First Post - Just Jumping In
Hey All -
This is my first post (4.5 weeks post-injury, 3.5 weeks post-surgery). Out of the cast for a week and starting very light ROM activities. All the posts I’ve read are very helpful thus far. I don’t have much to contribute yet. Although by far my best purchase was a rollabout scooter to get around work. Once you get over the initial embarrassment of ‘cruising’ around the office, it’s just way easy for anyone in a big office. I’ve gotten a bell and streamers to keep a sense of humor about the whole thing.
Excited to get into the pool once the wound heals.
October 28th, 2014 at 1:16 pm
Wheels are great, but I recommend crutches for getting from NWB to FWB, i.e., going through the PWB phase and reteaching your leg to walk normally. You use crutches like an Alter-G or a swimming pool. Can’t be done kneeling on a scooter.
October 28th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Thanks for the tip norm. I’m using both right now and will definitely use more crutches ones I’m PWB. Getting from the garage to my desk would take me 20 minutes on crutches, so for now, scooter it is for that part of the trip.
October 28th, 2014 at 5:23 pm
At least on flat ground, I got about as fast on crutches as I was pre-ATR. (In a hinged boot, I think I got FASTER!) Stairs were always slow, and never relaxing - though going down stairs is easy if you have a strong banister on your injured side.
The best thing about crutches is always when you STOP needing them…
October 29th, 2014 at 8:49 pm
I used the knee scooter in my house, when I was no weight bearing. Loved it, made life so much easier. Did not use it once I was in aircast, and pwb. Used crutches and walker then.
October 30th, 2014 at 11:27 am
I definitely agree with Norm about getting through the NWB–>PWB–>FWB experience using crutches: a necessary evil. Learning to walk properly (key word: properly) again in the first 1-4 weeks after getting back to FWB is challenging but important.
For the rest of cruising around while NWB, it’s all about the knee scooter. I loved that thing.
A couple things I notice now, being almost a year post-ATR and post-op, is that the knee on the injured side is a little weaker, a little looser, a little less stable (probably from all that kneeling on it), and my right leg is a little tight in the hammy (specifically the semitendinosus) or whichever ligaments attach the hammy to the glute (probably from all that type of use while on the scoot).
Good luck!!