Next Blogpost 29.05.12
Posts Tagged ‘Kanaren / Mittelmeer’
Back from Wheelchair-Excursion-Mallorca!
Saturday, May 26th, 2012Technical Aids Tips and Tricks Part XLX
Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
Frontpage
As a man you have already evolutionary determined a technical gene. What was in Stone Age the then high tech marble stone axe with polished oak wood grip, is today the 60 inch 3D television with Dolby 16:1. The new shooter console is probably more modern than everything what the German army owns, and of course not to forget the refrigerator with WiFi and integrated ice cube dispenser where you can pre-select the shape of the ice cubes directly with the tablet PC from the couch from an individual CAD file.
In the end it is very simple, if the man is not capable to do he calls for technology…!!!
I am not alluding to the bedroom.
Subject today: Golf!!!
Except that I drove a VW Golf for 12 years I didn’t have much to do with the lawn sport of the same name, I was once playing hockey.
If you are not able to stand any more as wheeler the shot at the club house on the golf court can get a bit difficult. The variant that 2 strong caddies lift you up for each shot seems possible, but I think that the guys will slightly flag after the 12th hole. So technology is called again. For this case there is the
Powergolfer!
The Powergolfer is a well motorised, very flexible electric scooter with a stand-up fuction, similar to my standing chair (see older blogpost).
You are buckled up with legs and belly, beamed up until standing, and hits on the innocent golf ball like all the others.
Here the constructor explains in person how this is working.
Unfortunately I could not undergo a self test due to my broken leg not healed yet. I was nevertheless convinced. It is a great technical aid for golfing wheelchair users.
The Powergolfer is also available with small modifications as I call it Powerfisher. However successful draughts of fish cannot be guaranteed.
In the integrated trunk there is enough space for a tool kit, with which the Powergolfer also turns into a wheelchair service vehicle. The hand bar on the side, pimped with a golf ball, is also usable as mounting and repair hammer.
Because of the standing function of the Powergolfer I had to finally surrender after a hard fight in the direct battle with my Minitrac.
On my inquiry if the Powergolfer would also be available with sickle bar I got the answer if I would like to have it… nothing seems impossible!!!
More information and video under www.powergolfer.de
I doubt that the health insurance will cover the acquisition costs of the golf wheelchair, but for next birthday present, why not… 
Translator BL
Sport News Part II
Saturday, March 17th, 2012Frontpage
The sun beds in the Mar y Sol in Tenerife at the pool are extra high for us wheelers so that it is easier to transfer.
But because constant hanging around on the sun bed can lead to permanent back disorders I decided to perform some complementary training.
After the training match of the Swedish national team in wheelchair rugby (see older blogpost) the sports hall of our hotel was available for us tourists again.
The idea of my mates to play wheelchair hockey I found quite appealing.
Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away… or roundabout 25 years ago it was the last time when I had a hockey stick in my hands.
At this time I was playing hockey at the club SC 1880 Frankfurt until the last youth age class. Back then of course with real wooden sticks.
The plastic sticks were not heavy at all with about 200 g. But there it was again, the challenge: How to play hockey when you are not able to hold the hockey stick because of the paralysis of the hands as quadriplegic.
The first attempts to bind the stick onto the arm with bandages and theraband did not lead to the desired success.
With black duct tape a match overlasting
Hockey stick-hand-arm-adaption
could be achieved. I was quite satisfied with the result, and the wheelchair hockey match was fun.
After the match there was actually only one loser, my skin…!!!
Wheelchair hockey is excellently suitable for permanent hair removal
Translator BL
Training and Test Week Tenerife Part II
Wednesday, March 7th, 2012
Frontpage
Readers who are following my blog know that I was travelling to Tenerife in February for the sole reason to test extensively the modifications and offroad suitability of my Minitric with its new
Tractor Tyre Traction Technology
Exactly one year ago I had purchased the Minitrac over there so that it was running in its home stomping ground again for 12 days.
The Minitrac never showed any difficulties with the hilly landscape of the volcano island yet.
Solid ground, also with stones to a reasonable extent, is manageable quite well for the Minitrac with its special tyres so that hiking trails in the alps should not be too big challenges either.
