I was pleased someone had listened and that the meeting was scheduled. I was pleased that the manufacturer's rep was a person who was willing to take charge.
After all, she had made sure that the controller box was moved to a more secure location. I will never know why it was on the top back of the power chair. I think "they" thought it would be easier for a caregiver to watch the speed and turn it off. But, that could have been explained to me. Instead, they sort of made it seem like it was a random occurrence.
A week passed and I heard nothing from the manufacturer's rep. But I did send an email to the CEO of the company. And an assistant of his contacted me. She said she wanted to make sure that they fixed the joystick so that it was in a better position. I knew that the folks on the power chair users forum had been on the manufacturer's forum and made requests that I be assisted to get my joystick in a better position. It's amazing how no one wants bad PR on the Internet.
On November 14 I had gone down to the back dining room before lunch. I was a bit early and went to my table. No one was there so I went to the back dining room to talk to another female resident. Then I went back to my table and sat with my chair still on. I was watching residents come into the dining room. All of a sudden my chair started moved forward just a bit. I thought a resident had bumped me and it pushed the chair slightly forward. But I looked around and saw no one. I still felt I was moving forward. All of a sudden my right wrist pushed against the table and became stuck. My chair kept moving. I thought it was drifting.
I tried to pick my hand up and get it off the joystick. I thought maybe my hand was spasming. I could not move it. I called to my aide and told her I needed some assistance. I told her to shut the chair off, put it in freewheel mode, and back and up. By that time, I was partially upending the table away from me. The table was being pushed into a wall that jutted out beside it. All three glasses of water that were sitting on the table – fell to the floor.
My aide grabbed the joystick and backed me up. At first the chair didn't respond and then it moved backwards. When the chair stopped, I had my aide turn the chair around.
I felt like all the blood had run out of my face. My mouth was parched – so dry. I got a drink of water, took a deep breath, and turned around and moved back towards the table. My aide was watching and I made sure she turned off my chair when I stopped.
I told my nurse that I felt the vendor needed to be called. My right wrist had been jammed between the table and the armrest of my power chair. It was really hurting. I told her I might need an x-ray.
My nurse quite tersely told me she would not be contacting the vendor. That kind of startled me. I never said another word about it to her.
Mr. M the disabled power chair user and an employee of the manufacturer, answered my email and said that my power chair probably changed modes and that's what caused the crash. He never said how it could be fixed. I thought Mr. M should have made sure a tech came here with a little computerized device they use to adjust speed and sensitivity and check out my chair. I thought we should know if it was changing modes and whatever was causing it should be fixed or changed. I thought changing modes could be dangerous. But, it was never mentioned again.
Postscript:
My thoughts were rambling as I wrote this. I tried so hard to make this new power chair work. I hoped the manufacturer was going to work with me. His intermediary, the disabled guy, Mr. M, who had his name on the wheelchair forum, saw my postings on the manufacturer employee website and answered them. But I had the feeling everyone just wanted me to go away.
For many months trying to get the chair re-adapted had been so much work. I kept in constant contact with the vendor and the facility. Everyone knew I was having a problem. Part of it was communication but some of it was that the vendor and his tech probably both thought I would get used to the chair. That is what happens. You get used to things after so long. But I was pretty sure this joystick issue would not go away. I had no options. I had no way to mock up a different joystick set up to see if it would work.
I was trying not to be judgmental. Mr. M, the wheelchair guy who worked for the manufacturer was so concerned that I was a bitter, disabled person.
This disabled woman thought her new power chair's joystick should be more adjustable. It needed to be lowered and there seemed to be no way to do that. I knew in the future it would be helpful to have the joystick be able to be adjusted – especially if my needs changed in the future.
And so I waited.
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