Going up or down stairs with crutches is a skill. She SHOULD have been shown how to use the crutches when she got them, ESPECIALLY for more than level surfaces as you have more than one story in your home. It is worth PESTERING the pediatrician or the orthopedist (more likely) to make SURE she gets the current, relevant information she needs, which likely means a visit to a physical therapist (PT.
Basically, Cordelia is now the person with three feet. Most often the crutches will work together, as one foot, and her good foot is the other one.
Stairs-up. 1--PLANT those crutches comfortably, and solidly, about shoulder width apart, then step up with the good foot. DO NOT PUT MUCH weight there, it's just to get ready.
2- MOVE the crutches up to the step, taking the weight and stride as she is used to-- the hesitation is more to allow for the space the crutches need and to keep from banging the tips into the riser ahead, which can freaking HURT if the vibrations are strong enough.
THE HESITATIONS will disappear, often in a few hours of use, but practicing with a single-step area is WAY better than trying stairs up to the second floor.
Stairs DOWN- 1-Get ready, make sure there is plenty of clear space for her movements, as this is the 'unfamiliar' movement. Having a spotter is great.
2- Move the crutches, together, down. They- and her arms- are going to be taking her weight for this, so keep them a little closer than shoulder width so there's less chance of splaying or slipping.
3- Transition her weight down, lifting her good foot MORE than usual, as a thump can actually cause her to twist in reaction. Plant the good foot.
4- CHECK everything, THEN ease her weight evenly between the crutches and her good foot. This step will also disappear with practice.
I am NOT- NOT- NOT a professional. When I was about Cordelia's age, I had surgery that required me to be on crutches for weeks on end, and since I have always been concerned (paranoid) about falling, the PT broke down the steps and explained them, and specifically had me learn to use the crutches on a level surface walking between the parallel bars in the PT room. DROPPING the crutch if she feels like she's starting to fall is a GOOD idea if there's any fixed surface to grab-a door frame- or HEAVY furniture to grab.
BTW, Please! Pass onto Cordelia as much of this reply as she'd be interested in, along with my assurances that it took only a couple of weeks for me to go from "these are strange and alien objects" to using the same crutches to navigate the uneven heights and VERY narrow spacing of getting on and off a school bus, along with that what, foot-wide aisle between seats-- without much extra thought at all. Kids leaving their backpacks in the aisle were more bother! After awhile I was also doing a wide "Monkey Swing" lope in lieu of running when getting between classes, which was admittedly FUN... so I might've looked for extra opportunities to use it!
Last note- for the hand blisters and soreness-- pick up some good quality lotion, (I prefer aloe-based)-- and pick up a sheet of sticky moleskin. Apply to the hand grips if they're the hard rubber kind, just fitting as wide a grip around the top half of each handle as the sheet allows-- right where the top edge of HER palm sits, which may not be the twelve o'clock top.
Separately, the stairs.
Basically, Cordelia is now the person with three feet. Most often the crutches will work together, as one foot, and her good foot is the other one.
Stairs-up.
1--PLANT those crutches comfortably, and solidly, about shoulder width apart, then step up with the good foot. DO NOT PUT MUCH weight there, it's just to get ready.
2- MOVE the crutches up to the step, taking the weight and stride as she is used to-- the hesitation is more to allow for the space the crutches need and to keep from banging the tips into the riser ahead, which can freaking HURT if the vibrations are strong enough.
THE HESITATIONS will disappear, often in a few hours of use, but practicing with a single-step area is WAY better than trying stairs up to the second floor.
Stairs DOWN-
1-Get ready, make sure there is plenty of clear space for her movements, as this is the 'unfamiliar' movement. Having a spotter is great.
2- Move the crutches, together, down. They- and her arms- are going to be taking her weight for this, so keep them a little closer than shoulder width so there's less chance of splaying or slipping.
3- Transition her weight down, lifting her good foot MORE than usual, as a thump can actually cause her to twist in reaction. Plant the good foot.
4- CHECK everything, THEN ease her weight evenly between the crutches and her good foot. This step will also disappear with practice.
I am NOT- NOT- NOT a professional. When I was about Cordelia's age, I had surgery that required me to be on crutches for weeks on end, and since I have always been concerned (paranoid) about falling, the PT broke down the steps and explained them, and specifically had me learn to use the crutches on a level surface walking between the parallel bars in the PT room. DROPPING the crutch if she feels like she's starting to fall is a GOOD idea if there's any fixed surface to grab-a door frame- or HEAVY furniture to grab.
BTW, Please! Pass onto Cordelia as much of this reply as she'd be interested in, along with my assurances that it took only a couple of weeks for me to go from "these are strange and alien objects" to using the same crutches to navigate the uneven heights and VERY narrow spacing of getting on and off a school bus, along with that what, foot-wide aisle between seats-- without much extra thought at all. Kids leaving their backpacks in the aisle were more bother! After awhile I was also doing a wide "Monkey Swing" lope in lieu of running when getting between classes, which was admittedly FUN... so I might've looked for extra opportunities to use it!
Last note- for the hand blisters and soreness-- pick up some good quality lotion, (I prefer aloe-based)-- and pick up a sheet of sticky moleskin. Apply to the hand grips if they're the hard rubber kind, just fitting as wide a grip around the top half of each handle as the sheet allows-- right where the top edge of HER palm sits, which may not be the twelve o'clock top.