Don't stop believing... "Major change 6/23 The Circle of Life"

[mrsksomeday]

I know you've got an update types away on that laptop of yours...

Don't hold out on us...

I found you over here, I am so glad your doing a pre trip for December. Don't worry about Ipdip you have to do what is best for you and Bill. The Wilderness is so beautiful, I wish I could have seen it for Christmas, I know you will take lots of great photos.

Hi, thanks for joining us!! I still feel bad about Ip Dip, I am sad I won't get to meet wonderful people like you. We can't wait to see WL all decorated!

 

[mrsksomeday]

I have been to WDW 7 times with Bill since February 2006. On each of these trips Bill has taken his good old reliable wheelchair, the Quickie P222.


February 2006, at Rafiki’s Planet Watch with the “exotic” goat:

The poor chair was frightened because we were told the goats liked to nibble on wheelchairs.

November 2006, the chair got to meet Susan Lucci with Bill:

November 2007, the chair got a thrill when Susan Lucci sat on it’s tray to be closer to Bill:

That year the chair also got to meet one of the best families in the world, I am not talking Disney World, I am talking the ENTIRE world :

And it got to see the first ever Castle lighting:

June 2008, the chair met Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew:

October 2008, it met a bunch of Ip Dips:

November 2008, the chair got to see soap stars including our favorite, Kassie DePaiva:

In August 2009, Bill got a new wheelchair, a fancier wheelchair, a wheelchair that did a lot more. The old chair was sad and Ace didn’t like the new chair. He barked at it because it did this:

When we went in November 2009, we were worried that Southwest might damage the new chair, I had read horror stories. Bill was also worried that the bigger chair wouldn’t fit on the rides, the ME bus, etc. so the old chair got to go!!

November 2009, the chair was taken over by Hannah:

Such great memories, but life moves on. The old chair has old wheels and is not comfortable for Bill so much discussion has happened about bringing the Permobil C350 on the trip. We still have concerns about Southwest, the ME bus, and the rides but at some point we have to give the new chair a chance. He is shiny and seems eager to go.

Southwest always had me break Bill’s old chair down, take off the foot rests, take off the seat, they would take off the back, anything to make it more compact, they would also undo the power cord so there would be no power to it.

The new chair has a button where I can move the foot rests in and fold the plates up. The seat can come off like the old chair, but the back isn’t going anywhere. There is a handy switch to turn off the power.


On the last trip I had told the SW guy we brought the old chair because we were worried about the new one not being able to be taken apart. When I told him it reclined he said they preferred that kind because then they could make tilt it.

Well I will trust them after I take about a thousand pictures of the chair right before they take it and as they are loading it as I have done in the past:

That picture is still painful for me to look at. The guy in the back had to have pulled a groin muscle. I tried to tell them no less than 4 people should load the old chair - it weighed over 300 lbs and was back end heavy, silly men didn’t listen to me. Now they have a handy dandy lift they put the chair on.

The ME bus was a tight turn for the old chair, this one is even longer so I am sure the bus driver would have to move some seats out of the way so he can turn the chair easier. It would be an adventure to see how they handle this.

Buzz Lightyear was an issue even with the old chair. The old chair barely fit and the ramp is too steep. When Bill backed off you had to have someone right there because he would tip. It scared me every time. This chair has a longer wheelbase so we know he will not fit anymore. Bill says that is fine with him, Toy Story Mania is a lot more fun for him than Buzz ever was. I could never fight my laser light correctly, I must have always had faulty guns

, so I would give up and spin the car around and around. This seemed to annoy and make Bill laugh at the same time, good times. The Great Movie Ride was a tight fit too, we will give it a go. You might be wondering “why not just transfer him to the regular seat?” That is a great question and I will tell you why:

- Cerebral Palsy makes him little, he can eat anything he wants and gain nothing

. Good for me when I have to lift him, bad for his him because his little bottom is not padded very well, it hurts him to sit on hard seats, and he is in enough pain without adding to it.

- He has bad balance so he would weeble wobble but he would FALL down in a regular seat without support

, not a good idea if you want to have a fun trip.

- Some rides it wouldn’t be safe for me to try to do a transfer, The Jungle Cruise is an example. The big step down would not be safe for me or him to try to navigate. He is most comfortable in his chair.

This trip would be a great trial run to see how the C350 works at Disney. I never thought about any of this stuff until I met Bill, he has opened my world to a lot of things. He struggles so much to just not be in pain.

