Oh, my aching shoulders--Crutch related.

[Kyrabee]

I had left foot reconstruction 4 weeks ago. I have a scooter at home in the house and one at work but due to balance issues and back issues and being single, I just cannot safely hop around the car and load the scooter to go out and about. So, when I do out somewhere, I have to use crutches as I am non-weight bearing on the left. I feel like my shoulders are being dislocated mm by mm. They ache constantly, especially the right one which has some arthritis. I “worked out” with my crutches for 3-4 weeks pre-op (did laps in the house) and I try to limit my distance to as short as I can get away with (usually less than 50 yards) but the upper arms/shoulders just ache worse and worse. I shudder to think what it would be like if I hadn’t really hit the upper body exercises in the gym for 6 months previous to the surgery.

Anybody have any ideas to be able to still get around but give the poor arms/shoulders a break.?

I have 2 more weeks for sure of non-weight bearing then hopefully will switch to a boot and begin to bear some weight. which will help immensely. In the meantime, I have returned to work and am finding myself very sore and exhausted :disgust:.

Susan

[SuzieQNutter]

You can buy scooters that fold to be pretty portable.

Around here shopping centres have free mobility scooters for use. You get them from Centre Management.

[Kyrabee]

Yes, the scooters are pretty portable but the logistics for me is that I have to stand on one wobbly foot/leg (due to a previous surgery) to try and load the scooter in the back of the car (without re-injuring my back) then “hop” around the car to get in the drivers seat then reverse that at my destination. I don’t feel safe doing that. Mine don’t fold that well (the handlebars fold down part-way and they still weigh 20 lbs plus). I am a decrepit old lady for sure and somewhat second guessing myself for even having the surgery. Probably would have been a lot easier to sell the horse. The surgery is a last ditch effort to be able to walk on uneven ground and enjoy my horse. I just don’t feel ready for the rocking chair yet…I am a young old decrepit lady (63).

I definitely use the electric carts when I go to the grocery store. I wish they had them everywhere.

Susan

[SuzieQNutter]

What about a fold up wheelchair. I have a lightweight one that I picked up at an opshop. It is pretty lightweight and you would be able to move yourself in it or ask any kind person to push you.

[WelshDragon2]

I had my ankle reconstructed this time last year after an accident involving me falling down the stairs and ending up with my foot at right angles to my leg.
Mine was my right foot but I found that getting about town was best done with a light weight wheelchair which folded. I’d leave the wheel chair in the car boot and have a pair of crutches to get from the house to the car, use crutches to get to the back of the car and balance whilst getting the wheelchair out of the boot (a slide mat is excellent for making that much easier). then leave crutches in the boot of the car. Do the reverse when going home. I also found that most people are more than willing to help put the wheelchair back into the car or lift it out for you if you ask nicely which saves on the wobbling bit!

In the UK you can do a short term free loan of wheelchairs from the British Red Cross, they helped enormously with how best to get it in and out of the car on my own as well, is there something like this near you?

[Simkie]

Would a more ergonomic style of crutch help at all? People on my hip group rave about mobilegs.

[Marla_100]

You need to try a plain old walker. When my broken leg and broken clavicle wouldn’t allow weightbearing, tried crutches- no good for clavicle. I resorted to a walker. Ah, yes. Some are foldable but mine weren’t. Much safer for balance and on
uneven ground also.
They’re cheap at Goodwill and re-sell shops. $5-10. used.

[RMJacobs]

I would think forearm crutches or a walker would work. I would think you could rent either, or possibly find something suitable in a thrift store. Now, if you could only get to the store to get them!

Best of luck.

Rebecca

[Scribbler]

I honestly never got around that much with my crutches. Since I live in a third floor walkup, I was basically housebound for 6 weeks. I had friends bring me groceries and escort me to the cast clinic once a week, which meant going down the stairs on my butt, and getting a wheelchair at the hospital… I did find that the crutches really worked out my core muscles.

I do see young men swinging around happily on their crutches. I think that for most of us, we can’t really do that much on them and I would start offloading tasks, getting food delivered, asking less of myself.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@SuzieQNutter

What about a fold up wheelchair. I have a lightweight one that I picked up at an opshop. It is pretty lightweight and you would be able to move yourself in it or ask any kind person to push you.

I have a lightweight wheelchair and it is not light weight. It would be heavier than a scooter and not near as compact and IMO, a real PITA to get into a car (especially compared to a collapsible scooter). Yes, it does collapse, the back comes off and it “folds” so the two sides are together.

I would concur on a walker although those aren’t really designed for one legged walking.

Ideally, the w/c is the “best” solution in terms of mobility with one leg (essentially), but not the best for the other limitations you describe. Have you discussed your mobility challenges with an Occupational Therapist? Their focus is on activities of daily living and what you’re describing is pretty dang close to that.

