Living With My Crutch Is Only Temporary...
Ok so now you all have the backstory this entry is basically how I've coped on crutches and where I provide a bit of tough love with the brutal truths for those who are about to go on crutches or are in their first day or two...don't worry, I will sweeten them with ways to get round them where I have found one and in order to help make your day better if you can I want you to say "this is only temporary" whenever I say in this entry. (honestly it will help)
(If you don't know the backstory of how I managed to break my 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th metatarsals then I suggest you read the previous entry "My Metatarsal Madness")
Life On Crutches...
So all in all so far I have spent just over a month on crutches, one week of semi-weight bearing and 5 weeks of non weight bearing and in that time I have learnt a few things, practically all of which I learnt the hard way so naturally I want others to know the things I've learnt before they have to do the same.
Once again, settle in for a long one folks because there's a lot to ramble talk about
Moving Around Through A Wall Of Pain...
"Everyone will say that the more you move around the easier it will get and eventually you'll hardly notice anything...they lie...well its more of a half truth because yes it will get easier the more you move but don't be fooled, no matter how much you move around easier is all it will get, you will still be less mobile and it will still be hard but keep in mind that this is only temporary"
Ok so you may have worked out already from the tone of the above statement that moving around on crutches is not fun, unfortunately it's one of the brutal fundamental truths of crutches, you will soon begin to realise that along with the seething contempt for those more mobile than yourself; you will also begin to notice (very quickly in my case) that your body's individual sets of limbs are very specific to whatever task they do and that arms do NOT make good legs.
This will become all too apparent as your arms, chest, hips, armpits and pretty the rest of your body above the waist start to ache and hurt more than whatever lower appendage you have broken.
This will become all too apparent as your arms, chest, hips, armpits and pretty the rest of your body above the waist start to ache and hurt more than whatever lower appendage you have broken.
Unfortunately for the most part I can only say "tough love...man up (or woman up if you are one) and deal with it, this is only temporary...but...I'm not going to sugar-coat it for you...the aches will only get worse as time goes on.
In the beginning you won't begin to ache until the middle of the afternoon, but by the time you're 6 weeks down the line you will be finding that you're going to bed sore, waking up sore and remaining sore 24/7 and forget about that blissful concept of a soothing bath as you must keep your cast dry at ALL TIMES just remember, this is only temporary.
(Of course if anyone knows of any workarounds for this please say so below)
In the beginning you won't begin to ache until the middle of the afternoon, but by the time you're 6 weeks down the line you will be finding that you're going to bed sore, waking up sore and remaining sore 24/7 and forget about that blissful concept of a soothing bath as you must keep your cast dry at ALL TIMES just remember, this is only temporary.
(Of course if anyone knows of any workarounds for this please say so below)
Do not worry though because help is at hand, firstly you have to do the hardest thing...be honest with yourself and remain active, believe me I neglected that when I first went into crutches...regretted it immediately, not only did I get bored (another thing that will plague you) but when I did decide to get off my arse and out of my pit of self-pity (hey we all get that way when things like this happen)...well let's just say that I never thought it would be so effort to move around an 8 stone (about 50kg) body mass, so please for the love of god when the doctors say keep active and moving "JUST DO IT!!!“ sorry...
"Don't be rash though getting around on crutches is an entirely different form of locomotion, we all walk before we can run, the same applies to crutches, take it easy and if possible try taking a friend or family member with you, its common sense, if you go alone over balance and fall they won't be there tolaugh atpick you up or better still catch you
Another way to make life easier is all thanks to modern technology and amazon.com because you can now quite easily purchase online and have items delivered to your home, and one other thing to do here regardless of whether its a parcel or a workman you're expecting at the door is to write up a sign to put on your door to tell them that you may not get there immediately, the one I've put up because my parents live in an upside down house reads
"Please be patient after ringing the doorbell as I am on crutches and it will take me some time to get to the door".
Doesn't have to long winded or extravagant (yes I know sounds weird coming from me)...just has to let people know whats going on.
