Yesterday, I wore the WalkAide in public for the first time. I went to Wal-Mart and the grocery store and attended an exercise class.
WAL-MART
I debuted my WalkAide at Wally World, where I went to buy shorts. I decided that while I was out, I would pick up some cat litter, which I knew Jem, my Maine coon cat, would appreciate.
As some of you may know, I live in the deep South,where almost everyone lives in shorts all summer. I hadn’t worn shorts in public for years, because I was self-conscious about my brace. So I was excited about wearing shorts again.
Leaving the house, I wore the WalkAide under a pair of jeans, where it bulged as if I had cauliflower knee. Using my cane for balance, I ambled inside the store and grabbed a shopping cart (or buggy, as we say in the South).
With six pairs of shorts in my buggy, I entered a fitting room. But trying them on wasn’t as easy as I had thought it would be. My right ankle and leg muscles felt weak after I removed the device. My foot and leg didn’t want to cooperate as tried on the shorts, but I select three denim pairs — dark blue, faded blue and white — to meet my summer wardrobe needs. On the way to the check-out counter, I grabbed a jumbo jug of cat litter and left the store feeling tired, but happy, that I hadn’t fallen or otherwise embarrassed myself.
EXERCISE CLASS AND THE GROCERY STORE
I drove across town and attended an aquatics exercise class for people who have been diagnosed with MS. I removed the WalkAide and got in the cool indoor swimming pool for the 60-minute class. I appreciated the positive feedback about my gait and walking speed that I received from classmates and the instructor. After class, when I put the device back on and walked to the locker room to change clothes, my leg felt fatigued, and changing back into my street clothes took a little longer than usual.
Getting my second wind, I drove to the grocery store and snagged the second shopping cart (buggy) of the day. I walked comfortably up and down the aisles and picked out the groceries I needed for the week.
As I loaded the car, I finally felt like I was getting the hang of wearing the WalkAide in public. The visit to the store didn’t take any longer than usual, and I didn’t notice any additional fatigue. Victory was mine! I had made it through my first full day using the WalkAide.
When I got home, I noticed some stiffness in my right ankle, and I realized I wasn’t used to walking so much without the brace, which had affected my ankle’s flexibility and range of motion. I put away the groceries, and Jem practically jumped for joy when he saw the cat liter.
PLEASE SEND ME YOUR COMMENTS
Please send me your comments about this post. Have you tried a WalkAide or other similar device? What kind of results did you have? Are you still using it? Do you have any advice or suggestions?
That is wonderful news!!
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Keep going – will take some time, and time is know to fly by! Routing for you!
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That is promising news Jane. I have a good feeling about this device.
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Hi Jane!
I am SO happy for your success with the Walk-Aide. AND with your success at finding the shorts. This is excellent news! Your description of the use of the device will be so useful to others who may need encouragement.
Maybe Walk-Aide will use you in their ads — a new career field for you.
Love,
jan
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Thanks, Jan. I always appreciate your support and comments.
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Ya-a-a-a-ay!
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Thanks for the support, Dale, but it’s early days yet. I hope you’ll keep reading my posts and commenting on them!
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Hey, you go girl! Hope this works for you.
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Thanks, Mary Eloise. I’m dancing as fast as I can.
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I appreciate your sharing your journey with this device with all of us. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it will prove helpful to you in the long run.
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Thanks, Nancy!
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are you walking barefoot? i think this will help!
congrats!
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Yes, I can walk barefoot with it.
So far, so good. See you Monday.
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Hi I love this article, I have an appt this week for the walkaide. I have MS and have left foot drop. I am looking forward to,seeing if this will help me. I am a little puzzled when I read the FAQs that you can not drive with it on. Do,you have any info,about that? Thanks!
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Hi Cathi,
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I’m glad you liked my article. About your question, it seems logical to me that you wouldn’t want to use the WalkAide while driving because it could make your foot move and press on a pedal when you didn’t intend for that to happen. That would cause a safety hazard while driving. But don’t take my word for it. Please ask about it during your appointment.
I hope to be posting more about the WalkAide next week. I will be trying it out again and deciding if I want to buy it.
Best of luck with the WalkAide. I hope it works well for you.
– -Jane
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If you’ll send me something you have written that would fit well with the content on my blog, I would be happy to consider posting it. Thanks for your interest in my blog!
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