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Eigude Shame XVI

Friday, June 8th, 2012

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Yesterday, after a long time, I wanted to see a movie at the cinema with my wife.

The seat reservation proved to be a little difficult because this was only possible online, and although you could click on the “one” wheelchair place nothing happened.

I tried to call the cinema several times and learned that after around 30 times ringing you get kicked out the line by the telephone system.

We reserved the two seats next to the wheelchair place (apparently the places were next to each other) and drove with the car to the cinema.

Surprisingly there were actually all two disabled parking places at the rear exit vacant, whereas on one two pedestrians with lots of tools were standing who immediately made room for my “parking”.

I turned my car in a one-way-street and parked the wrong way round because at the pavement side getting off the car is hardly possible for me even with assistance, and my wheelchair loading system is not working properly.
For this purpose I made up an additional “permit card” so that our friendly officers hopefully won’t find a new parking place for me.

“Due to wheelchair loading system parking in opposite direction of travel.”

In the meantime a hired minivan arrived, parked on the other disabled parking place, and the two guys stored away their tools. I didn’t say anything, the loading couldn’t last forever.

At the cinema box office I got the explanation that it was possible to book the wheelchair place online, but sometimes it wouldn’t work. Great…!!
Nevermind, we just had to pay for one ticket, and the wheelchair place was still available.

At half height in the cinema, nobody directly in front, that’s quite nice.
The seat numbers were a bit strange, seat 13 and seat 91, but that would be right.
Some construction engineer has excelled himself. It was probably built according to the latest EU directive for inclusion (equal treatment of handicapped and non-handicapped). Ingenious, our own

wheelchair waiting zone in the cinema.

Praiseworthy, the emergency telephone on the wall and the spacious place directly next to an emergency exit.

Please note the especially high raised

Anti-Snogging-Wall,

which also prevents rigorously undesirable conversations with the companion during the movie.

There was actually just a wall between us and a romantic cinema date.

The movie was great, it even had a guy in a wheelchair.
It played in a country where traditionally fried, amputated amphibian extremities are eaten*.

When I was back at my car I was a little bit annoyed that the minivan was still standing on the second disabled parking place.

I know that the fire protection requirements in a cinema are strict, but

TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!!!

I am still a little unclear about what I should actually wait for in the waiting zone, there was not even anybody coming to sell ice cream.

*France, (frog’s legs) ;-)

Translator BL

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Posted in General, Car and Hand Throttle, Handicap Parking, Chock, Eigude- Shame | 7 Comments »

Inconceivable…!!!

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

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Post a comment!!!

I don’t have a description for “this” any more!!!

Translator BL

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Posted in General, Handicap Parking, Eigude- Shame | 19 Comments »

Chock Part XIII: It’s my fault!

Saturday, April 14th, 2012

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When I am every 3 months at the beginning of each quarter jumping into the snake pit marked by the sign

“Required medication and medical devices”

I globally put the blame on myself meanwhile. If nothing works out right away despite all my efforts, it has to be up to myself, otherwise it is not explicable to me anymore.

In the novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Doulas Adams there is a truck driver who is always on the road in the rain. Unbelievable… he is a rain god, he just doesn’t know it himself.

It is probably similar with me and my orders of medication and medical devices, otherwise I would have to claim that nobody does his work properly anymore, and I don’t want to be assumptive.

After I paid my 10 €-membership fee every 3 months (translator’s note: as a member of a public health insurance in Germany you have to pay a surcharge of 10 € per quarter for medical consultation) the fun begins. I get a bunch of prescriptions from my family physician, where you can’t expect at 16 positions that everything is filled out correctly. It must be my karma that even the corrected prescriptions include minor errors sometimes.

If everything is correct, the prescriptions are split in two piles, medical devices and medication prescriptions, and then scanned immediately, because I don’t trust myself anymore.

I would like to point out here that I always pretty much need the same stuff.

I place the order of the medical devices per e-mail and attach the scanned prescriptions, and I send the original prescriptions by good old mail later.

For my pharmacy order I use a conventional telephone. The probability that I receive all pills as ordered in the correct quantities and from the correct producer is virtually zero and belongs into the realms of fantasy.

You can’t seriously expect that in a subsequent delivery with 3 boxes on the delivery slip also 3 boxes are included. With 2 boxes still 66% are correct, grade D, passing, okay…

The quantity of pills was correct this time, for a change the delivery slip wasn’t.

