CEREBRAL PALSY STORIES: The Rickety Van Lift

For anyone who has a disability, going out to your local surroundings is very important, whether you're going to work or just exploring the sights around town.  For us, we have a van equipped with a wheelchair lift.  Correction.  Our van has had two wheelchair lifts installed in it since we've had it.  One that folded up in three stages in order to be all stowed away and the new one which folds up the more traditional way.

• The first one was a Vangater II, made by Braun, which was handy as hell when it worked properly but having all your weight on one post is not a great engineering marvel. Over time, the lift sagged to one side under that weight. Braun no longer makes it.

The first wheelchair lift started giving us problems at the beginning of last year when we came back from a road trip to San Quintin and Ensenada in Mexico.  During that time, we were without the lift and van for a three week period.

• Next came the time when the lift would not fold up properly and we found a bolt sheared inside. We took it to the mobility dealer who fixed it at no charge.

I can't really remember all the things that ended up being repaired on the lift during this time, but I do remember it wasn't functioning very well after taking all kinds of punishing abuse from the dirt roads down south.

• A little while later, while we were getting ready to leave on another road trip, another bolt sheared. As we headed out of town, we stopped again at the mobility dealer, who did a spot repair and said a bunch of (expensive) parts needed to be ordered. We jury rigged the lift with c-clamps and bungie cords to get us by in the meantime.
• I asked how much a complete overhaul would be and the dealer said it would cost thousands but that since Braun didn't make the lift anymore, they probably wouldn't even be able to get the parts needed.

After that trip to Mexico and the initial repairs to the lift afterwards, we would still have to take the van to Mobility Specialists in Pasadena every now and then for routine maintenance or if there was a loose bolt or screw here and there or even if a blown fuse had to be replaced.

• After the trip, I called Steve Causus at Mobility Works in Pasadena. We negotiated back and forth a little bit and we decided to go ahead and replace the Vangater II with a Century lift, also made by Braun. It was around $7,000 for the whole thing.

• Once installed, we found that the lip of the lift was too high to close against the wheelchair footplates.  We asked if we could take it to a metal worker to cut it lower, Braun said no dice...that would void the warranty.

• So, Letty and I set to work on Tim's wheelchair, moving the seat and footplates back a bit
• Now, the chair fits on the lift...barely.

It's been a little over a year since that fateful trip to Mexico and the the first rickety van lift has now been replaced with a different one.  Oh and did I mention that a fuse has already been replaced on the second lift after a couple months of use?  Here's to keeping our fingers crossed in the continuing adventure of The Rickety Van Lift.

• Let's hope so, Tim. The new lift is rock-solid but barely fits in our van. It has two posts, instead of one, so it shouldn't start sagging like the old one.  It's a bit more difficult to get in, since it doesn't fold up, but at least it works.

Tim Musick (with bullet points by Darryl Musick)
Copyright 2016
All Rights Reserved.

CEREBRAL PALSY STORIES: The Handy Lap Tray

Over the years while I was growing up, my family and I have done everything possible to make it easier for me to things for myself because of my disability.  One of the prime examples of equipment that my Mom made years ago is a lap tray she got while shopping at Ikea.  When she originally bought the tray, that's all it was-just a tray.

Fungera Tray at Ikea

Now you might imagine that for someone like me, it would be somewhat difficult to use a tray while worrying about whether or not it slip off my lap and fall to the floor, but my thanks to my Mom's good skills at adapting special equipment for me over the years, she thought of this beforehand while designing it for my use.  

To make thing easier for me she did two things.  First, she put a pillowcase cover on it so that whatever we would put on it, I would be able to move it around easier with my hands since the surface of the tray was originally much more grippier that before the pillowcase was added. Secondly, she added a pair of hook straps to the tray so that it could be tied around the armrests on my wheelchair.  

The train sits on my lap and I loop the straps around the supports for my wheelchair's armrest.

Then, I hook the straps together to keep the tray from sliding off.

As for how the tray itself comes in handy for me, its main purpose is for the TV and sound remote controls while watching television.  I also use the tray to put my snack plate on during the day when I'm feeling hungry for a snack as well as my cell phone when my Mom goes for her morning run. Without it my hands and arms would definitely get stiff and tired from holding these various objects myself.  

The Handy Lap Tray has definitely proven its worth and value to me ever since I started using it many years ago.  I would say my favorite thing about it is that I don't have to roll up to the TV and change the channel like people had to in the old days.  So if you are in a family of someone who is disabled, a lap tray like mine could be useful in allowing those members of the disabled community some freedom and independence while either watching the local news or a Sunday football game in peace.

Tim Musick

Copyright 2016

All Rights Reserved.

CEREBRAL PALSY STORIES: Going On The Record With My Disability

As many of you who follow this blog may or may not know I was born with a disability known as Cerebral Palsy.  As the mission statement of this blog points out I have had Cerebral Palsy from the the time I was born 29 years ago.  

The effects of Cerebral Palsy are wide-ranging for those who have it.  Some Cerebral Palsy individuals require the use of a wheelchair like myself. Others can walk with the assistance of a walker or crutches. There are also others who require the use of assisted speaking devices to communicate with family and friends.

I can't speak for others individuals who live a normal life, but what I can tell you is that I try to make the most out of my life each and every day regardless of the challenges that come from living with Cerebral Palsy.

I don't want to bore you with a laundry list of personal challenges I've faced over the the years because it would take a long time and I don't want to write a novel.  Not to mention that they are personal.  Instead I'll share some stories from time to time under this new series of posts entitled Cerebral Palsy Stories.  I'll do my best to come up with some good and interesting ones.  Hopefully these stories can shed some light on what it's like to live life with your own set of wheels.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2016
All Rights Reserved