News Blast: I Should Listen to My Own Damn Advice

[jesse_the_k]

Sad news: the marvelous ETAC Avant rolling walker¹ I’ve been using since 1993 has finally worn out, and it’s no longer made.

Bad News: turns out I did crack my kneecap (excuse me: a non-displaced fracture of the patella) in yesterday’s fall.

Good news: The replacement Active Walker rollator² I ordered just arrived. It works!

When will I learn news: I’m always snarking (to myself) about people who hesitate to use assistive tech when it could be helpful. Turns out I’m one of them. Yeah, it’s faster to not use the walker in the house–just relay on furniture and walls and knowing exactly where every seat is when I begin to pass out. I probably won’t be able to swim for a month: what time did I save being “faster”?

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1. http://www.abledata.com/product/etac-avant-wheeled-walker ↩︎
2. http://active-walker.com/active-walker-photos–2/ ↩︎

Comments

[sasha_feather]

<3

[jesse_the_k]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[monanotlisa]

No swimming? Ahh, I am so sorry!

(Also for the pain, ouch ouch ouch.)

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks. I know when I'm in the pool, non-weight bearing, it will be really easy to overdo.

[capri0mni]

Cracked kneecap: >_< *wince*

Worn-out walker: :-( *sigh*

New walker arriving just in time: \o/ *yay*

Seriously: that new one looks super-snazzy! Love the basket under the seat -- so clever.

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks for that spectrum of reactions. :,)

The basket is cute. But I'm used to having an open basket I can always drop things in so I must learn new ways.

AND it stands by itself when folded AND it's easy to fold. After decades of incoherently attempting to explain how to fold the old one, that's a big improvement.

[capri0mni]

Hm. Well, I was extrapolating from my own experience, and I think I'd have more trouble balancing while trying to put something in a basket further in front of me than dropping it straight down. ... I was imagining just keeping the seat folded up if I were doing something that would require frequent use of the basket, and only folding the seat down when I wanted to sit.

But I can understand how learning new muscle memories can be difficult.

And hooray for easy and sensible folding!

[jesse_the_k]

Further proof (as if we needed it) that "mobility impairment" is a very large basket. MY #1 need is a place to sit right now when I get pre syncopal, so I have to keep the lid down :,)

[capri0mni]

Indeed.

No reason you can't put another open basket on the front, though... is there?

[sovay]

I probably won’t be able to swim for a month: what time did I save being “faster”?

*very gentle hugs*

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks for the pointing out the second arrow.

[susanreads]

I'm sorry to hear about the cracked kneecap, but glad you could get a replacement walker.

[jesse_the_k]

<3

[davidgillon]

1) Ouch!
2) Yay for new wheels! ;)

[jesse_the_k]

Yippee indeed.

Doing my research I discovered that just about every walker company on the planet has been sued, including the manufacturers of my original AVANT, which was truly a miracle of Swedish design. Whether the suit prevailed or not, it seems to have squashed the "designer rollator" market -- Drive Medical has bought out almost all of them.

http://www.drivemedical.com/rollators

Did you ever use one of these?

[davidgillon]

Never used one myself, I went direct from crutches to chair. I have considered picking up a cheap one just to see if it's any use, but seeing as my main issue is weightbearing, rather than balance, it's unlikely to be any better than crutches.

[sanguinity]

Boo for the cracked kneecap; may it heal with a minimum of fuss and discomfort.

And did you get the ski/sled attachment for the new walker? Because neato.

Ain't that amazing?

[jesse_the_k]

Sadly, even with the ski attachments I'd be too wobbly to do snow. Although I'm absolutely willing to be a passenger in a suitably padded "spark" aka kicksled,

https://everyoneoutdoors.blogspot.com/2009/11/scandinavian-kicksled.html

Re: Ain't that amazing?

[sanguinity]

That looks fucking cool. There's not much territory around here where one could use one, but it looks like fun.

Re: Ain't that amazing?

[jesse_the_k]

However intermittently, people are required to shovel sidewalks. But when Big Snow happens, the streets make for fun sledding.

[raino]

Kneecap fracture sounds painful! Best wishes for a swift healing process.

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks!

[sonia]

Sorry to hear about the knee! Glad to hear your new assistive tech works for you.

We're all making compromises and guesses all the time about what will work best. You just got some new information about what works for you. Sounds like you're yelling at yourself for not knowing in advance, or not using the knowledge perfectly. Wishing you gentleness with yourself as you heal from your injury (which is not a punishment).

Thank you so much

[jesse_the_k]

Your kind reminder is completely on-point.

Re: Thank you so much

[sonia]

<3

[bibliofile]

Ow! Don't do that.

<3

[oracne]

Owwwwwwwwwwwwww your poor knee.