Now...I'm sure you have already heard of the whole process of placing socks over the handles of your crutches and yes whilst they work well in principle and work for short distances. They will keep coming off no matter what way you tie them on and you will still feel the aches in your palms while you channel all your weight through them as the socks only really combat the blisters people get from the rubbing against the handles.
Now...I'm sure you have already heard of the whole process of placing socks over the handles of your crutches and yes whilst they work well in principle and work for short distances. They will keep coming off no matter what way you tie them on and you will still feel the aches in your palms while you channel all your weight through them as the socks only really combat the blisters people get from the rubbing against the handles.
 |
| The Weight Lifters Gloves NOTE: these were not a do-all and end-all your hands will only take longer before aching |
Now enter the wonderful world of amazon's fitness gear section.
(yes, fitness gear in relation to crutches, I'm being serious...)
I strongly suggest investing in a pair of weight lifters gloves, I got a £5 pair made by Norman which whilst they didn't arrive particularly quickly so I suggest doing this as soon as you get home from hospital they did turn out to be an absolute godsend.
(yes, fitness gear in relation to crutches, I'm being serious...)
I strongly suggest investing in a pair of weight lifters gloves, I got a £5 pair made by Norman which whilst they didn't arrive particularly quickly so I suggest doing this as soon as you get home from hospital they did turn out to be an absolute godsend.
More Pain...
Yes there is more pain, though not all of it is lasting and this is only temporary.
Chances are most of you will be lucky enough to get away with just having your foot placed in a cast or tubigrip or boot or whatever and just told to 'pop off and rest it', but there are those of us who aren't quite so lucky (myself included) and require some form of surgery more often than not its the repositioning of bones and the installation of one or more plates and/or pins.
And of course with surgery comes General Anaesthesia.
Regardless of how long you went under for whether it is half an hour, 1 hour or 4 like me you will definitely wake up and want something to eat.
(Perfectly normal for someone who hasn't eaten or drank anything for the last 12 hours as is standard procedure before any operation; surgical or otherwise).
Chances are most of you will be lucky enough to get away with just having your foot placed in a cast or tubigrip or boot or whatever and just told to 'pop off and rest it', but there are those of us who aren't quite so lucky (myself included) and require some form of surgery more often than not its the repositioning of bones and the installation of one or more plates and/or pins.
And of course with surgery comes General Anaesthesia.
Regardless of how long you went under for whether it is half an hour, 1 hour or 4 like me you will definitely wake up and want something to eat.
(Perfectly normal for someone who hasn't eaten or drank anything for the last 12 hours as is standard procedure before any operation; surgical or otherwise).
Here's the pinch though, you get your first meal (don't worry from where I was it looks like hospital food has improved immensely) and you take your first bite of whatever you get given, (mine was a double cheeseburger brought in by a friend) swallow and instantly the back of your mouth sears with pain.
Well I'm no stranger to Anaesthesia, I've been under once before for around 1 hour for a different procedure (one I'm not saying as it is rather embarrassing)
So when I got that pain I kind of knew that there was nothing serious but for someone else who's never been under and doesn't know much...maybe not so much,
You see what's happened is that when they put you under they shove a ruddy great big tube down your throat and use it to hold your tongue down to stop it flopping back in your throat (keeping airways clear, basic first response training for cpr) whilst pumping lots of gases into you to keep you sedated.
During the time you have been under that tube will have rubbed away at the top of your mouth for a bit which combined with the high amounts of sedative gases being pumped into you will have given you mouth ulcers which you just treat in exactly the same way you would normally treat a lip ulcer.
(Of course if you have been extremely fortunate to have gone your entire life to date without getting a single lip ulcer then good for you and the treatment method is this wonderful stuff called "Anbesol™" it may taste god awful and sting like a b*#& when you apply it but after 3 applications a day over a week or so and the ulcers will disappear)
Circulation...
For those who have been informed that they are on crutches but haven't yet been discharged you will most likely have been seen by a physio nurse already...if not then you'll see them shortly after being given your new "best friends" for the next months or weeks...crutches.
The nurse will try and get you up and moving around as much as possible and try to do a stair practice with you.