[Kyrabee]

Thanks all for the suggestion. I do appreciate them.

Not sure I am going to invest in a travel wheelchair at this point (only 2 weeks of hell left—I hope). I thought about it before the surgery…should have gone with my gut. It isn’t my armpits that are bothering me but over the top and front of the shoulder capsule and down the biceps tendon.

I have a walker and I had to quickly switch to my riding scooter in the house because my arms were so sore. I don’t have the Mobilegs crutches but something similar with “ergonomic” handles and springs but I have to wear gloves with those to avoid blisters on the heels of my hands as the handles are not terribly ergonomic for me and the springs seem to rebound back into the arms and they make my shoulders ache worse so I went back to my old basic crutches.

I guess I have gotten to be a giant wuss in my old age. I tried to think this all out before the surgery (like doing laps with the crutches in the house every day) but being able to put them down and walk off is just not the same. I think I am going to have to just suck it up and do the best I can. I just went back to work this last week and that was trying and exhausting (for me:ambivalence:) but I made it through all my shifts :yes:. My arms didn’t even wake me up with throbbing aching last night so maybe a positive sign?

Susan

[Simkie]

Too bad these things don’t work better Seems like a good idea, but the feedback I’ve seen isn’t so hot.

https://iwalk-free.com/

Hope the next few weeks passes as quickly as possible!

[CanteringOn]

I’m loving my iWalk! Just started using it yesterday. Picked it up for $105 on eBay. It’s made a world of difference. I have both hands free, can lean over and pick something up from the ground, step on the trash can pedal to open it with either foot now, etc.

I haven’t tried driving since my (left) ankle surgery, so I’m not sure whether it would be a PITA to get into/out of the car with an iWalk. But I can get it on or off in 20-30 seconds.

I go down stairs backwards with it — just faster and easier for me. I can hold onto a handrail with one hand and carry something in the other, so it’s pretty fantastic. I have a knee scooter and crutches and much prefer the iWalk.

[SuzieQNutter]

I saw a guy with a knee scooter. He was faster than his friend walking.

[Where_sMyWhite]

OP, FWIW, w/c are hard on shoulders too

One of the big reasons I invested in a power chair for outside the home as my manual chair kills my shoulders.

You aren’t a wuss in your old age… unfortunately some of it is just plan ol’ getting old body parts don’t work as well as they used to.

I wouldn’t fret over the w/c. I think if you got frustrated with the scooter you’d have really gotten frustrated with the w/c.

[Kyrabee]

I am not trying the I-Walk. Nooooo. Not with a wobbly right foot (the “good” one). Maybe if I was 23 and not 63. That is cool it is working so well for you CanteringOn. There is also the Freedom Leg. I thought long and hard about that one but a lot of people had service issues with the company so I saved my $400. I have the scooters(2!), I just don’t have the physical ability to be able to load it in the car and take it with me.

I am just going to have to suck it up and have my shoulders hurt. Only for 2 more weeks, right? I am driving with no problem. I just go places where I don’t have to go far. My silly horse is terrified of the the crutches to boot. About the best I can do if I go to the barn is stand at the gate and gaze at her snorting at me from about 8 feet away. She just can’t seem to sort out the extra legs:lol:.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions.

Susan

[SuzieQNutter]

Do you have a way of moving your horse. Load your scooter in the float or trailer and take it that way.

[CanteringOn]

Makes total sense that the iWalk wouldn’t work if your other foot is wobbly. Better safe than sorry in that case.

I have almost 3 weeks to go before I can do partial weight-bearing. My horse didn’t seem to mind my crutches because he was way too focused on whether or not I had treats for him, LOL. I haven’t tried him with the iWalk yet, but I’d bet a bag of German horse cookies that it’d be the same. He always has food on the brain.)

It sounds like you’re doing all you can to make it through the next two weeks, like planning things out ahead of time to keep your crutch time shorter. I wish I could make the shoulder pain go away for you, but I’ll have my fingers crossed that these two weeks speed by quickly!

[Kyrabee]

SuzieQNutter, I can’t even get in my truck right now with only one semi-functional foot. It is 4WD and therefore quite a step up. Not to mention the trailer ramp which I haven’t even tried to lift since my back surgery last year and having to do it on one foot. It hurts just thinking about it. I would need to shrink the whole rig. I like being single…until I need help:sigh:.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@Kyrabee

I like being single…until I need help:sigh:.

I hear you on this one for sure

I see all these people with limited mobility who’s family (spouse, adult child etc) is “available” to help push them in a w/c and sometimes I wish I had that.

And then I remember how much I like being able to ‘do my own thing’… when I want, where I want, how I want and I suck it up.

If you can’t do a scooter, IMO you most certainly couldn’t do even a “light” w/c. They are heavy and awkward. Getting them in a backseat or truck can be a significant wrestling match.

2 weeks will be over before you know it and you can start the 2 legged recovery