1 year wheelachairaversiry!

This month marks one year since my GTM wheelchair finally got delivered to me after months of waiting for the whole process to be completed. After I ordered my new chair I created in my bullet journal a countdown marking off the days and months until delivery day. I was just so excited for it to arrive once I’d put the order in so the countdown kept me going through the wait.

This past year has been amazing with my new wheelchair. My quality of life really has improved by having the right wheelchair for me and it’s given me back so much freedom and independence.

Before

My previous wheelchair which Wheelchair Services had provided me with an InvaCare Action 3 wheelchair which was pretty much a standard wheelchair. It had no customisations for me other than it being fitted for my size.

I’m very grateful that my Wheelchair Services provided me with a wheelchair as not all NHS Trusts provide wheelchairs to ambulatory wheelchair users.

My InvaCare wheelchair

When I had my NHS wheelchair at first it suited me fine and met my needs. However as time went on and my health worsened and I needed to increasing use my wheelchair more I found that it wasn’t fully meeting my needs. At times my wheelchair was more of a hindrance than a help as it was difficult to transport and as I needed to take it with me every time I went out. The chair was also very heavy and the backrest wasn’t the correct hight so it was difficult to self-propel due to the chair’s weight and the backrest caused problems with my shoulders and having Ehlers-Danlos this made it especially problematic. I also couldn’t use my NHS chair around the house so when my symptoms were bad I was often left stuck as walking around my home with my crutches wasn’t possible or safe.

My NHS wheelchair was more made for occasional use, like for someone pushing me to take me to a hospital appointment or around a shop. It definitely wasn’t made for regular independent use and as my health worsened my NHS wheelchair wasn’t meeting my needs and it was limiting my freedom, independence and quality of life. As a result I began saving and looking into to get a wheelchair that would meet my needs.

As you can see from the photo it’s a pretty standard stereotypical wheelchair; nothing fancy like an active wheelchair.

Looking for a wheelchair 

I tried and tested both manual and lightweight folding electric wheelchairs. I did a lot of research and read a lot of reviews on different makes and models of wheelchairs and spoke with other wheelchair users including wheelchair users with M.E and EDS to see what they felt worked for them.

Initially I decided to buy a power add-on and again I tried and tested different attachments and again did my research, read reviews etc. When I tried out the Batec Mini 2 I fell in love with it immediately. I loved the suspension and how easy it was to transport and store (I have very limited space in my bungalow) plus I love how it connects to the wheelchair. The docking bracket is so easy compared to some other attachments I tried where they connected to the frame of the chair which I really struggled with as well as the damage it would do to the frame. You can read my Batec review here.

When my Batec arrived in August 2023 it gave me back so much more freedom to be able to go out. It’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever bought. After buying my Batec I decided to wait about a year before going ahead with getting a suitable wheelchair. However my InvaCare Action 3 wheelchair wasn’t made for Batec adventures and going up and down curbs etc and wheelchair services had to come out a few times to fix my chair. Very soon after getting my Batec I made the decision to just go ahead and get myself the wheelchair that I desperately needed; not just because of my Batec but because my Batec gave me freedom. It made me realise how little freedom I had with my InvaCare wheelchair and how much I desperately needed a wheelchair that would meet my needs.

I was really impressed with the customer service I got from Cyclone Mobility when I bought my Batec from them and I decided to demo some of their wheelchairs. In my research I really liked the backrest system on Aria wheelchairs and that was a makes of chair that Cyclone Mobility stocked so I asked them to bring one of them to my home demo along with some other makes and models with the features I wanted in my new wheelchair.

From having my NHS wheelchair I sort-of knew what I did and didn’t want in my new chair. 

Demo chair

When I had my home demo initially Alex brought me the Aria chair and an and another make and model of wheelchair. I really did like the Aria wheelchair but talking to Alex who is a wheelchair user himself, he from personal experience didn’t recommend the Aria wheelchair and recommended a GTM wheelchair to me. His chair was a GTM chair and he said they’re made to go really well with Batec’s so he went to his van and brought me a GTM Mustang chair to try out. Sitting in an ultra lightweight wheelchair made it so much easier to get around in compared to some other chairs I’d tried out. Also the demo GTM chair had gekko grip CarboLife push rims and the gekko grip made pushing the chair even easier. I realised that with options and customisations I could be a manual wheelchair user and I liked the active feel of a manual wheelchair.

I did some more research into GTM wheelchairs and spoke with some people who had GTM wheelchairs. Gem at WheelsNoHeels was really helpful. She has a GTM Jaguar and recommended Spinergy wheels to me as these are lightweight wheels so would make my chair lighter making it easier to push as well as lift if taking them off my chair.

