Is My New Wheelchair Really *That* Perfect?

Is my new wheelchair really that perfect? Three months in, I thought I would give another review, and answer all of your questions. (This video is not sponsored)

ast Video:
Stupid things People say about my disability
Why your comments to disabled people Hurt
I became a wheelchair user & this shocked me the most

I have so many videos from travel vlogs, to disney vlogs, so have fun and don’t forget to subscribe.
Gem

#Shorts #Wheelchair #SpinalCordInjury

After suffering my spinal cord injury i have really had to adapt in life. So Im showing you my disability lifestyle to raise disability awareness. As a disabled woman and a woman in a wheelchair who is paralysed, I thought it would be interesting for you to see, and hopefully give you some inspiration and motivation so that you can live more independently. wether you are paraplegic or quadriplegic I hope that I can help you. The wheelsnoheels message is “so no one has to feel alone.”

I have lots of interesting disability videos, a lot of videos on how to cope with a disability and living life in a wheelchair, wether you are a girl boy woman or man. i have some paraplegic exercise videos, and advice. its important to keep your fitness levels up as much as possible as this can when physically and mentally with depression.

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•this video is just how I do it. there may be other ways which for for you. I cannot accept any responsibility for the actions you take after watching this video. You should always speak to a trained certified, medical professional first before undertaking any new activities.

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[someonerandom]

I don’t think people realise just how vital it is to get a properly fitted and suitable wheelchair. It truly changes your life.

[brianmartin]

My condition has gotten worse over time, and I got my first custom wheelchair 6 days ago. There's a feeling of liberation, because of how much easier it is to get around now. I've been really enjoying your videos, and they have helped me understand this new life ahead of me. A big thank you.

[bluedeva]

Finding the ‘right wheelchair’ is mind blowing, at just how much easier it makes daily living. For years I had a basic issue wheelchair and it unfortunately was more of a burden than a help. It was too big, heavy to lift in and out of the car, took ages to unfold and put together and was actually painful to use. Thankfully when I went to my wheelchair centre to ask for repairs the list was too long. So luckily my centre made sure to make my new chair custom fitted. 🤯🤩 fortunately they had some different models to try and he could see that I had been sitting wrong. I now have a custom active rigid lightweight wheelchair(kuschall), I opted for a more bucket seat position with the low back and the push handles can click out of the way so I didn’t catch my clothes on them anymore. The quick release spinergy wheels with solid tyres and the y shape taper with small fat castors. I opted for custom cushion to stop me slouching when I get tired. You inspired me to get an under chair bag so don’t have to worry aboutmy purse, phone and keys being pinched from the backpack. I can get my chair in and out of the car so easily. I also treated myself to some spare all terrain wheels with wheel bags so I can switch them over and not drag mud and dirt thru my house/car. Bring on the sunny days! Please for anyone struggling in your wheelchair in the uk give your nhs wheelchair centre a call and ask for an appointment to get fitted for a wheelchair and try out some different chairs. Thank you so much for these wheelchair tips videos as it has really helped open my life up again and given more independence. 🤗 love your new 🦽🤗

[Tanny.M]

Gem, thank you for all your videos over the years, it's truly been so helpful, informative and even entertaining too. I found myself needing a wheelchair due to Fibromyalgia a couple of years ago. I turned to your channel for every single thing I had to learn, every single worry or query I had. And I was always able to find the answers here, from pushing tips for my husband to flying with the wheelchair and everything in between. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You truly made a positive difference in my life 🌹❤

[jjk]

Thank you for the lessons. I have been walking on crutches for 65 years and now it's time for a wheelchair. This is a difficult time and I need to learn from you younger people. I wish you a good life

[HParadoxa]

I have the the carbolife curve with the rubber gutter and it is extremely nice in term of grip, specially since they have a small version for people with small hands, which I have and it makes it very hard to use standard-sized push rims, and I wouldn't change it for anything, but yea, I wear gloves constantly and they melt lmao (then again I drive very- um- aggressively)

I have a very inclined seat too and I find it super useful and comfortable, it's so easy to stay well sat even taking bumps, easy to store stuff on your lap, it's just very comfy.

Your new chair seems super great and I'm so happy you like it!

[katedellorbo]

Thanks for this video! I’m a bit late to the party as I just ordered my first lightweight ‘tippy’ chair, so I can relate to the lost sleep!! But here’s hoping it has the same effects as yours!! I can’t wait to get out more and be more active! I’ve also ordered the freewheel to make getting around a bit easier, I hope!

[rachelmayes]

Thank you for showing us and explaining to us newbies of wheelchairs how much technology, and choices you have. I’m at the beginning stage, where I’ve now realised my disability has got the better of me now, and I can no longer go shopping with my sticks anymore. The pain is just too much for me. May I ask everybody, have any of you had any problems from your partner/spouse when it comes to discussing getting a wheelchair?? We’ve known this would be the scenario for many years, but as the time has come, he comes across as if he’ll be embarrassed to be with me. He keeps trying to stop me from looking into this process, but I want my life back. If it was the other way round I would be supporting him, he even hates me using sticks, and says I should lean on him, but that is no good for me. It’s like I’m an embarrassment. Thank you for your wonderful video

[omeokate]

So happy for you! That was a great review! I got a new Omeo wheelchair and it’s so wonderful to feel comfortable in my chair now. I love the core workout it provides. I went on the beach for the first time in 20 years and played chicken with the waves.

[rhetoricalrune]

My new Tilite chair is so much better than the Quickie I first got after my injury. When I was trying to figure out how to navigate with it I couldn't fathom how anyone could just lift a wheelchair like that. I love my chair now.
It was really good to hear about the stimulite; I'm glad it's served you well! I'm so glad to hear your chair is working so well for you.

