Virginia Tam -

One of the reasons I use a "staff" instead of a cane is that my arms give out pushing myself up but with a stick that's about armpit tall I can switch over to pulling myself up, and can go from one to t'other at will.

The armpit length is also about right to cup a hand over the top and use it as a crutch if you get really tired, or as a prop if you have to stand around for a while.

I use a light mop handle (about 7/8" diameter) for "dress up occasions" but a hoe handle (1-1/4") cut about to the top of the shoulder for "outdoor activities." You can still "rest on top" by just pointing the bottom out a little away from you, and the extra length is a help on uneven ground using it as a "balance staff." You do need a good crutch tip (rubber) on either.

The last time I went looking for a spare hoe handle, they wanted $23.00 for a handle, so I bought a "defective" hoe with a loose head for $3.95 and threw the head away.

Depending on what you feel you can do, you might try the "hiking poles" - like ski poles but with rubber tips - that some outing equipment places should have. You can get them in various lengths, or adjustable, and could do the push-pull switch with them; they usually have wrist straps so you don't have grip them when you're not leaning on 'em; and they're a lot lighter than even my "dress up" staff.

I find a common shopping cart about right to lean on, and if I can get about 15% of my weight on my elbows on the hand rail I can wander around Home Depot all night - or until the elbows give out. Unfortunately, they don't roll for sh*t in the grass, and they frown on people taking them home.

The lift table is pretty heavy, about 160 lb, and clumsy to move around since only the rear wheels swivel; but it does work and was only about $60. The "appropriate" medical lift would be around $1,800 (best price I've seen) but it would be a whole lot more versatile and easier to use.

I also have a "jib hoist" in the back of the pick-em-up that was $105 at the industrial shop, vs the $1,980 that the medical vehicle equipment guys quoted me for something similar. Unfortunately, the hoist is stronger than the truck, so I do need to reinforce the truck bed some more - if I get around to it and can get the dent out. (The scooter doesn't stress it, but the Hammond Organ she bought at a garage sale was pretty heavy.)

I can't carry a ramp long enough in the truck to drive the scooter up into the truck, and couldn't lift a "foldable" ramp long enough, but with the hoist I can just lift the scooter and swing it in, without taking it apart to "travel mode." And if I don't have to break the scooter down, I don't have to rewire the lights that are required every time Lin wants to scoot around the campground after dark.

John