RE: AFO's. . . To use or not to use???

[Guest guest]

RE: accepting use of AFO's

I too at age 40 yrs was apprehensive to use braces;

after all I could still walk. . sort of. . LOL I was

indignant first at the suggestion I might NEED braces

at age 40. I stayed fatigued was not very stable on my

feet actaully fighting to stay on them but I'd done it

so long I had no real clue how tough a task I was

inflicting on a daily basis; I did try the braces with

the chance of " refusing " if I didn't like them; What a

difference in my ability to stay off the walls, walk a

straight line and actually felt graceful for once in

my life. You don't know what you are missing until you

try from the other side. . . I'd never had " balanced "

muscles in my legs so I had no idea how easy it should

have been to walk. . . I struggled for that long and

no wonder I stayed tired and irritable!

But, when you were never " normal' you think everyone

must have this same struggle to walk, it must be hard

for everybody right? You don't have anything to

compare with if you've always been that way.

I DO itentify with fears of falling and concerns of

using aides to help; giving in was not the same though

as accepting. . . whether " normal' or not. . humans

have their limitations; why impose more limits than is

necessary just because your thinking needs to change

somewhat; we've viewed handicapped, disabled and

" crippled' people differently than society needs to be

re-educated about them. . .

it's time we all make them think and feel differently

about us than they once did;the way to start this

change is with ourselves. . we have to be come

comfortable with ourselves and our so called limits

and find ways to remove them or use tools to become

" more efficent " . I use my TOOLs to become ABLE not to

look disabled or crippled!

I DO use a manual wheelchair, a power chair and a

scooter at the shopping areas. I've used a cane, AFO's

(leg braces), forearm or candadian crutches,tried a

walker but those all hurt my hands too much for I have

NOthing left but skin and bone on my hands and it

stresses them and makes " stress cancers " on my hands

and feels like nails spiked into my hands when touched

or gripping. The pain in wrists, hands fingers etc. is

not worth struggling anymore. . . I look at my chairs,

and braces as TOOLS to keep be ABLE not to make me

" crippled " .

I had more limits on what I could do comfortably and

what I used my energy (now precious) for when I

refused to allow myself the use of " TOOLS " ; makes my

effort count and helps me last longer. . . for my kids

and hubby. If they want me to take off on an excersion

(to the mall or a hiking trail) I can now join in and

go if I use my aides, and actually enjoy it; rather

than stay home or drag around for inability to move on

my feet. Suffering for days afterwards because I was

too stubborn to use the " power tool " !

Wouldn't you think your hubby crazy if he used a

handsaw to cut a tree limb if he could use a chain

saw?

Why use his energy for something so trivial, just to

prove he's a " strong man " instead of being a " smarter

man " and using brain instead of brawn? LOL These tools

for disabilities is just that to help us become more

able or efficent in our energy use.

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" I THANK GOD FOR MY HANDICAPS, FOR, THROUGH THEM, I HAVE FOUND MYSELF, MY WORK,

AND MY GOD. " - Helen Keller

" A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to

you when you have forgotten the words. "

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Living w/CMT http://www.geocities.com/charcot_marie_tooth

" Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission. " -Eleanor Roosevelt-

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