The NEW MOBILITY Blog relaunched in August with a whole new cast of fresh voices:

3 Responses to ‘Do You Need Help?

Alex Ghenis says the phrase “do you need help?” peeves him even more than “Hey, speed racer!” He writes: “People ask me when I’m minding my own business at a café, when I’m doing some activity but obviously not struggling, and even when I’m heading into the bathroom. (I always wonder what kind of help people think I’d need in the bathroom that they, a total stranger, could give).”

His suggestions are to be polite, be a little bit sarcastic — “Need help with what, man?” — or be calm and thoughtful.

Read it at www.newmobility.com/2015/08/3-responses-to-do-you-need-help and look for Ghenis’ follow-up blog, “Asking for Help: 3 Tips.” Ghenis, 27, is a policy analyst with the World Institute on Disability and a C5 quad.

I Love G-Loves Wheelchair Gloves

Palm Springs, Calif., defense attorney and paraplegic Stephanie Arrache writes about the beating her hands take from wheeling around and then gushes about G-Loves, gloves designed for women weight lifters that work wonderfully and fashionably as wheelchair gloves:

“I don’t remember exactly how I stumbled across the G-loves, but I am so glad I did! They have so many different color combinations to choose from. Of course, I ordered the most outrageous color I could. No one has ever accused me of being afraid of color. Being a true ‘80s child, I was immediately drawn to the Rad collection. And, as if they weren’t amazing enough, I ended up bedazzling them when I got them. I bought a second pair from the Wave collection, because it looks like shiny mermaid scales on my hand. (Mermaid scales sounds way prettier than fish scales, right??) For the record: I decided those were shiny enough and did not bedazzle them.

Arrache suggests ordering them a size larger since they’re very snug.

Read more at www.newmobility.com/2015/08/i-love-g-loves-wheelchair-gloves

My Spring ‘Break‘ (Or Try to Avoid Getting Hammered, OK?)

James Barry shares a cautionary tale for all of those with MS who, even after living with the disease for decades, may have difficulty telling a broken bone from a heart attack:

“I have had multiple sclerosis for 35 years, not walked for the past 12, and do not have much sensation in my legs. I suppose, if I had been able to walk or bear weight on my leg, I might have been screaming another tune,” writes Barry, a long-time disabilities advocate and former Verizon corporate manager.

He presented with heart attack symptoms, so his wife called dialed 911. “While in the ambulance, I lost consciousness again and they performed countless tests to find out why I passed out and why I was losing blood pressure. We got to the hospital about 10 p.m., where the ER staff did more cardiac tests. The results revealed a typical healthy runner’s heart/lung profile but could not explain the dropping blood pressure and loss of blood count. They admitted me to the cardiac ward where I spent a fitful night having blood drawn and being monitored every 30 minutes. It was over 24 hours before a broken leg was diagnosed.”

Read the rest of the story at www.newmobility.com/2015/08/my-spring-break

---

Support New Mobility Wait! Before you wander off to other parts of the internet, please consider supporting New Mobility. For more than three decades, New Mobility has published groundbreaking content for active wheelchair users. We share practical advice from wheelchair users across the country, review life-changing technology and demand equity in healthcare, travel and all facets of life. But none of this is cheap, easy or profitable. Your support helps us give wheelchair users the resources to build a fulfilling life.