(Fake!)
With its two new batteries of each 12 V /52 AH you don’t have to worry about distances of easily 25 km.
Rides on the soft sand beach are not possible, the Trac is too heavy, the wheels would spin.
If you urgently need a full-body exfoliation I recommend to drive with the Trac into the sand of a nudist beach and apply full throttle, the flinging sand will do the rest
The special feature from Swisstrac and Minitrac is that you can move up and down curbs which is still possible with tractor tyres.
Because of the new tyres, the rather friendly-appearing Trac suddenly has got a rather grim appearance which has the additional positive effect that each pedestrian looks a bit puzzled and immediately takes a safety distance in order not to be overrun by my rolling offroad power box.
A cross design on the instep of the foot doesn’t seem to be currently in fashion.
Of course the Minitrac was tested in civilization as well. Due to the rather big turning circle shopping in supermarkets and department stores is a bit inconvenient. The rear exit of the supermarket uncommonly has an 8 meter long tiled ramp with 20° gradient which of course I had to test. Also this ramp could be managed without human push from behind the wheelchair.
A great camouflage, in this row of children’s fun rides I don’t really stand out 
In a special area of the beach promenade almost all of the floor tiles were broken so that I was glad that I had also equipped my wheelchair with mountainbike tyres for the test week.
The Minitrac has passed the tests with flying colours, and additional planned modifications can be realized. Firstly the headlights which were damaged on the return flight will be replaced.
I will still report about the battle Minitrac vs. Powergolfer in Tenerife!!!
Translator BL
No Comment..!!
Tuesday, March 6th, 2012Frontpage
When I was watching the fine art of women’s beach volleyball (of course out of sporting interest only) from the beach promenade in Los Cristianos in Tenerife, two elderly ladies came by and addressed me in English. They wanted to give me such an Anglo-Saxon information brochure.
The women are playing on the left field
I had a specific presentiment and said to the ladies that my English is not the best. It turned out quickly that the ladies were German.
Because I stood next to a small wall and they blocked my escape – I didn’t want to drive over their feet with my harnessed Minitrac – I got involved into a little chat with them.
Finally they gave me a German brochure about stressed and overworked physicians… eh…!!!
Well, since my accident 2007 I am quite familiar with this subject, but mainly from the perspective of a hospital bed during the ward round.
Just another two years, and I will know more physicians than there are beer brands in Germany.
By taking a closer look into the information material I had to grin a little about the up-to-dateness, have a look yourself:
Unbelievable but true:
Edition January 2005,
At that time I was still pedestrian!
(Translator’s note: German readers immediately recognize “Awakening”, the magazine of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany)
Well, strictly speaking the first edition of the bible wasn’t published yesterday either!
Translator BL
Wheelchair Rugby
Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
Frontpage
If you are sitting in a wheelchair and in addition to your legs also your arms or hands are handicapped it doesn’t make much sense to play wheelchair basketball.
There is a sport where it is possible to let off steam nevertheless:
Wheelchair Rugby,
previously also called “Killerball”.
As a player you probably feel a bit like in a bumper car on a fun fair in your childhood.
The objective of the game is, similar to American Football, to bring a ball with the wheelchair from one side of the field to the end zone (“key”) on the other side. An offence has to be finished within 40 seconds.
Every team has 4 players, and it is really getting rough.
I was lucky to watch wheelchair rugby on highest level in the new sports hall of the hotel Mar y Sol in Tenerife (see blogpost below).
The Swedish national team who is the current European champion was in the same hotel for a training camp for the Paralympics 2012 in London. 3 Canadians were with them as “sparring partners”. (The Swedish coach is Canadian.)
On the hand rims of the sport wheelchair tyres there is black resin for a better grip, similar to pole vault. After the first training the sports hall was inaugurated, the new parquet floor had some black stripes. With a photo of this “sports art” you would probably be overwhelmed with awards at the next “Documenta” (translator’s note: yearly exhibition for contemporary art in Germany). Allegedly the stripes could be wiped away later. What a pity.
There was training in the morning and matches in the afternoon.