Now the delivery guy has put a box of pills in my mailbox which I will return personally today, whereupon I am convinced that I will hold exactly this box in my hands in 3 months time, this is not Aspirin.

Why is it not working, it can only be up to me…

It is not better with my medical devices.

Due to the so-called direct shipments I receive my materials from 4 different deliverers, who honour me with their visit between 10 and 19 h.

The guys always want to put the cartons on my knees and get off, I don’t like this at all. In the evening my corridor wall with all its boxes reminds a bit of the Berlin Wall.

In one of the warehouses they seem to have too much cardboard boxes and filling material. For 4 boxes of compresses and 1 liter skin cleaner they use a box of 60cm x 60 cm. As my friend usually says: Logistics doesn’t have anything to do with logic.

This time it was even the wrong type of compresses, they can pick up their box again, in the meantime it will stand in my way again. Maybe in an act of revenge I will put some old files from my apprenticeship into the box.

I don’t want to get upset anymore and I keep it with Douglas Adams:

I am probably a

God of Wrong Deliveries.

If everything would work out well at once I could certainly take some pills less.

Translator BL

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Posted in General, Chock, Eigude- Shame, Technical Aids | 2 Comments »

(Deutsch) Eigude Pranger XV

Sunday, April 1st, 2012

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

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Eigude Shame Part XXIV

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

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At this stage I would especially like to thank my wife, who consistently takes many great photos without which this blog would never be possible in this way.

The long and winding road that leads to election!!!

I live in Frankfurt/Main near the “Riedhof“ primary school.

Since 2008 I visit these premises regularly for local, federal state and Bundestag elections… (see older blogpost).

 

For years there was a mobile “do-it-yourself wooden ramp” placed at the right school entrance, which according to my perception slightly exceeded the regulated 6 degrees and bridged two steps of a stairway.

I am asking the electoral assistants since years to forward this deficit to the appropriate positions.
I know that there is a wheeler who has to use this ramp regularly.

On Sunday we citizens were supposed to elect a new mayor in a run-off election. Thus I could undergo the ramp test for a second time this year.

Each election has a certain charm for me, if something might have changed in the meantime. This is a good reason to vote ;-)

2 weeks ago at the first ballot my wife noticed immediately that the ramp on the left entrance had to bridge just one step.
The ramp was somehow different, something had changed…???

Actually there was something different, but somehow it still wasn’t any less steeply, or am I misled???

I asked my wife once again to take photos!

When I compared the ramp pictures with those from a year ago, even I was once speechless.

A real specialist has sawn through the ramp horizontally so that it fitted on the one step of the left entrance of the school.
Have a look yourself, although the ramp is shorter, it is steeper than before.

If the person who shortened the ramp or let it shorten has converted the ramp according to the latest mathematical conclusions which I am not aware of, and if today the angle of 6° is something different than during my schooldays, I don’t know.

Just yesterday I came to the conclusion that nobody can be accused for the steepness of the ramp. Angulations like e.g. calculations with old uncle Pythagoras exceed the subject matters of primary school.

If the city of Frankfurt would be engaged one day in the scientific fundamental research of calculating wheelchair ramps, I am hereby offering my help.
I would immediately provide my old set square free of charge.

Are we going to help the city of Frankfurt together with the calculation of the ramp length???

Word problem for you:
To bridge a 90° steep step of 25 cm height measured from the ground, to allow wheelers the civil right to get to a polling place by themselves, a 1,2 m wide ramp shall be built.
How long does it have to be if the angle of elevation must not exceed 6°?
Please disclose calculation method.

Post your calculations as comment, or as usual to rollinator@eigude.de

Maybe I will forward these calculations directly to the Frankfurt electoral office ;-)

Translator BL

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Posted in General, Chock, Eigude- Shame, Technical Aids | 4 Comments »

Addendum to Eigude Shame XXII

Sunday, March 11th, 2012

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I have reported on 26.01.12 (see older blogpost) how I was fighting against windmills similar to Don Quixote.

My windmills were just wheelchair tickets for

Sunrise Avenue,

in the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt (an event hall), which basically shouldn’t have been a big challenge.

I didn’t let up for months and amongst others wrote directly to the band asking why I was ignored??? I am still waiting for a message on their part… so be it…!!!
Meanwhile the concert was sold out!

In the meantime I wasn’t keen on going/rolling to the concert any more although eventually the desired object was lying in front of me.
Yesterday the day had finally arrived, the concert moved a little into the background, I was rather curious if I would be the only wheeler, and how possible other wheelchair fellows got their tickets.

