What's been going on (the medical version) part 2 of ??

[the_rck]

We've gotten me a walker with a seat. I only found one model that could handle my weight, and it has a lot of drawbacks that we're still figuring out how to work around. I suspect that we aren't going to find anything with fewer issues, different ones, maybe but not fewer.

I'm not using it as a walker. I can't because I can't put weight through the palms of my hands or my wrists/elbows/shoulders. I'll never be able to use a walker or a cane or crutches of any sort.

The wheels move well enough that I can keep it going with my index fingers. The difficulty is that, no matter how I push the walker, the vibration of the wheels on concrete and asphalt hurts every joint in my hands and wrists. I have one set of splints that helps, but they hurt differently and are both bright pink and difficult to wash.

We've added padding to the handles in hopes of mitigating the problem, but I can only walk for a few minutes before I have to stop and rest my hands. I can limit the vibrational pain by placing my fists on top of the handles and holding my wrists rigid directly over them, but my elbows and shoulders don't like the resulting awkwardness in how I stand. I can't tolerate that contortion for any longer than I can tolerate the vibration. I suppose that combining them extends my pushing time.

I'm pretty sure that rubber wheels would help at least a little. The current wheels are hard plastic. I'm not sure replacing them is feasible, though. I'll ask Scott to look into it because he'd have to do the work.

The walker doesn't have any sort of brake that can be set before sitting. There are hand brakes that are for-- Well, I have no idea what. Do people actually use walkers in a way that would make hand brakes (which are not reachable when one is seated) a desirable feature?

Pulling the walker along after me by hooking fingers on the crossbar involves a lot less vibration (but not none) but decreases my ability to steer and to otherwise control the walker. It ends up banging into my heels a lot.

I've taken the walker out four times since we got it, and I really would like to use it more. Having the ability to sit whenever I need to would help vastly because sitting for a while and then walking again is the best way to tell the difference between my muscles being wobbly but more or less fine and my muscles being wobbly because I'm on the verge of longer term damage. I won't be able to use it on grass (which I hesitate to walk on anyway because I turn my ankles way too often) or on any of the walking trails around here (those are too narrow). Part of the reason for the ramp out back is for me to be able to get the walker to the driveway without having to pick it up.

(I probably could if I didn't use my hands, but it's heavier than I hoped for when I started looking.)

I don't think that me taking walks again will do anything about my blood sugar; it never did before. It's just that it would be amazing to have the option to walk without worrying about getting stuck three blocks from home because I had to sit on the ground and now am not sure I can get up and walk home.

The walker also won't be useful if there's any ice/snow as I won't be able to rely on clear pavement for it unless I'm in the street (and even then...). The lack of brakes will mean that parking it for sitting can only happen where the pavement is completely clear.

I ordered some rubber doorstop wedges to put under the wheels for when I stop and am not sure of the incline (one of the necessary Amazon purchases last week). Friction is of limited help if the incline is more than a few degrees. There's a storage bag under the seat, and I'm thinking I could carry the wedges there. They're not that expensive, not for proof of concept. If necessary, I can get something better once I know that wedging the wheels is feasible.

My feet don't reach the ground when I sit on the walker seat. They do land nicely at the right height to rest on top of the wheels on that side, and I'm hoping that that will also provide some braking.

Using the handles and pushing the walker in front of me, even if it's with one hand or with a single finger on each hand, helps my balance a bit. Usually, for that, I rely on the weight of my purse or a bag hanging from my elbow, forearm, or hand. Three plus pounds on one side or the other or on both keeps my mid-back from wobbling in ways that make each step considerably harder and increase the odds of negative post-walk effects.

I haven't worked out the best way to carry my purse with the walker. I can tell that it will be a challenge, so I haven't tried it yet. I expect to need to tomorrow.

Comments

[telly]

Hi, I saw this post on my network feed - I hope you don't mind advice from a stranger? I used to work for a medical supply company, and I've never seen a 4-wheel walker with a seat where the brakes don't lock. It would be a major safety issue! The usual design is that the brakes lock if you push down on the brake handles; they can be pretty stiff on some models, so maybe have a family member try to see how much force it takes? And then it's a quick adjustment to loosen the tension on the brake handles, someone just needs to loosen the little nut down where the brake sits on the wheel so there's more distance (although not so much distance that it doesn't lock at all). They'll get looser as the wheels wear down and the cables stretch, too.

[the_rck]

Adjusting hand brakes will do me zero good. I can't use my hands that way. I can push the walker forward without gripping; if I couldn't I wouldn't be able to use it at all. I manage anything that moves or puts weight on the part of my hands connected to my thumbs. Not even for a few seconds.

I can, however, bend and crouch for a few seconds. I'll be using chocks because hand brakes aren't ever going to be within my ability. I wanted a flip down friction brake or wheel lock that I could move into position (more like what the wheelchairs at the hospital have) or, at worst, something that would lower into place in response to human weight on the seat.

We looked for something that had usable (by me) brakes and the other necessary features, but it was mid-pandemic, and we had to look online without any advice from professionals. This was the only one I found. Possibly, I could get something better via prescription, but it's going to be a long time before I have access to anyone with that expertise.

I'm basically using this off label. I need a portable chair that's up to my weight and doesn't require assembly/disassembly for every use. I can't use the chairs we had when my daughter did sports because I can't open them, close them, put them in the shoulder bag, or take them out unassisted. I need something I can stop and sit on every block or so.

[adrian_turtle]

I agree that it's a safety problem to have a seat with wheels where the brakes don't lock. Do you know if anybody makes a walker with wheels like strollers, where you can set the brake with your foot? I don't even know what wheels like that are called, which makes it hard to search for walkers that have them. (Or investigate if you could swap them out.) I'd expect someone to make this sort of thing, because there are so many people with limited use of their hands.

[lunabee34]

*hugs*

[evalerie]

(I like your bright pink splints!)