The match lasts for 4 x 8 minutes.
You could still hear the colliding of wheelchairs in the 3rd floor of the hotel resort. The special sport wheelchairs virtually consist of dents and were already often welded.
Sometimes a good defence, i.e. frontal with the wheelchair against the opponent, reminds of mountain goats in the alps at rutting season.
Click on the picture to see a Video!
Unbelievable how fast you can get with a wheelchair…!!!
Every now and then a rollover of a player in the wheelchair and some burst tyres of course belong to Killerball… erm… wheelchair ruby.
The game is characterized very much by tactics.
If 2 players out of 4 players e.g. block an opponent there is space to throw the ball to a team mate (there are only four players), who possibly makes it then to the end zone. Perhaps the blocked one is “standing” 2 meters tall, catches the ball and passes it on, everything is possible. More handicapped players are defenders and place themselves in the way of the supposed centre forward. They have a kind of basket in front of the wheelchair which is suited for blocking and as “battering ram”.
The complete course of the match changes in seconds and is endlessly exciting.
Boom-Bang and a little bit like chess, what do you want more as a man
The matches were led by a quite decisive female referee bravely without steel-capped shoes.
I can recommend to everyone to watch wheelchair rugby at the Paralympics. I hope that the matches will be broadcasted although Germany according to my information is not qualified as 6th of the European Championships.
Translator BL
Training and Test week Tenerife
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012Frontpage
After spending the last few days almost exclusively with my hobby as office communication specialist (make phone calls, pay invoices, scan, hole, file or shred documents, ok, everything is occupational therapy as well) I’m ready to continue now:
The hotel Mar y Sol in the south of Tenerife is one the most known wheelchair hotels.
Why it necessarily had to be built on top of a hill can only be explained so that according to someone’s opinion the wheelchair pusher should exercise a little bit as well.
Many “fresh wheelers” spend their first holiday there, because with the medical supply store “Lero” next door offering 24 hrs nursing services as well and renting out virtually all needed equipment it is possible to book the carefree package. At the same time you will never hear the word “patient” from the nurses, one is referred to as guest, and this is how one is treated. The nursing costs can be settled with the German nursing insurance, depending on the care level. The “pain providers“ from the physiotherapy facility „Terralava“ torture with additional charge on German prescription as well. Plenty of electric wheelchairs and scooters are present, as one would like to go down to the handicapped beach as well (see older blogpost).
The hotel has 2 pools, one of them heated to 32° C.
A “lifeguard” helps with the transfer to the chair of a pool lifter and winds one down as if he would water a ship’s boat. With a little bit of luck he also helps to come out of the pool again
Almost all guests are repeaters, some overwinter there for 3 months, so that the stay is always a bit like a class reunion, you know each other…
It is a bit crazy if the wheelers stand in each other’s way at the buffet. You always find a way very relaxed and without stress. There is no fight at the buffet, on the contrary you help each other according to your handicap.
There is also animation and some program in the evenings, but I am missing the classic “club dance”.
The tradition of 1-sheet-bingo and 10-question-quiz for a bottle of sparkling wine is held high here.
This time I was there for the 4th time.
On the day of arrival I heard something about a gym…, did I miss something???
When I was there last year there was already knocking and hammering in the side building. They have built a sports hall (and not a small one!), without asking me, what a cheek!!!
I suspected the worst:
Would I have to be involved in sporting activities, although I actually travelled there for a Minitrac-tractor tyres-test week?
To be continued…
Click on tag “Tenerife” to view older blogposts!
Translator BL
Back from Tenerife!
Friday, February 24th, 2012Frontpage
Unfortunately the Minitrac has not survived the flight undamaged again!
Apart from that I have collected enough material for new stories, more to come shortly.
Crazy Flash XII
Saturday, January 21st, 2012Â Frontpage
Hit and Run!
Technical Aids Test Week Lanzarote Part 3
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012Frontpage
The bungalow complex Nautilus in Lanzarote
is extraordinary. I haven’t seen anything like this before. You are living there a bit like in the Frankfurtian Museum of Modern Art, I will write a particular blog about it some time.