I already saw a couple of wheelchair busses on the parking lot, which made me hope not to be the only frequent driver.

The guys from the Red Cross accompanied me with the lift to the first floor (see older blogpost).

They told me I should go directly to the wheelchair tribune, there were already some wheelers there, and it could get a bit tight. I was also told about the difficult ticket organization.

It was “organized excellently”. A very strong employee of a security company, he made me fear with his figure, pushed me up an extra steep designer ramp, probably there was a sculptor at work, on a small tribune.

The tribune wasn’t big, even for us small people. In the end it was fully occupied with 13 wheelchairs. Later I saw two wheelchairs which were not standing on the tribune and wouldn’t have fit onto it either!!!

I don’t know how many more fellow wheelers were standing in the audience, but the companion had to stand among the pedestrian crowd due to lack of space.

For rehabilitation purposes I have to admit that the guys on stage in front – although they can’t write e-mails – are real stage hogs, and I have seen/heard a great rock concert.

After the concert as usual it got a bit cramped in the crowd. On a bistro table in the crowd there stood a giant with estimated shoe size 46. I dared to struggle through the crowd with my wheelchair exactly where he stood.

He didn’t bother to take his splendid foot out of the way by only 5 cm and send a contemptuous look downwards.

I looked up, grinned and said to him:

I will make myself small!!!

Then he took the foot away ;-)

Translator BL

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Eigude Shame Part XXII

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

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Every now and then ones mind needs a bit of culture… might it be tickets for the opera, the ballet, a drama or a trash metal concert, the purchase of a ticket for wheelers always can be very difficult and different at any time you’ll try it. You have to take this sportingly, otherwise only psychotropic drugs may help.

In earlier days you went to the ticket center, placed the money on the desk and you got your ticket, or you didn’t because the event was sold out already. To manage this online wasn’t a problem either.
Next time when you are ordering a ticket online try to search for a ticket for wheelers…

Forget about ordering!!!

Nearly every time the tickets for wheelers are sold by the promoter of the event. What a madness!!!
The reason is a mystery and they probably don’t know why themselves.
Probably it was like this ever since.

At some concerts the friendly mate of the ticket center is able to organize the tickets at the promoter. Then you’re on with only two phone calls, one email, an online transfer of the payment and the hope for delivery of the ticket by mail. If you ordered an additional ticket for your “escort” it means to cross the fingers twice.

Alternatively the ticket or call center provides you with a phone number of the promoter of that event. With a little bit of luck they run their own ticket shop and you reach an arrangement quickly.
If the phone number belongs to the managing director the procedure may take a little time, but you should appreciate that this guy also has other things to do. Razzing him a bit doesn’t harm…

Till now I always managed to get a ticket anyway if the concert tickets weren’t sold out before, but slowly even I get mad…

Project: wheelchair ticket for Sunrise Avenue

Fairytale gone bad!!!

(song title, Sunrise Avenue)

When calling the official ticket center I was redirected to a cell phone number. That mate gave me another extension number. When calling, a cell phone again, I was told that the mailbox is occupied completely, great…! Unusually I got a callback of the managing director himself, he told me that there were tickets available and gave me an email address: tickets@***.de.

During weeks I wrote emails which weren’t answered at all. Meanwhile my pulse went up, so I contacted the band Sunrise Avenue directly on the 6th of January (the email address was posted on the official website of the band) and called attention for the grievance that I was ignored totally.

Today we have the 26th of January and I haven’t got any reply from them either yet. Well, it’s understandable and comprehensible that they can’t answer everybody, and they can easily waive the price of one ticket. Despite that wheelers need a lot of space!!!

Does anybody actually take me seriously???

At the 10th of January I called the official phone number of the ticket center at the promoter of the event again. This time it was a call center, but they couldn’t sell me a wheelchair ticket either. Instead I got a phone number, this time the extension number “0” with which I reached the managing director again, how apt… ;-)

Am I the „Hauptmann von Köpenick“??? (German story)

After a conclusive argumentation of the boss why none of my inquiries were answered he promptly issued me an invoice for the ticket online. After settlement I should receive the ticket by mail.
I paid online immediately!

After a week I inquired on the phone where my ticket was?? The invoice number had been missing and the accounting wasn’t able to assign the payment… ho, ho , ho…!!

