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Tips please. DH on crutches for next 6 weeks!

22 replies

XmasAandE · 28/12/2019 13:44

Dh broke his ankle on Christmas Day and will be in a cast and on crutches unable to weight bare for 6 weeks!
Any tips on making life easier and keeping my sanity would be most appreciated!

OP posts:
Muchtoomuchtodo · 28/12/2019 13:49

Hire / buy a knee scooter

Get a limbo cast cover. Put a garden chair in the shower.

Set up the ironing board with a chair so he can get all of that done for you.

Give him a list of things that you’ve been meaning to do for ages - shop around for better utility/broadband/car insurance etc.

VivaLeBeaver · 28/12/2019 13:51

Get a non slip mat and stool for the shower.

Get him a shoulder bag/cross body bag so he can put stuff in it and get from one place to another (I’m thinking of getting snacks to the sofa, etc).

Bumpinthenight · 28/12/2019 13:53

He can make coffee /tea in a travel mug so he doesn't have to stand by the kettle to drink his drink!

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MrsMozartMkII · 28/12/2019 13:57

Had this with DH when one of the dogs ran into his knee and broke it.

Cover so he can shower.
Wheelchair so you can get out and about (can be hired).
Food and drink by his chair so he can be left and you can go out.
Bone healing supplements.
Decent proteins.
Flask with a handle.
Bag with a long strap so he can carry things around.
A list of jobs that can be done from the laptop.

MitziK · 28/12/2019 13:59

Padded cycling gloves.

Heat pack for his chest muscles. And an occasional massage of them.

It's an absolute bastard being non weight bearing - if you aren't the sort of person who routinely does 3000 press-ups with claps before breakfast, your hands and chest muscles hurt more than the break within about 24 hours.

Big fluffy socks to go over his cast and keep his toes warm.

Stretchy trackies to go over the cast so he doesn't mooch about in pyjamas looking miserable all day - trackies are more like getting dressed, so he's more likely to feel better in himself as a result.

Nag him to keep wiggling his toes.

A cast cover and help so he can have baths/showers.

A fly swat to slap him one if he tries to stick something down the cast to scratch an itch. And in reality a cool pack for when the itching is driving him crazy.

Determination to make sure he goes to physio, as he'll need it following such a nasty break and the resulting muscle wasting.

A stool for him to sit on in the kitchen and participate in cooking, washing up, loading the dishwasher, etc.

Encouragement to keep busy, rather than sitting down all the time.

Mabelface · 28/12/2019 14:02

He needs to be sitting at first to bring the swelling down. Yeah, give him stuff to do for the house, but also give him a bit of a break and leave him to heal. He's going to be in pain for a bit.

Bluntness100 · 28/12/2019 14:03

Be very careful of the knee scooter, depending on the break it can be unusable, mine was at the side, and kneeling on the scooter, was impossible due to the weight of the cast then on the break.

Other than that, prepare for him to sleep downstairs, make him a bed up, a travel mug, for his drinks, and a bag for him to put food in and cart it back to the living room. He will also likely wash downstairs also. So a wash bag, tooth paste etc will be useful, with a case of his clothes down stairs. Assuming you're not in a bungalow.

Make sure you've plenty of pain killers in too.

Bluntness100 · 28/12/2019 14:05

I'd also say the shower only works if it's not over thr bath. No way was I able to get in mine when I was non weight bearing, I could have attempted it, but one slip and I'd have been totally fucked. A tarts wash at the guest loo or kitchen sink whilst sitting is safer.

XmasAandE · 28/12/2019 14:12

Some really great ideas here, thanks!
Knee scooter isn't going to be an option due to nature of the break.
We have borrowed a wheelchair from a neighbour which came in handy yesterday for fracture clinic!

OP posts:
flouncyfanny · 28/12/2019 14:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MitziK · 28/12/2019 15:27

Is there a vaguely amusing story of how he ended up in this situation in the first place, by the way?

minipurr · 28/12/2019 15:58

Oarsome grips for the crutches, however these will only work if you have the crutches WITHOUT a moulded handle.

His hands will thank you!

littlemeitslyn · 28/12/2019 17:27

Don't assume we all have 'downstairs faculties '
(Deliberate )🙄

LifeBeginsNow · 28/12/2019 17:40

Extra long phone charger cable. I got mine from Tiger and its huge! TV gets pretty boring but having games and apps to play with makes part of the day go quicker. I will start reading again soon but just fallen out of love at the moment.
I also put easy foods on the worktop to prevent bending when I knew I'd be going into hospital. I put cereal, cereal bars, crackers on the counter and could be self sufficient for lunch until my DH came home to cook an evening meal.

JamieVardysHavingABaby · 28/12/2019 18:43

I don’t have a downstairs loo so I had to get up and down the stairs several times a day. I got a second pair of crutches and left one downstairs and one up. Then I would bum shuffle up and down the stairs without having to worry about the crutches.

Bluntness100 · 28/12/2019 18:47

I'm impressed by the bum shuffling. Getting down onto my arse, on one leg, I found very very difficult and quite scarey when non weight bearing. When weight bearing it was fine, but non weight bearing it was problematic. Doable, but not easy. Doing it several times a day is impressive.

JamieVardysHavingABaby · 28/12/2019 18:51

Oh I became a total pro. I can still get to a seated position on the stairs balanced on one leg with no hands! And more importantly at the top of the stairs I could get onto all 4s and then get into a standing position on one leg.

However I did an awful lot of weights and yoga prior to the accident. So strong and good at balance, which was invaluable.

XmasAandE · 28/12/2019 18:51

We have a full bathroom downstairs and upstairs which is very handy. Dh is managing to go upstairs to sleep in our bed, not attempted a shower yet! I've ordered some large socks and padded covers for the crutches.

OP posts:
JamieVardysHavingABaby · 28/12/2019 18:53

I’m probably going to be on crutches for six weeks again early next year and I’m training for it like bloody marathon training! 😁

dementedma · 28/12/2019 21:46

DH was recentlynon crutches due to Achilles injury after being attacked at work.( Residential kids in care)
Padding on the crutch handles are a must, plus warm socks to cover toes. A wash at the sink is safer than balancing in the shower. PJ trousers/joggers with deep pockets are good.

OhMyGodTheyKilledKenny · 28/12/2019 21:53

When I broke my ankle I found a bath easier than a shower. I had an upturned plastic washing basket in the bath which I propped my covered cast on (I had a Limbo on it but wouldn't have trusted it not to let water in if I had worn it in the shower).

The other tips I would recommend have been mentioned (a stool or chair in the kitchen and a cross body bag)

thinking2019 · 28/12/2019 23:05

Drench shower wipes have been a lifesaver after my operation. They sell them in amazon in packs. I've not been able to get in to the shower as can't weight bear. I would also second the games on phone/iPad. I've not long downloaded scrabble and a few others. Only so much reading and watching box sets you can do. Also a bag to be able to sling over to take things from room to room and have a pouch with pain killers and a large sports bottle of water too. Hope he recovers well!

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