PWC Means Power WheelChair

I'm having to get used to two changes which are coming to my life in the near future. It is almost a certainty that I will lose my ability to drive sometime this year. And it looks more and more likely that I will be spending more time in my power wheelchair as time goes by. I don't like to bet on these things, but I need to plan for them. It's not if, but when.

So in this effort, I have decided to do some excursions in my power wheelchair. These excursions will assist me in finding out how far I can go, and what I need to do in terms of using public transportation. If I cannot use my truck and yet still remain relatively unconstrained, I need to build confidence in getting somewhere, enjoying the trip, and getting back, all without running out of battery power.

On Saturday I tried my first outing. It was a relatively short trip, up to a nearby Coop grocery store and across to the Northland Village Mall. This excursions represents what might be a typical run for me, a trip to go shopping. The total trip was about 6 kilometers, a distance of about 3.6 miles. The travel consumed about 40% of my available battery, meaning that I have a total run distance of about 15 km, or about 9 miles.

This might not seem like much, but it is a fair distance, farther than most people would go on a daily walk or even a hike. What's more, this is my total run distance, but not the total distance I could cover. Add access to public transit and I can go pretty much anywhere in the city, even with a long transfer by wheelchair somewhere in the trip.

What I need to do now is get up the courage to do this, to make use of my Power WheelChair more. The PWC will become central to my life soon enough. I may even find myself using it more and more inside my own apartment as my arms become weaker. My next excursion will be another local voyage, just a bit farther. I also plan on using the PWC to explore the local riverside park. It's spring. It's time for me to get outside. I have the tools to do this; all I need is the will.