Standard Function                                                                               

I have an appointment for my assessment!  It's 
next Wednesday.  Basically, I'll get in the iBOT and
they will determine if they think it will be a good
chair for me.  If I try to take a flight of stairs in
Standard Function at 8mph, they'll most likely
have a heart attack, and then not recommend the 
iBOT for me.  

The day after the assessment, they will Fed Ex me
some purchase agreement forms, I'll put $1,000
down on it, and they'll start making it for me!  I'm
going to order a hot pink leopard print seat.  Actually,
I'm pretty sure they don't offer color choices, although
I think they should.  If it were an option, I'd just order
plain old black.  Black helps me blend in with the crowd.  
Ha. 

It'll be 4 to 6 weeks in the making, and so I might get
it as soon as mid to late February.

I've been studying this CD-ROM that I wrote
about yesterday, but unlike yesterday, what I
write today is true.

The iBOT has 5 functions to choose from:
~ Standard
~ 4-Wheel
~ Balance
~ Stair
~ Remote

Today's entry is about Standard Function.

Standard Function is used on reasonably level
surfaces (wood, cement, secured carpet, etc),
slopes no greater than 5 degrees, and going over
obstacles measuring no more than 1 inch in height.

The seat is at the lowest level to access a table
or desk.

In Standard Function the iBOT has the functionality
of a conventional powerchair.

Yawn.

Practicing Using the iBOT                                                         

I have this cool CD-ROM that gives me "a 
virtual experience of the innovative functions 
and features of the iBOT 4000 Mobility System".  
It's just like a video game.  For example, it puts
you at the top of the stairs and then you are
supposed to click on the correct buttons, toggles,
and/or joystick to put it into stair climbing mode.
If you click on the correct ones, it takes you down
the flight of stairs successfully.  However, if you
get it wrong, like say you push the joystick forward,
it crashes down the stairs, breaks into pieces and
the sharp pieces fly all over the place and impale 
innocent bystanders.   And then it bursts into 
flames when it hits the bottom.  

There is another scenario when you're cruising
at 8mph down the sidewalk in standard function
and you see that you are approaching a curb.  
I'm guessing you are supposed to stop, put it in
4 wheel function, and proceed to climb the curb.
Being that I am a person of very little self-control,
I keep travelling in the standard function and slam
into the curb.  It sends me flying out of the chair,
and I skid to a stop on my face.  Then an ambulance
comes and rushes me to the ER where I have
to get a bunch of stitches.   More stuff happens,
but I haven't gotten past the part where I'm
discussing options with the plastic surgeon. 

Now I don't know how they do this, but this is the
super cool part.  I can actually feel the sidewalk
scraping my face off and the shot in the ER to
numb the area before the doctor stitches me
up.  When the numbness starts to wear off,
it's fairly painful, but the morphine helps a lot.  

I'm telling ya, this thing is going to be hot.  The
kids will be snapping these CD's up once word
gets out.

Okay, truth is, it does take you through different
scenarios, but if you get it incorrect, it tells you
you got it wrong and to try again.  It is a pretty
neat program... but the 12 year old boys aren't
going to be begging to borrow it.

It did make me think of something though.  After
you climb the stairs, you are supposed to put it
back into standard function and then back away
from the stairs.  You are only inches from the
top of the stairs and what if you are distracted
and you accidently push the joystick forward
instead of back?  That would not be a pretty
sight.  One might argue that it's no different
from a powerchair, but it actually is different
because in a powerchair, when would you ever
be in the situation of heading straight on to a
flight of stairs only inches away from the top
step?  Maybe the iBOT people made it so that
you cannot go forward immediately after climbing
stairs.  If anyone happens to know the answer
to my question (Bill?), leave a comment! 

Spring                                                                                    

I was lying in bed last night thinking about how 
much I cannot wait for spring.  I always love spring -
feeling the warm sun on my arms and face, seeing the
blooming flowers, hearing the birds sing and the
children laugh.  

This spring will be extra fantastic because I'll have
my iBOT.  I'll be able to go throughout the neighbor-
hood without worrying about my shoulders or
lack of curb cuts.  

True, a lack of curb cuts aren't that big of deal
considering there's always a driveway around,
but it's safer and more convenient to cross at
the corner.

Also, a regular powerchair would work as well
as an iBOT if it's just my shoulders I'm worried
about.  However, I've never had any desire to
spend even a couple thousand dollars on a regular
powerchair.  It would have been really nice at
certain times to have a powerchair, but not
worth the money it would cost to purchase one.  
And since I'm a para, insurance wouldn't cover
a powerchair.

I wish I could hybernate for the next 2+ months.



 

That's Incredible!                                                                                                

Two days ago, I posted:

"Kamen has also invented a compressed air
powered device which would launch a human
into the air in order to quickly launch SWAT
teams or other emergency workers to the roofs
of tall, inaccessible buildings."

