number of shocked looks I received when standing up out of my wheelchair was astounding. 😂
I live in chronic pain and have many joint subluxations so I use a wheelchair. It's been life changing and I can do so much more. I was bedbound and housebound for 8 months before I got my chairs, now I can do just about anything on my own.
Okay everyone is telling there story, so o am to! So my mother a out 3 years ago? It was very hard to walk because she had a very rare condition (literally 1 of 6) she had the worse case. She was in a wheelchair for about a year and a half, we made a ramp for her, and she would not walk for days at a time! Yet she has been walking for 1+ years, she has gotten a lot better!! She just got into a motorcycle accident soo. . . Yeah but I'm glad she's doing WAY better, also glad you got to get a wheelchair to help for your need's!
Thanks for sharing this. It helps remove the stigmatization that using a wheelchair means you are helpless and your life is less. Wheelchair users get so much more mileage on this adaptive device and freedom than would without its use.
It's funny that we don't judge short people for using step stools and ladders.
Or nearsighted people for using glasses.
@@muriel5826 what about farsighted people? 🤣
@@DarlingDevil4691 Righto😎
Ambulatory wheelchair user here! Chronic pain (possibly Ms or fibromyalgia) on top of several other health conditions means that sometimes using a wheelchair is the best option for me!
My dad has heart issues and last year he got a lot worse for a while and couldn't stand or walk for more than a couple of minutes at a time. The whole family had bought tickets to go to Kålmården (a zoo here in Sweden) and my dad would not have been able to go but the zoo had wheelchairs you could use during your visit. With the wheelchair he could come with us to the zoo without worrying about his health and have a great day with his kids and grandkids.
So use all the tools you need to make your life better and don't give a f**k about what people think.
I can walk, but I also use a wheelchair quite a bit at home throughout the day and electric carts in stores that have them, because I can only stand up for short periods of time due to crushed vertebrae and osteoarthritis. It’s amazing how much stress it takes off my body, and my dog appreciates that I save some of my limited stand up time to take him on short walks since we live in apartments and I can’t just let him outside.
As a person with severe back issues, several fusions, degeneration, osteo and nerve compressions throughout my spine… some days I can walk and some days I can’t. I preserve my back when shopping most of the time…meaning walking on hard floors for a short period of time sends me into severe spasms… I can avoid it by using my wheelchair. Can I walk ~ yes most of the time. But I am always in varying degrees of pain. Hope this helps others to understand.❤ thank you so much for putting this into a video.😊
People have that misconception about so many things. Hearing aids, glasses, walking canes, simply letting people know when you have unusual dietary needs... I always find it shocking, when I see people denying themselves the tools to make life easier and more enjoyable. But then again, when I am in that situation I do the same thing. Society has really romantized suffering through life unaided. It's hard to unlearn that.
The idea that someone has to be a wc user 100% of the time or 0% of the time is such a narrow-minded, ableist perspective. Sometimes people get tired! Sometimes they have pain! Sometimes they have balance issues and can do short distances with a walker or cane, but need a wheelchair for longer distances so they don't fall! People who use aides to help them move know what they need to do to be safe and comfortable, just let them.
God this reminds me of when my brother had a panic attack at the airport. It lasted like an hour, he couldn't move at all. Once we got through the crowded common area, he finally relaxed enough to walk again, only to stay in the chair out of shame of "Not really needing it".
It made me so sad that he couldn't use the thing he needed to get through a tough time without being judged.
I want to thank you for this. I had my leg amputated in February and feel like I should be able to walk by now. It is so much easier to get things done in the wheelchair. My balance is not good so I have to keep both of my hands on my walker. I felt like I was not doing enough to walk.
I'm so proud of your wheelchair journey 💜💙❤️
For me dealing with this really bad Crohn's flare up the information is so bad that a wheelchair helps me get around and have my freedom and not be bedridden I did that for way too many months and I think that did more damage than the illness itself.
