diabeticgonewild Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 I am getting to a point where a wheelchair may be my best option for being successfully academically and happy with my life. I have took medical withdrawal four times since starting my undergraduate career. I have been unable to work or go to school for about two years now. I am only able to go out to the grocery store and get a few things due to my dysautonomia. I also cannot take showers.I think that a powered wheelchair may be my best option due to the fact that propelling may be an issue and reclining may be useful. How would I go about asking my neurologist for one?Should I go to Mayo, Vanderbilt, or the Cleveland Clinic for further evaluation?I have AAG and I have not improved much in the year I since I have been diagnosed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneymom Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Our cardiologist wrote the wheelchair prescription for my son. I took the prescription to the physical therapist that was working with my son. She had to write the letter of medical necessity to our insurance company and explain why he needed a powered wheelchair. This whole process took about 4 months but was worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeticgonewild Posted May 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Our cardiologist wrote the wheelchair prescription for my son. I took the prescription to the physical therapist that was working with my son. She had to write the letter of medical necessity to our insurance company and explain why he needed a powered wheelchair. This whole process took about 4 months but was worth it.Was the wheelchair prescription specifically for a powerchair?Did you have any comprehensive evaluations from any of the autonomic centers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneymom Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Our cardiologist wrote out on a prescription pad that our son needed a wheelchair due to these medial reasons. He listed several things. Due to the mobility issues that he was having, the physical therapist wrote up a letter of necessity that a power assist wheelchair was needed to meet my son's mobility needs. He has a Quickie 2 Wheelchair frame with e-motion power-assist wheels. The wheels come off and are recharged at night and he has a second pair of wheels that would just normally come with a regular wheelchair. So if he forgets to charge, he has an extra set of wheels. It's bright yellow and he named his chair Bumblebee. He is a transformers fan. The chair does not recline but he is very happy to have more mobility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeticgonewild Posted May 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Thank you.I was thinking about getting a manual wheelchair with a Smartdrive. The smartdrive is a new kind of power assist. Medicare is covering it, under certain circumstances. I found this out from http://sci.rutgers.edu. I use that site to check out what kind of wheelchair I might need.This is a video of the Smartdrive: It costs a lot for no coverage. http://bike-on.com/product/max-mobility-smartdrive-2026.htmAnyways, if I can't get power assist, I will get an Icon wheelchair, which is a fully adjustable rigid chair. If I can get power assist, I will probably get a TiLite ZRA or TiLite TR3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneymom Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Hope you can get what you need, so you can get more out of life. Sounds like you are wanting to go back to college. I wish you all the best. I was a former special education high school teacher and I always encouraged my students to aim high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeticgonewild Posted May 14, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Hope you can get what you need, so you can get more out of life. Sounds like you are wanting to go back to college. I wish you all the best. I was a former special education high school teacher and I always encouraged my students to aim high.Thank you.I am studying electrical engineering and I am currently a junior. I am going to graduate someday; I just have to get my health sorted out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeticgonewild Posted May 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 I just went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and I had a pre-syncope/vasovagal reaction.I literally almost passed out. Now I am extremely exhausted from the incident.I have also been going "blind" when I stand up over the past few weeks.I am probably going to have to get a chair, with power assist, such as the Smartdrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 This is the powerchair I had, I really really loved it, really easy to manage, adjustable (possibility for sitting, reclining, legs up) and quite narrow (to drive around in shops). I no longer need it but highly recommend it!https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1945_1031333862005_7430_n.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneymom Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 CorinaI drive one of the smaller jeeps. Does it break down easily or does it stay in one piece? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Hi mom, this comes in one piece We bought a van when I was in a scooter so when I got the powerchair we didn't have any problems with transportation. I really enjoyed it as it has lots of possibilities re positioning and I found it super comfy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeticgonewild Posted May 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Hi mom, this comes in one piece We bought a van when I was in a scooter so when I got the powerchair we didn't have any problems with transportation. I really enjoyed it as it has lots of possibilities re positioning and I found it super comfy.I am concerned about accessibility issues. In the US, an accessible vehicle probably gets a $3,000 reduction on cost, by both the car manufacturers and the US government, on a $40,000 accessible vehicle. Obviously the cost is tax-deductible, but still.You could get a lift for a powered wheelchair and put it in the back seat of a van or SUV, but the chair can easily weigh 200 pounds. I am concerned about the powered wheelchair being a projectile in an accident, so I do not think this option is viable.Also, putting the powered wheelchair on the outside of the vehicle on a platform does not seem viable, especially if it rains. Also, a car accident would be really bad, and not only is the chair susceptible to damage, it could be a projectile that could cause significant injury, even if the chair is on the outside of the car.So I guess paratransit/access bus would be the best option, for me, if a powered wheelchair was ideal, and I was unable to get a accessible minivan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneymom Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 I will keep our future transportation in mind. I'm hopeful that in a few years, that my son will not need a wheelchair it any more. His wheelchair breaks down so it can be hauled inside the jeep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diabeticgonewild Posted May 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 I will keep our future transportation in mind. I'm hopeful that in a few years, that my son will not need a wheelchair it any more. His wheelchair breaks down so it can be hauled inside the jeep.Hopefully he won't need a wheelchair in the future.Yeah, manual wheelchairs are not a problem.The permobil-type (a brand), joystick powered/motorized wheelchairs are an accessibility issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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