Weekend Challenge

During my session on Friday, my physio presented me with a challenge. Choose one day this weekend and for the entire day only use one forearm crutch. This is limited to when I am in my apartment only. If I am going out I can then use both of them. But no matter what I'm doing, if I am at home, I must limit myself to one crutch.

Challenge accepted! Of Course. I'm not going to say no without at least giving it a try.

I stayed home all afternoon and stuck to using one crutch from 9am right through until 9pm. There are a couple details from the day that stand out more than others, some downsides, some up, some funny. For the first couple hours of the day I found the whole exercise annoying. It does take more effort and concentration for me to walk with one crutch and even more so earlier in the day, when I find my balance isn't as great. There were moments when, for example, I'd be thirsty and think "do I really need a drink?" because I didn't really want to get up and walk. Anytime a thought like that crossed my mind I forced myself to get up. I made an effort to stick to my usually Saturday routine and not allow myself to choose not to do something because I didn't want to do it with just one crutch. As the day went on it began to feel more normal and less of a hassle.

There were no major incidents but I did run into a door frame early on in the day. When I only use one crutch I tend to lean a little more to the left (the side the crutch is on). I didn't take this into consideration as I walked into the washroom and hit my shoulder off the door frame. It only took one time for me to learn though. I was sure to give myself a little more room on that side from then on as I went through doorways.

Having to wear shoes all day was maybe the biggest downside to the challenge. But I wouldn't be able to walk around with one crutch all day without my modified shoes on. Besides just not loving having shoes on inside all day, it made getting comfortable and relaxing on the couch a little difficult. I also opened the fridge door into my foot several times that day because of the shoe. Usually there's enough room and the door would clear your foot but with a 2.5" lift, there's no swinging the door open over my right foot.

The turning point in the day came when I had lunch. Preparing my lunch was no different than usual. I often walk or hop around the kitchen with one or no crutches anyway. Freeing up both hands to carry ingredients, pots, pans, or what ever else I may need is really helpful. I just use the counter or table to help me move around the kitchen. It was carrying my meal back to the living room, where I always eat, that I noticed a big difference. Carrying the plate in my free hand was so much easier than trying to hold onto a plate with my finger tips while the majority of my hand is wrapped around a crutch handle. It's awkward and slows me down a great deal. Yes, I walk a little slower and have to concentrate a little more when I use one crutch compared to two but adding a plate or glass (one or the other but not both) doesn't really change the speed at which I can walk with one crutch like it does when I'm using two. For this reason I will say that carrying anything other than a bag is much easier to do with just the one crutch.

I did end up laughing at myself at one point during the day. Occasionally I will carry small things in my mouth rather than my hand, for example utensils. I was getting ready for the day and was about to do my hair. My comb and a clip I wanted were in my bedroom so I went to get them. I picked them up and put them in my mouth to carry. As I went to take my first step back towards the washroom, I shook my head and started laughing. I took them out of my mouth and carried them in my free hand.

All in all I would say it was a very successful challenge. If it wasn't for having to wear shoes the entire time, I would use just one crutch around my apartment more often. It has inspired me to look for a pair of shoes I can have modified that I can slip on and off more easily. Shoes that could be my indoor pair. Perhaps even those platform flip flops that were popular with teens for a while. Paired with a regular flip flop I'd be all set. So if anyone comes across them in a store, please let me know where I can get them.