So I can completely agree with what you were saying it's so awesome that you're bringing awareness to this situation because I get funny looks whenever I'm at the store and I can't reach something cuz seems like everything I want is on the top shelf and I get up and and reach for it and then I get dirty looks cuz that's what people are thinking that I don't really need it and that maybe I'm going for sympathy or something who knows that people are thinking sometimes it can be extremely bizarre and a reason that you or I or anyone else that has a rational mind can't come up with such outlandish reason.
💃🐹🥰💕
🌎💚🌍💚🌏
we choose all sorts of things that make our lives a bit easier all the time, even if we don't end up using them 100 % of the time.
i admit i probably would be "surprised" if someone in a wheelchair got up to do something (maybe i have also been conditioned to think that a wheelchair is only for people that cannot at all survive without them) but i hope i would not judge them for it
Prosthetic legs are tools like a wheelchair. Neither are a leg replacement. They are tools that assist you in getting around. They are both needed to get back your independence. It’s wonderful you use both and can use both. ❤
Thank you for this, I think this is exactly what I needed to hear to feel that my choice to use a wheelchair is 'valid'. I have spinal stenosis / cauda equina and suffer with chronic pain. I use crutches, but some days I'm in so much pain that I decided a wheelchair would be beneficial. I'm still in pain in the chair, but at least it's more manageable
I can attest to this!!! My mom has muscle problems and while she can walk around at home without problems, she needs crutches, a wheelchair, and/or a scooter (depending on the situation) to go places outside of the house because walking is just not doable in big places like that. These tools are important!!
Good on you girl you rock it it's your life no one else can live your life you rock it
My femur recently broke into multiple pieces when I was hit by a car. It was remade with a titanium rod. My kneecap also broke and was repaired with screws. I am five months post injury and still can't walk without a walker and even with it, I can only walk short distances. Wheelchair is the most reasonable and effective option. Life doesn't stop for anyone.
I agree 100%.
A few years back I had Achilles Tendinitis in both legs, and my doctor had told me I couldn't go on my feet for a few months. Yes, I could have absolutely got up and walked, but that would be defying my doctor's orders, causing me pain, and in the future if I just didn't use the wheelchair it might become bad enough I'll need to use the wheelchair much longer or for the rest of my life. My injury was not at all visual, and I had two healthy LOOKING legs. Nobody should be judged on using a wheelchair if they need or want to.
I use a chair most of the time because of complex regional pain syndrome, look it up if you want but my legs just decided not to be very good at their job one day when I was 12. I gave up my life because of pain and my chair helped me to be a some kind of teenager. My chair doesn’t reduce pain but gets me out of the house more, my pain is completely uncontrollable and I’m probably going to have to live with it for the rest of my life. I can walk and some days, and I do, but it makes ‘normal’ activities so much harder.
You’ve said this so much better than I could. I never know what to say. It’s not a choice. I need it. I can *sometimes* walk or even dance, without it. But I have to lay in bed 6-10 hours a day and need help getting carried to and from the bathroom, can’t cook or go much of anywhere without it. So yes, I can “function” without it…uh…but no I shouldn’t have to?
I never saw a wheelchair as bad thing for others to use, but as my mobility worsened I saw it as a get out clause for myself and wouldn't use one on that principle. I borrowed a powered chair from a friend (my hands and wrists are affected so I can't use a manual chair) and I've never looked back. I honestly don't know how I coped before I used a chair, before I had my own one. Sometimes just letting yourself have use of an aid can do an infinite amount more good than any amount of bad you can imagine. I thought I'd become lazy, but instead in able to get up every day and drive most days, look after the dog. So much, because of a chair
Thank you! I'm a zebra (have eds) so some days I can run 5 km and feel peachy, whilst other days walking to the bathroom already is a chore and I literally need to sit on the toilet for 10 minutes for a break, before going back to the couch or bed. And those days I wish I'd have a wheelchair, just to make life a little easier. Thankfully my office chair has wheels, and that helps a little.
you be careful do what you have to do your a strong woman
Totally agree.....I have a prosthetic (Oscar) right side, I walk but prefer a wheelchair in my house. God Bless !
