posted on September 1, 2007 - 11:54am
Three times I broke my right foot. Three times in the same place — directly below my big toe.
Strangers would ask why I was on crutches and wearing a cast, and I concocted elaborate stories to explain my temporary impairment.
“Skiing, over the holidays,” I’d say.
“Car accident. The vehicle was totaled so a broken foot is a minor inconvenience.”
“Dancing. My partner has two left feet.”
posted on September 1, 2008 - 2:47pm
A couple years ago, my folks and I were taking a walk around the block when a neighbor spotted me in my newest wheelchair and said, “Hey, Mike, I like your new black Caddie!”
Caddie? Caddie? It’s a good thing I couldn’t raise a fist, because these were fighting words! I said, “Hey, I’m a Ford man, like my Dad! What we have here is a Mustang, just like the one Steve McQueen drove in ‘Bullitt.’”
Tips to strengthen your case for coverage of power mobility devices
posted on November 1, 2008 - 10:24am
Getting insurance coverage for a power wheelchair shouldn’t be a struggle. But Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance denials are not uncommon, especially when high-tech features like tilt-and-recline, seat elevators, power leg lifts and standing features are added.
But as the sports experts often say, a strong defense wins championships.
A student with CMT and teammates win awards for easy-access wheelchair backpack holder
posted on July 9, 2009 - 5:22pm
When a group of Wethersfield (Conn.) High School students was brainstorming ideas for a science project, they looked no further than team member Griffin Latulippe for an idea that vaulted them into the international spotlight.
posted on January 1, 2004 - 11:35am
Levo USA's manually propelled standing wheelchair has a manual stand-up function that's easy to take with you wherever you go.
posted on December 31, 2009 - 1:10am
Featured products: Stairlift ** Inflatable tub and bathroom aides ** Crutch ** Wheelchairs and wheelchair accessories ** Nebulizer ** Golf ball retriever ** Adaptive clothing.
Ralph Braun, who has spinal muscular atrophy, turned his scooter and modified van designs into a multimillion-dollar business
posted on June 14, 2011 - 2:30pm
Ralph Braun clearly remembers the day he learned he had “muscular dystrophy.” The experience taught him a lesson that shaped who he is and helped drive him to achieve great success.
In his autobiography, Rise Above, (2010, The Braun Corporation), Braun describes the hot day in 1947 when his parents took him to be evaluated at a hospital in Indianapolis. Braun was 6, and had been having...
posted on July 1, 2011 - 1:11pm
Featured books by people affected with neuromuscular diseases include: A Sloan Product: A Memoir of a Lost Boy by Neil Selinger who has ALS; Learn Thai with Me by an author with CMT; and Zagrobelny’s Way, a book about a community leader who had muscular dystrophy.
Other reviewed books include: a book by a woman with mitochondrial disease; a memoir about the secret shame of having a disability; a...
Making an informed decision is the key to avoiding buyer's remorse
posted on July 1, 2011 - 4:14pm
I have buyer’s remorse.
Like most people, my closet contains a few items I never should have bought.
A paper-thin broom skirt that was shredded by my wheelchair tires the first time I wore it. A bright red handbag that lacks a shoulder strap, forcing me to choose between clutching the accessory or holding onto my wheelchair every time I exit the ramp of my van.
Until now, the majority of my...
posted on October 1, 2011 - 3:35pm
Whether choosing your first power wheelchair or your next power wheelchair, picking the correct drive system for your needs is one of the first and most important decisions you’ll make.
The location of the drive wheels (the wheels powered by the motor) in the rear, middle or front of the chair has a definite effect on the chair’s performance in different environments.
