The wonders of life with a Power Chair

I had polio as a child at age four, way back in 1948.  I have been able to have a nice life walking with a brace on my left leg and forearm crutches.  I graduated from college walking all over the campus sometimes barely making it to classes on time, but I did it.  I met my husband who was a first year professor there and we were married and  had three sons. 

I am now divorced.  When I hit my mid fifties I found that balancing going up and down stairs became increasingly difficult.  I found this odd.  I was aware of Post Polio, and had started to use my manual chair as a way of trying to save my abilities.  I became more and more afraid to go places alone as I seem to fall more often.  I worried a lot. I broke a bone in my wrist and still tried to walk with the pain.  Finally a friend and a doctor convinced me to find a post polio doctor. 

When I was diagnosed with post polio my new doctor told me that I was not to walk any more than absolutely necessary.  She said that I needed to use a power chair, and the manual chair would not do as my arms were also effected by polio.  I had a scooter that I had used occasionally when needed and I started using that until I could get an electric wheelchair.  I felt like the scooter made me look less handicapped.  I hesitated to use a power chair.  Using the scooter in the house was difficult as it was large and took up a lot of room.

Once I was able to get a power chair, I found that the whole world opened up to me once more.  In fact there were things that I could do from the chair that I could not do with my crutches.  I had always had to have either my husband or one of my boys help me do grocery shopping.  I could push a cart but getting the bags in and out of the car and into the house was impossible.  For the first time with a scooter or with a power chair I was free to shop on my own.  Yes, sometimes I needed to ask for help reaching things being vertically challenged sitting, but I have quickly learned that people in general are more than glad to give a helping hand.  I have also found out that helping someone else makes people feel good.

I have been using my power chair for about fifteen years now.  I go to work in a business that my youngest son and I own.  I manage the business end doing the books and answering the emails.  I paint and sell my paintings.  I even have taken care of my grandson when he was a baby from my scooter, and power chair.  I found it much easier to care for a baby from my chair than it was walking with crutches.  Lots of things have become easier I can carry things and move items around in the house.  For the first time I can actually carry a plate of food to the table.

My world opened up rather than closed down with the use of a power chair.  There are some downsides, but as a whole having the use and maneuverability of the chair is liberating.