The day before yesterday I finally received the ticket, meanwhile the anticipation is limited.

At first sight we couldn’t even see what is the difference to a „normal“ ticket:


Just at a look on the backside you can discover the special feature: besides the handwritten (!) notice ” + escort” there was an official stamp with a signature (presumably of the managing director himself):

I will visit that event in any case, at least to get to know if I am the only wheeler at the concert??

I’m eager to see if I’ll get a message from the band Sunrise Avenue before the concert.

Translator Teo

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Eigude Shame Part XXI

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Home

There are various reasons for somebody to make himself comfortable in a wheelchair. I won’t go into any more detail concerning this point. With a little practice you can guess what has happened to this guy who crosses your way twenty meters before you’re close to him.

I would like to mention at this point that most of us just aren’t able to walk or to walk anymore, and apart from that the neuronal networking is at least at the same level with the average population.

It is not necessary to reject anybody who isn`t able to walk anymore and send him into retirement. There are too little jobs for wheelers!!

On TV you sometimes see actors doing pleasure rides in a wheelchair. An affected person would never take a seat in such a crap chair. A real wheeler brings his own requisite.

At advertising shots for technical aids like wheelchairs, handcycles, wheelchair accessories and special clothing I demand a few jobs for us. Indeed due to the paralysis the belly gets a little bigger, but with Photoshop you can retouch this without any problems. ;-)

Recently a glossy promotional sheet for wheeler clothing fluttered into my mailbox.

That’s not bad though so you always keep up to date what is hip regarding clothing, colours and accessoires during the next wheelchair season.

The supposed „colleague“ has a top handcycle with motor support harnessed to his wheelchair. This is even a special type of handcycle for a quadriplegic like me, who barely can or are completely disabled to grasp. When driving the hands are fixed and you change gears with your chin.

At least the model, probably a pedestrian or a paraplegic who has never seen a handcycle before, should have had to be told how to grasp the handles.

Does that always have to attract my attention only?

There they are, our jobs…!!!

Hands in handles should look roughly like this, look at my picture:

I don’t look too bad for a model, do I? OK, the belly is cut off 8-)

Translator Teo

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Posted in General, Eigude- Shame, Technical Aids, Technical Aids for Quadriplegic, Sport | 3 Comments »

Technical Aids Test Week Lanzarote part one

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

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This time, the compatibility of my wheelchair-tractive “Minitrac”

with my leg orthosis should have been primarily in focus of this technical aids test week.

Well, this masterplan could not be realized hundred percent.

Following the freightage chaos with my Minitrac from Crete back to Frankfurt (see older post) in June I started a new attempt.

This time everything should have been organised better, I wanted to estimate all eventualities, the destination were the Canary Islands, Lanzarote to be precise.

The only plane that flies from Frankfurt to Lanzarote on Sundays already leaves the ground at five o’clock in the morning

And if it is Christmas day, to say December, 25th 2011, this case gets an extra kick.

My medical devices, the wheelchair and the Minitrac (a weight of roundabout 70 Kg) were registered at TUIfly by my travel agency. These medical devices are transported by airlines for free when you register them previously, but the Minitrac was not mentioned on the confirmation of TUIfly.

After an inquiry at the TUIfly Hotline they confirmed the registration, but only the IT-System knows why only half of the medical devices registration arrived at my travel agency in black and white (or: in writing).

Because I live nearby the airport (the sound of the new runway is an insistent proof of this outstanding infrastructure) I considered a pick-up time by the transport service at 02:45 o’clock reasonable. Therefore the giving time of christmas gifts on Decembre 24th had to be a little bit shorter…

Already a couple of months before I fixed this pick-up time with the wheelchair transport service. I repeat: Decembre, 25th 2011 at 02:45 o’clock in the morning. That’s a point…

Three days before departure I wanted to have a confirmation for this appointment again – I enjoy making phone calls often to chase things up.

Nobody could remember the date to pick me up at home for transport to the airport.

The wheelchair taxi that we have in our luxury city Frankfurt is at night on duty by direct call only, which makes sense when you have a flat tyre or are „flat“ in another sense while you are “on tour” in the middle of the night. Unfortunately making a reservation is not possible.

With assistance I can get on and off a normal taxi.

Heavy hearted I decided to postpone my planned Minitrac-leg orthosis-compatibility-test, because I won’t expect any taxi driver to heave my Minitrac in and out of the car boot, sniiif…

I almost wanted to discharge my technical aids test travelling, but then I hoped to get some cognitions about the accessibility on Lanzarote.

