CPAPtalk.com

And before anyone SPAM deletes this, I am NOT selling anything.

As a person 95% wheelchair bound, I've become home bound because while I can drive, I can't open/close my door to the garage. I researched how other people in wheelchairs manage and found a woman that tied a scarf to her doorknob, grabbed the scarf on the way out and pulled the door close once clear. I didn't like the idea of a scarf tied so I decided to try to crochet a cord to see if it would allow me to get out my door, pull the door closed behind me, then when I got home, prevent the door from swinging all the way open, thus allowing me to turn around and close it (sorry for the run on sentence).

First try, I made sure hubby was here in case things went terribly wrong. It worked better than I had hoped! Now if I need/want to go out by myself, I can get myself in/out of the house without help!

I've decided to make them and GIVE them to people that find themselves in the same situation - unable to get themselves in/out of the house because they can't deal with the door.

Here's what they look like. The smaller loop is to secure to the doorknob. The larger loop is to hook to the knob for storage (it drags on the floor otherwise).



I will mail them within the continental US right now (sorry to those out of the US). I will ask for a small donation to help with postage and supplies but will not require it to send out a door pull.

Posting here to share for those that know of people that could use one of these.

Hi Maddie,

I am sorry the physical restrictions you must face everyday. I was following some past threads of yours for a while, but stopped coming on here and lost track of your progression. If I am being honest, I lost my breath for a moment when I stopped to realize all of the things I do everyday, big and small, things that I don't have to really think about "How" I am going to do them. But as with a number of things in our lives, severe adversity and challenging restrictions can cause amazing creativity and creation. The fact that you want to make and share something that could have such self liberating impact on others who may also have this challenge warms my heart; it has made my day!

As an aside: The other day I did something on the forum that I have not done in a long while. For me it brought back that warm feeling like when you meet a close old friend, brought back what really means the most to me about this forum and our community here. Please take a few minutes next time you log on and go back to the oldest pages, way back to the cpaptalk.com of the past. Read the posts from those whose names and personalities will be new to most of us, but who were once newbies and struggling with assorted sleep/sleep apnea issues just like we are today. Their words and actions to the community here really opened my eyes. It now makes me want to share my thoughts and support people here better in the future. I can do better, I will do better.

John

What an idea Maddie, congratulations. I am going to keep that fix in mind.
Cheers and more cheers!
Nan

Thanks for the compliments (and for not SPAM deleting me)!

I was so surprised at how well it worked for me. I didn't expect it to be such a success. And I like making them. It's kind of fun and doesn't really take too long.

Plus I KNOW there are people out there that struggle like I do. If I can help them by providing one of these (at their request obviously) - I feel it's giving something back.

My sister and sister-in-law crochet baby blankets for charity. I don't have the patience for blankets so this is an avenue that I can use to give to those in need.

Hi K
I have a neighbor that does some dog training and she has something similar to train the dog to close the door.

LSAT wrote:Hi K
I have a neighbor that does some dog training and she has something similar to train the dog to close the door.

I have seen the ones for dogs, but they are shorter. I've seen them used on regular doors and refrigerator doors.

For a person in a wheelchair, they need to be longer so they can be held while the person exits the door, then pulled HARD to slam the door. When I go back in, I hold onto the cord to keep the door from flying open. I get in and turn around, holding the door essentially in place, then I can reach out and close it since I've turned myself around.

Those are awesome! Back in my OT home health days I'd have people lined up waiting for those.

Good job!

Love creative problem solving! Thank you for thinking of others and doing your part to make this world a kinder place.

What a novel idea!

What a wonderful idea, Maddie, and so great of you to do this. They're much needed and pretty to boot!