Girls Using Walking Sticks

I am so sorry, that's a lot for your DD to cope with.

extra grotty if people decide it will be fun to mock her as well

No, what does those of us with genuine problems a disservice is threads like this mocking people who use sticks.

You are missing a context. No one is mocking anyone just for using a stick, that would be ridiculous. They’re criticising those who use them for attention seeking purposes when they don’t actually need them.

I have autism, ADHD and EDS, all diagnosed. I don’t have a stick or a lanyard and I have a job.

No, what does those of us with genuine problems a disservice is threads like this mocking people who use sticks.

I don't know whether to be amused that she's on trend or bloody angry at the suggestion that she's somehow a fraud.

I don’t think anyone is taking the piss out of those who are genuinely disabled. They’re annoyed at those who perhaps really are pretending to be, not least because it does a disservice to those who have genuine problems.

DD's heart rate goes from 50 to 140 just standing up. She's had some nasty injuries from passing out.

DS presents a bit differently and only passes out when he vomits or if he's ill. Annoyingly, he carries on vomiting while unconscious and then has "seizure type activity", flinging the sick bowl across the room in the process and usually injuring himself.

Oh how I wish EDS were a fashion choice.

I bought one recently as I have some degenerative changes in my foot that can all of a sudden cause me issues weight bearing. I’m not young though and I hate it, it’s folded up in a bag only to be used if my foot goes. It does sound like attention seeking in the circs OP describes

I used a stick for a while before I had my first hip replaced. I found people were mostly quite impatient with me, so I don’t know what benefit they’re seeing!

When I had to switch to crutches, the difference was startling. They’re missing a trick.

Quite. I’m quite happy to offload mine if anyone wants them. Spent many years trying to get rid of the buggers and finding a way for them not to define me.

In general I'd assume a medical need.

If theres hordes of them with walking sticks, unless teenage girls have dramatically changed sonce the 90s I'd be much more inclined to think its a form of attention seeking rather than self defence...

DD has EDS and POTS. She was diagnosed at 10 after her first surgery. She's since had more surgery. She's on heart medication to stop her passing out. Unmedicated, she passes out daily. She has real problems with her ankles and knees and sees the OT and physio regularly. She also has problems with her bladder and bowels which need careful management.

Yes she walks with a stick on bad days.

I'm really not sure how to feel about this thread. I don't know whether to be amused that she's on trend or bloody angry at the suggestion that she's somehow a fraud.

Yes. I work full time as well. In a demanding, professional job. Sorry to disappoint everyone who think I must have got my diagnosis just to get benefits and never work.

I mean you can’t just say you have this stuff, there’s proper tests and diagnosis.

Apart from fibromyalgia probably which I don’t have and I don’t particularly agree Dd has even though her rheumatology consultant said she had it. Sadly I wasn’t there at that appt as I’d have questioned it. She was diagnosed with EDS and fibromyalgia at the same appointment which seems bonkers seeing as EDS causes pain and fatigue and I thought fibromyalgia was when you couldn’t find a cause for pain and tiredness. But I digress.

i had a tilt table test for pots. My blood pressure and pulse reacted in a way that most peoples wouldn’t. I have bad dizziness, every time I stand up everything goes black for 20 seconds or so.

Shit, who knew collecting diagnoses was trendy? I've got some to spare if they want. I certainly don't want them.

Im not sure this is recent, Ive worked with a lot of ASD teen girls in my career and often they hang around outside A+E as a gaggle and group, presenting with illnesses and symptoms now and then, also ordering aids like wheelchairs or limb supports, other walking aids (not seen walking sticks before but lots of crutches which do tend to be pilfered out of hospitals)

I’d see your actions as reasonable and understandable.

What I don’t see as reasonable or understandable is people who use their issues - of whatever stripe - as a stick (pun not intended) with which to beat other people and a way of making unreasonable demands of others and/or making themselves a constant centre of attention.

Exactly. And I work full time even though it often leaves me with very little quality of life outside of work. And i have found ways to do voluntary work when even when bedbound. I help 4 different charities in my spare time.

Nope I never post about it on social media. 99% of my work colleagues don’t know. Partly because of nasty judgemental idiots who think like this.

I've seen a lot of trans men/non-binary young women with sticks. No judgment from me, my DC is disabled and I have POTS although dont use a stick (wouldn't help me at all). I assumed it was side effects from cross-sex hormones or surgery. Very sad if that is the case.

I dont think people are necessarily being judgmental about disability on this thread. Just pointing out that there is a new phenomenon where a certain "type" of young women seem to be using walking sticks. Not sure if the cause if physical or psychological but I've noticed it too.

Can confirm I definitely wear a bra, and have exceptionally dull hair and am female. Am I allowed to be disabled now? Do I pass the test to be allowed to use a walking stick without mockery?

Agree. I have a friend with EDS and Pots (POTS is a post COVID thing, EDS she has had for longer). They seem to coexist which actually makes a lot of sense when you think how EDS can affect the body.

Don't be put off getting a stick just because a bunch of people on the internet are getting kicks out of mocking disabled people. I feel much safer going out with mine.

I also spend at least an hour every day doing a combination of weight lifting, and weird specific exercises to improve stuff like my ankle mobility and improve my flat feet in an attempt to stop a downhill slide in my health. We don’t all just sit around being lazy and using any diagnosis as an excuse. In fact it’s the opposite for. I use my diagnosis as a reason to go down the gym at least 5x a week even on days I don’t feel like it!

I often tell people about my Myasthenia soon after meeting them because I need them to understand that my speech might suddenly go slurred. I prefer people not to assume I hit the vodka at 10am

Is that ok I should I be really ashamed of my condition and treat it like a dirty secret?

Weird how some people see it as laudable and "brave" to have a blog about a "cancer journey" but self pitying and tragic it it's about other chronic conditions

Have to say I think this is a bit harsh.

dd doesn’t have a stick, nor is she on TikTok. She does however have EDS, fibromyalgia, POTS and autism. All formally diagnosed.

No sunflower lanyard, nor does she dye her hair odd colours, nor wear dungarees, she’s not trans, nor does she claim PIP. She worked until her boss shut the company down recently and will be going back to uni in Sept to do a Masters.

id hate to think that people think her having eds and pots and autism is somehow jumping on a trend. She also has coeliac disease. For some odd reason there’s a lot of evidence that EDS, pots and autism and coeliac disease often coexist with each other.

i also am diagnosed with EDS and POTS. Like previous posters have mentioned it’s hard to get formally diagnosed, there’s specific criteria you have to hit. Funnily enough i didn’t have any problems but i tick every box. It was a HCP who suggested I have EDS, hadn’t crossed my mind for some bizarre reason even though I knew Dd had it and knew I was hypermobile and had bladder issues, etc. so I wasn’t attention seeking or chasing a diagnosis…..I’d just gone to see an osteopath for back pain and he said he knew within a minute I had EDS. Oh and I also have mcas which again isn’t uncommon with eds. I was diagnosed with that a decade ago, before it was “trendy “.

Funny enough I’ve been thinking recently about using a stick as my ankles are so bad and I struggle walking some days now. This thread has really put me off though.