I explained to the employee at the taxi office my handicaps in an explicit way, and that I couldn’t manage the height of the seat of an Opel Zafira. With an extra ordered „Stuttgartian estate car“ (Mercedes Benz (translator’s note)) the fifteen-minute-expedition to the airport, leaving my Minitrac at home, should start.

Wonder of wonders, after having a sleep for minimum one and a half hours, the taxi arrived very punctual at 02:40 o’clock. I went down the stairs with my stair lift (sometimes I will introduce that thing too) and was struck dumb at the sight of that stuttgartian car…!!!

My estate car with the star turned out to be a bus named „Vitara“. Seat height – no comment…

Now I know that at taxis busses and estate cars are the same and that you have to specify your wish when you order one. Strange thing…

With push, tear, press and shoveI I managed to get in and out of the bus still alive at the airport.

At the desk of TUIfly it was, like in the whole airport, still quiet at 03:15 o’clock in the morning. Checking the IT my medical devices weren’t registered at all.

Why am I calling hotlines at all??? However, my wheelchair was then declared without further ado.

At the security check my wheelchair was tested for explosives by adhesive strips. My question what will happen when I come back on January 1st and there were residues of gun powder from new year fireworks on my wheelchair, was answered succinctly, that I have to explain that to the German Federal Police then. And I wanted to get back from Lanzarote sometimes even before I got there.

The lifting bus took us to the plane and I was transferred to the airplane-wheelchair.

For me it is a bit of cheek when the aircraft is already fully occupied and you as a wheelchair user, placed on an airplane-wheelchair, are as the last passenger torn by two airport-employees through the corridor of the plane and thrown on the window seat .

As a crowning conclusion that plane had a special painting. I don’t have anything against the Peanuts or the “Maus” (German TV-comic mouse (translator’s note)), but why did it have to be this football club from Hannover?!? For me as a citizen of Frankfurt an absolutely no-go!

I would never have entered a plane with a label of Bayern Munich!

To be continued!!!

Translator Teo

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Eigude Shame Part XX

Monday, December 19th, 2011

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What is an absolute “must” just before Christmas?

Of course a visit to the premises of the nearest post office. Because a queue down to the street needs to be anticipated winter clothing is advisable. It was unbelievable, but after a bit of honking even the second handicapped parking space was free and I had the pole position, see Opel Astra on the left.

I even was a bit disappointed, no queue in the cold, and I was so heavily dressed…!!!

After 20 minutes I was outside again, ran over nobody’s feet and didn’t exchange any business cards, that was quicker than in the summer!!!

It would have been almost a perfect mail collection day if they didn’t have had this stoned construction engineer who designed the ramp without barriers, but not without joints (in the meaning of gaps). This drip moulding has a great design :-(

It is quite special if you get stuck in a gully hole on a

stroller-and-wheelchair ramp

and hence break your second leg.

Do I have to present a petition for “jointless drip mouldings on wheelchair ramps” to the German Bundestag (parliament)???

Translator BL

 

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Insider Tips for Disabled Parking Place Occupiers

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

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It happens again and again that a normal ignorant disabled parking place occupying pedestrian is verbally dissed by some random hobbling or wheelchair driving disabled people, only because he is parking with his Land Rover or Cabriolet on a disabled parking place.

They shouldn’t make such a fuss, they are almost all retired anyway, are paid by the general public and have enough time to look for another parking place.

To avoid such disputes in the future and keep on pursuing his God-given right to unchallengedly park on a disabled parking place, the association of

“European Disabled Parking Place Occupiers”

has released some internal tips for the procedure of

“Blue Parking”.

1. You need a disabled parking permit.

The copying of valid permits should be avoided due to falsification of documents. Laminating of blue papers or blue student ID cards didn’t show the desired success.

It is the easiest to look for a senile relative. If you unfortunately don’t have an ideally comatose granny, a visit in the nearest nursing home is necessary. There you are looking for an inhabitant in a wheelchair with Oldsheimer, for whom you become the so-called disabled parking partner. The necessary handicapped ID with the walking disability entry usually lies in the left drawer of the cabinet. Let the person sign the in the download area available application form, or sign yourself. After approximately 4 weeks you receive by mail a blue valid “parking permit for disabled person”. Then the first step is completed.