(Honestly it's not as scary as some people will make out)
(Honestly it's not as scary as some people will make out)
The main thing to do in hospital is to show a sense of self-willing and motivation to move around on the crutches even if it's not genuine (this includes when the nurse is not around), trust me the alternative is not much better, I didn't show much willingness and I was discharged eventually but only because I had to go on Clexane™.
Clexane™ is basically a blood thinning injection using Enoxaparin which is subcutaneously injected through the belly, and whilst it didn't hurt in the beginning because I was quite chubby and had no muscle on my belly my god after a couple of weeks on crutches exercising my core muscles and burning off that fat damn those injections began to hurt and I don't just mean the stabbing pain of the needle you also get an aching pain that lingers.This is only temporary
Another note is that over the course of the injections should you need them is that you may start to see bruising appear around the injection site, don't panic this is perfectly normal and should pose no concern, of course you may get lucky like me and hardly bruise at all.
Now the whole reason for the injections as far as I am aware was because I wasn't able to prove that after returning home I wouldn't just sit in bed 24/7 and because of that I was at risk of what is called Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT and in short its where the blood is not circulating properly and clots, now this can snowball into multiple clots if left untreated eventually leading to a clot in the heart resulting in a Pulmonary Edema which can be fatal
If you want to read on it more the information is all over the Internet, but your hospital should automatically give you a page telling you about the symptoms of DVT, how to prevent it and what to do if it happens, if you don't get given a page automatically then ask.
But anyway unless you are deemed to be in such a state that no matter how much you move around you are still at risk of DVT you should get lucky and dodge that metaphorical bullet.
Oh and another thing...if you want to get out of hospital try not to get hooked on the Oromorph (basically morphine in a liquid form) you will not be discharged until the nurses know that you can get by on conventional painkillers such as paracetamol or Codeine at best
A Life Scattered...
Yes when you go on crutches it's definitely going to be like a tornado has come through your daily life.
Things that once seemed easy will be difficult and regardless of what people say, time will NOT fly, the last 6 weeks for me has felt more like 6 months and make no mistake you WILL have to change things, you WILL have to give up things and you WILL have to adapt and survive.
Things that once seemed easy will be difficult and regardless of what people say, time will NOT fly, the last 6 weeks for me has felt more like 6 months and make no mistake you WILL have to change things, you WILL have to give up things and you WILL have to adapt and survive.
First thing I gave up after going on crutches was alcohol (admittedly I have had 2 half pints of very weak fruit cider).
Whilst this is entirely a personal choice due to the fact that my injury is directly related to alcohol and in no way am I telling you that you have to do the same, alcohol will negatively impact your balance and on crutches you will need all the balance you can get.
Whilst this is entirely a personal choice due to the fact that my injury is directly related to alcohol and in no way am I telling you that you have to do the same, alcohol will negatively impact your balance and on crutches you will need all the balance you can get.
Besides not only does staying off drinking give a massive sense of satisfaction but also it will do your body a whole world of good, and it makes you look better as a person, as Nick Frost said in The Worlds End (good Simon Pegg movie, well worth a watch)
Of course this next thing doesn't really apply to you ladies out there and its not really a huge problem, but guy's...be prepared to sit down every time you take a piss and remember, this is only temporary.
(I tried doing my business standing up on crutches it's virtually impossible to do and I would advise just sitting down...its much easier)
Talking about bathrooms...quick couple of tips...
Firstly when taking showers wrap your foot in clingfilm, grab a dustbin liner, put it over your foot tape the top of the bag to form a seal with some form of water resistant tape, painters tape works well (I personally use Frogtape)
Finally and this is the most important thing which yes...ok I know this is basic common sense and seems a little patronising but you'd be surprised at some of the people out there, even if you live in communal housing leave the bathroom door UNLOCKED...I know at first pass you'll think that's a big breach of privacy but trust me you won't be worrying about your privacy if you say...slip on the wet floor and worst case scenario you hit your head on the sink or somehow incapacitate yourself, then you can't unlock the door and if its locked then of course the only way people on the other side can render medical aid is to smash the door down.
