# I walked a mile!



## annedonnelly (11 Feb 2022)

Ten days ago the consultant gave me the go ahead to put weight on my injured leg and last Friday I traded in my Zimmer for a pair of crutches and got a lesson on managing flights of stairs.

Since the beginning of the week I've been able to get upstairs and sleep in my own bed! I've been able to cancel my daily carers. 

I've also been taking slow walks along the street when the weather has been good trying to build up my muscles again. I went a bit further today as it was bright and sunny. I've just mapped out my walk online and it was just over a mile! It's no distance at all and it took me ages but compared to this time last week it's amazing


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## classic33 (11 Feb 2022)

annedonnelly said:


> Ten days ago the consultant gave me the go ahead to put weight on my injured leg and last Friday I traded in my Zimmer for a pair of crutches and got a lesson on managing flights of stairs.
> 
> Since the beginning of the week I've been able to get upstairs and sleep in my own bed! I've been able to cancel my daily carers.
> 
> I've also been taking slow walks along the street when the weather has been good trying to build up my muscles again. I went a bit further today as it was bright and sunny. I've just mapped out my walk online and it was just over a mile! It's no distance at all and it took me ages but compared to this time last week it's amazing


Did you time it?


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## ebikeerwidnes (11 Feb 2022)

Well done

slow and steady - but a mile is a great start


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## ianrauk (11 Feb 2022)

Well done you


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## alicat (11 Feb 2022)

Woo hoo! A mile sounds amazing in the circumstances!


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## tyred (11 Feb 2022)

Excellent. Well done. It's a great feeling to start getting mobile again.


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## cyberknight (11 Feb 2022)




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## biggs682 (11 Feb 2022)

Well done @annedonnelly keep going


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## KnittyNorah (11 Feb 2022)

Many people who 'appear' to be in full health are unable to walk a mile ... or at least claim to be unable to walk a mile.
So you are already fitter than they are, despite being only a relatively short way through your healing process - well done you!


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## midlife (11 Feb 2022)

Well done  are these crutches that go under your armpits?


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## DCLane (11 Feb 2022)

Well done. Onwards and forwards.


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## yello (11 Feb 2022)

You must be feeling so pleased and independent, I'm really happy for you. Keep on, bit at a time. Nothing like a light and a bit of progress towards it to feel empowered again!


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## vickster (11 Feb 2022)

midlife said:


> Well done  are these crutches that go under your armpits?


Not usually in the U.K. where elbow crutches are used

Great stuff @annedonnelly


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## Dayvo (11 Feb 2022)

One small step is a giant step for the Donnelly kind.

Well done! 🙂👏🌞


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## annedonnelly (12 Feb 2022)

midlife said:


> Well done  are these crutches that go under your armpits?


No, elbows as @vickster says. And the physio says I should be throwing them away soon.


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## annedonnelly (12 Feb 2022)

I


classic33 said:


> Did you time it?


I was horrified to see I'd been out for about an hour!!


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## steveindenmark (12 Feb 2022)

Just take it steady Tiger. It is awful when you re-injure an injury and it sets you back. But lets hope the weather warms up soon so you can enjoy your recouperation.


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## tyred (12 Feb 2022)

annedonnelly said:


> I
> 
> I was horrified to see I'd been out for about an hour!!


Walking on crutches is considerably more difficult than without. I genuinely never realised how much effort it takes until I had to do it myself. 

I came back soaked in sweat after all my early efforts at going for a walk.


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## Cycleops (12 Feb 2022)

Well done and here's a tribute from the King:


View: https://youtu.be/GbnG1FmMnNU


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## CanucksTraveller (12 Feb 2022)

Good to hear you're on the road to recovery Anne!


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## midlife (12 Feb 2022)

vickster said:


> Not usually in the U.K. where elbow crutches are used
> 
> Great stuff @annedonnelly



Hospital consultant colleague jumped off a train awkwardly and did left tib and fib spiral fracture. She was given armpit type crutches and ended up with nerve issues from compression of the axilla.


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## vickster (12 Feb 2022)

Lots of leg injuries and surgeries, only ever used/been given elbow crutches.
The Americans seem to favour the armpit variety for some reason


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## KnittyNorah (12 Feb 2022)

midlife said:


> Hospital consultant colleague jumped off a train awkwardly and did left tib and fib spiral fracture. She was given armpit type crutches and ended up with nerve issues from compression of the axilla.


Not seen armpit crutches for - literally - _years_ before I retired.


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## midlife (12 Feb 2022)

KnittyNorah said:


> Not seen armpit crutches for - literally - _years_ before I retired.



Been sitting having coffee in our hospital foyer for the last 20 years and still see people wandering to and from the orthopods on armpit crutches. I guess it's for completely non-weight bearing situations.


