Hi Cyndi My very first chair-yes I was measured and fitted for it at rehab-was too large. I had the same problem and was always tipping to one side. Seven years later I got another Chair, and it fit much better but I still tilted and I usually relied on my arms being strapped down to keep me up right. I then went for several years without insurance and purchased my present chair off of Ebay. I also lucked out and found a J2 back for $50.00, and it has made the world of difference in the way I sit. So if you can, try and see if you can find a used J2 that can be put on his chair. Try craigslist-I've been lucky looking on craigslist for larger areas than Reno and contacting them and arranging to having the items shipped. Also, try to care cure forum for equipment. Good luck.
Joan From: Cyndi Davis [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, April 16, 2010 3:40 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [QUAD-L] tippy chairs Hi! My husband is a c5,6 & has used a donated Invacare Storm TDX5 chair for 2 yrs, since his accident. We don't have anything except the reclining manual chair that we use for backup to compare to, so I'll share what we know of this chair for what ever our opinion is worth. The chair has worked well for us - it tilts, reclines, elevates, & spins on a dime. We like it real well, but like I said, we have no experience with other chairs, so nothing to compare it to. There have been a few times that the battery cables (?) shorted out & we had to wait a few days for it to dry out before we could use it again. One time our 3 yr. old son spilled a glass of water on the battery, another time the catheter leaked & shorted it out. Other than that we have had no repairs or problems in the 2 years we have used it. One thing about getting a used chair is that it might not fit right. My husband's donated chair is too wide for him. The first yr. or so after the accident this wasn't a problem. The last 6 months or so he has started leaning to the right side a lot - he has no trunk support - and we spend a lot of time sitting him back upright. I'm checking into getting a lateral support for the right side - but equipment is so expensive & I can't afford to buy anything unless I'm pretty sure it's what he needs. So make sure the chair fits before you put a lot of money into it. We had no other way of getting a wheelchair, so we are very glad for the TDX5 that he has. Hope this info helps you some. Cyndi [email protected]