It begins with the fact that the trails for wheelers are bare of potholes and painted in stylish swimming pool blue. The only ramp which is a bit steeper was lately defused to a
Spanish 6 Degrees – Ramp
Additionally there are rest areas set up for „tired warriors“.
The classic mediterranian flair with down falling plaster, clamping doors, blank cables, wiggly door handles, busted sockets and washbasins you miss immediately (not really).
Also the 500 g of hair in the sink will hardly be found. Thus the holiday feeling slowly starts.
44 bungalows are set up wheelchair accessible, and it is to mention that the grab handles next to the toilet are better fixed than on some stands of a rehab fair. The type of the
Raised Toilet Seat
is designed very individually and is even new to me, but it seems to be functional. Even a
Makeup Mirror
was kept in mind, which is optimally suitable for a wheeler to shave himself. Curiously it is the same type I introduced in my blog on June, 10th 2010. Seems that somebody has read my article. (see older blog post).
In newer bungalows some floor cupboards in the kitchen were saved maybe because of a lack of money. This results in the negative effect, that you as wheelchair driving man can reach the stove and will therefore sometimes be compelled to kitchen duty during the holidays by your partner.
The approximately 32 inch flatscreen TV is secured by an alarm system and definitely too big for the hand luggage on the return flight.
In this complex anything time-tested is different. In front of every bungalow you will find two sunbeds on a little terrace, and you will find plenty of them around the pool. So you are cheated out of the sporting competition on holiday to place your black-red-gold coloured towel on a sunbed at 03:30 o’clock in the early morning before any English could do so, just to claim your territory.
For us four-wheelers there is a
Poollifter, operated by water pressure
available which firstly reminds of a bottling plant of a brewery, but with a little practice the usage is fine.
To be continued!
Translator Teo
The bungalow complex Nautilus in Lanzarote
is extraordinary. I haven’t seen anything like this before. You are living there a bit like in the Frankfurtian Museum of Modern Art, I will write a particular blog about it some time.
It begins with the fact that the trails for wheelers are bare of potholes and painted in stylish swimming pool blue. The only ramp which is a bit steeper was lately defused to a
Spanish 6 Degrees – Ramp
Additionally there are rest areas set up for „tired warriors“.
The classic mediterranian flair with down falling plaster, clamping doors, blank cables, wiggly door handles, busted sockets and washbasins you miss immediately (not really).
Also the 500 g of hair in the sink will hardly be found. Thus the holiday feeling slowly starts.
44 bungalows are set up wheelchair accessible, and it is to mention that the grab handles next to the toilet are better fixed than on some stands of a rehab fair. The type of the
Raised Toilet Seat
is designed very individually and is even new to me, but it seems to be functional. Even a
Makeup Mirror
was kept in mind, which is optimally suitable for a wheeler to shave himself. Curiously it is the same type I introduced in my blog on June, 10th 2010. Seems that somebody has read my article. (see older blog post).
In newer bungalows some floor cupboards in the kitchen were saved maybe because of a lack of money. This results in the negative effect, that you as wheelchair driving man can reach the stove and will therefore sometimes be compelled to kitchen duty during the holidays by your partner.
The approximately 32 inch flatscreen TV is secured by an alarm system and definitely too big for the hand luggage on the return flight.
In this complex anything time-tested is different. In front of every bungalow you will find two sunbeds on a little terrace, and you will find plenty of them around the pool. So you are cheated out of the sporting competition on holiday to place your black-red-gold coloured towel on a sunbed at 03:30 o’clock in the early morning before any English could do so, just to claim your territory.
For us four-wheelers there is a
Poollifter, operated by water pressure
available which firstly reminds of a bottling plant of a brewery, but with a little practice the usage is fine.
To be continued!
Translator Teo
Crazy Flash Part XI
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012Frontpage
Spanish riddle
I`m puzzled, who is allowed to do what on this beach???
Phantastic that there is no wheelchair-symbol posted on this sign!!!
Comments required
Technical Aids Test Week Lanzarote part 2
Monday, January 9th, 2012Frontpage
Lanzarote, like Tenerife, is very accessible for handicapped, including a top service at the airport. Professional wheelchair pusher inclusive who also helps with additional perceived 100 kg medical devices luggage to get to the wheelchair taxi.
