This is what we stand for.

Are you going to the Medtrade show October 28-30 in Atlanta? Historically, Medtrade has been the show of the year for DME Suppliers and Rehab manufacturers to gather. Seeing new products, attending educational seminars, and networking is on everyone’s agenda. Despite the decreasing attendance at Medtrade over the years, Altimate Medical is excited to be going to Atlanta once again:

1. The greatly anticipated EasyStand Bantam makes it first appearance at Medtrade! After a thorough design & evaluation period, we are excited to show suppliers and therapists the new stander that their schools and families were waiting for!
2. Our standers are Evolv-ing! A prototype of the EasyStand Evolv with an optional Swing Away Front will be in our booth. This allows the front table and kneepad to swing to the side, providing maximum transfer room.
3. The Evolv E3 was designed to make standing more attainable to the customer- come talk to us about it to see if it’s the right fit for you!
4. We can see old friends! For us, Medtrade is a great place to talk to our friends and customers in person; with the product right in front of us to play with!

Are you going to Medtrade this year? Why or why not? If you are attending, be sure to visit our crew in booth #1637A! We want to show you what the new Bantam and Evolv are all about! If you are not attending the show, let us know, and we will send you the new Bantam literature and price list when it’s available.

I’ve had my standing frame for over a decade. I think I received it in 1994, but it’s been so long now I can barely remember. The exact date I got my standing frame is besides the point though. The worthwhile thing to blog about? The fact that my standing frame, an EasyStand 2400, still works as good as the day I got it. Now that’s something to write home about.

It can be a chore (at least for me) to work standing into my everyday, stressful schedule. As a freelance writer, a C6 quad, and someone who depends on PCA’s everyday (and does her own staffing to boot) my life is chock full of things that need to be taken care of. Taking a break from everything and putting things on hold as I stand for a 1/2 hour can feel counterproductive.

But at the heart of things I know it isn’t. In fact, after I stand I feel happier and ready to take on the day. Knowing my body is still able to stand is a huge ego-boost. Sounds silly, I know, but it’s the truth. So over the years I’ve learned how to multitask while standing. Just look at this pic taken this morning of me working on my laptop and drinking my morning coffee, all while I stand:

Here I am, drinking coffee and working on my laptop while standing in my EasyStand.

So in conclusion, it’s just a matter of life organization, in re: to working your stander into your life. It may feel like your dragging your sorry butt to the gym on a day you’d rather be in bed sleeping, but take it from me, it’ll still feel worth it when you’re done; and you’ll be very glad you did it. It’s a more-than-beneficial work-out.

I’m very lucky to have my standing frame, even if it’s over 10 years old. A standing frame may cost x number of dollars, but being able to stand? Priceless.

Therapists and parents around the globe have been waiting for the release of the EasyStand Bantam - the new EasyStand stander for kids! For the past few months, we have had some prototypes in select areas of the U.S. and have been gathering clinical and consumer feedback from the experts. Soon, we will be ready to make a formal introduction!

So here is a just a glimpse of the Bantam, some photos from our our recent photo shoots with Ryan Kane and Isabel Koegel. Aren’t they adorable? And yes, the stander is pretty cool, too!

• The Bantam will be at the Medtrade Show in Atlanta, GA on October 28-30th, 2008.
• It will be available in two sizes, extra small for kids 28″-40″ tall and up to 50 lbs., and small for kids 36″-54″ tall and up to 100 lbs.
• It will be available with standard planar seating, optional comfy-style seating, or a combination of both.
• The Bantam can be ordered with optional Supine Positioning, making it the only stander that combines sit to stand with supine!
• An optional Shadow Tray can be added to the Bantam for more support and a desk surface from sitting to standing.
• The standard unit will be very different from the EasyStand Magician, more on this later.

Watch for more information (literature, pricing, specifications, availability) to be on www.easystand.com around Medtrade! Pre-order Bantam literature and pricing and we will mail it to you when it is available. We will begin taking orders for the EasyStand Bantam in November 2008. In the meantime, leave us comments to tell us what you think!

This powerful and encapsulating commercial from Liberty Mutual shows the challenges a young woman in a wheelchair experiences, while going out to vote. Nothing stops her, including a car that won’t run, rainy weather, or an inaccessible polling place. This inspirational commercial stars our friend and EasyStand Glider owner, Teal Sherer.

