A new life - irving reborn after near fatal accident

[irving2008]

Went for a driving assessment yesterday at QEF in Carshalton. Had a full physical assessment of arm mobility and an eye test. then went outside to try an adapted 'drive from wheelchair' Kia Sedora.

Push-pull lever for accelerator/brake took a little getting used to, but after 10min had got the hang of it. initially tried an electronic mini-steering wheel which drives a motor geared to the steering column 2:1 but found that too much spinning and tiring (and at £20k stupidly expensive) so tried using the normal steering wheel with a tetragrip -a 3-pronged thing you put your hand/wrist into. that worked fine and i was driving round the test track easily. great confidence booster!

[WandrinAndy]

It's nice to hear how you're progressing Irving..... I can only imagine how much of a confidence booster it must have been. Here's hoping there are plenty of these positive moments into the future!

Btw, for what it's worth I can only empathise with the issue you seem to be having with the planners.... I really think they have waaaaay too much say in our lives!

Keep Well,
Andy

[wilfy]

wow i've obviously missed something here and will go back and do some reading... to think that you can drive when i think back to the first few posts you made is amazing. nice to see things looking up for you fella

[irving2008]

Sometimes we go backwards....

Woke up Wednesday with pressure sores on left heel and right ankle due to leg muscle spasms during night (something you have to live with as a side effect of spinal cord injury). Meant I couldn't put shoes on and therefore couldn't practice bed to chair transfers so had to settle for 30min on weights machine.

However, after some debate was allowed go swimming and managed 14 lengths in 45 minutes, 3 more than last time.

Now have discharge date of 16 April, will be moving to accessible flat in Islington which I'm having to rent for a few months while house is being adapted, that's if the planning authority ever get to agree with anything remotely sensible - their current obsession with the rear roof line (which is invisible from road) means my lift has to be in the middle of the living room

[Swarfing]

Irving many years ago i was working on a job where they had a disappearing floor type lift. It was a circle that covered the base area of wheelchair, a square pole that sat against the wall. if it was up or down the upstairs hole was covered. The chair clipped into the floor, chances are this would not meet todays regs? but was siple lift solution for the home without taking tons of space up.

[irving2008]

Things move apace. Just as you get used to the daily routine its time to move on!

Rehab phase 1 is over, I have a full-time carer and next Thursday I leave Stanmore for a temporary rented wheelchair accessible flat in Islington until my house is ready. Going to be a whole new learning curve moving out of the safety of the institution back into a world I sort of have some control over...

[D.C.]

Things move apace. Just as you get used to the daily routine its time to move on!

Rehab phase 1 is over, I have a full-time carer and next Thursday I leave Stanmore for a temporary rented wheelchair accessible flat in Islington until my house is ready. Going to be a whole new learning curve moving out of the safety of the institution back into a world I sort of have some control over...

Can your personal butler operate a lathe and hand solder smd components?

I hope you got the important questions in at the interview. :)

[GEOFFREY]

Irving, that test drive sounds fantastic. I am so pleased that you are beginning to find solutions to a problem that at one time seemed impossible. I have also noticed that you have resumed your helpline service on the forum. Keep it up. G.