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## Chislenko (12 Feb 2022)

Hopefully you got it onto Strava 😉


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## vickster (12 Feb 2022)

midlife said:


> Been sitting having coffee in our hospital foyer for the last 20 years and still see people wandering to and from the orthopods on armpit crutches. I guess it's for completely non-weight bearing situations.


I used elbow crutches when nwb after ankle surgery.
So maybe they’re favoured by your hospital for some reason?!


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## KnittyNorah (12 Feb 2022)

midlife said:


> Been sitting having coffee in our hospital foyer for the last 20 years and still see people wandering to and from the orthopods on armpit crutches. I guess it's for completely non-weight bearing situations.



Interesting. 

As far as weightbearing goes, I understand that - probably up to a generation or two ago - forearm crutches were not (initially) designed to take one's full body weight. However, forearm crutches capable of taking full body weight have been manufactured for decades now.

I find it intriguing that the only country which still favours the armpit/axillary crutch over the forearm/elbow type is the US - everywhere else in the developed world, the forearm crutch is generally preferred, for a range of reasons.

The only real advantage of the axillary crutch over the forearm crutch would seem to be that an axillary crutch requires less upper body strength than a forearm crutch; on all other counts - correct posture, correct gait, energy expenditure, safety and ease of use on stairs, physical bulk, side-effects of incorrect usage (almost inevitable with axillary crutches) and probably other things too - the forearm/elbow crutch wins out. 

Obviously if a patient has arm/elbow/hand issues/injuries, more thought will be needed, and personal preference/previous experience of the patient will also play a part.


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## Fat Lars (12 Feb 2022)

I must be missing something. I had 3 x knee operations in the early 70's and was issued with underarm crutches. I never walked with them with the body resting by the armpit. You couldn't. It was done with the arms straight. The underarm bit was for when you stopped and wanted a rest. I made the mistake of walking a long distance with them and devloped horrendous blisters on my hands.


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## KnittyNorah (12 Feb 2022)

Fat Lars said:


> I must be missing something. I had 3 x knee operations in the early 70's and was issued with underarm crutches. I never walked with them with the body resting by the armpit. You couldn't. It was done with the arms straight. The underarm bit was for when you stopped and wanted a rest. I made the mistake of walking a long distance with them and devloped horrendous blisters on my hands.


Yes, they were still widely used in the 1970s; I had them for a short time after a knee injury in 1972. You clearly had yours correctly fitted, were taught how to use them correctly, and did so. 
However even with otherwise-correct use and using the padded armpit bits for resting _only_ could, did - and still does - result in nerve damage for many people.


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## Reynard (12 Feb 2022)

Well done! 

As long as you don't take advice from The Proclaimers, you'll be fine...


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## annedonnelly (12 Feb 2022)

KnittyNorah said:


> Obviously if a patient has arm/elbow/hand issues/injuries, more thought will be needed, and personal preference/previous experience of the patient will also play a part.


I think this is why I was sent home with a Zimmer frame rather than crutches - in the hope that my collar bone would heal. But I'd have never got upstairs with the frame.


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## Once a Wheeler (12 Feb 2022)

Brilliant, well done! Whenever the walking gets really tough (usually steep mountains or deep snow in my case) the chorus of this song starts to go incessantly through my mind and it helps beyond any reasonable expectation. If you do not already know it, learn the chorus and you will probably not be able to stop it coming to mind. Warning! It is a grade-A ear worm, once learnt it will be there for the rest of your life. Best wishes, and ever onward…


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## annedonnelly (13 Feb 2022)

I've read that the universe is expanding but I don't think I've ever noticed it before. But since November the distance from my front door to the shop has definitely got longer. How amazing is that!!


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## tyred (13 Feb 2022)

What I found is that as you increase weight bearing it becomes easier. I now walk a reasonable distance most days but my speed is low. It now takes me about 75 or 80 minutes to do my 3 mile route on one crutch. 

I am hopeful of being able to bin the crutch this week. I'll see what the physio says on Tuesday.


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## annedonnelly (13 Feb 2022)

tyred said:


> I am hopeful of being able to bin the crutch this week. I'll see what the physio says on Tuesday.


That sounds good. The physio told me I should just be using one outside (none in the house) but I'm a bit cautious when the weather is windy. I don't like windy days at the best of times.


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## Ming the Merciless (13 Feb 2022)

Well done, the road to recovery begins with the first step


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## tyred (13 Feb 2022)

annedonnelly said:


> That sounds good. The physio told me I should just be using one outside (none in the house) but I'm a bit cautious when the weather is windy. I don't like windy days at the best of times.


I find using just one crutch gives me a sore shoulder after a bit. I found it easier to use two but realise it is another step along the road to recovery to go down to one. 

