Wednesday, October 30, 2013

"Consumer Skepticism"



At this point, I continue to watch AmputeeOT's weekly videos because she's really good at making them, not so much for the content itself. That said, I can relate to Christina's skepticism about a "new and improved" prosthetic that everyone raves about.

I use a ventilator at night. For 27 years I used essentially the same make and model ventilator … generally known as an LP6. When my respiratory therapy company told me they were phasing out the LP6 in favor of a new make entirely, I was worried. I don't know what it's like to walk on a prosthetic leg, but I'll bet people get used to the feel of them much as I got used to the feel of how the LP6 delivered it's breaths. On paper, of course, ventilators have to deliver the same thing, since my needs haven't changed. It would do no good for a new company to advertise that their ventilators breathe "faster" or "pack a stronger punch" … you don't want crazy breathing tricks from a ventilator, you want consistency. But I swear it feels different, almost like every fingerprint is different. At first, it felt very strange being on it. After a few days, though, I got used to it. Now, I'd be nervous trying a different one. Plus, the new ventilator is smaller and lighter, and it's alarm system has more options than the LP6.

So, I was skeptical, for very, very personal reasons, and now I'm sold.

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