Teal is an L.A. based actor, writer, and activist for performers with disabilities. You can read more about Teal’s story and ambitions on her website at www.tealsherer.com

This commercial is a great reminder to get out and vote, and not let small obstacles stop you from doing big things.

Have you run into accessibility issues at the polls? DontBlockMyVote.org helps to engage people with disabilities and their supporters in the election process.

Karly is a young woman with Rett Syndrome. Since she is unable to speak, she uses her blog “Inspired By Love” as a way to communicate. Karly is a passionate writer, who has the ability to draw you into her world using only words. She says, “I love to write. I am entering some of my writings into an event in our community in December. It was so fun last year to enter my poems and music.”

Karly also uses facilitated communication (FC) to speak to those around her. FC is a process by which a facilitator supports the hand or arm of an individual who is unable to speak while using a keyboard, helping the individual to communicate. Karly shares her experience with FC, “When I was 9 years old, I started communicating with support using a keyboard. Prior to that I had no way to share my thoughts, fears, pain, or wishes. When I started to use this method, there was so much excitement for me and my family.” Read Karly blog post “Facilitated Communication Saved My Life.”

We first met Karly a couple years ago at her school. She uses her EasyStand stander as a way to experience things around her and to improve her quality of life. She talks about how she uses her EasyStand Evolv, “I love my EasyStand. I stand for at least an hour everyday. If I could, I would stand more. It helps so much to get pressure off my back and hips. Now that I am out of school I use it when I listen to books on tape, in the kitchen so I can be near the food and even on the deck.” Read Karly’s Story on our website.

What is your experience with facilitated communication or other assisted communication devices? Are there any disability related blogs that you would like to share?

Stand Up & Breathe-Karly Wahlin’s Story-PDF

Visit other Rett Syndrome Blogs

Many of you have probably seen this video plastered across the Internet. It is the heart warming story about a dedicated father and his son, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair. The father and son duo have participated in hundreds of triathlons together. They have even participated in the toughest, most grueling triathlon, the Ironman. All this despite the dad’s heart condition, and the sons inability to walk, not to mention bike or swim.

According to the Youtube video, the story started like this:

A son asked his father, “Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?” The father, despite having a heart condition, said, “Yes”. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son continued to join other marathons, the father always saying, “Yes” to his son’s request to go through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, ‘Dad, let’s join the Ironman together; to which his father said, “Yes”, too.

What a touching story about love, family, and the drive to fulfill our dreams in life, despite our physical limitations.

Playing while standing stimulates interaction, development, and fun.

Often we talk about what standing does for the body, but what is commonly overlooked, is what standing does for the mind. Standing is especially important for the mental development of the children with disabilities. When I talk to pediatric therapists, they appreciate and understand first-hand how standing can help with range of motion, spasticity, bowel/bladder function and the many of the other physical benefits of standing. But what I hear about most is how standing helps with perceptual development, cognitive awareness and very importantly, how standing can stimulate play. More and more research is finding that play deprivation for able-bodied children can lead to self-esteem, social interaction, and intellectual problems. The value of play for the child with a disability is often overlooked but is necessary for mental development and upper extremity muscle function and coordination. When a child is sitting for long periods of time, head and trunk control often fatigue and awareness diminishes. When a child stands with head control facilitated, play activities can be more stimulating and more interactive with peers, and the child can use their arms and hands more effectively.

As we understand that play is a necessary part of human development, it is obvious that play is also a great joy in life. As adults we should do our best to facilitate and provide play to all children. Here are some ideas of activities that a child can do while standing. What have you experienced regarding kids and play while standing?

Whenever my wife, Desiree, and I go on trips, my stander is among one of the top things that I can’t wait to get home to.

I have had T-5 paraplegia since July 7, 2003. Among the medical equipment that makes my life easier is the Evolv Mobile stander. I originally had the EasyStand 5000 and upgraded to the EasyStand Evolv about 6 months ago. The Evolv Mobile standing frame improves my overall quality of life! It is so nice to have things that make my life ‘normal.’

I experience endless benefits from standing including (but not limited to) decreased spasticity, increased circulation, temporary relief from my nerve pain, and most importantly my independence! I love that I do not always have to rely on other people to get me things. With my old standing frame I was just stuck in one place while I stood, because it did not have the mobility option.