He ultimately decided he wanted to bring the old chair, he says Disney makes him feel normal and he knows the old chair can fit everywhere. The new chair might have him excluded and he doesn’t want that and neither do it. I am so grateful to have him in my life and respect any decision he makes.

Next installment…first day options

 

[oregonmommyof2]

I LOVE all the pics of Bill...

I also love that his old chair is called the "Quickie"...

 

[mrsksomeday]

I LOVE all the pics of Bill...

I also love that his old chair is called the "Quickie"...

 

[MRYPPNS]

I also love that his old chair is called the "Quickie"...

____________________________________________________________________________

Is it odd that I was rooting for the "new" chair to be able to go to Disney as I was reading this????
Now I feel sad for the new chair

 

[oregonmommyof2]

Okay, we need to name the chair...

 

[mrsksomeday]

____________________________________________________________________________

Is it odd that I was rooting for the "new" chair to be able to go to Disney as I was reading this????
Now I feel sad for the new chair

I was rooting for the new chair too, I think he would be more comfortable, but it's his body .​

Okay, we need to name the chair...

That is funny.

 

[Yoda_K]

Okay, we need to name the chair...

The old chair is "Grease Lightning".

The new one is "Christine" it has a mind of it's own and does not like to be controlled .

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Okay, we need to name the chair...

I think I smell a challenge!!! Sniff sniff....yep!

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

The old chair is "Grease Lightning".

The new one is "Christine" it has a mind of it's own and does not like to be controlled .

Christine.....I LOVE it!!!!!!!!! She must be fiesty!

 

[oregonmommyof2]

The old chair is "Grease Lightning".

The new one is "Christine" it has a mind of it's own and does not like to be controlled .

You are awesome like me, of course the chairs already have names...

So it looks I will be hitching a ride on Grease Lightning then...

 

[oregonmommyof2]

I think I smell a challenge!!! Sniff sniff....yep!

Oh you smelled that???

Excuse me...

 

[Pyrate_Pryncess]

Oh you smelled that???

Excuse me...

Sure did! It traveled from the West coast to the East coast!!!

 

[All7OfUs]

A new name challenge?? I'm so not good at this! I'll think about it though...

 

[luvfigment]

____________________________________________________________________________

Is it odd that I was rooting for the "new" chair to be able to go to Disney as I was reading this????
Now I feel sad for the new chair

I was hoping the new chair would be able to go also but I understand why the old one won.

 

[mrsksomeday]

I think I smell a challenge!!! Sniff sniff....yep!

I think it would be fun to see what people came up with for names. I have to get Bill on here to describe what he thinks about both chairs and ask all of you to name them .

Christine.....I LOVE it!!!!!!!!! She must be fiesty!

Mean and has a mind of it's own I tell you. We turn it all the way down, we have had the tech turn it down and it still has crazy times.

You are awesome like me, of course the chairs already have names...

So it looks I will be hitching a ride on Grease Lightning then...

Oh you smelled that???

Excuse me...

You completely crack me up!

Sure did! It traveled from the West coast to the East coast!!!

Ewww .

A new name challenge?? I'm so not good at this! I'll think about it though...

Can't wait to see what you come up with.

I was hoping the new chair would be able to go also but I understand why the old one won.

Bill has changed his mind more than once so you never know he might change it again .

 

[oregonmommyof2]

Morning MrsK...

And Bill...

Hope you guys have a great day!!

 

[mrsksomeday]

Morning MrsK...

And Bill...

Hope you guys have a great day!!

Hi Toni!! Hope you and Terry are having a great day!! That smilie is perfect for Bill, he smiles that big when he gets a kiss on the cheek! I will be around a little later, got some things to do today!

 

[oregonmommyof2]

Hi Toni!! Hope you and Terry are having a great day!! That smilie is perfect for Bill, he smiles that big when he gets a kiss on the cheek! I will be around a little later, got some things to do today!

Wait... You mean it is daytime??? I couldn't tell with all the snoring Terry is still doing!! Tailor is about ready to come home from school and he is still asleep... She is going to want answers on why she can't sleep until noon also... I will have my yahoo up so I will talk to you later!!

Oh, and after a few Lapu Lapu's Bill maybe getting some of this action...

 

[KathyRN137]

That year the chair also got to meet one of the best families in the world, I am not talking Disney World, I am talking the ENTIRE world :

Aww, Tracy, that's so sweet! Hopefully we will have many more meets in the future!

Is Greased Lightning less comfortable because of the seat/padding, or because it absorbs shock less than Christine?

Oh, and BTW Mr. YodaK, you need to start popping in more often!

Having only 25 posts, total, is unacceptable around here!!


Kathy