Er, at least that's according to Wikipedia.  I
searched and searched for more information
about this today and I found nothing.  

This "compressed air powered device" sounds 
unreal, and unsafe.  I probably would have 
thought the same thing about the iBOT if 1o 
years ago I had read that there was a new 
wheelchair that balances on two wheels and  
climbs stairs.  The very first time I heard
about the iBOT, it was on TV, and so I also
saw it.   Even seeing it was hard to believe.

Remember that show "That's Incredible!"?
Once when I was a kid and I was watching
the show there was a story about a person
who was paralyzed.  One day this person was
struck by lightning and then suddenly they
could walk.  For a long time after that show,
I wanted to go sit out in the yard during
storms, but I never did it because I was
afraid my parents would commit me.

I'm probably not making much sense, but I'm
tired and cranky, so there.

Inventions                                           

I was reading about Dean Kamen's inventions
last night shortly before I went to bed (see 
yesterday's entry), and I was thinking about
how great it is that we have people in this world
who use their smartness to invent things that 
make people's lives better.  Then I went to bed 
and I was too tired to read so I turned the TV on. 
There was a show on the History Channel about 
weapons of mass destruction.  One of the topics 
was about the man who invented the machine 
gun and I started thinking about how much 
nicer our world would be if certain things were 
never invented, such as guns, nuclear weapons, 
nerve gases, McDonalds, the mullet hairstyle, 
the accordian, and chocolate covered bananas.    

Dean Kamen's Other Inventions                                                           
Kamen is probably most well-known to the
public from the publicity surrounding the
product that eventually became known as
the Segway HT, an electric scooter with a
complex, computer-controlled gyroscopic
stabilization and control system that keeps
the device balanced on two horizontally-
placed wheels and controlled by moving
body weight. The machine's secret
development was the object of much
speculation after segments of a book
quoting Steve Jobs and other notable
IT visionaries espousing its society-
revolutionising potential were leaked
in January 2001.

Kamen has worked extensively on a
project involving Stirling engine designs,
attempting to create a machine that would
generate power while serving as a water
purification system. He hopes the project
will help improve living standards in
developing countries.

Kamen has also invented a compressed air
powered device which would launch a human
into the air in order to quickly launch SWAT
teams or other emergency workers to the roofs
of tall, inaccessible buildings.

However, Kamen was already a successful and
wealthy inventor, after inventing the AutoSyringe,
a new type of mobile dialysis system for medical
applications, the first insulin pump, and an all-
terrain electric wheelchair known as the iBOT
using many of the same gyroscopic balancing
technologies that later made their way into the
Segway.
----------
Okay, I cheated.  I copied the above from Wikipedia.
Sorry, I've had a long and busy day and I'm tired. 

The picture is mine though.  It's a photo of a moss
rose.  These flowers have always been special to me
because my Grandma always had these flowers
popping up from the cracks in her driveway.  Fond
memories of my Gram and her garden and summer...

IBOT vs Other Power Chairs                                                    

I don't have much time, so I copied this from
Wikipedia:

The iBOT has a number of features distinguishing
it from most powered wheelchairs:

While the iBOT has four powered wheels (in
addition to two small casters used on smooth
surfaces), it is capable of balancing on a single
pair of wheels.  This mode of operation also
raises the user of the wheelchair so that their
eyes are at the same approximate level as
normally-standing people.

By rotating its two sets of powered wheels about
each other, the iBOT is capable of "walking" up
and down stairs without requiring assistance.
During independent stair climbing, the user
requires a sturdy handrail and a strong grip.
With an assistant, neither a handrail, nor a
strong grip is required.

The iBOT is capable of tethered remote control
operation (useful for loading device up steep ramps
into vehicles, or "parking" against a wall after rider
gets into bed).

A special software package called iBALANCE receives
data via various sensors and gyroscopes, allowing the
iBOT to maintain balance during certain maneuvers.
For example during curb climbing the seat remains
level while parts of the chassis tilt to climb the curb.

It allows the user to rise from a sitting level to approx.
6 ft. tall (measured from the ground to the top of the
head, and depending on the size of the occupant). It
does this by raising one pair of wheels above the other
to elevate the chassis, while a separate actuator slightly
raises the seat further. In this configuration the device
is on two wheels, and the gyroscope acts as the iBOT’s
equilibrium to keep itself stable, balancing much like
the Segway scooter. The user may also travel in this
"standing" configuration.

It can climb and descend curbs ranging from 0.1 in. To
5.0 inches, according to manufacturer's specifications.
Further, performance envelope determined by rider's
technique and risk tolerance.

It is capable of traveling on and through a large variety
of terrain and weather.

 

Some Information about SCI                                                                             
Every day more than 30 people in the United
States become paralyzed from spinal cord
injury or disease.  Spinal cord injury (SCI)
is damage to the spinal cord that results in a
loss of function such as mobility or feeling.  

