Bottle Holder:
Handi Hints 2:
I love diet Mountain Dew! It can raise my blood pressure if it is low. I usually have 2 in a normal day. However, even a Dew can cause trouble. As a result of my poor grip and limited range of motion I can knock the bottle over very easily and have done so on my computer keyboard, a jigsaw puzzle and a book I was reading. The sticky fluid can cause quite a mess, as my wife likes to remind me as she cleans it up. The solution to the problem is to set the bottle in the hole in a roll of duct tape. This allows me to get a firm grip on the bottle before I lift it.
Frames:
If the dexterity of your fingers is compromised this may be a helpful solution to assist in picking up small objects. Use of my fingers is severely impacted by my quadriplegia. In an effort to improve their movement I started doing jigsaw puzzles. I began with large-format puzzles which are made for people who have difficulty handling smaller pieces. The major problem I ran into was stopping the pieces from sliding as I tried to pick them up. My son built a frame from plywood and 1"x 2". The raised edge around the outside of frame allows me to trap the puzzle pieces and pick them up. After I did a few puzzles, the knuckles on several of my fingers were getting irritated from sliding across plywood. To solve this problem my wife got some felt like material and covered the plywood. I have several size frames which are used mostly for different sized puzzles but as you can see in the pictures on the right I have one large frame which sits on my worktable. I do projects and this serves the same function by allowing me to trap whatever I am trying to pick up against the inside of 1"X2". It also allows you to rotate whatever you are working on for easier access.
Stops:
I have started using what I call "stops" for many different purposes. My hands are normally in a loose grip position. It is almost impossible for me to grip anything tightly. In order to hold on tight my hands must be strapped on the object. I noticed lacrosse and hockey players wrap tape repeatedly around the same spot on their sticks to prevent their hands from sliding off the stick. I have done this with friction tape, which you can get in any hardware store, and it has worked very well and enabling me to do some things with greater ease. If my hand slides up the handle it will come to rest against the stop and prevent any further upward movement. On a long handle you can, place several stops on the shaft of the tool an equal distance apart. As you move your hand up the shaft the stops will allow you to lift the tool up even when there is some weight on the bottom or if your ability to raise your arms is compromised. Compression wrap can be placed below the stop to increase your ability to hold.
Joystick:
Sometimes it is difficult for me to decide what to put on my website and what is already common knowledge. I decided that there is little harm in including information which many people might already know. I have had three different wheelchairs and have had problems with the joysticks on each of them. On the Extreme 4x4 a problem developed when I began wearing my Quad Mitts. The fabric of the mittens made it extremely difficult for me to control the chair. I now have a Ranger X chair and the buttons on the control are so sensitive and my fine motor control of my hand so lacking that it causes me to hit the control buttons all the time. So when I am riding not only is the horn beeping but I am constantly either speeding up or slowing down. I have solved the problems on all my chairs by placing the rubber tip of a crutch or cane on the joystick. Now my hand does not slip when I have mittens on, and the higher joystick raises my hand enough to prevent it from inadvertently touching buttons. Sometimes it's necessary to tape the joystick in order to make a crutch tip fit over it.
Male Bag:
I carry on my my chair all the time several of the simple tools I use often, such as the Paper Pick Up and the Rope & Hook. I use an Armrest Organizer which I purchased from Case Logic online. I prefer to call it my “male” bag. I have one on each of my chairs. The bag attaches to the arm of the chair using a Velcro strap and hangs down on the outside of the arm out of your way. When you want to use it you flip it on your lap and it lands right side up. It opens very easily. I also have pills, some money, a whistle and candy in it. All my medical information on one sheet of paper is in it as well as a ring pen. While there are some interior organization features, I unfortuately am unable to use them. ($18).
Water Bags:
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are the scourge of quadriplegics. The key to avoiding UTIs is to drink lots of water during the day. A simple way to make water available to you all the time is to put a water bag or "water hydration system" on the back of your chair and have drinking hose clip on to your outer garment. You almost always see them on soldiers. Water bags are available online under the brand name of Camelbak and Platypus. These usually hold between 70 to 100oz. ($30+)
Soapstone Warmth:
When I am outside for an extended period of time in the fall and winter it is difficult for me to keep my hands warm even with the Quad Mitts. Most of the time when I am hunting I am just sitting in a hedgerow waiting. I have a camouflaged hand muff but my hands still get cold because of the inactivity. I have tried using the chemical heat packs but have not had much luck with them. I know there is a hand warmer that you fill with lighter fluid which burns and the heat given off will warm your hands. However, when I hunting I would be concerned that the deer would smell the burning lighter fluid. I knew the Amish use to a rock called soapstone which absorbs heat and then gives it off over a period of time. They place it on the floor of their buggies to keep their feet warm. I found a company online called Vermont Soapstone and they were able to cut a piece that would fit into the pocket in my muff. I heat the soapstone by placing it in the oven or on the mantle of the fireplace and slip it into the pocket. It gives off heat for several hours and of course there is no odor to alert the game.
Scope Adaption:
As a result my quadriplegia I knew I would need a new shotgun. A former student bought me a Remington 11-87 shotgun with the Leopold Red Dot Scope. The scope was great because I did not have to worry about distortion. Whoever took me hunting would turn it on and then leave me. Hours later, when they returned to help me get home, it would get turned off. I quickly realized the scope battery would not last very long because it was on the whole time I was hunting. After a while, I came up with the idea of putting a small hose clamp on the selection dial which would allow me to turn it on and off. While looking through a jar of miscellaneous items I found a clamp with the rubber coating and I've used that. It works great.
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