Advice for a first time ECV'er

[meuseman]

Hi Everyone. First, I just want to thank everyone that contributes to this board. Your insights and advice are so valuable.

I am heading down to the world in 20 days
And I will be 27 days post-op after a lumbar microdiscectomy after 3 months of excruciating sciatica from a chronic disc herniation. My neurosurgeon said he is perfectly fine with me going, with the understanding that while my pain is gone, I will not be able to walk the 8-10 miles a day that we normally would be walking.

Now, today 6 days post surgery, I was easily walking around a local mall for more than 2 hours, with a couple of breaks for 10-15 minutes sitting down to rest. I figure by the time the trip rolls around, I will be even better. But, I still want the security of an ecv to keep up with my family.

I'm very comfortable driving the ecv around, but I'm guessing there will be times that I will want to park and walk around with the family for a little while (eg. fantasyland, main street). Are there parking areas for ecv's like there are for strollers? And should I be worried about leaving it places for extended periods of time?

Thanks so much for your thoughts.

 

[peemagg]

If you want to leave it somewhere and walk, you park it in stroller parking.

I would cover it when you leave it in case of rain. A poncho and a shower cap will work (but bring some paper binder clips or clothes pins to hold it down and on) to keep the rain off. If you are bringing your own personal scooter, I recommend looking for a actual tiller cover for your scooter. They are well worth the investment and can be stored in the back pocket of the seat.

 

[tigger_ttfn]

Yes, most stroller parking has room for ECVs.

Just remember that the CMs can move your ECV by pushing it just like a stroller, so it may not be in the exact spot as you left it. We left ours in the big stroller parking by It's a Small World and couldn't find it at first because it had been moved to a back corner.

 

[meuseman]

Perfect. Thanks for the tips!

Do the ECV's have keys that would prevent someone from driving off with it if I left it for too long?

 

[SueM in MN]

Perfect. Thanks for the tips!

Do the ECV's have keys that would prevent someone from driving off with it if I left it for too long?

Yes.
Remember to take the key with you.