 |
| Whatever my decision - Mobility aids need pimping up. Always. |
I've been trying my best to stay mobile, or partly mobile at least. I've been going to the pool and gym when I can -averaging only once a week so far unfortunately. It's painfully slow and annoying, but I have to accept that and pace. I like the treadmill, as I can walk while holding on to the sides. I don't like the increase in heart rate though (my resting heart rate ranges from 1110-130 due to suspected POTS). I increase the gradient so that my knees are being worked on (like with walking the pool). My knees are my biggest problem at the moment, and my doctor has said I should be working on this the most for the time being.
For a while now I have been contemplating picking up some more aids. The cane is only helpful for good, sometimes medium days. It's of no good to me when one of my knees is playing up and I need to elevate that leg, and doesn't help with practical things like carrying a handbag or when I'm really dizzy from low BP (POTS/ dysautonomia issues).
So I have two options...
One I've mentioned before, both in posts and on the Facebook page - Smart Crutches. These are basically trough crutches, meaning the part on the arm is like a trough shape. They give much more support to patients who have issues in their arms (like with that of EDS, as any of our joint can dislocate and partially dislocate). They're quite liked among the EDS community, so it was the first thing I thought of. They would be perfect for bad days, as rather than the wheelchair, I could still stay mobile (assuming I can walk to some degree) and have support on both sides of my body (instead of one, like with the cane). Also, if I injure my knee, I can use the crutches to hop.
