dealing with injury

[rlfrye]

My wife fell last Friday and fractured both leg bones at her left ankle. This has had me thinking about how an accident/injury would change my tactics/mindset. She has severe osteo arthritis and relapsing MS, so whenever we go out, she is already in a wheelchair or electric scooter. So her biggest change is more dealing with additional pain and lost mobility.

I need to come up with a better carry solution for her since she is almost always sitting, maybe a shoulder rig or something. But what would you guys and gals do differently if faced with a similar injury?

 

[510picker]

My wife fell last Friday and fractured both leg bones at her left ankle. This has had me thinking about how an accident/injury would change my tactics/mindset. She has severe osteo arthritis and relapsing MS, so whenever we go out, she is already in a wheelchair or electric scooter. So her biggest change is more dealing with additional pain and lost mobility.

I need to come up with a better carry solution for her since she is almost always sitting, maybe a shoulder rig or something. But what would you guys and gals do differently if faced with a similar injury?

I am a full time wheelchair user due to a spinal cord injury 25 years ago. A shoulder rig or ankle carry are about the only options for carrying concealed on your body. Appendix carry is an option if one’s physique allows for it. There are options that attach to a wheelchair or scooter for your firearm, but I don’t consider those options. I could easily be dumped out of my chair and separated from the firearm. I carry on my ankle in a Bugbite holster. It works well, but it definitely works best with a subcompact firearm if one is confined to a seated position.

 

[Vigilant]

While not in a wheelchair, I’m currently in PT to try and avoid rotator cuff surgery, and am looking at switching over to left hand carry to alleviate some shoulder pain while drawing. I practice regularly off hand but still am not up to strongside capability.

 

[rlfrye]

This is something I had not given much thought to personally. I should have, given Da Boss's situation, but never considered what I would do if something happens to me. I am not getting younger, could get hurt going to the mailbox or something. I currently only have iwb holsters, and there could be a time that wont work well.

 

[Dead Duck]

Years back I knew a couple of guys in chairs that had chair mounted holsters.

One had a holster under his seat in some kind of suspended tactical molle panel set up. It was tucked up flush with the seat so you couldn't see it unless you got on your knees and look under there. Not sure how it all folds up when the chair gets folded to be put in the car.
Other guy had it crossdrawed under the left arm attached to the chair on the panel just under the arm rest thingy. I think it was like a level 2 retention Serpa set up. He had a black cloth hanging over the whole thing so you couldn't see it when he was in or out of the chair.

Now days holster companies have quick disconnect systems to make mounting and swapping out holsters a lot easier.

Did I mention this was in California. They carried for years and nobody ever knew.


.....or you could just get one of these.

 

[DRob]

Glad you brought this up. Some of us are already dealing with similar issues and some are rapidly approaching the time when we will need to. I had my right hip replaced in 2012 and the left was done last Dec 11th. I'm right handed and carry on my right side. If you're using a cane you probably have envisioned the issue. When your left leg is the "bad" one, you use the cane in your right hand to take some of your weight off that leg as you walk. It struck me very early in the rehab that my gun hand was also my cane hand. I always want my gun hand free when I enter the house from the garage (for example) and that got a little awkward. Just had to be ambidextrous with the cane for a couple of steps. It's surprising how many things we routinely do with one hand or the other that are changed by a disability whether it's temporary or permanent. I'm off the cane now but I need to shoot left handed more.