Ok so yes I know what you're saying...
You don't...
No seriously...instead any plans you once had you alter what you can and simply accept that some things you will have to cancel, and thinking about cancelling, quick tip to at least get something out of your broken foot/leg/whatever if you own a car...S.O.R.N (Statutory. Off. Road. Notification) it and cancel your insurance.
Just face it if you've broken your foot its going to take you at least 12 weeks to even be able to use your foot again and even longer to regain the strength to operate the pedals if you are using a manual transmission.
All in all if you look at your entire recovery as a whole period of time including post repair recovery you're looking at several months maybe even a year in some cases of being unable to use your car, and whether you're an experienced older driver with a nice comfy affordable insurance policy or a young driver like me who has had particularly bad luck on the roads and as such has been hit hard by the insurance companies and has an insurance that's so expensive your parents have to funnel extra funds into it from their own accounts, just by simply closing the insurance policy and declaring your car off the road with a S.O.R.N you'll save loads of money and again because of your injury you're not using it anyway.
One final planning feature is sleeping...remember how I said how stairs weren't as scary for people on crutches as others made out?, forget that...in the first few days of being home if for any reason you are unconfident at your ability to negotiate stairs then try setting up "sleeping quarters" on a the floor that has the most amenities i.e. kitchen, toilet, lounge etc. for the first few days whilst you get used to the idea of stairs and again I cannot stress this enough Take. It. Slowly. last thing you want to do is to rush, all it takes is for you to put your crutch down too close to the edge of the stair or at an angle and you're slipping and falling down the stairs potentially damaging your broken bone further.
Another sleeping feature is foot elevation...when you enter a full cast the doctor/nurse will explain that your foot must be elevated above your heart and your heel must not be resting on any surface (unfortunately that is exactly as uncomfortable as it sounds and is hell for your lower back and there's nothing that can be done about that to be honest but this is only temporary) however my tip to make it easier for the heel to not be resting on anything is when you use pillows to elevate your foot, use one of those big "V" pillows if you have one (if you don't consider investing in one even after you're foots recovered its still useful for the bed and is amazing for your back and neck).
"It takes guts to walk into a bar full of football fans all in war paint and order a tap water"But again the choice to give up alcohol is entirely yours.
Of course this next thing doesn't really apply to you ladies out there and its not really a huge problem, but guy's...be prepared to sit down every time you take a piss and remember, this is only temporary.
(I tried doing my business standing up on crutches it's virtually impossible to do and I would advise just sitting down...its much easier)
Talking about bathrooms...quick couple of tips...
Firstly when taking showers wrap your foot in clingfilm, grab a dustbin liner, put it over your foot tape the top of the bag to form a seal with some form of water resistant tape, painters tape works well (I personally use Frogtape)
Finally and this is the most important thing which yes...ok I know this is basic common sense and seems a little patronising but you'd be surprised at some of the people out there, even if you live in communal housing leave the bathroom door UNLOCKED...I know at first pass you'll think that's a big breach of privacy but trust me you won't be worrying about your privacy if you say...slip on the wet floor and worst case scenario you hit your head on the sink or somehow incapacitate yourself, then you can't unlock the door and if its locked then of course the only way people on the other side can render medical aid is to smash the door down.
Plan Accordingly...
"Wait a second how could I have planned for this situation its not like I wanted a broken foot?"The answer is simple...
You don't...
No seriously...instead any plans you once had you alter what you can and simply accept that some things you will have to cancel, and thinking about cancelling, quick tip to at least get something out of your broken foot/leg/whatever if you own a car...S.O.R.N (Statutory. Off. Road. Notification) it and cancel your insurance.
Just face it if you've broken your foot its going to take you at least 12 weeks to even be able to use your foot again and even longer to regain the strength to operate the pedals if you are using a manual transmission.
