NextStep® Cane Now Available in Retail Stores; Walking Aid Helps Sufferers of Parkinson’s Disease
Archive for the ‘NextStep’ Category
NextStep and Kerr Drugs: reviving the community pharmacy
Monday, November 30th, 2009Modifications to NextStep
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009The development of the NextStep walking aid has taken me through various refinements as my condition has changed. As my balance became more and more of a problem Iwas forced to invent a visual cue that could tolerate my stepping on the visuasl cue without doing damage to the unit. Now all the NextSteps incorporate this feature of a curved rod which actually makes contact with the ground. This change has worked very well for me at the stage I am currently. In addition, looking to my future and the anxiety with not having good balance, I am in final stages of development of a walker which will work for people with freezing and bad balance, so bad that they need the support of a walker. I willl let you know as the unit progresses.
Hello
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009My name is Mike Tucker. I have a wonderful wife, and we have three great children. In 1996, at the age of 40, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. At the time, I was in great physical shape, working out at the gym regularly and riding bikes most weekends. I owned my own business – a national security consulting and investigative firm, Risk Management Associates. Because so much of who I was involved physical activity – or a hectic, fast-paced work schedule – the Parkinson’s diagnosis scared me. I didn’t think I could live inside a progressive, disabling disease.
God had other plans. Having to face living with Parkinson’s caused me to reflect and reinvent my life. It didn’t all happen at once, but my life has been blessed all along the way. My walk with God has allowed me to learn to make every day a great day.
In late 2003, I accepted disability from my job. That was not easy to accept, since my job was a big part of my identity, and I loved the staff and our clients. But again, God had other plans. God blessed me in new ways. My creative abilities, following God’s recurring inspiration, started producing different things in my life. I started writing poems on a frequent basis.
During this time, I developed the Next Step cane. I was having trouble with “freezing” or my medication wearing off unexpectedly leaving me unable to walk. I remember once being out for breakfast with my entire family. The restaurant was crowded; the only free table was in a far corner. As I struggled to walk, lurching from table to table, from chair to chair, I saw my family watching me. Watching them be sad for me was not fun. I did not want to find myself in that situation again.
I tried other devices – the cane with the permanent wand would get caught in my pants cuffs. The laser cane was not 3D; it did not cue me to walk. Out of this frustration – I was determined to not let this stage of Parkinson’s stop my public interaction – I developed the Next Step cane. It works for me; I would sincerely hope it could help you.
It has been a blessing not to have to worry about getting stuck in a crowded restaurant or not get stuck leaving church. It is great to know I can always take that next step.