News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis
My mobility scooter quit on me the other day. I can walk 100 feet or so using a pair of canes, but my wheels are usually my legs. So when I turned the key and discovered those “legs” were powerless, I was stuck. This breakdown couldn’t have happened at a worse time. My wife, Laura, had been prepping for a medical procedure, the one where the prep is worse than…Continue Reading
My wife, Laura, thought it would be fun to take our grandkids, ages 7 and 9, to spend a few hours exploring a giant cave. I wasn’t so sure. Ten minutes into the excursion, I was wondering which one of the adults would be hauled out in an ambulance. Luray Caverns in Virginia bills itself as the largest caverns in the eastern United States. The pictures of stalactites and stalagmites…Continue Reading
A reader of my blog who lives in Belgium needs a replacement shoe sensor for his Bioness L300 functional electrical stimulator. The problem is, when Bioness upgraded the L300 to the L300 Go several years ago it stopped supporting the original FES. Apparently the sensor, which isn’t required for the L300 Go but is essential for the L300, is no longer available. Is there a sensor, lying unused, in somebody’s…Continue Reading
My cane mutinied. I’ve been using canes for about 20 years — first one, and then a pair. I’m tough on them and put a lot of weight on them. I take them out in the heat, cold, and rain. I force them to rest on the scorching cement when I go for a swim. It’s not easy being one of my canes, so it’s no wonder that, a few…Continue Reading
I’ve used a Bioness L300 Functional Electronic Stimulator for almost 8 years to help me walk. Has the benefit been worth the cost?
I’ve used the Bioness L300, a functional electrical stimulator (FES) device, for about seven years to counter my left foot drop. It’s strapped to my leg just below the knee and, as I began to take a step, it sends a low-intensity electrical pulse down a nerve that triggers my foot to flex upward, so my toes don’t drag. The L300 has worked well for several years. But, as my…Continue Reading
It happened on the coldest day of the season. The wind-chill temperature was 16 degrees F. I was outside, using my electric scooter to take Joey, our cocker spaniel, for his early morning walk. Joey had just finished his business and I was tying the poopie bag when I heard beeping — a string of five beeps — over and over. I checked my iPhone, but it wasn’t the source…Continue Reading
I’ve used an electric scooter for nearly 20 years. At first, I only used it when I knew I’d be walking a lot. Now, it’s every day. I used a cane for several years before the scooter. I resisted using both, however, and I’ll bet that many of you who are reading this are putting up your own stiff fight right now. I’ve tried to sell the benefits of mobility…Continue Reading
It’s happened to me and, if you fly with a scooter or a wheelchair, I bet it’s happened to you, too: a busted or missing set of wheels on arrival. On a flight from Washington, D.C., to Venice, my scooter went to Copenhagen. On a flight from Baltimore to St. Kitts, I was happy to see my scooter appear at the cabin door. But where was the back of its…Continue Reading
I’ve been using a mobility scooter for about 15 years. I use it anytime I need to walk more than about half a city block. I throw it in the back of my SUV, I’ve taken it on planes and cruise ships (I’ve ridden it in 15 or 16 countries) and I even use it to walk the dog.. I have two scooters. One is lightweight at 35 pounds and can…Continue Reading