The island is a mecca for triathletes, people are training for the Ironman Hawaii there.
The fact that there are 2 bicycle lanes on the promenade might be a bit unusual for a holiday island, but is quite favourable for us wheelers. You could ride with your handcycle on the island until your arms fall off. In Puerto del Carmen you can borrow a recumbent handcycle which a former triathlete has provided who also moves around on 4 wheels now since a couple of years. Unfortunately only suitable for paraplegics 
Lanzarote is mostly accessible. OK, the curbs are sometimes lowered quite creatively, and the ramps have “Spanish 6 degrees” gradient, but we don’t want to be too pedantic here!
With all the hard work in the manual mode of my wheelchair (as I had to leave my Minitrac at home) I also had to deal with sand drifts.
With all this you have deserved a “hop blossom ice tea” (= cold beer) in the evening
I have already seen a lot, but a
wheelchair bypass sign
to the next beer due to the steep ramp (in the background) into the Pub is somthing new.
Translator BL
Technical Aids Test Week Lanzarote part one
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012Frontpage
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
Back from my technical aids test week in Lanzarote!
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012Frontpage
New blogposts in process.
I am freezing, let’s get going!!!
Friday, November 18th, 2011Frontpage
I took the ad hoc decision to follow the established tradition as German retiree and drive around on the canary islands in the coming winter.
Because the journey with the boat would be “going” a little bit too slow (actually it wouldn’t matter, I would have time and could “sit” it out easily) I decided anyhow in favour of flying.
Because I have already gone through a couple of flight miles with a wheelchair and experienced some weird things here are some tips.
Flight trips with wheelchair made easy!
When booking at your travel agency specify already any required medical devices with indication of size and weight, and if required additional assistance at the airport. Medical devices will be transported free of charge anywhere.
It came to my attention that if you need to take along any hard drugs, especially at the entry of the United States, a medical certificate and a lot of time is required.
At the check-in, approach an airport employee and get to the check-in counter with him from the side without any bad conscience, independent of the length of the queue.
Alternatively there is a “handicapped meeting point” in the terminals with an assistance button, after pressing of which a professional wheelchair pusher is coming who will manage everything.
In Frankfurt it is allowed to sit in your own wheelchair until you reach the door of the aircraft. Usually you are the first passenger on the flight. Then you are carried by two “volunteers” in a small plane wheelchair which reminds a bit of a sack truck to your seat, and then the “dwarf tossing” to the window seat begins.
Now it is advisable to pray.
Will your own wheelchair find its way into the cargo bay of the same aircraft?
Will your wheelchair be available and navigable at the destination airport?
In order to avoid that your wheelchair will be treated like ordinary luggage at the destination airport, but hopefully will be brought to the exit of the plane instead there is a label:
Delivery at Aircraft.
This means for the luggage guys at the plane as much as: Please be so kind not to load the object adherent to the label on the luggage cart and leave it here!!!
Keep the labels, don’t throw them away, you might need them for the return flight.
Sometimes there are no more labels available, which might end up extremely annoying when you are still sitting in the plane, and the wheelchair is already lying on the bulky luggage belt in the terminal.
The airport employees around the world are trained so well, they even manage to fold a wheelchair with a rigid-welded frame.
Although I have a foldable wheelchair it has a cross bar to attach an electric wheelchair-tractive type Minitrac. What I have experienced with that, see older blog post.
When the luggage loaders tried to fold my wheelchair it ended with little crashes several times already. Meanwhile I have a reversible, bilingual label on the seat:
Wheelchair not foldable.
It helped the last two times.
I have another label to offer:
Handle with care!
It probably doesn’t help, but brightens the wheelchair up with its red and blue design.
You shouldn’t forget to remind a flight attendant approximately 30 minutes before landing that you are a wheelchair user.
The pilot then hopefully won’t forget the notification at the destination airport, and the probability to leave the aircraft in a reasonable time increases dramatically.
Have fun with your next flight trip!!!
When I think about it, maybe I should better take the boat after all!
Translator BL