Crutches on a windy day can sound like pan pipes if the wind blows in the adjustment holes


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## BoldonLad (13 Feb 2022)

annedonnelly said:


> Ten days ago the consultant gave me the go ahead to put weight on my injured leg and last Friday I traded in my Zimmer for a pair of crutches and got a lesson on managing flights of stairs.
> 
> Since the beginning of the week I've been able to get upstairs and sleep in my own bed! I've been able to cancel my daily carers.
> 
> I've also been taking slow walks along the street when the weather has been good trying to build up my muscles again. I went a bit further today as it was bright and sunny. I've just mapped out my walk online and it was just over a mile! It's no distance at all and it took me ages but compared to this time last week it's amazing



Excellent news! Well done you!


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## kayakerles (13 Feb 2022)

Wow, you have been determined and carefully putting in effort and are now starting to earn your rewards for it, Anne. Before too long you will be back to walking a mile or 2 and realize it didn’t even take ANY effort, then seeing even more hope in the return to riding. I hope your parakeets sang you a special sweet song to celebrate your progress! Benny raised his head to say, “*Good job and continued successful progress!*”


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## DCLane (13 Feb 2022)

annedonnelly said:


> I've read that the universe is expanding but I don't think I've ever noticed it before. But since November the distance from my front door to the shop has definitely got longer. How amazing is that!!



Being on crutches for three months post-operation I found that the so-called 'Disabled' facilities were pretty awful in most places. Getting doors open on crutches and getting across smooth surfaces when raining was almost impossible; i.e. I could get into my university's underground car park, up the lift and out but not the 10 feet across tiled surface that was open to the elements if it was wet, and the 'disabled' double doors weren't self-opening so I had to wait for someone to open them for me, etc.

And yes, it seemed much further to anywhere than before.


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## postman (14 Feb 2022)

Now dont go silly like i did.Listen to what is being said to you.I was told walk five miles a day for two weeks.By the second Thursday i was just outside of Sheffield,so listen carefully to advice.


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## Ian H (14 Feb 2022)

annedonnelly said:


> No, elbows as @vickster says. And the physio says I should be throwing them away soon.


I think pirates still use the armpit variety.
Well done. As others have said, don't overdo it.
My friend with a similar kind of break sent a video of her first attempt on the turbo. It looked and sounded excruciating.


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## classic33 (27 Feb 2022)

Any advance on the mile or your time for the mile, @annedonnelly?


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## annedonnelly (28 Feb 2022)

Two and a half miles yesterday @classic33 My friends have a plant nursery in the town so my next target is to be able to visit that.

Getting faster too


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## tyred (28 Feb 2022)

Well done 

It's always good to feel progress.


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## mustang1 (28 Feb 2022)

classic33 said:


> Did you time it?


Yeah! And is it in Strava?

Kidding aside, nice one!


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## Ming the Merciless (28 Feb 2022)

Reynard said:


> Well done!
> 
> As long as you don't take advice from The Proclaimers, you'll be fine...



Oh I don’t know they have some good advice mixed in

”
I'm on my way from misery to happiness today
I'm on my way from misery to happiness today
”


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## classic33 (28 Feb 2022)

annedonnelly said:


> Two and a half miles yesterday @classic33 My friends have a plant nursery in the town so my next target is to be able to visit that.
> 
> Getting faster too


Good to hear. 
You'll get there, slow and steady.


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## annedonnelly (28 Feb 2022)

tyred said:


> Well done
> 
> It's always good to feel progress.


And how are you doing @tyred ? Hope you're making progress too.


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## cyberknight (28 Feb 2022)

sounds like you have really improved well done


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## tyred (28 Feb 2022)

annedonnelly said:


> And how are you doing @tyred ? Hope you're making progress too.


I'm getting there thanks. I can walk pretty well now on one crutch. My three mile evening walk takes about an hour and ten minutes now instead of the two hours it took when I first started doing it. I can walk around the house and short distances without a crutch, just with a bit of a limp. No real pain, just still a bit of stiffness and my ankle is still slightly swollen.

I can also use the turbo trainer without issue for as long as my boredom threshold allows and I hope to be given the go-ahead to ride on the road. My physio appointment last week was cancelled because the physio had Covid so I am waiting for a new appointment date. I will have an appointment with the Orthopaedic people at the hospital on 7/3 and I hope they will discharge me.


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## Reynard (28 Feb 2022)

Onwards and upwards for both @annedonnelly and @tyred


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## Reynard (28 Feb 2022)

Ming the Merciless said:


> Oh I don’t know they have some good advice mixed in
> 
> ”
> I'm on my way from misery to happiness today
> ...



And is the sun shining on Leith?


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## Ming the Merciless (28 Feb 2022)

Reynard said:


> And is the sun shining on Leith?




You saw it, You claimed it
You touched it, You saved it


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## Reynard (28 Feb 2022)

Ming the Merciless said:


> You saw it, You claimed it
> You touched it, You saved it



o/~ and while I'm worth my room on this earth, I will be with you... o/~


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