There's a cruel irony for folks like me who break a foot in the ordinary course of business (NOT in athletic pursuits). Someone clumsy enough to break his/her foot and is relegated to crutches is akin to asking a motorist to drive a race car at 200 mph. To be sure, I would probably have better success in a race car at 200 mph than I'm having with these crutches.
Normal schlepping around is no problem. I cannot go great distances, for I not have neither the arm nor right leg strength. Plus gravity is not kind to my left foot. But, I can get around. Over the weekend, I'm trying to find a more couth way of getting up and down the steps without skooching on my butt.
I think that I mentioned previously that my husband is an expert crutch walker having both broken his foot as well as blowing out either his ACL in his left knee. I came home from work one day to find my husband sitting on the front steps with a friend of his. He had crutches out (from the foot break). That's never a good sign!
My husband is a very proficient dirt bike rider. He's been riding since he was 14--at the time he was probably 45 or so. He was just messing around in the front yard and popped a small wheely. In planting his knee, though, he managed to hyperextend it. I took him to the hospital. He really screwed himself up.
I remember looking at his posterior side. The entire back of his leg, from buttock to heel, was nothing but a ribbon of bruise. The tear caused lots of bleeding. So he was on crutches, and his knee dialed into a specified degree in a knee brace. Ugly stuff. But experience that have made his instructions on going up and down steps informatinon from a trusted source.
While the front steps are easily managed on crutches, my attempt last evening to get up the interior steps (which are a bit higher and more of them) ended in defeat, and I ended up on my butt. It was not a gentle bump, as I am reminded this morning.
I did find a useful trick to managed my foot comfort in this boot that is the equivalent of a foot/leg insulated dive suit! I'm still having foot burning discomfort, but not nearly to the extent as before. A couple of days ago, I had the bright idea that if I placed my washed and dried foot in a microfiber cloth, it might act as a moisture wicker and create some air space between my foot and the boot. It has done both.
When I used to run (I was a modest runner, as I did not start until I was 40), I had a microfiber spa towel (a 20" x 12") that I kept in my waist pack. It was expensive as towels go. But it was lightweight and very absorbent. As you know, the key to not overheating too much is (1) not exercising when it is very high humidity/temp; (2) proper hydration; and (3) moisture management. Well, that microfiber towel (in addition to my performance wear) went a long way toward helping me get through my run.
While useful for sports, microfiber products were not readily available for household use. Over the last couple of years or so, they are both prevalent and affordable. I've bought them a Costco and BJ's. They are great for cleaning with water, cleaning products or used by themselves for dusting. Nothing dusts better than a microfiber cloth. Just toss in the washing machine when done. It's important not to use bleach on them or fabric softener. The bleach will eat them up and the fabric softener negates the static chart that allows them to capture dirt. The excellent cleaning results from the microfibers which stick to everything. It also means that it will pickup and grab stuff like leaf bits etc. if you are using these outside.
These cloths work for sensitive jobs too--like face washing. I sound like that guy on TV selling Kaboom! But the cloths are a great product. If you don't have any, consider adding these to your home supplies.
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