Good news

[Sheila]

Hi Lynne
Glad the wheelchair test went well. I got mine today a salsa mini. And enjoy your wav when you get it.
Best wishes Sheila.

[Lynne K]

Thanks Sheila. Good luck with your salsa mini. This is the latest that I've been up for ages. I've been getting up most days around 6.40 a.m so I'm going to be wrecked tomorrow. We've been out. Lynne

[Lynne K]

Thanks Debbie. I hope that your leg heals quickly. Enjoy your reading. I'm going to be reading too out back tomorrow whilst Steve is weeding our herb bed. I'm reading 'The Secret Barrister. It's a good read and an eye opener if you're interested in what goes on in the world, on this occassion our struggling court systems. Lynne

[Lynne K]

Thanks SueB, the councils ought to do something with our pavements. It's no joke. Lynne

[Lynne K]

Thanks Kayleigh, Lynne x

[Lynne K]

Dina,

[Terry]

Congratulations Lynne and I hope Sheila;

I'll be extra careful with two more women let loose in their wheelchairs. Seriously, do be extra careful with drops of any sort and side slopes.

Love Terry

[Sheila]

Thanks Terry, I haven't been out in the road yet. But I will be very careful with side slopes etc my hubby is keeping a eye on me.
Love Sheila

[Lynne K]

Thanks Terry. As I said the other day I've accepted the offer of more practice on kerbs without being dropped. I was told to go backwards off a kerb but the road is sloped also. I ended up going off the kerb on one back wheel but I quickly got the other off with a bit of help from the wheelchair service woman. She pushed my wheelchair to stop it tipping. She said it could manage up to 4 inches. I think it's unsafe to drive off a kerb that's on a slope/hill. But I'll get practice and will bring up this point before I do it. Lynne

[Terry]

Hi Lynne;

I have never been shown or told to go off curbs even on the flat, mind you I have a 4 wheel one.

Will it climb up a 4 inch one?

I certainly feel it's unsafe to go off if the road and path are sloping, especially if you followed her instructions and she had to stop your chair from going over. I've been over once, it's a horrible feeling in slow motion and was extremely fortunate to end up with a bruised rib, shoulder, and few grazes.

Love Terry

[Deb]

Hi Lynne,

Thanks for the book tip.. I have downloaded it because I was looking for some different reading.

My salsa mini is supposed to do up to 4 inch kerbs or drops. It doesn't tip but it feels like it's going to and backing out of the car down the ramp still feels a little scary too. I am getting used to it, however

Go carefully,
Love Debbie x

[Barry52]

Hi Debbie,

Beware of the 4 inch rule. Firstly you must be fully squared up at the kerb to avoid tipping and even then the wheelchair/scooter can ground. I know it’s not easy but always look for a dropped kerb.

Best wishes,
Barry

[Gillette]

Hi Lynne, I wasn't offered any extra help to learn about going up or down kerbs. I think I'll give them a ring to see if the wheelchair team can do it for me, too. At the moment they are trying to find me a more comfortable cushion, as well as finding a way of supporting me so that I don't keep flopping to the right.

It can feel quite scary going up or down low kerbstones (about an inch or so) although I probably approach them too fast! I also find it challenging going along a pavement where there are lots of driveways. The slope of the pavement can be quite steep.

[Lynne K]

Hi Dina. Good luck with wheelchair services meeting your needs. I learned when my WAV was brought for me to try that going down a rubbish dropped kerb, about an inch and a half, at the bottom of the slope between our front door and the road that very slowly does it. Coming back up it a bit of speed works. But I'm still tense about it.

The pavements near us are built on a hill. So slope one way because of that. Then the camber in the pavements to assist drainage slope left or right depending what side of the road you are. So it's best to stay up the highest part of the pavements. Tree roots have caused damage in all pavements, causing humps, cracks and loose surfaces. Also the road surface is loose, hence the wheels of my wheelchair skidded when trying to get up a 2 or 3 inch kerb. I only just managed it. I decided that where possible I'll avoid going off or on pavements where there isn't a dropped kerb on these hilly roads. The physics of it makes it risky. But I have to come up and down the dodgy dropped kerb by my house. There's a lovely flat one in front of our neighbours flat. I can use that when nobody's parked on it. But that's at least half the time. Lynne

[Lynne K]

That's great to read Debbie. My wheelchair is supposed to go up and down up to 4 inches. It's scary enough doing half of that. It has anti tip things attached at the back but nothing would likely hinder a sideways tip if one wheel instead of two goes either up or down. I got the feeling of going over sideways when I did my wheelchair test. But sometimes we learn better when we make unintentional errors. So I've taken that concern on board. Lynne