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Give me your top tips please for making life easier on crutches

38 replies

crummyusername · 12/03/2019 18:24

Looks like I'm going to be on crutches for a few weeks after an injury... argh. I can bear a little weight on the injured leg but best to avoid too much. Please give me your top practical tips. Most urgently: how do I carry cups of tea??

OP posts:
smurfy2015 · 13/03/2019 16:01

was on crutches for almost 3 years, I recommend a crutch pod which can hold a travel cup, bottle of water, phone, keys - I used one on each side www.completecareshop.co.uk/mobility-aids/crutch-accessories/buckingham-crutch-pod?gclid=CjwKCAiAqaTjBRAdEiwAOdx9xuuJRC6xfOJ6eFu00at85NNgFYaRuGuL6ZW-frCFINLs-dlo6aPB2xoCnmsQAvD_BwE - can also fit a travel cup into this to carry your tea

Padding on the handgrips is a must - I used foam pipe lagging which I cut to fit and replaced when it got worn looking

www.mybrokenleg.com/tips.html - take what you need from there, there are loads of good tips

Try your local red cross and see if they have any equipment to loan or put a request upon local free pages for a commode. You can get liners for it if needed to keep it clean and easy disposed of.

I've been mostly bedbound over the last number of years, I use a wheelchair but cant self propel and won't fit the criteria for a power chair until I move house (in coming months) but a commode has been a lifesaver as I often can barely make it to it less than a metre away never mind get as far as the bathroom, that an incontinence pads.

Yes yes to the litter picker upper, great for lifting all the things you drop

Make lists of what you need help with, people will be willing to help you esp as its a visible injury so if you are out they will hold doors etc for you, the visibility of it actually makes things easier, people understand it better and are more tolerant

if you do make it out of the house and you have a local Shopmobility go in and see them, bring ID, you might have to pay a small charge as a temporary member to borrow a scooter/wheelchair but the benefit to you to be able to whizz around and do your shopping if that's your thing with your leg propped on it. They will give you a quick lesson on how to work it.

Remember online shopping as well, most delivery drivers IME are very helpful, they have ended up putting my stuff into the fridge and freezer in the past and the non-perishables sitting waiting for someone else to sort

Yes to the weight lifting gloves to pad your hands as they will get painful and sometimes calloused

If you have a small table or large strong box, in the absence of a blanket cradle, put extra bedding on the bed, this is what you are aiming for www.mobilitysmart.co.uk/bed-blanket-support-cradle.html?ff=1&fp=1038&gclid=CjwKCAjw1KLkBRBZEiwARzyE72_BSGsmb82i4LHnRy5V4yNjgpi32chpKX5r63kQCkC3-A5R8uURehoCRWQQAvD_BwE

Don't try to weight bare too fast, you need time to heal, can actually rebreak/injure more by putting stress on it before its ready,

if you are in a cast say from above your toes, try and keep toes wriggling as much as possible.

Socks are your friend as is getting a pair of slippers if hard to wear shoes to keep your feet warm, I have known some to buy a pair of slippers 2-3 sizes bigger and basically stretch over the cast on one foot, the other foot wears normal size shoes/footwear. It keeps the foot warm, clean and dry.

smurfy2015 · 13/03/2019 16:03

Esp if its a short term thing you will find people bend over backwards to help you so they get the feel-good out of it, let them.

It's very different in most cases if its a chronic long term invisible condition as general public get fed up with chronic illness and get frustrated that you aren't better.

FloatOn · 13/03/2019 16:06

I broke my ankle a few years back, I borrowed my mums computer chair with wheels, was a life saver for transporting cups of tea and food. I just sat on it and wheeled myself round downstairs!

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Bluetrews25 · 13/03/2019 16:28

When you take them off to lean them against the wall when you are sitting or lying down, and they keep falling over, turn them upside down, so they rest on the round bit that goes around your arm and the ferrule rests against the wall. They will not fall over now.
Grin

Theladyofthehouse · 13/03/2019 17:32

Lots of places have wheelchairs that you may not imagine like our local Costco.

Theladyofthehouse · 13/03/2019 17:35

Oh was going to add Shopmobility is good because parking is close (near the proper disabled badge ones). Even if you get a wheel chair yourself you (well person with you) doesn’t have to lift it out and put back in the car.

EssexGurl · 13/03/2019 18:22

I found a rucksack style bag better than a cross over bag - better weight distribution.

At home I had a top with big front pocket so I stuffed things in there. I used a travel mug for coffee.

crummyusername · 14/03/2019 11:30

I've been managing with the crutches but sooo frustrating trying to actually balance and get stuff done eg in the kitchen

So thanks for whoever suggested the knee walker, I just found a place that rents them locally and someone is collecting it for me today! Hoping that makes it easier to get around at home which will then leave me more energy when I do need to leave the house.

OP posts:
crummyusername · 14/03/2019 18:44

Knee walker is here - it's amazing!! Smile

Would never have thought of it without this thread.

OP posts:
Stillinbedat10am · 14/03/2019 21:20

Oh I'm so glad you managed to find a way to get a knee walker. Your life will be so much easier. Just be aware that everybody you meet whilst using it will want to have a go on it.
There is footage somewhere of the barstaff at my local pub using mine to navigate a hastily put together obstacle course of pub furniture on the dance floor after closing time one night.

dangermouseisace · 14/03/2019 22:04

Leakproof travel cup in a rucksack for tea.
Cycling gloves and body glide for your hands.

If you can put a bit of weigh on it your bad leg can save those instances for when you really need to.

crummyusername · 18/03/2019 19:26

Stillinbed that sounds epic. Mine hasn't made it out of the house but my kids think their new scooter is fantastic (leaving me stranded when they've ditched it over the other side of the room).

One tip I got from a nurse friend of mine is to be very cautious about how much you use crutches. She says she sees a lot of shoulder injuries from people who've overdone it. I'm already feeling a bit sore on my left shoulder so at the moment am trying to minimise how much I use them (easier said than done of course).

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