I developed a severe pain in my feet as an effect of a stroke I had years ago. I started using a wheelchair at work, I could not have walked to my office. I'm well enough that I don't use it much now, but I wouldn't have been able to keep working without it.
I use my wheelchair in the kitchen, and other than that it's for going places. I can't walk a whole store trip because of my back and partially my legs, and when my back is tired my legs give out more which is quite the risk. I got over my fear of "walking" my wheelchair because why should it matter to people. It's a lot easier than using my arms the whole time. I'm not going to put myself through a lot of pain because of other people's opinions of who and who shouldn't use one. But even though I know this, I am still extremely bothered by people who think that all wheelchair users can't walk.
I had been using crutches for about 12 years, but going out had become about going where I needed to. I couldn't do much more. The problem came that the less I went out the harder it was to walk on crutches because, trust me, you need to keep fitness up for them. Getting my chair meant I could go out more, and I did! I would walk places even though it had been snowing and oh does it get cold in a chair! For reference, for every 1mph you travel, take 1⁰C off the ambient temperature. Then add in the fact you're not using your muscles to keep warm.
I still, coming up to two years later, question if I'm faking my need for the chair because people think it's the last resort for people who can't walk at all.
What you have to remember about TABs is they've probably only used mobility aids for injuries/surgery, it was temporary and held them back compared to normal life. What they don't realise is we didn't start from a point of being fit and healthy, we were struggling and the mobility aids gave us life. Where they see it's difficult getting into that shop, we see that we couldn't have gone as far as that shop before.
i have chronic pain. i used a wheelchair for the first time recently at the zoo- and i was able to get through the whole thing. i couldnt have done that by myself- it was so cool. mobility aids are just what the name says. they arent just for when you *can't* move around, they're there to *help you* move around
I got some perspective on my wheelchair “choices” this weekend when my hotel caught on fire. I would never choose to walk down four flights of stairs (I would say I “can’t”) and I had the choice to go to the wheelchair refuge area and in this situation the firefighters probably would have taken me down in the elevator. But of course I had no details on the situation aside from that the building was on fire. So I gave my rollator (a walker with a seat) to a healthy looking man and I got myself down the stairs. And I’ve been in a metric ton of pain for the two days since. Like pain that before I became disabled would have required getting bucked off and run over by a horse. So anyway, now I know what it would be like if I “chose” to walk down the stairs.
I have cerebral palsy, I can walk but still use a chair to get around, just another tool I have in my mobility toolbox I guess. Love you vids
These devices aid people in their day to day. They are assistive technology. No one bats an eye at glasses. Without lenses I would be blind though I technically can still see. Assistive technology enables people to do things. Whether they could without it is no-one else's business.
I say this and still feel awkward about the things I use to make things easier or less taxing on my body and mind. I need to use earplugs in crowded spaces but often dont put them in, just in case someone assumes I'm being rude or might be intellectually challenged. I'm ashamed that I might need help in spite of my disability because I've been made to feel so.
But guess what. A wheelchair eases off the worst of pain. Or makes tasks less challenging. There is nothing to be ashamed of and if you need help. You need help
My boyfriend's aunt has a motor chair because sometimes she can't walk well. She can walk but some days all her muscles are just really weak so it's a lot of effort to walk. Some days it's so bad that she can barely talk.
I have used the electronic riding carts at the grocery store when I was in recovery after each of my c-sections. What stinks is feeling like people may be looking at you thinking you are being lazy when really you are taking care of yourself and following doctor's orders
Your hair is beautiful!! Thanks for letting us know why it is convenient for u to use a wheelchair 🙏✨✨🙏
You have come so far in a short amount of time! ❤️