I am a religious stander! Sometimes I stand for hours at a time. With my EasyStand Mobile standing frame I am able to wheel myself around anywhere I want to go. I like to wheel outside on the driveway to enjoy the weather.

Another thing I can do much easier is prepare meals for myself in the kitchen. I can move about the kitchen to the cupboards, refrigerator, and stove. I am able to stand right above the stove as opposed to having the flame on the stove right near my face. I also play games, read, eat and relax in my standing frame. Without it I would be hurting. Whenever my wife and I go on trips, my stander is among one of the top things that I can’t wait to get home to. I am thankful to have this helpful equipment!

My EasyStand Customer Story- PDF
YouTube Video of Me Using the EasyStand

My life changed completely in November 1994 when I became a T8-9 paraplegic as a result of a car accident. I was 3 weeks shy of my 17th birthday. I wouldn’t say the accident was a change for-the-worse, just a change; a re-conceptualization of who I was and who I was to become, living a life from a wheelchair. I have to say that I did everything I could to not let it hold me back. With support from my wonderful family and friends, I continued on with my life. But… in all of these years that have passed (it has been almost 14 years now), I have never stopped thinking, dreaming about the day when a cure for spinal cord injuries would emerge. I want to walk, I want to feel the sand and surf on my feet, I want to be able to play sports again, I want to be able to go to the bathroom normally, I want back everything I lost at the moment of the car accident.

So what have I been doing all of these years to stay positive and prepare myself for the day that a cure may come, you may wonder? Staying active has been the key. Right after my accident I purchased a Power Trainer, which I used in spurts over the years I’ve had it. But I really didn’t seriously start focusing on my health and physical activity until about 4 years ago. I started going to the gym and working with a personal trainer one to two times per week. I started handcycling during the spring, summer, and fall months. And, I was fortunate to find Altimate Medical and their EasyStand 6000 Glider (now the EasyStand Evolv Glider) at the NY Metro Abilities Expo. They allowed me to try it out right there and I was sold!

I received my EasyStand Glider in 2005. One of the biggest changes that I saw from standing, and it was almost immediate, was that the chronic swelling that I had in my ankles went away. I could actually see my ankle bones again! I would stand for about 30 minutes to an hour per time, and I would do this a few times per week. I would love to say that I stand every day, and I wish that I did, but I live a very active lifestyle, work full-time, etc. So when I can stand, I do. I know that it will only help me maintain my range of motion, provide weight bearing through my bones to maintain bone density, and improve my circulation to my legs. And it has proven to eliminate the swelling from my ankles! I feel that standing is one of the best things that I can possibly do to prepare myself for the day a cure may come along!

I have been lucky to keep up on all of this talk about the cure through an organization with which I actively volunteer. I am a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Buoniconti Fund. For those of you who are not familiar with the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, it is the fund raising arm of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and there are local chapters across the US. I learned of my local chapter three years ago (it is now in its 5th year of existence), and knew that I had to get involved so that I was helping raise money to find the cure.

I just recently returned home from an amazing trip to the Miami Project in Florida where I attended The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis 2008 Chapters Summit. I was able to tour their state-of-the-art research facility, hear research updates from their renowned physicians and scientists, and finally meet Marc Buoniconti, President of the Buoniconti Fund. It was an extremely enlightening experience, and I have more certainty than ever that I, and everyone else affected by Spinal Cord Injuries, will be walking in the near future. The scientists attested that they are closer than ever to finding ways to improve, and possibly even cure, both acute and chronic spinal cord injuries. The possibility of starting human clinical trials is in sight. What a refreshing, uplifting feeling this was for me! So my drive to stay active, to stand more, and to fundraise even harder has been reinforced, and I am not going to give up on these things until the day when the cure becomes a reality!

The Philadelphia Chapter will be hosting it’s Fifth Annual Raise A Glass For A Cure fundraising event on Thursday, Novermber 20, 2008 at the Diamond Club at Citizen’s Bank Park. For information on attending the event or becoming involved with the Philadelphia Chapter, or to learn about sponsorship opportunities or making donations towards our event, please contact Sally Woolf, Volunteer Regional Director of the Philadelphia Chapter, at (610) 356-3252.