Motor vehicle crashes top the list of SCI
causes, followed by acts of violence, falls,
and sports.  Most injuries occur in people
30 years old or younger, and the majority
of injuries occur in men.

SCI generally results in one of two types of
paralysis.  Quadriplegia affects the neck and
chest, and everything below.  It involves loss
of function in both the arms and  the legs.  
Paraplegia affects the legs and lower part of
the body.  Effects of SCI depend on the
level of injury (the higher the injury, the more
function loss), and whether the injury is complete
or incomplete.  A person with a complete injury
means that there is no function below the level
of injury.  An incomplete injury means that there
is some funtioning below the primary level of the
injury.    With advances in acute treatment of SCI,
incomplete injuries are becoming more common.

Which leads me to common misconception #1 :
If a person with a SCI works hard enough, they
will be able to walk again. Not true!  In my case, I
have a complete injury which means messages that go
from my brain, through my spinal cord, and to other
parts of my body, don't go through.  It doesn't matter
how hard I work or concentrate, my cord has been so
severly damaged that the message do not go through.  
I promise you, I am not sitting in this wheelchair
because I'm lazy.

Common Misconception #2:
A person with SCI has a severed spinal cord.  
Not true!  In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal
cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of
functioning.  In my case, being thrown from the car
and landing on the road caused me to break my
4th and 5th Thoracic Vertebrae.  I actually wasn't
paralyzed until hours after the accident.  I was even
walking around at the scene of the accident.  My
only obvious injury was a broken arm.  The broken
vertebrae caused swelling, and the swelling is what
crushed my spinal cord, doing irreparable damage.
In most cases though, the damage begins at the
moment of injury when displaced bone fragments,
disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal
cord tissue.  Again, most injuries to the spinal cord
don't completely sever it. Instead, an injury is more
likely to cause fractures and compression of the
vertebrae, which then crush and destroy the axons,
extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up and
down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest
of the body. An injury to the spinal cord can damage
a few, many, or almost all of these axons. Some
injuries will allow almost complete recovery. Others
will result in complete paralysis.

Common misconception #3:
People with SCI don't have normal relationships.
Not true!  The picture I am posting today is of me and
my daughter when she was a baby.  People with SCI
can and do have loving relationships.   Women with
SCI are able to give birth to normal, healthy children.

Stairs AGAIN?                                                                         

Sorry, I don't mean to dwell on stairs, but they've
been a major pain in the ass for the majority of
my life.

I was thinking this morning about how I have 
never had a friend whose home is wheelchair
accessible.  Wait, there was one friend, but he
doesn't count because he is in a wheelchair
too and so of course his place is accessible.
Other than him, I have never, ever, been able
to knock on a friend, neighbor, or family member's
front door without assistance from at least one
able bodied adult.   I mean, I was physically able
to climb steps before my accident, but I was only
8 years old when I was injured, and I'm sure
my mom wouldn't allow me to go knocking on
people's doors without an adult with me.

I suppose this might not sound like such a big
deal, and I hope it doesn't sound like I'm whining,
because I'm not, but this iBOT is a huge deal!  It's
going to, and already has, changed people's lives!  
It pisses me off that every wheelchair user can't
have one.  In a perfect world, no one would need
a wheelchair.  But since hundreds of thousands
of people do need a wheelchair, and our world
was built for walkers, it's only right that every
person who would benefit from an iBOT should  
have an iBOT.  There are a wide variety of 
reasons why many wheelers don't have iBOTs, but 
the number 1 reason is that it's expensive.  Most
insurance companies  aren't willing to pay for a $23,900
wheelchair when they figure the person can get
by perfectly fine with a $2,000 manual wheelchair.
That's gotta change, but I'm completely clueless
as to how to make that happen.   
 

Stairs Again                                                                        

I was thinking about how in my 28 years of
being carried up and down stairs, I've never
been dropped.  I used to allow people to get
me up stairs all the time.  Even strangers.  
Even drunk strangers.  Now that I'm a mom,
I don't do stuff like that anymore.  I let some
people get me up stairs, but only if I know them,
and they are sober, and I think they are capable.

Last New Year's Eve I went to a friend's party.
She has a million steps to her front door.  Or
maybe about 20.  Either one, it was a lot of
stairs.  I really didn't want to be a bother, plus
it was dark and rainy and I didn't know if the
guys carrying me were sober or not.  I would
have declined the invitation but my daughter
really wanted to go.  

Kind of the same thing happened this year, except
there was no alcohol involved, and the flight of
stairs was inside the house, where it was well lit
and dry.  Like last year, the carry was fine.  They
didn't drop me and as far as I know, they didn't
hurt themselves.  I ended up having a fun time,
so I'm glad I went.  :)

Next New Year's Eve, ain't no one gonna have
to get me up the stairs cuz with a little help from
a machine attached to my butt, I'll be doing it all
by myself.  :D