One of the managers at work likes to take and hide peoples stuff as a joke. My manager took my pulse ox when I wasn’t looking. When I noticed it was gone I started to panic. A pulse ox is minimum $30 and I’ve had mine for over 7 years and have named it. So yeah I was panicking. I immediately paged my manager to my register and when he arrived I demanded it back. He did give it back.
I informed him that it was stupid and dangerous of him to take a medical device from someone especially like that.
I made a zine about adjusting cheaper wheelchairs, after adjusting my NHS wheelchair.
Notes: Your wheelchair ‘service manual’ is a good resource for adjustments! You can often google them. Also, with the wheel adjustments, be prepared to move the breaks. Google how to measure for a wheelchair to find your seat width, and if you want to get extra, look at seat depth. Leg length is usually done by adjusting the footplate height.
Image description and printable version under the ‘read more’ .
Image Description:
An 8 page zine. Both images have the same content but the first one is arranged to be read on a computer. I am going to describe each page.
First page reads “A cripple’s guide to.. making a cheap(er) wheelchair work for you” and in smaller writing “by Sock - who uses an Invacare Action 2NG”. There is a drawing of a wheelchair in the centre.
Page 2 reads “Choosing a wheelchair. Look for adjustability (can you change wheel height? COG?), seat width (as close to your size as possible), and arm rests that can be lowered/removed.” Each item has a small drawing illustrating the point.
Page 3 reads “Adjusting a wheelchair. You will need… Allen key set (bike ones are good!), Pliers (for holding bolts) and Phone (for access to manuals, taking photos at each step.” Each item has a small drawing of it.
Page 4 reads “1. Adjust Wheel height. This can be done where the wheel “plugs in”. Your fingers should touch the wheel hub centre. If you can, move the wheel forward too (centre of gravity adjustment).” There is a small drawing of the wheel base, an arm reaching down to touch the centre of the wheel and a wheel base with an arrow pointing to the right showing it being moved.
Page 5 reads “2. Arm rest adjustments. Get your armrests as far down and as far back as they go. I keep mine on because of muddy weather/to protect clothes from spokes but you can also just remove them!” There is 2 drawings of a rounded and straight arm rest.
Page 6 reads “3. Modding castor wheels. Adjusting the height will change the seat angle. Smaller castor = easier turning, but makes rough pavements harder.” There is a drawing of a tilted chair with big castors and a straight chair with small castors, with a double pointed arrow between, with the caption “Play around!”
Page 7 reads “4. Footplates. You can take the footplates off and toe propel. You can make a foot sling out of a belt/luggage strap/paracord.” Both have an accompanying illustration. Then there is a note saying “if you have poor circulation, weakness, etc. oh might just want to keep the footplates on”.
Page 8 reads “5. Cushion. You need a cushion for your chair. Depending on how long you sit/how bony you are, you might need to spend a little more” then “£: Foam. ££: pressure relief cushion. £££: EBay/second hand for jay, invacare, low zone etc.”
my mom keeps trying to get me to go to the ER when im having a flare up and i have no idea what to tell her.
because ive BEEN to the ER before. you wanna know what they did? while i was sweating, shaking, and sobbing, curled in a ball of pain?
they asked me if i was on my period. when i told them no, they asked me if i was pregnant.
when i told them no, because i wasn't sexually active, they forcibly tested me anyways, and then when it came back negative said, "well maybe you should just take a few deep breaths", gave me liquid ibuprofen, and sent me home.
disabled people, in this particular situation disabled afabs, are never fucking listened to.
the ER staff literally LAUGHED at me multiple times. they pointed at me when i was having one of the worst episodes of my life and snickered.
so no, i do not want to go to the fucking ER. my heating pad, ice packs, and nausea meds are going to help me more than anything a hospital could do.
This is my 10 week old great dane mix SDiT! This big boy has a necessary vet appointment this week and next week for his puppy vaccines. We also need to get him puppy socialization classes, training tools and gear as he grows. Please support us on our journey to becoming a service dog team!
just because i am open about being disabled and consider it a part of my identity, that doesn’t mean i’m happy about it. it just means that i refuse to suffer to make myself more “convenient.”
abled people don’t seem to understand why i try to avoid getting a cold like it’s the plague, like mate im literally chronically ill, i don’t need another illness on top of it!
i hate you breathlessness i hate you brain fog i hate you dizziness i hate you tremors i hate you joint pain i hate you fatigue i hate you racing heart