MS and the Segway

[Jon]

As with "Segway Long Island," I too am a physician, though of a different specialty. I've been using my Segway i-series for the past six weeks as an aid in getting around the rather large teaching hospital where I serve as a consultant.

Ironically, my original interest in the HT was in facilitating my wife's getting around her very-spread-out workplace; I had no personal justification for the Segway aside from the coolness factor. As with Linda and Jill, my wife suffers from multiple sclerosis, with fatigue as her disabling symptom, resulting in loss of balance and cognitive acuity. We took the 5 hour training together at Segway LLC in Bedford. While she had no significant difficulty in balancing on the HT, she found herself very fatigued after an hour on the device. As a result, she was not interested in acquiring a Segway at the time. To my personal surprise, I found that I had no plantar-fasciitis-associated foot pain after the full 5-hour training, thus I was the one who ended up with the Segway given my commercial/business use of the product.

I would greatly appreciate any comments from Segway users with MS regarding their Segway experiences that I could convey to my wife; she may reconsider an HT purchase at some time in the future, perhaps when the smaller, lighter p-model is released. Please feel free to respond via e-mail if you wish; I promise that your confidentiality will be assured.

Thanks for your time.

-= Jon =-

[Lazarus]

Hello--
I'll be glad to keep you updated. I too have concerns and am aware of potential problems......

Linda

[pam]

quote:Originally posted by Jon

As with "Segway Long Island," I too am a physician, though of a different specialty. I've been using my Segway i-series for the past six weeks as an aid in getting around the rather large teaching hospital where I serve as a consultant.

Ironically, my original interest in the HT was in facilitating my wife's getting around her very-spread-out workplace; I had no personal justification for the Segway aside from the coolness factor. As with Linda and Jill, my wife suffers from multiple sclerosis, with fatigue as her disabling symptom, resulting in loss of balance and cognitive acuity. We took the 5 hour training together at Segway LLC in Bedford. While she had no significant difficulty in balancing on the HT, she found herself very fatigued after an hour on the device. As a result, she was not interested in acquiring a Segway at the time. To my personal surprise, I found that I had no plantar-fasciitis-associated foot pain after the full 5-hour training, thus I was the one who ended up with the Segway given my commercial/business use of the product.

I would greatly appreciate any comments from Segway users with MS regarding their Segway experiences that I could convey to my wife; she may reconsider an HT purchase at some time in the future, perhaps when the smaller, lighter p-model is released. Please feel free to respond via e-mail if you wish; I promise that your confidentiality will be assured.

Thanks for your time.

-= Jon =-

Jon, I don't have MS, but I will tell you from my experience that my initial time on the Segway, while I was fine-tuning my balance, etc., cause me to experience - of all things, extremely tired feet! Now that I've been on the machine for 2 months, I can go the same distance and not experience that at all. I do think there's a break-in period when we're all getting our Seg-legs, which may well extend beyond the training - mine did. I think my tendency to clinch my muscles (they kept telling me in training to drop my shoulders <G&gtprobably extended even to my feet. It may well be that when the smaller model comes out, your wife will be more comfortable with it, and she might not experience the same degree of tiredness she did on the i. Even though the training is not difficult and in many ways the Segway is intuitive, it still requires a lot from some of us during that initial period. Once we get all the new "behaviors" chunked together, the demand lessens considerably.

[jillmac]

When I went to the try out in LA back in December I was very pleased. I had worried about dizziness and lack of balance and also vertigo. It doesn't take too much to spark an attack of vertigo at times with me.

I was surprised that the movement had no effect on vertigo, in fact was much less a problem than just riding as a passenger in a car.

I did find that my legs were tired, I assume mainly because I was using muscles I don't usually use and getting used to doing strange things!

My feeling was that as it became more of a natural experience then the tiredness would probably ease up. I too suffer fatigue and have limited some activities because of the walking involved. A lot of times I can get to places but getting back home again or back to the car is very difficult and can leave me exhausted for a day or so.

I look at the Segway as 'setting me free' and being able to join in a lot of things I had 'put away.'

Like Lazarus - I would be happy to keep you appraised of my progress with Segway once I have taken delivery.

I have a two hour training this weekend and will let you know how it goes.

Jill

[Jon]

Thank you very much for your comments. I agree with Pam that the Segway seems easier and easier to ride with greater experience/time. Linda and Jill, I would very much appreciate hearing of your experiences over time, and appreciate your willingness to share. I will be sharing your comments with my sweetheart as well.

-= Jon =-

[marshai]

Hi Jon--
I have MS and love my Segway, although I experience what I think your wife experiences also. I was exhausted and my legs were like jelly after my 2 hour training session. However, I expected that because I knew my legs get tired after standing for twenty minutes or so. A "danger" with the Segway is that I don't really notice how tired my legs are until I get off my Segway. What I try to do when I use my Segway is to take a break after every 15 minutes I'm gliding--if I'm about town I bring a book and camp out on a bench and read for 5 minutes and then I'm good for another 15 minutes of gliding. If I overdo it, I make sure I dismount near a bench or a chair and rest up before trying to walk even a few steps. After a long outdoor excursion I sit in my car for several minutes before trying to maneuver my Segway up the ramp and into the trunk. If I'm gliding through the hallways at work and a colleague stops me to talk, I always move us to a nearby sitting spot and get off and sit down while we talk--that way my leg energy is spent moving from place to place and not in standing around. With this type of pacing I find the Segway has been a wonderful addition to my life!
--Marsha

[jamie4kids]

I am 46 years old and have had MS for 7 years. I can still walk. I get easily fatigued especially going to the mall. I can either go to one store or I will get a wheelchair. Are these easy to put in and take out of the car? I would love to hear more with MS about these. I was looking at a scooter, but I hate seeing things in a sitting position as you cant see as well as when your standing.

[Jon]

Dear Segway-chatters (with specific greetings to Pam, jillmac, Linda, and the others who responded to my original 2003 post),

After watching me use my i167 without incident for over 3 1/2 years, my wife's interest in the Segway was rekindled when a bright red i180 caught her eye in Bedford where my i167 received his 14.2 upgrade.

With support and encouragement from Judy and Mary at Segway (thank you!), and Mary Beth Alosa at Segway of Northern New England in Concord, NH, (thank you too!), a new, red i180 has joined our household.

I'd be very interested in any "new" thoughts or advice from Segway users with MS, particularly with fatigue and balance issues as the major disabling symptoms? Any thoughts/advice about the SegSeat?

Thanks for your time and trouble.

-= Jon =-

[polo_pro]

Originally Posted by Jon

I'd be very interested in any "new" thoughts or advice from Segway users with MS, particularly with fatigue and balance issues as the major disabling symptoms? Any thoughts/advice about the SegSeat?

I'm not disabled, but I do have to deal with fatigue issues when I do long distance gliding. The SegSeat is indispensible. One of the best features is how you can deploy it or retract it without ever stopping or getting off. It's impressive to be able to do all this at full speed, though I'm sure it's not recommended.

I guarantee that the number of times you glide and the number of hours you glide will increase if you get a segseat. And isn't that what owning a segway is all about? Maximizing usability and enjoyment!

ps - Also if someone's condition is deteriorating, the segseat may allow them to continue using the segway longer. To me getting an extra year's worth of use out of my segway would make the price worth it alone!

[pam]

Welcome back, Jon! And congrats to your wife for your newest "family member" - May you experience great Segway times together.
Pam