I have come to realize that my Edge 3 with iLevel chair has become an
indispensable tool in my independence. When going from place to place
and utilizing the many different services that have become a part of my
routine, the many different features my power chair offers, allow me to
adapt to many different situations. The iLevel feature is the one that I use
the most. The ability to totally recline the chair into a flat table is running a
close second.
Recently, I have used this feature at the eyelash studio, the emergency
room, and the dentist! I love visiting the eyelash studio and having my lash
extensions applied and maintained. The separate rooms in the studio
are a little narrow and small however, my Edge 3 is less than 25-inch width.
It can easily maneuver into the dentist and lash office rooms. Once
in the room, I can lay my chair’s seat out flat to allow the technician the
same access she would get if I transferred and laid down on the table she
uses for other customers. This allows me to maintain comfort and the
choice to raise the chair back up if I start to have back pain during my
session. Finally, my eyelash technician loves it because I can adjust the
chair back on an angle to allow her eyelash work to be a little easier on her
back as well.
Absolutely no one likes a trip to the E.R. and I am no exception.
Fortunately, since I have been using my Edge 3 chair, I have been to the
Emergency Room twice. Each of these instances, although I was not
feeling well, went so much more smoothly thanks to my powerchair.
Initially, after checking in and waiting to be seen, I had an easy and quick
transition from the waiting room to the nurse’s station to have my vitals
recorded and give pertinent information to the E.R. nursing team about why
I was there. Once it was my turn, a nurse took me straight to the treatment
area herself. I didn’t have to wait for a transport person to arrive and escort
me to a treatment room. I am always grateful for the charging port on my
power chair that keeps my phone charging so I can stay in contact with
loved ones. As always, it took quite a bit of time before I was able to
actually be seen by the doctor and since my power chair reclines all the
way back, I was allowed to stay in my chair until the doctor came and
determined that I had to go and have x-rays and other tests done. My Edge
3 still came in handy when having to transfer, because both my powerchair
and the hospital bed are able to adjust their heights. The best part was
when it was time to go home, I didn’t have to deal with waiting once again
for the transport person to come to the room to collect me because of
“hospital policy.”
Finally, at the dentist’s office, when I showed my long-time dentist some of
what my chair could do, he opted to allow me to stay in my chair during a
minor dental procedure. Those dental chairs do move up and down
somewhat but are really low and even with my husband/caregiver assisting
me, transferring back and forward can be really difficult. I let my dentist
handle the dental tools and he just let me know when the chair needed to
be adjusted. It helps in some high-anxiety situations to have the familiarity
of my Bumblebee (my chair’s name) to help. My Edge 3 chair is helpful in
so many ways I have learned that I can’t function without him.