2. The correct leaving of the car

When you have parked quasi “legally” on a disabled parking place, you shouldn’t jump out of the car like an 18-year-old and walk away. It all depends on the correct technique in leaving the car, as not to be revealed as non-disabled. Always carry a sad face, or best the model: I am displeased with the whole situation!

How to leave the car “not in perfection” can be watched in the following video from our American member Homer.
He is still getting off too fast, his timing is not right yet. His wailing look in connection with the quite good hobbling appears a bit overacted. This can be improved with a little bit of practice. The variant to park like Homer on several disabled parking places at the same time increases the credibility that one is disabled, but can lead to misinterpretations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWpPUVF5JvU&feature=youtu.be

If all these tips are taken to heart, parking in front of the opera or the town house should always be possible, if not another member of the association is already parking on it.

Translator BL

It happens again and again that a normal ignorant disabled parking place occupying pedestrian is verbally dissed by some random hobbling or wheelchair driving disabled people, only because he is parking with his Land Rover or Cabriolet on a disabled parking place.

They shouldn’t make such a fuss, they are almost all retired anyway, are paid by the general public and have enough time to look for another parking place.

To avoid such disputes in the future and keep on pursuing his God-given right to unchallengedly park on a disabled parking place, the association of

“European Disabled Parking Place Occupiers”

has released some internal tips for the procedure of

“Blue Parking”.

1. You need a disabled parking permit.

The copying of valid permits should be avoided due to falsification of documents. Laminating of blue papers or blue student ID cards didn’t show the desired success.

It is the easiest to look for a senile relative. If you unfortunately don’t have an ideally comatose granny, a visit in the nearest nursing home is necessary. There you are looking for an inhabitant in a wheelchair with Oldsheimer, for whom you become the so-called disabled parking partner. The necessary handicapped ID with the walking disability entry usually lies in the left drawer of the cabinet. Let the person sign the in the download area available application form, or sign yourself. After approximately 4 weeks you receive by mail a blue valid “parking permit for disabled person”. Then the first step is completed.

2. The correct leaving of the car

When you have parked quasi “legally” on a disabled parking place, you shouldn’t jump out of the car like an 18-year-old and walk away. It all depends on the correct technique in leaving the car, as not to be revealed as non-disabled. Always carry a sad face, or best the model: I am displeased with the whole situation!

How to leave the car “not in perfection” can be watched in the following video from our American member Homer.
He is still getting off too fast, his timing is not right yet. His wailing look in connection with the quite good hobbling appears a bit overacted. This can be improved with a little bit of practice. The variant to park like Homer on several disabled parking places at the same time increases the credibility that one is disabled, but can lead to misinterpretations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWpPUVF5JvU&feature=youtu.be

If all these tips are taken to heart, parking in front of the opera or the town house should always be possible, if not another member of the association is already parking on it.

Translator BL

 

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Posted in General, Handicap Parking, Comedy, Eigude- Shame | 3 Comments »

(Deutsch) Nachtrag zum Eigude Pranger X

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

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Eigude Shame Part XIX

Friday, November 25th, 2011

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To protect my – caused by the paralysis – non-existent sexy butt after the accident I have got a prescription 2008 from the health insurance for my home for a special mattress and a vertically adjustable electric frame for my double bed to facilitate the transfer in and out of the wheelchair.

This mattress to prevent pressure sores consists mainly of around 5 cm x 5 cm small rubber foam cubes which relieve the pressure on the body by bending. It is quite good.

If you are like me supplied by 3 different medical supply stores at once you shouldn’t get upset if a 100 cm wide mattress is pressed into a 90 cm wide slatted frame of my double bed. That will do, better than lying on a blank frame. An exchange of the wrong mattress was arranged by medical supply store # I only after my request after 1 year when they needed a new prescription (see letter below, in German).

The screwing of the slatted frame on the bed was not considered necessary by medical supply store # II. My wife was lucky that she didn’t crash onto the floor on her side of the bed together with her slatted frame because this was not screwed tightly either because of the modification. The squeaking of the brand new electric frame could be heard by the whole neighborhood. But this could be resolved by a friend with a can of silicon spray within two hours only.

Within 2,5 years the second mattress, the third remote control on which within 6 weeks the labeling was not readable any more, and the complete electronics including power unit were exchanged at this bed.

Each year I am contacted by medical supply store # I that they need a follow-up prescription from my doctor for the continuous supply of the mattress. If it would be defect, 10 cm too wide or sagged it would possibly be exchanged.