All in all if you look at your entire recovery as a whole period of time including post repair recovery you're looking at several months maybe even a year in some cases of being unable to use your car, and whether you're an experienced older driver with a nice comfy affordable insurance policy or a young driver like me who has had particularly bad luck on the roads and as such has been hit hard by the insurance companies and has an insurance that's so expensive your parents have to funnel extra funds into it from their own accounts, just by simply closing the insurance policy and declaring your car off the road with a S.O.R.N you'll save loads of money and again because of your injury you're not using it anyway.
One final planning feature is sleeping...remember how I said how stairs weren't as scary for people on crutches as others made out?, forget that...in the first few days of being home if for any reason you are unconfident at your ability to negotiate stairs then try setting up "sleeping quarters" on a the floor that has the most amenities i.e. kitchen, toilet, lounge etc. for the first few days whilst you get used to the idea of stairs and again I cannot stress this enough Take. It. Slowly. last thing you want to do is to rush, all it takes is for you to put your crutch down too close to the edge of the stair or at an angle and you're slipping and falling down the stairs potentially damaging your broken bone further.
Another sleeping feature is foot elevation...when you enter a full cast the doctor/nurse will explain that your foot must be elevated above your heart and your heel must not be resting on any surface (unfortunately that is exactly as uncomfortable as it sounds and is hell for your lower back and there's nothing that can be done about that to be honest but this is only temporary) however my tip to make it easier for the heel to not be resting on anything is when you use pillows to elevate your foot, use one of those big "V" pillows if you have one (if you don't consider investing in one even after you're foots recovered its still useful for the bed and is amazing for your back and neck).-A Note On Hygiene-
These are quite possibly the worst bits of having a cast...
Firstly it's the itching, now I don't care if you get an itchy leg/foot normally or not regardless of whether or not you did before you got the cast on, the minute it goes on you are going to get the worst itch right underneath the cast, and that is going to be nagging you constantly "itch, itch, itch, go on you know you want to" but you can't, and don't even think about sticking something down there to satisfy it, you really don't want to break the skin and cause an infection, the only solution really is just to ignore it and remember that this is only temporary.
Secondly and definitely the worst is your skin, seeing as every time you grab a shower you have to wrap your foot up that thing is not gonna get a proper clean until you're out of the cast (in my case my foot hasn't had a proper clean for 5 weeks now 5 WEEKS!!!)
Well as you can imagine that foot is gonna get real manky, real fast and nope there's nothing major you can do about it but be thankful, its not going to smell
However what will happen and believe me when I say that this feeling is enough to make you feel sick, is when the skin on and around your toes begins to dry up, crack and peel and so long as you don't let any fall in the cast then be my guest peel away to your hearts content, its what I've been doing whilst remembering that this is only temporary.
Although I have also been wiping my toes with a DAMP cloth and applying moisturiser (lots and lots of moisturiser) at least 4 times a day, yes it is awkward to get to your toes to apply it, especially when your below-the-knee cast is preventing you from bending your leg fully, when you do manage it however it does help infinitely.
(don't try and find someone to put the moisturiser on for you, its not going to work, I'm sorry but when your foot has started peeling and gets as disgusting as mine has, no amount of friendship, smiles money or cake is ever going to convince someone to put their hands anywhere near your toes, trust me I've already tried...don't judge me...I got desperate)
Well as you can imagine that foot is gonna get real manky, real fast and nope there's nothing major you can do about it but be thankful, its not going to smell
(If it does go to the hospital straight away and tell them that you suspect that you may have an infection under the cast, it does happen)
However what will happen and believe me when I say that this feeling is enough to make you feel sick, is when the skin on and around your toes begins to dry up, crack and peel and so long as you don't let any fall in the cast then be my guest peel away to your hearts content, its what I've been doing whilst remembering that this is only temporary.
Although I have also been wiping my toes with a DAMP cloth and applying moisturiser (lots and lots of moisturiser) at least 4 times a day, yes it is awkward to get to your toes to apply it, especially when your below-the-knee cast is preventing you from bending your leg fully, when you do manage it however it does help infinitely.
