VOTE! Wheelchair Color!

Guess what arrived in the mailbox today? (Hint: It wasn't TV Guide. It came in addition to a lovely postcard from Dana).

My approval from Medical Assistance for an ultra-lightweight wheelchair!

MA has 21 days to make a decision--but I'm not sure if that is 21 business days or 21 calendar days. So, this happened a little more quickly than expected and I'm relieved.

I can't help but come back over and over to the fact that the approval arrived in the mail on my anniversary of getting sick. Is it a little push in the direction of moving forward? Spiritually I don't know what it all means, but I know there is meaning in the timing.

Above is a picture of the type of chair and model I will be getting. Below is a picture of Dad with Dan, from the medical supply store, looking very serious trying to figure out how the rigid chair will fit in the trunk of the car.

Now that the chair is approved I NEED YOUR HELP!

I need to pick a color ASAP so that they can order one. And despite all of this time looking at the little color swatches I can't decide!

Do I want a color that will be very, very subtle or a little more bold? Do I want something that will 'go with everything'?

Mostly, I feel that the chair is already 'obvious', but I don't want to go overboard color-wise. Usually, I'm for bold and bright. But one thing to consider is do I want to be wearing the bold and bright colors or do I want my chair to be bold and bright?

I've narrowed down to the following five colors (and believe me, this is narrowing it down). The pink is terrible. So disappointing! I've put a poll on the right-hand side of my blog so that you can vote!

Hopefully the chair will be ordered on Monday, so the poll will close Sunday night.

1. Blue Velvet (a deep bluish-purple, shiny)

2. Blue Opal (darker than the blue velvet, truly blue but not bright at all (I did not like the Candy Blue or Classic Blue) has a hint of sparkle to it (not at all tacky), will hide dirt and chips well because of the sparkle)

3. Candy Turquoise (a true bright turquoise similar to what you see in stores and catalogs right now, shiny)

4. Candy Red (a true shiny red. I love red but my only concern is does this color make you think of trauma? Or will it be cool like a Davidson Wildcat! I saw the dude on Glee had red on his chair and I liked it more than I thought I would)

5. Razzleberry (a sort of plum color, shiny. can't really be called purple.)

This is the best I can do description-wise, as I don't have a degree in color-description. The online pictures are not at all accurate.

The chair in the photos is Blue Velvet so you can get a good idea of what that color looks like. I can email a photo of a friend in her Blue Opal chair if you'd like. Otherwise, I don't have much of an idea what the little swatches of colors are going to transfer to looking like on a chair.

I think the store should have all of the colors on chairs so you can choose! It's an important decision. I have to live with this color for a LONG time.

Deciding on the chair and the features was a very long and time-consuming process. I never realized all that went into choosing a chair and choosing the right chair for me. I ended up getting a rigid chair, which as you can see in the photo above folds differently than a traditional folding chair. The back folds down. The wheels pop off. It's a bit more difficult to transport than a folding chair, but it is much lighter. I also found this model more comfortable and I liked the footplate better than the individual footrests. I can sit cross-legged in the chair and it will be adjusted to fit my back, etc. Wheel type, castor size, back height, cushion type, seat dump, back angle, seat width, seat depth all matter.

We decided that given the types of cars we have and are likely to have in the future (and the types of cars most of my friends have), I would be able to transport a rigid chair without much issue. One of the taxi services in town now uses all mini-vans, so if I get to the point of outings on my own, I can use that sort of service. The lightness of the chair matters if I am eventually able to propel myself AND for lifting it in and out of the car.

It was as stressful as buying a car, or so I felt! In its own way it is my vehicle.

Now CAST YOUR VOTE!!!! (You know how indecisive I am. I need your help!) The poll closes Sunday evening! And just in case you can't choose just one color you may vote for more than one color. :) I set up the poll so that you can do that.

(Don't forget to go directly to my blog if you are in email: www.adancinglight.blogspot.com to vote.)

Blessings and Thanks,

Emily

Photos: The ever-patient Dan helping us choose a wheelchair while I was staying at my Dad's house. He spent all afternoon with us. He was wonderful. The Quickie GT rigid wheelchair in Blue Velvet.