An HSPer shares his story of using it
In September 2014 there was an article about a new mobility device. Now there is a story from the US of someone who has bought and is using one.
Medical doctor and HSPer, Malin Dollinger talks about his experience with the TEK mobility device:
How does it work so differently? You bring the device to you when you want to use it from wherever you parked it last, moving it with a small hand remote-control. You sit on a firm pad, with a large opening near each end, then attach straps to each side of the pad. By operating the controls, the straps tighten and pull the attached pad, with you on it, up to a standing position, and the straps hold you there, standing, during the entire time you are using it. Your knees are inside special pads, and there is another pad touching your lower chest, so you are comfortable.
Each TEK device is customised for each person, after all kinds of body measurements are recorded. You can then ride around, anywhere you wish to go, in the standing position. You can reach things you could not reach otherwise, and you can then reverse the process and sit back down, on your scooter or in a chair.
The big difference from all previous mobility devices is that you don’t ride around sitting; you ride around standing. My big plus, and yours also, is that you can avoid/reverse the bone/calcium loss, and muscle atrophy, not to mention leg swelling, which happens when you spend all day just sitting. The unit is rather small, so it would fit anywhere, and doorways and tight spaces are not a problem. The width at the wheels is about 42cm and at the handle bars it is about 49 cm.
When finished for the day, you simply park it in the corner somewhere, with the hand control, and then you bring it back to wherever you are, when you need it next. It is extremely well-engineered and constructed, and took years to develop.
Malin Dollinger, M.D., SPG4
Availability in Australia
For more information on the device, including video, and how to get one in Australia, go to: http://pushmobility.com.au/catalogue/tek. The cost is around $24,000 and includes a face-to-face consultation for measurement and custom sizing of the unit, free delivery and 5 hours of personal training time to learn to use the device. Units can be inspected and trialled in Adelaide and Brisbane currently, and possibly other locations on request.