Girls Using Walking Sticks

I agree. This thread is deeply unpleasant to read.

If they are taking gender altering hormones they may be experiencing significant joint and muscle pain, plus fatigue due to the changes in their bodies. This may explain why they need the support of a walking stick.

I am genuinely horrified by the casual ableism on this thread. Wow.

Same, I look back now at all my years of coping with (at the time undiagnosed) Myasthenia Gravis and feel so upset I didn't feel able to use a stick.

It took over 2 decades of backwards and forwards to doctors to get my diagnosis.

That's my whole adult life from my late teens to early 40s feeling shamed how hard I found it to stand in a queue. Avoiding situations when I would have to queue. Stopping activities partway through because my legs would suddenly go weak. Hating public transport because I got so ill so fast and felt so vulnerable if I had to stand

Ps. I don't claim PIP. I work full time (at home) and earn a very decent salary

This, and if you're on sm with them for any reason all their posts are of memes of...
*it's so hard when...
*only true friends will repost...
*nobody understands...
And many many self pitying things..

And please please don't be nasty and make assumptions about sunflower lanyards. I feel hugely self conscious having to use the disabled toilets /lifts etc when I "look perfectly fine".

I use a sunflower wristband not lanyard and it makes me feel like it is helping a bit.

I don't have POTS I have a condition called Myasthenia Gravis. It was much more manageable before I got a bad bout of covid. Since then I have spent chunks of life bed bound.

It took a lot of bravery to start using a stick and it's horrible reading mocking posts.

Also ehrlos danlos syndrome. Seen a significant rise in patient population… all young female with POTS ehrlos danlos tachycardia long covid and walking stick. Disproportionately for age and previous
level of wellness. Many siblings both diagnosed…first one sister then the next. Multiple with factitious disorder themselves or factitious disorder by proxy (their mother) or both. It’s very predictive seeing the medical records of these young patients the endless phone calls tests messages unresolved symptoms medicines not effective and changing doctors and doing it all over again. Many use walking aides. Their lives seem very stilted to me and definitely not on track with their peers

The ableism on this thread is disgusting. How is judging anyone on their disabilities / apparent trend setting, or "childish appearance" just by seeing them in public helping anyone? Have you spoken to their doctor??

Variety is the spice of life. Christ how dull town would look if it was full of perfect looking corporate clones or yummy mummies all dressed in neutrals. I quite like seeing colourful hair and people! Spoken by a natural mousy brunette who hasn't got the energy to upkeep bright colours.

I do this.
I need it for standing . It doesn't really help me with walking much, unless I have a sudden flare and my legs go very weak very rapidly. But it also helps by rendering my invisible disability more visible.

Sometimes I use a wheelchair, sometimes I use a stick, sometimes I don't use either and am fine,.sometimes I don't use either and massively regret it.

Oh dear god...this will be the next thing coming to our school I imagine 🤦🏼‍♀️

I've absolutely met a few people like this. You never have to wonder what might be wrong with them because they will tell you, at length, whether you really wanted to know or not.

It seems to be an identity thing and it often comes with endless performative demands for special treatment or loud demonstrations as to why they're different.

(A character like this also featured in Ink Black Heart which earned JKR even more criticism!)

Oddly the last three transmen I've met have been using walking sticks.

When I young, I knew quite a few women my age who would probably have benefitted from using a stick - they had chronic fatigue, joint pain, were recovering from injuries and illnesses, had balance problems or mild cerebral palsy, or long term health conditions that affected their ability to walk or stand. And they didn't use a stick because it was so deeply shameful to do so if you were young. So I'm glad if today's equivalent young women are able to use an aid that helps them to be more independent, safe and comfortable.

The point is that they shouldn’t be judging…

I've spotted that particularl set of characteristics too @GirlOverboard123

Social contagion?

(I have a very obvious physical disability - interestingly, my son mentioned today that he's 'relieved' that my disability IS so obvious so that I don't look like one of the blue haired, dungaree wearing brigade)

Nailed it. There are lots of girls like this in my small city, they always dress the same way as well. They also have a penchant for very childish looking backpacks with fluffy character things attached to them, and will often carry cuddly toys around. They've got that whole Japanese/Korean thing going on of clinging on to very childish things in young adulthood.

Now it's been mentioned I realise I had noticed the walking stick thing a while ago but I hadn't made the link. I just thought it was odd that I'd seen so many young women with mobility issues, all of whom seemed to be cut from the same cloth as it were, in a short space of time. It perfect makes sense now. I'm into town tomorrow so I will get my bingo card and stamper out.

There was a small class at my college where one girl used a stick, and by the end of the year 3 other girls in that class all used one too…

For years I did everything possible not to use a stick despite my lurching gait. I am now on two crutches but this thread has made me smile as I am finally , and for the very first time in my life , on trend.

No, I don't have POTS but CP with a very odd walk.

Personally, I feel sorry if people are using sticks as part of a trend or to show they are different or to make an invisible disability obvious to others. Most people are very helpful - getting out of my way, offering seats etc but I can't help but think that may reduce if sticks are seen as the latest trend.

I will go back to dreaming of being able to walk without a stick or crutches....

I've seen this too, but mostly on Instagram. There appears to be an increasing number of young women with FND, POTS, hypermobility, etc. They wear their green disability lanyards and appear not to work.

I use a walker and a wheelchair depending on what kind of day I'm having/the demands of the situation. Neither is romantic or exciting, it's a bloody nuisance. I do have POTS but it's tagged, as it very often is, on top of another and also degenerative condition. It is going to be great when the public view of mobility aids shifts to 'fashion statement' and 'fad'.

Can i just say I have a neurological disability which causes weakness on one side and resulting balance issues. I sometimes use a stick on bad days. A stick is not like crutches, ie you arent relying on it to keep weight off a limb. For me its to prevent accidents. I am also a young(ish) woman.

I dont wear a lanyard, I dont have pots, but so what if I did? I just want to get to the shops without being afraid of falling or feeling like i can't go out because of a degenerative condition (which is soooo much fun to have).

A lot of assumptions on this thread which are very shameful. I notice when I use a stick I get a lot of dirty looks and people pushing past me and this proves its not just in my head.

What is POTS: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

Tachycardia in response to the body not adjusting blood pressure to compensate for movement. Can involve fainting/blacking out although more nose slamming on table and blood everywhere than the decorative swoon, but a whole lot more issues too. None of them romantically exciting.

I completely agree and don’t condone it, it’s just hard to comprehend and young me would’ve felt a lot more comfortable if it was ‘trendy’ back then.

I don't think that it would work for me. Over 4 weeks I would leave one one the train; one on the Tube; one in a restaurant and one in the hotel.

I had 2 sticks when I was recovering from a collapsed spine. I lost them both within a fortnight once I didn't absolutely need them to stand up and walk.