(Letter asking for a new prescription and to get in touch with the medical supply store under the mentioned telephone number to make an appointment.)

Since a couple of weeks the prescription is lying about on my desk. I am definitely interested to make an appointment, see letter. Nobody is answering the phone, the waiting loop is yelling as if you are at boot camp, and nobody reacts on my e-mails either. At least they are thanking me in advance for my efforts.

Translator BL

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Posted in General, Chock, Eigude- Shame, Technical Aids | 2 Comments »

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XLV

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

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I am coming back again to my favourite subject,

Handicap Parking

(See older blogposts).

I have already experienced the “Worst Case” several times, that somebody parked his car in that way next to mine so that I wasn’t able to open the driver’s door completely any more, what is a “must” for me and my wheelchair.

To draw the attention of the other road users to it I have fixed a sign 15 cm x 15 cm with the text: „Please keep distance“ at the inside of the door, which is however still “not seen” by some people.

The CBF (Club of handicapped and their friends, Darmstadt), sells for little money a

yellow sign, “Please keep distance!”,

which one can fix to the window of the driver’s door, like the flags from the football world cup. This sign can’t really be overlooked any more.
I think this is great and ordered it immediately. Due to my broken leg with hospital stay a long time test could not be executed yet.

Source of Supply:
CBF Darmstadt e.V.
Link: www.cbf-da.de

There you can also order the handicap toilet key (see older blogpost).

Who still parks his car too close to mine then, I declare handicapped as well, i.e. blind, chronic off road dementia, or an incurable psychic disease.

Addendum:

A guarantee can’t be provided, teehee…read Robo’s comment :-)

Translator BL

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Posted in General, Handicap Parking, Chock, Eigude- Shame, Technical Aids | 4 Comments »

Chock Part X

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Frontpage

Master Geppetto’s orthopedic craft shop

Escape from the hospital, target: Friday

Meanwhile my hospital stay has escalated to an

Extreme Orthosis Testing.

Type one, the “Blue Lionpard” (see older blogpost Chock IX), had a very eventful life. After a couple of cuddling hours in the first night my heel cancelled the friendship with the orthosis. I better refrain from posting a picture of my heel.

The “Blue Lionpard ” was permanently parked on the chair opposite of my bed for the time being.
As an interim solution until “Leo” only would be completely cushioned, I got orthosis two, the

Black Knight

After the chief physician himself brought the orthosis back to the orthopedic craft shop to Master Geppetto, it was gone for the next eight days.

On Monday, despite of the morning call from my doctor and verbal promise, I was waiting for Master Geppetto without success.

Tuesday noon Master Geppetto came to my room with orthosis “Leo” under his arm, cushioned and stretched. After the fitting he said they would have to rework it again. It still would be a little tight (so true!), but promised to come back in the afternoon. Geppetto didn’t really come… Total failure, nothing again!

Wednesday morning the same. On inquiry of my physician, where Geppetto had been on the previous day, he said he had worked on the orthosis and he would come during the day. When???

This time I called myself and asked when he would come. What a miracle, Geppetto came with reinforcement and the lower part of a substantially wider and cushioned orthosis. In the first moment I thought he had repainted the Blue Lionpard .
This thing was white.
Far from it, orthosis three, type

White Snow Leopard

Geppetto promised to come back definitely in the afternoon with the then double cushioned lower part so that I can try it in the night. He would “carve” the upper part the next day.

I knew that he was closing the craft shop towards 18:00 h and called him at 17:40 h. I talked to Angelo who reported that Geppetto would be out of office, probably on his way to see me.

This was not the case. On my second call the master told me he had done something different, but would come the next day at 11:00 with the finished orthosis.

I called on Thursday at 11:00 h, he put me off to 13:00 h. Master Geppetto actually came with the supposed finished

Snow Leopard Orthosis

He observed during the fitting on my leg that the upper part needed to be adjusted a little bit, but this should be done quickly, and he would be back in a moment. The master was back only 40 minutes later. Geppetto observed that the whole orthosis still needed a little fine tuning, but this should be done in around half an hour if nothing unexpected would come up, and off he went. This was at 14:00 h. Let’s wait and see if my fracture has completely healed when I see Master Geppetto the next time…

And the moral of the story:

I know now how Pinocchio got his “long nose gene”.

Next time I will carve my medical devices myself again!

Translator BL

 

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Posted in General, Chock, Eigude- Shame | 2 Comments »

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