My first day with crutches, sort of

Well today was my first day with crutches, but since it was also a school day I had to have a hand free to hold hand while crossing streets & driveways so I only had 1 crutch. I switched back & forth which leg I matched the crutch up with, I'm not sure which it works best with. If I am only using one it's gonna have to be on my right side, & yes for those of you keeping track that's my Poland's side. Since I have no chest muscles I did find it used back muscles in an odd feeling fashion, not a bad way, but definitely a well worked way. I also found when I matched it up with my left leg I was forced to use my right leg in a more correct way & since I had the crutch I didn't have to worry quiet so much about falling. So I think I am fond of these crutches.

I had been worried that everyone would be staring at me, but most people seemed to pay no mind. Since I live in the midwest where folks were taught far to many manors the world & his granny seemed to want to hold the door open for me. I really prefer to door open buttons since I don't have to worry about hurting a finger holding it while I go thru. Oddly I found more people talked to me, now I wonder if they all thought me strange since I wobbled & staggered a bit. I hope they think I was drunk or whatever, lol.

I got my gym membership today too, that was nice. Now I can go walk their track or do the pool while Toad is in school. :D

PT, OT & Gym

Things are going well with the PT, we start pool PT next week. I do feel she's a bit like she's at a loss as to what to do with me. I asked her about helping me to learn to get up off the floor with out looking like a freak or screaming in agony. She asked me to show her how I was currently getting up off the floor, her jaw literally dropped. Guess that means I really was looking like a freak. We went thru a few suggestions & she's going to think more on it. It's almost not for for an EDS'er to go to PT, they rely on stretch & increasing range of motion. I did have her show me the ROM for a few joints, wow I was shocked. I am trying to stay with in the norm as best I can.

I'm not sure on the OT guy, I think I am beyond his area. He made a custom split for my super bend right middle finger to wear at night. He doesn't have Oval8s smaller than a 4 so those are out, he wants to custom make some thing up for me, but I'm kinda eh on that. He did slip me a jar opener which was sweet. He sent me home with a neoprene thumb splinty thing to wear all the time. I'm not used to it so I am just wearing it for 30-40 minutes, then off for an hr or two. I just feel he kinda didn't know what to do with me.

The OT, PT & I all talked about walking aides. The OT left after a few seconds so it was just me & the PT. we talked about crutches (platform & forearm) & walkers. While I will grant that my vanity isn't all that hot on a walker I don't think one would work for me. With the arms being different lengths I think that's gonna be a serious hindrance. The forearm look the least tacky to me, but I worry about my elbows, the platform just feel strange, not a natural movement sort of thing. Any other EDS folk reading this please comment what you use, walker, crutch, chair, litter with servants, whatever. She & I couldn't figure out what would work best for me & I told her I'd see that others are using & we talk again.

Since the water PT is at the gym I had to find out how to get to the dressing room & pool. I got the cute gym guy to give me the tour. Of course I was running late so I had no make-up on, oh well. He seems to be a nice person to chatter with. After he showed me the dressing room & pool I asked if he had time for a full tour & he did. I asked if they did badminton, I have never played, but if EFM can then maybe I ought to work on getting over my phobia & get to trying it. (I'd have to learn to drive to be able to get the chair there & that would be the phobia part.) They cute gym guy said only could I do wheelchair badminton, but I could do wheelchair pickleball (it's a hybrid of tennis & badminton played with like a ping-pong paddle). After the tour he gave me a couple of free passes so I may try the gym out a few times if the PT says that's ok. Nothing big just walking the track or trying to swim (I kinda don't know exactly how to swim, but I think I could fake it a bit to get some exercise).

Drunk?

I was reading a book about someone with MS & after he got a cane he was much more balanced when he walked. People then told him they had assumed he was drunk by how he was walking. Now I wonder if people think I'm drunk by how I walk. I sway, I stumble over nothing, I have trouble getting from point A to point B with out these issues. Do strangers think I'm drunk or something? I stumble, trip over the ground & fall from time to time. Ugh, just one more thing to worry about.