After I decided that the GTM Mustang was the chair for me Alex came back out to me and I ordered my chair.

A lot of measuring goes into a custom wheelchair and there are so many options to go for. Initially I thought I wanted a white framed wheelchair. But then I thought why not spend a bit more and get a custom colour frame. I did want a pastel lavender/lilac colour but unfortunately the closest colour they could do was dark purple which I didn’t like as I like pastel colours. So eventually I went for polished metal frame as I liked Gem’s GTM Jaguar wheelchair. I enjoyed customising my new chair and it was helpful to have Alex as another wheelchair user to ask both his professional and personal advice on some of the options. I could tell that GTM went with Batec’s as one of the customisations was to add a bracket for a Batec. After I initially ordered my GTM Mustang I contacted Alex a few times to make changes to my order like changing plastic to carbon fibre and the spoke colours when they couldn’t do my custom lilac colour frame. I kept changing my mind on choices as I wanted my new wheelchair to turn out just right.

So, did I get my chair right? 

On the whole yes. The seat is much more comfortable as I’m no longer sat at a 90 degree angle which I found uncomfortable. The backrest is ever so slightly tilted back and my seat is an ergo bucket so it slopes upwards helping with back and hip pain. I’m glad I swapped plastic for carbon fibre - well worth the extra expense as it looks so much better. I’m also definitely glad I swapped from small to large CarboLife push rims and the gekko grip was well worth the expense too as I wouldn’t be able to push my chair otherwise. I like my Spinergy wheels too. I like the side guards going over the top of my wheels too. The pouch on my backrest is so handy. The backrest also folds down so much better compared to how my old chair folded. I could say more but I think this sums things up well. My GTM chair is so easy to transport. On the whole for my first chair I pretty much got everything just right.

The main thing I wish I had gotten was fold out push handles. The main reasons why I didn’t get them were because I thought they might be too low down for someone pushing me but I can now see that it would have been fine. Also I wanted to be independent in my new chair; I wanted to break free from having people push me like a little old lady and be independent and push myself around. Thankfully it’s not been a major problem as it’s very rare that I do need a push and usually it’s not for a long distance so we use the bar on the back of my chair. When I go to places or I’m having days where I’d struggle to push myself I’d take my Batec with me. So I’ve found that though I wish I’d gotten them it’s not a problem that they’re not there.

Sometimes I feel like my chair is a bit plain but then on the flip side it means it goes with any outfit. Sometimes I do think about my initial wish for a white frame. I am considering jazzing it up a bit maybe?

When I got my pressure sore Wheelchair Services also provided me with a Jay Extreme Active seat cushion that has really made a difference.

This past year 

Getting out and about

The past year since having my GTM chair it’s opened up so many more opportunities for me. As my new chair fits so well with my Batec I love getting out whenever I can whether it’s a ride around the block, to the Co-op or putting my wheelchair and Batec and chair in the car and riding around the Country Park.

I’ve also gained so much confidence as a wheelchair user too and doing my two days of wheelchair training with Stuart at Freedom Wheelchair Skills really helped with that too. (I still really want to learn and perfect how to do backwards balance in my chair aka a wheelie as it’s such a key as a wheelchair user).

I also feel happy in my GTM like being seen in it in terms of the aesthetic of my GTM chair compared to how my InvaCare wheelchair looked.

I did try out some LoopWheels but I should have gotten a trial of the LT LoopWheels but I didn’t but decided to leave the idea of getting LoopWheels for now as I love my Spinergy wheels. You can read about my trial of LoopWheels here.

The future

I’m so glad that I now have a wheelchair that meets my needs and has improved my quality of life and given me back freedom and independence. I’m also grateful that I have a wheelchair that means I can manage my symptoms and not be held back. Yes I still have to spend a lot of time in bed but it’s nice to wheel to my craft desk or to get a drink or even the bathroom some days. 

I look forward to many more adventures with my Batec.

I do think I’ll try the LT LoopWheels at some point.

I know maybe a time in five or more or less years when I might struggle to push my chair and I’m already saving for future options like SmartDrives and such power assists should I need them in the future.

Resources 

Gem has a great four part series on her YouTube channel on buying a custom wheelchair which she did when she bought her GTM Jaguar. You can find these videos in this playlist here along with some other videos on choosing wheelchairs and power add-ons.

I found this series invaluable when I was buying my custom wheelchair. Gem’s channel WheelsNoHeels is a great channel in general I find especially if you’re a wheelchair user or if you have a disability/chronic illness.