Last week was a busy one for me. In addition to my normal activities, I took field trips on Tuesday and Thursday, looking for solutions to some of my recent struggles related to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and other health issues.
I’m really struggling to get around our home using my walker. I get partway to my destination, and my body just shuts down on me. My back locks up, and I simply can’t pick up my feet to step forward. My walker has a seat, but it’s not behind me, so I can’t safely turn around to sit on it.
My daughter Jill has been doing some online research and found a mobility device called the Zeen, which is kind of a blend of a walker and a wheelchair. It’s not powered, but it has lift capability, which would be very helpful for me.
To move around with the Zeen, you have two options: You can stand with the pommel of the seat between your legs and walk, or sit down and coast from a seated position. It sounded like it might work for me. I really liked the idea of the seat always being right behind me.
The only place I could try out a Zeen was at the company’s headquarters in West Chester, Pennsylvania. They do offer a 21-day in-home trial, in which you’re refunded the cost of the device if you return it within that period. However, there is a $275 restocking fee in addition to a two-way shipping fee, which is quite costly. Plus, there is an additional $325 fee it’s not returned in the original packaging.
Given that the in-home trial would’ve cost me $825, I asked my son, Ryan, and my brother, Ron, if they could drive me to West Chester to try out the Zeen. That’s about a five-hour drive from my home in Pittsburgh. I had some concerns, especially with locating accessible restrooms, but I thought the Zeen might be the answer for me, so I put my fears aside and scheduled an in-person demonstration for Tuesday of last week.
My experience with the Zeen
Our drive to and from West Chester went well. Aside from an extremely slippery floor in an otherwise accessible bathroom, we had no issues. Ryan had to assist me from the wheelchair to the toilet and back again. I was somewhat embarrassed, but Ryan said he was glad to help.
We made sure to allow time for a lunch stop at Lorenzo’s Steaks, a small deli in West Chester that serves top-notch Philly cheesesteaks.
After lunch, I spent about an hour trying out the Zeen, with mixed results. The device’s lift capability made it easy to get on and off the seat. I found that I needed the deluxe model, which includes one-handed operation for the seat height adjustment and the brakes. My weakening right hand just didn’t have enough strength to apply the brakes or operate the seat controls. I really struggled with using the device in a standing position, but I did a little better when I sat down and coasted, using my feet to propel the Zeen.
However, when I tried to cross a couple of door sills while seated, I stalled out. With my weight on the seat, which is directly over the wheels, I just couldn’t generate enough force to get over them. I was able to navigate over the sills while standing, but it was awkward. The sales rep suggested I could probably get over door sills in a seated position if I picked up a little speed and hit them with some momentum, but that’s not a workable solution for a blind guy like me. I have to make sure I’m lined up correctly to go through a doorway without hitting the door frame.
I think the Zeen is worth a look for anyone who can no longer use a walker safely. I’m grateful to Ryan and Ron for taking a day to let me give it a try. The Zeen is a pretty expensive mobility tool, with the standard model starting at $4,840, but that’s much less than a power wheelchair with lift capability. I haven’t ruled out the device, but I want to complete a power wheelchair evaluation before deciding which option would work best for me. I’ve started the wheelchair evaluation process at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Center for Assistive Technology.
In the meantime, I went to the Human Engineering Research Lab in Pittsburgh last Thursday to check out a Jaco robotic arm, since I’m struggling to use my right arm. More on that in a future column.
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