crutches

[cellio]

I heard a strange sound as I walked to the sink in the restroom just now, and turned to see a woman using an office chair as a wheelchair proxy. (The chair wheels made an unusual sound on the tile floor.) She has her foot in a cast, and yesterday she was using a walker.

She said she was trying to find the best way to get around in her current state; the walker had hurt her hands too much. I asked about crutches; she said she had tried those but they hurt under her arms. I told her that if her armpits were resting on the crutches, instead of hovering a couple inches above them, they were too long for her, a fact I think she had not considered. (Don't the ER folks try to fit these things any more?) Maybe I'll see her with crutches tomorrow.

I had a broken leg several years ago [1]. I was initially intimidated by crutches and handled the steps in my house while sitting (butt-slide down; crab-walk up; stayed off the banister :-) ) for the first couple days. I realized, though, that this doesn't generalize, especially outdoors in December.

Crutches turned out not to be that bad once I got used to them. By the end of this period of time I was, I think, far above average in proficiency. I once "ran" for a bus and was not much slower than if I'd had the use of both legs; the spectators on the bus were quite impressed. (My "stride" with crutches was longer than my regular stride, which made up for the basic inefficiencies in the form.) I could do steps easily, even on tricky surfaces. Snow was only a problem because of depth, not because of slickness. While it was a major cramp in my style that I could not walk while carrying an open can of Diet Coke, in most other respects the crutches were not a serious barrier to life. That really, really surprised me.

[1] I don't say "I broke my leg", because it was definitely not my action that led to that state. If you're going to run a red light while speeding (and with small kids in the car to boot!), you should at least look for obstacles like pedestrians.

Comments

[kayre]

I was surprised last year when my doctor advised me to use a cane in the hand opposite the broken ankle-- i.e. broken left ankle, cane in right hand. This lets you take half your weight on the cane, without the back and forth swaying that happens if it's on the same side as the injury.

My daughter had a finger broken in an accident, and always corrected me if I told someone she broke it-- "I didn't brake it-- Kayla broke it!"

[cellio]

Canes: Oh, so that's how that works! I always thought you'd use the cane to bracket the bad leg (good leg on one side, cane on the other), but I've seen people who used the cane as you described. So the good leg and the cane work together, and you just carry the other leg along?

Re:

[kayre]

No, the cane works with the bad leg, so you do still have to put some weight on it-- but the opposite-side method keeps you from throwing out your back or hip, or over-straining your shoulder, as can happen if you put it on the same side as the injury. Also feels a heck of a lot less conspicuous!

[tangerinpenguin.livejournal.com]

I was on crutches for a while following an unusually catastrophic ankle twisting (started twisting one ankle, reflexively lunged onto the other foot, landed that wrong and twisted the second ankle with my full weight - at speed - behind it). I do remember that they took some additional refitting over the first day or so, and that even with that they were initially uncomfortable and I just had to work through that until I got used to using them.

By the time I was cleared to stop using them, I was actually moving faster in some contexts than I would normally - the teacher were particularly apprehensive every time they saw me vault down one of the wheelchair ramps rather than inching down the stairs next to them.

[cellio]

You can cover much more distance (per "step") in that semi-airborne state you get with crutches than you can with walking, yes. I'd take ramps over steps in that situation, too. Your teachers obviously just didn't understand efficiency. :-)

[jducoeur]

I once "ran" for a bus and was not much slower than if I'd had the use of both legs

I don't know if you've met Baroness Mistress etc Janelyn, who lost a leg when she was a kid. She gets around on crutches, and is damned amazing with them -- I know few people who can run as fast as she can, because she uses the extra stride length to great effect.

She's always been one of my most useful dance "examples". When people tell me that they can't dance because they have two left feet, I describe her, point out that she doesn't have any left feet (IIRC -- I don't actually remember which leg it is offhand), and is justly one of the more renowned dancemistresses in the Society. That tends to get them to try a little harder...

[tashabear.livejournal.com]

At least they don't tell you that they'll dance better when they've "had another beer." My C/W dance students used to try to tell me that, and I'd tell them that it doesn't improve their ability to walk or drive, why on earth would it improve their ability to dance?

Janelyn

[cellio]

I met her at the first Known World Dance Symposium, and I am amazed by what she can do. (I didn't know her history and wasn't going to ask.) She is an inspiration.

Broken bones

[alfiechat.livejournal.com]

I never knew how you broke your leg before this. I just tripped on the curb in front of Silky's bar in Sq hill(no, i was not drunk off my behind) and broke my arm. So i guess you could say it was my feet that caused my accident. sigh. thank the maker that hasn't happened again, although dave and i were walking thru the basement of wean hall and i tripped over his blasted big feet.