Hi Wes,
According to Consumer Reports the following uprights are best in "handling" - that is, they are easy to push and pull and carry:
The Oreck XL Platinum Pilot or Platinum Power Team (weighs only 11 or 12 pounds - the Pilot is a better carpet cleaner)
The Hoover Platinum Bagged Upright (weighs only 13 pounds and is better than the Orecks at carpet cleaning)
With the above three vacs, you get a separate lightweight mini-canister that you can hang on your shoulder for cleaning bare floors and furniture.
I have the Hoover Tempo Upright and it is extremely easy to use, but the on-board tools are pretty useless and it does not come with a separate mini-canister.
If you want to buy an American made product, then go for the Riccar Supralite or Simplicity Freedom. They are excellent carpet cleaners, and weigh only 9 pounds each, but they are very noisy compared to the Hoover Platinum. They do not come with a separate mini-canister for above the floor cleaning.
If you buy one of these lightweight uprights, they are great for carpet cleaning only. Buy yourself a rechargeable Swiffer Vac to clean your bare floors for $40 as a companion cleaner - they are great lightweight floor cleaners and would be really easy to use for a person with your particular needs.