what is the point of wheelchairs?

[rareboy]

 

[star-warrior]

My mum had a stroke and she couldn't use her legs to walk. If I thought chopping her legs off was a good idea, I'd've come to you straight away.

People like their limbs.

And no, it doesn't help her now, she died recently, with her legs, unable to walk. But she lived with the use of a wheelchair to get her around. I didn't mind, we had a WAV (wheelchair accessible vehicle) and we also went to visit lots of places. Besides, with the wheelchair, we could carry lots of stuff too. Saved straining the fingers, if you know what I mean.

 

[Paws]

+2

/and 10 chars

 

[freefall]

and how the hell could you run out of popcorn looseliam!! holy jeebus!!! let us all down!

Now all we need is tea.

 

[Kabluey]

If it were me I'd keep my legs and hope for medical breakthroughs.

Plus I wouldn't want people to pity me because I had no legs.

And I like my toes licked and sucked on.

Yep - I'm with you on this - the thought that maybe they could be usable again is promise enough for me

 

[Lukeee]

Sorry to everyone who is offended and thanks to everyone who made a serious or semi-serious reply.

Having dead legs removed would practically almost never speed things up or make something possible that would otherwise not be .

what about using stairs? Please look at the videos at the end of this post. These people can move quite fast.

Do you seriously think all disabled people have the adequate strength to move their entire body using only their arms? Do you think it's easy to balance the body when you walk with arms?

The easiest way to understand is by trying to walk with your arms right now. Not so easy heh? There are indeed reasons why normal people walk with feet instead of arms or medical rehabilitation program would enlist walking with arms instead of wheelchairs as the last resort.

Probably not, but then I doubt it is easy to live in a wheelchair either. If I couldn't use my legs and doctors said this could make my life better I would be willing to adapt. I think after a bit of training my arms would be strong enough to support my body and I could learn to balance on my arms like others have done. I can't walk on my arms right now because my legs are in the way. Please look at the videos at the end of this post. Some people in this situation rest on their body so don't need to support it in the air all the time.

You are suggesting that because I have limited use of my legs, I should just, cut them off?!

Well if my legs had some use then I would keep them. If they had zero use and things could be easier/better without them then I would want them removed.

I completely agree with this!

But only if we get to start with you as the test person, we can cut off the things that are not needed like the legs and arms and mouth etc... then we can go from there and see if it is a good idea on future people.

Ok everyone... lets hold him down.. I brought the exacto knife!

My legs work.

---

This kid can walk pretty fast and can get up and down stairs. (3:15) He uses a wheelchair for some things but can still go places the wheelchair can't.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2D5VUDHBnw&feature=related[/ame]

This woman uses a skateboard and her arms to move quite fast but can use just her arms where wheels won't go.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgSRb1TXGEM&feature=related[/ame]

This man has only one arm so uses his body as a second leg.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U59mHmmR5SM&feature=relmfu[/ame]

 

[Lukeee]

My first reply was for posts up to 30 but if there is something you want me to reply to let me know.


post 33

1/4/5 - most of these people still use wheelchairs but they can also come out of them and walk around on their hands/body and climb stairs when needed.


2/3 - clearly this wouldn't work for everyone but I think the people in these videos would be much worse off if they couldn't do what they can do and instead were only hoping they could do it.

6 - all surgery is dangerous but sometimes it is worth it.

I don't take drugs or drink alcohol.
I'm not sure of the exact age of the people.

 

[thewiz]

The people that you cite in your posts are young and likely adapted to their condition. I think back to when my mom was dying from cancer that had spread to her brain. She spent much of the last year or two in wheelchairs and had neither the strength nor capacity to live -- and amputation would certainly have hastened her end.

I have many friends in wheelchairs and several of the things cited in earlier posts would hold true for me as well. Yes, at this point in my life I may be able to crawl but visibility and any distance would likely quickly take its toll on my body at my age. People don't see walking pedestrians -- can you imagine how many would be run over on city streets while crawling?

