How I Manage To Spend 15 Hours A Day In My ‘Chair...

How I Manage To Spend 15 Hours A Day In My ‘Chair With Only Stage 0.5-1.0 Pressure Sores

To first get us on the same page (and why I say Stage 0.5-1.0)

The formal stages are:

    * Stage 1 - Skin intact but reddened for greater than 1 hour after relief of pressure
    * Stage 2 - Blister or other break in dermis with or without infection
    * Stage 3 - Subcutaneous destruction into muscle with or without infection
    * Stage 4 - Involvement of bone or joint with or without infection

(The definitions of the four pressure ulcer stages are revised periodically by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) in the United States)

My pressure sores usually don’t show -- why I call them Stage 0.5 -- but since I have feeling (feeling yes, any muscle control, no) I can feel when they start ‘cooking;’ like the itching/discomfort of a bad sunburn which has a lot of pressure being applied to it, constantly.

In any event, my day is (usually) in my ‘chair at 4:45 a.m. and back in bed around 8 p.m.

The ‘secret’ to keeping my pressure sores to a minimum is four-fold.

 1 - I have an air cushion but will be trying another type soon. Both were gotten for me as a result of seating-clinic evaluations. Regardless of the type of the cushion, seating-clinic evaluations are key.

 2 - I regularly move my chair or pull my upper-body forward (no more than 5 minutes between moves) ever-so-slightly (less than 5 seconds) -- combined with a 60-120 second ‘run’ three or four times a day -- throughout the day. ‘Chair movement equals slight jostling which equals some better circulation.

 3 - My ‘chair has TILT among its feature. So when the itching gets bothersome or my wife notices my pressure sores have reached Stage 1, I spend 5 minutes each hour with my ‘chair in full tilt. This puts my back close to parallel to the floor. I also have POWER LEG RESTS. So while I’m tilted back, I have them ‘fully extended.’ I refer to this position as... Assuming the Astronaut-Position [smile]. 

 4 - Using accessible transport twice a day, 5 to 6 days a week, for 45 to 115-plus minutes ride-time, each time, seems to help -- again, ‘chair movement equals slight jostling which equals some better circulation. In this case the ‘movement’ is as a result of being tied-down right above the rear-wheels of a bus, which really is a bus-cab mounted on a truck-frame - can you say leaf-springs? This ‘combination’ is the result of cost-savings enjoyed by the Nassau County (Long Island, NY) Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

I hope you find this helpful, and ‘stand’ ready to answer any questions.

p.s. Just learned posting a blog doesn't include one's name [ smile ] Walt Schmidt.