I was able to get my own coffee, cook my own lunch and carry it all to the chair where I'm writing this blog. Thank you joely1957 for letting me try it out before I bought it.
Although I stayed inside most of today (it was almost 30C/86F), I took a little walk in the neighborhood after I dropped off the kids at school and then again to pick them up at the end of the day. Not very far mind you. I'm still getting used to walking with this wonderful device.
I got many interesting glances from passers-by and engaged in a few conversations about it, and my ruptured Achilles.
Later, I even made some meat sauce (see pic at left) and got water ready for tortellini when my love came home. I actually carried a large pot of hot water from the sink to the stove without spilling a drop! There was no way I could do that with crutches!After dinner with the family, we did some groceries. I insisted that I walk behind a shopping cart instead of using their lovely motorized scooter thing. You know, the one with the little basket in the front. Although my kids and wife wanted me to use it, there was no way I was going to jam myself into that wide-load vinyl seat, grab those tiny handlebars and honk that anemic horn as I put-put through the isles. I'm sure the kids wanted me to use it so they could take a ride too.
Instead, I confidently WALKED through the isles and shopped like everyone else.
One funny side-effect of wearing it is that if I'm walking toward someone, it must seem to them that I don't have a leg below my knee and that I'm wearing some weird pirate leg!
Their facial expression and eye movement is very interesting; first they look at me, then they look at my 'missing' leg, their faces drop, then try to avoid me at all costs. I'm sure this is the sort of reaction that some of us have with real amputees.
Once they pass me and realize that my lower leg is still there, it's almost as if they breath a sigh of relief. Very strange.
Anyway, for those of you that are debating whether to get one vs. torture devices aka crutches, there are a few tips and testimonials from the iWALKFree website.
Note: I don't make any money from or have any affiliation with this company other than owning one of their great products.
Here is a sample of the instructions:
Wearing iWALKFree:
1. place knee of affected leg on tray; fasten tray strap to a snug, comfortable fit
2. fasten lower strap to a snug, comfortable fit around leg just above knee
3. fasten upper strap to a snug, comfortable fit around leg just below groin
Walking with iWALKFree:
1. use either a handrail or parallel bars while becoming accustomed to the device
2. maintain a wide stance with legs apart while walking
3. maintain an erect posture and watch where you are going
It's funny that they have to remind the wearer to "place knee of affected leg on tray". One wonders if users have called them and complained that the thing doesn't work, only to find out that they have the wrong leg strapped in!
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7 comments:
Well Mr.Crespi, i have to admit that when my lovely sister left me the message on Friday morning had had to giggle and think "Oh no my poor sister is going to Blow!"I am so glad to see you up and moving around and doing the best that you can to make the most of this unbelieveable episode. When i showed Olivia the pictures of you she said"Mommy who hurt Uncle John?" and I said" Olivia no one hurt Uncle John he did this all by himself!" with a little bit of a smile. Hope you are feeling okay and we will be by for a visit soon. By and take care for now! Kim
wow -- that contraption looks very cool... glad you are liking it and are mobile now :)
John,
It's been good to read your blog online about your Achilles Tendon recovery. I, too, recently underwent surgery for a ruptured AT. Like you, I bought a iwalkfree crutch off of eBay (you got a better deal than I did). I've enjoyed it but am having problems with the top of my knee cast causing pain where it contacts my upper shin. Your picture shows you having a washcloth at the front of the ledge. Did you do anything else to relieve that discomfort?
Thanks!
Vic
Hey Vic,
I'm glad to hear someone is reading this!
There was nothing else I could do to alleviate the pain of the fibercast touching my shin. That was the most irritating thing about using the iWalkFree. I put a folded washcloth under my knee to lift it a bit. I tried something thicker but then my knee lifted too much while walking.
Once I got out of the fibercast and into the walking boot, the shin pain pretty much went away since the boot had foam padding and a thin plastic cover.
Where are you in your recovery?
I bought a used one here in the UK when I broke my ankle and the foam had been cut into segments so someone with a cast could revove the "lower" section(s). The instructions talk about adding foam under the knee but I think subtracting it below the cast would be better. I didn't have a cast because the French surgeons who put a plate in didn't put one one and the UK doctors respected that. Lovely device - I liked it so much that I have become the UK distributor and the Authorised Representative for the EU. I sell via www.peglegs.co.uk
My son 16 will be in a cast after they remove his stitches next week, do you think I should ask for "extra shin padding" if there is a thing, if he is going to walk in a I walk free device? I would think that might be helpful, he has a screw in his foot from a lisfranc sprian foot surgery and will be nwb for 3 months then remove screw and be nwb for a time after, so glad I researched, waiting to get approval from the Dr.
SAlly
Hello Sally,
I don't think the product has the option for extra shin padding. Though you may still want to ask the distributor/manufacturer.
If he's in a fibercast, I would recommend putting something under his knee to raise it a bit. That's about all you can do to alleviate the pressure on the shin at the top of the cast.
Let me know how he makes out. BTW, where did you get your iWalkFree?
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