[kerrysmiles]

I think you finally inspired me to submit to insurance for my new chair. I'm about 2 years overdue but I just didn't want to go through everything it takes to get one. The stress alone because of how delayed everything always is pre-pandemic now it's going to be even worse. My hips have been in so much pain though so I really think it's time. I would really love my chair to be lighter too.

[dacktal]

I’m so glad to hear it’s a great fit and match for you! Hearing it’s saving spoons and giving you energy just makes me so happy!

[WheelsWalking]

even your body fits in it more precisely - i love seeing a well fitted chair! im sure you feel more alive and free :)

[daver]

Looks like a great chair. A comment on your handrim color choice. Black handrims show scratches more easily. Combined with black tires, black wheels (rims, spokes, hubs) and black upholstery the chair all but disappears at night. Especially if you are wearing dark clothing. Makes you stealthy but also more likely to get hit in a car park. I thought it would be really cool but...

[ReyOfLight]

The more rigid the chair is, the better maneuverability it generally has and better comfort as you go around. Even just such a thing as foldable footrests makes the structural integrity different in the chair. I had foldable footrests on a rigid frame chair when I got my first custom chair and the footrests felt like rabid bats under my feet so it was quickly changed to solid footrest which was better but then went to reinforced solid footrests as I got a FreeWheel and I just haven’t looked back! Reinforced footrest is my jam! I’ll always have reinforced footrest on my chair now with or without having a FreeWheel because that extra rigidity up front in the chair is just gold! My first chair was a Panthera S2, followed by a U2 which is tapered, and now since 2018 I have a U3 which is the newer generation of U2 with better upholstery and a bit lower weight.

Also my OCD! Your wheels! I don’t know about you, but I have to have my Marathon Plus wheels so that the narrow part of the pattern points forward. And it actually does also affect the feel when pushing as the threading is made to be with the narrow point being forward. It’s just a minor detail but omg it gets me every time lol

And having a seat dump really makes a world of difference! I don’t have it by structure in my U3 as it doesn’t have that option, but to have a dump we’ve loosened the Velcro straps under the seat to create that angle. If I had needed more, I’d probably have had to try Quickie Helium or a Küschall chair instead, and the latter isn’t very easy to get in my part of Sweden as it’s outside of the standard assortment of active chairs (you can get one, but it’s just a lot of extra paper work and stuff) that my region has deals on. Panthera is by far the most common chair in Sweden and luckily they’re awesome, only they don’t fit everyone if having very specific seating needs.
Also to trick my body a bit with the dump, I have the StimuLite Contoured XS cushion in my chair and it has the hollowed out bum pit so the cushion too makes my bum sit lower than my knees, along with having loosened the Velcro under the seat some, the combination of both probably makes me sit at about the same angle as you do and it really does help a lot

[georgecurtis]

Looks like you got something better that works for you. As to the rims, I have plain round metal rings. They originally came coated with a hard rubber but twice, I destroyed them in about a month. I use my rims as guides and slides to go through doors and other things. And yes, they look like it also. I live in a hot part of calif and find the rims hot at times but not to the point of being unusable, the cool down quickly. Same when it gets cold. I rarely use gloves, they just dont help much, no feel. My cushion is slightly slanted towards the back and it would freak me out if I lost seating height. So that is something I would not do. My chair is a rigid one sombasically no looseness. The best thing I ever did to my chair that made an amazing differance was to install spinergy wheels. What a differance made my chair go from a std car to a sports car. I know you won't like the idea but I have been carrying a pair of bbq tongs on the back that I can easily reach and use for reaching things just out of reach or that drop on the ground. Anyway, enjoy the new chair and I'm waiting for you to go down the path or sidewalk with one wheel off the ground now.

[rickyknives]

i've been binging your wheelchair fitting series lately as i'm FINALLY going to get a better fitting chair! I'm in Sweden and I was given a basic Etac Cross 6 chair as my first one. It's a clunky military tank of a chair meant more for being carer driven rather than me driving it myself. It was this big and heavy foldable wheelchair with the footplates super far out, with permanently mounted handlebars i can't fold down, with armrests WELDED TO the sideguards. It simply was not meant for a semi-active ambulatory user like myself. It's over 15kgs, and living in a hilly city I simply CAN'T use it outdoors! It led to me actively deciding against using it even on days where I'd need it. The OT who prescribed it to me was also super against me having a wheelchair, tried making me choose a roller or a walking frame instead, despite her already knowing all the issues I have with putting weight on my wrists, and once she finally agreed on the chair, she was super dismissive of my concerns and went "This is the ONLY chair we can get you. We need to save the good chairs for the people who ACTUALLY can't walk." and then had the audacity to laugh as if it was funny! I just felt horribly embarrassed about my needs. Over a year with this mess of a chair, trying to make it work with weight loss and building muscle to use it easier, and it just didn't work. So I've finally managed to get another OT to listen to my worries and she'll get me in for a fitting appointment for an active chair AND possibly some add-ons if needed.

After a bunch of research I'm really hoping for a Panthera U3 chair, hopefully with a SmartDrive to help me with the steep hills in my city!

[wheelie]

Due to your series I’ve ordered my new wheelchair and bike attachment today, Thanks Gem!

[ShaunySchippers]

So happy that it is all you wanted. Just one note in the shot of your pushrims you have the wheels on the wrong side. The tire profile the arrows need to point forward. Yours did point backward. That makes pushing even easier

[IceFish.]

i had a stimulite for 2 weeeks and got a pressure sore so i stick to jay cushions now was in 2018