(don't try and find someone to put the moisturiser on for you, its not going to work, I'm sorry but when your foot has started peeling and gets as disgusting as mine has, no amount of friendship, smiles money or cake is ever going to convince someone to put their hands anywhere near your toes, trust me I've already tried...don't judge me...I got desperate)
-A Few Final Notes-
Finally beginning to wrap this one up now with a few cheery notes and things to remember;1) Cheer up and maintain a sense of humour it will help don't let this get you down you WILL pull through, this is only temporary after all.
2) Stay safe and take it easy, yes you will want to hit this one running but remember that no mater how fast you go you won't get there any faster, your body will heal as fast as it can, only things you can do to help, is sleep regularly, eat well, lots of protein and calcium and two foods I suggest eating to help the process are Baby Figs and Smoked Oysters (now these smell worse than their taste, pinch your nose grab a glass of water, eat and wash down) remember that this is only temporary
3) Try to keep a positive outlook, at the beginning I said how you will develop a seething contempt for those more mobile than you, and whilst that was a gross exaggeration its still true...assuming you let it happen and just remember that this is only temporary and when this is over you will be a hundred times better at standing on one leg than them.
4) Bottles and sealed containers are your friends, honestly anything with a lid will help; flasks, bottles, takeaway tins, tupperware containers camping mugs etc keep them, gather them all up when you get home from the hospital they will be vital to getting food and drink from the kitchen to wherever you choose to eat it without depositing it all over the carpets.
5) You may notice shortly after leaving hospital that one leg is smaller than the other...don't worry your muscles have just Atrophied because you haven't used them this is perfectly normal and just happens, mines done the same, really not looking forward to using it again tbh.
6) So long as you are in your cast, forget flying...I mean you can fly if you really need to but discuss things with your doctor first and be prepared for your foot to swell up like a football
7) Don't lose your pride, yes ok your cast may be forcing you to go everywhere in shorts, baggy trousers and frumpy clothes which isn't exactly dignifying and your reduced mobility will prevent you from doing certain things and whilst it may be tempting to fall back on everyone and call in every single childhood favour...don't...it won't help you at all, eventually the novelty will wear off and you will feel helpless and out of control, try doing stuff yourself...improvise and find workarounds if needs be...remember, this is only temporary.
8) Don't be afraid to ask for help, yes ok so putting these two together seems strange but its for a reason you see whilst you do have to try and do as much yourself you do sometimes have to face reality and admit that there are some things you just can't do and remember that this is only temporary, and the things you definitely can't do aren't the ones you should worry about its the things you could do that you need to worry about...for example...
You see the showerhead as you've put your chair in the shower to get clean and its back on the hook, now you know that you could get the shower head down off its hook if maybe you just stretched out a little further...
!!!STOP!!!
Just relax, take a step back, go and find someone you live with and just ask them to get the shower head down for you...I know it sounds silly particularly if all you needed to do was stretch a couple inches but those couple of inches could be the difference between you standing and ending up face down in the shower.
Pride will always be the downfall of Mankind
(if you live alone then in all honesty the hospital shouldn't have discharged you without first ensuring that you are capable of safely carrying on)
9) Finally just have to remember that this is only temporary...ok say it with me;
THIS. IS. ONLY. TEMPORARY!!!!This is only temporary, you will get out of this and take comfort in the fact that whilst one of your legs is a twig and your other leg is slightly diminished you are going to have an upper body you can be proud of, honestly 6 weeks ago before I went on crutches, I had a belly like a ball, arms like twigs and a chest that was so flat even the tightest t-shirts hung loosely off me...hardly anything to be proud of...
6 weeks on crutches later and well my belly...*poof* gone granted there's no six pack but inroads have been made and the foundations of a six pack are there, my arms are...getting there, again whilst they aren't exactly bulging they are at least bigger than before so foundations have been laid and as for my chest...well, I'd put a photo up because dayum it is looking goooood...(and I'm not exactly a vanity type of person either) buut Google has been clamping down and I'm not sure how things are regarding nudity here and I've already appeared in Googles bad books...
one last time eh...just to get things finished off on a high note...say it with me now...
THIS. IS. ONLY. TEMPORARY!!!!
Thanks for reading.
An Abstract Rambler.