Just the hope that there may be a cure for whatever particular ailment caused the loss of the limbs would be enough to forgo amputation. I think back to when my grandpa died of a heart attack due to clogged arteries (it was in the mid-60's. A year or so later the first heart transplant occurred together with all the bypass surgery. He would be alive today, quite easily, had he just lived a few more years.

One thing that does aggravate me are all of the obese people I now see using wheelchairs. I think if more just walked earlier, they'd not find themselves in the chairs later in life. It is kind of a double edge sword: they can still get around but are hugely obese and the chair further lowers any activity that would burn the calories making them more and more obese....

 

[MoufOfKhaos]

Oh man, it's too early for this shit and I have to work at noon.

Expect a lot more piss and vinegar, kid.

 

[Lukeee]

Well this is disappointing but you've convinced me that it probably wouldn't work for most people. When I was thinking about this I was only putting myself in these situations and thinking about what I would prefer.

 

[freefall]

Probably not, but then I doubt it is easy to live in a wheelchair either. If I couldn't use my legs and doctors said this could make my life better I would be willing to adapt. I think after a bit of training my arms would be strong enough to support my body and I could learn to balance on my arms like others have done. I can't walk on my arms right now because my legs are in the way. Please look at the videos at the end of this post. Some people in this situation rest on their body so don't need to support it in the air all the time.

And again I will say that arms are not designed to walk at the first place. Yes, eventually after trained it could be strong, yet you still have to struggle with balance problems.

Do you notice there are knee caps but no elbow caps? Do you notice the difference between a knee joint and an elbow? Do you notice the difference of work between feet and hands? And do you notice that hips are located parallel with the body but shoulder joints are 'outside' the body? Those all will correlate back to coordination and, again, balance.

Thus I have to agree with Jason (Hardup). Younger people, perhaps after training months if not years will adapt. Elderly, however, whose muscle power and equilibrium system have deteriorated with age will gain more risks than benefits.

 

[Soilwork]

It took my entire morning shit to read this thread. One was more enjoyable than the other.

 

[Ninja108]

No comment.....

 

[palbert]

People are allowed to ask stupid questions.

I sometimes ask a lot of stupid questions. That is how you learn.
If you are not stupid, you are not human !!!

Telstra, generally your questions are solely naive.

Rarely are they are stupid, insensitive, insulting, demeaning, mocking, degrading and otherwise inhuman..

 

[bw92116]

Best answer.

 

[mrbobbywoods]

I'm deaf in one ear, does that mean i'll have to cut it off? dumb question...

 

[bankside]

So after we all recover from the emotional reaction to the question, it still remains answerable:

The sole function of legs is not just "locomotion under conscious control."

They are also there for a variety of other reasons, such as balancing the load of the circulatory system, maintaining the continuity of the skin as part of our external defences, aesthetics, maintaining a conventional centre of gravity.

So removing the legs would disrupt all those other systems which continue to function happily at least to some degree, even when the legs are immobile due to paralysis.

And don't neglect the fact that with advancing technology and medical knowledge, the lack of function in the legs may respond to future treatments or treatments currently being planned.

 

[weaponx]

I do and am able to walk on my hands. Yet having body parts removed is not on my todo list. I had to have one leg amputated years ago, and It took almost a year for me to regain my proper balance. Of course I was born paralyzed, so It might be different, for someone that became disabled later in life. There are many issue's to deal with, but doing the ole axe is always a last resort.

 

[streetblackcock99]

This thread made me ki

LOL

 

[bw92116]

I took my Mom to a wheelchair dance class two weeks ago, then I've taken her twice dancing at the Moonlight Serenade Orchestra's weekly concerts. Other dancers also took her out on the dance floor in her wheelchair.

I took my Mom to Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in her wheelchair as well as Big Sur, Point Lobos, La Jolla and many other locations.

I take my Mom to church every Sunday in her wheelchair.

I'm offended by the original post of this thread enough to leave this site.