Anyone need a little steadying while walking?

[ancient-one]

Up until about two years ago I had no problem, then my neuropathy got steadily worse as did my balance. On good days I don't need much assistance but they are getting less frequent. A cane is OK but I have something better and much more steady.
My wife had a stroke in 1996 but thankfully did not lose her ability to walk. She did lose her peripheral vision which resulted in falls especially when turning around. We first bought a four wheeled walker with the seat and basket. It took a lot of turning space and was heavy to fold up and put in the car. They work good for someone who needs them to support their weight, not just help them keep their balance. I saw a lady with a three wheeled walker(you see very few, for what reason I do not know) so I got on the internet and ordered one. They are called the Minnie Winnie and are available from eighty bucks up. It solved my wives problem. She never fell while using it.
I was smart enough(why I do not know} to keep both walkers when she passed away. I never use the four wheeler but the three wheeler is my companion. It has locking hand brakes, little assembly required, is easy to turn, is small,folds easy, has a removable cloth basket, will go in small spaces and through narrow doors. It also loads into the car with no problem. It could be turned over but you would have to work hard to do it.
If anyone of you or a family member needs one for balance while walking or standing, they are really worth the money. I got really good use of mine while standing in line to vote.
No, I don't work for Drive Medical. Just passing on some good info. Oh, I still go to the range. If I get tired standing I sit down and shoot. I have a really good grandson. He keeps my magazines loaded and my guns cleaned. He gets his turn at the range also.

 

[6518John]

I am so glad the three wheeled walker worked so well for both your wife and now you. Falls are no laughing matter and can happen to any of us, no matter our ages. I fell in my 20's while out jogging and was a 5 mile a day runner in excellent shape. A live-oak tree root had pushed up a side walk and the concrete caugh the toe of my running shoe and I was down in an instant and severely broke my wrist. Still hurts thinking about it today.

I am glad you are doing well.

 

[Firesticks]

I make walking sticks. Have sold a couple of the diamond willow ones. Mostly give them as gifts. I have been using one for awhile now. Left hip is worn to the point the left leg doesn't always do what I tell it to do and so to avoid anymore falls I often have one in hand. Always at night walking the dog! My favorite is made of black locust I was going to make a self bow from but can no longer bowhunt. Has an elk antler burr on top from a shed I found years ago bowhunting for elk. Black locust is some HARD tough stuff. Hope I don't get so bad as to need a wheeled walker but yah never know.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

After 3 knee surgeries I have mostly good days, but a few bad days. On a good day I can walk and be on my feet for a couple of hours at a time, with only moderate difficulties on stairs. On a bad day I have difficulty making it from the car to the supermarket, much less pushing a shopping cart through all the aisles to complete my shopping list. Some days everything seems to be going just fine, then I will shift my weight or step off a curb, and it is time to feel the pain again. I keep a cane in my truck all the time, just in case.

 

[KalamazooKid]

Good for you AO! Stay active is great advice!

 

[GKC]

I went through months of agonizing back pain after a fall...including extreme muscle spasms if I moved too quickly (which, at 67, is rather relative) or twisted rather than turning my whole body. The VA ordered me a 4 wheel walker, complete with brakes and a seat, but it's so big and cumbersome I can't get it in or out of the car. I use a cane regularly for balance.

My back is finally getting a bit better, but I'm still very unsteady on my feet. I'll continue using my cane rather than risk taking another fall...even a crack in the sidewalk trips me up!

 

[Nevada Ed]

A lot of younger people take walking and bending over as nothing special.

When you get old or need surgery to fix a problem, you learn that
the human body does have limits, when not in top shape.

We all try to learn how to get it back and use new ways and methods to he our sox on
or take a shower without having to stand up, if a major surgery
or body failure getting repaired and healed.

Many of us are going through this or if lucky, have healed enough
to where they have gone from a bed, to a wheelchair, to a walker, to a cane to even getting back to 90% of where we were.

Keep up the good work and Exercise............... if possible.
Even if just a walk around the block.

 

[mr-mom]

I feel your pain and concerns. I've been dealing with neuropathy in my legs and feet since a bout with cancer damaged some of the nerves in my lower back ten years ago. The main problem for me over the past ten years has been decreasing ability to balance correctly. I've been able to walk without aid until this past spring. The balance issue has been aggravated by a loss of strength in my legs, so I now use a cane for assistance whenever I need to walk long distances or over rough terrain. Physical therapy has not helped much and I can envision the day when I may need some type of walker. Thanks for the tip. I'm going to look into it. I hope you can continue to motivate as needed.
Dave
SWCA #2778

 

[Texas Star]

I know more than I wish about this. I have peripheral neuropathy, and use a cane. The VA got me a walker, but I don't need it yet, thank God. It's too awkward to get around on.

One hassle is not being able to use escalators or stairs well, and having to find a ramp to get up, to avoid stairs.

If it makes anyone here feel better, I saw Bill Ruger in his later years using sticks (one in each hand), at the SHOT show. If that can happen to a man of his stature, it can hit us mere mortals, too.

One of my oldest friends, a writer whose byline many of you would know, had a bad fall in January, and was in a wheelchair, and is now in a walker. I'm trying to encourage him. A walker beats a chair. A nurse warned me that if you get settled in a wheelchair, you'll never get out of one.

That said, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is in a chair, and is one of the best governors we've had, a worthy successor to Rick Perry. Under their lead, we now can carry in cars without a license and can carry about any knife. Used to be, it had to have a max. blade length of 5.5 inches.

Elmer Keith once told me, "Jim, it's hell to get old." He was right, I've found. But I suppose that aging beats the alternative...

 

[italiansport]

I use an AB roller every day and I have for quite some time. Doing so has virtually eliminated back problems and improved my ability to stand and walk as well. I'd highly recommend this since it's low impact and you can start out slow with only a few reps and build up!
Jim

 

[rettxpo]

I had back surgery

I noticed that my walking (gait) was becoming very erratic and my balance was becoming very unsteady. I even sold my Harley last year due to my balance problem. I had begun using a cane and walker to get around. My doctor even suggested I obtain a handicap placard for my truck.

Late last year I was diagnosed with a rare spinal disorder that was relegated mainly to people of Japanese descent (my mother is full Japanese). The first neurosurgeon I went to gave me a 10% chance of becoming a paraplegic after the surgery, He even stated he had never seen my condition before. He had read about it in medical journals but had never encountered someone with my condition, I went for a second opinion at Houston Methodist Hospital and met with a neurosurgeon who specialized in back surgery (my wife found him for me). I was fortunate enough to have surgery in late May to relieve the pressure from my spinal cord and was released from the hospital 2 days later. The doctor said that everything that could go right went right anf my recovery was amazing.

I'm currently going through physical therapy (PT) and have regained my balance though my gait isn't nearly as bad as it was.

I've ditched the cane and walker and can walk again without the fear of falling. No more cane for me (at least for a few more years).

 

[Frank46]

My main concern was either taking a shower and falling or bath where I could not get out of the tub without assistance. 70+ years old. We searched for one of those walkin tubs/showerstalls. Found one we liked and the whole installation took a day and a half. That included breaking up and humping out of the house the old cast iron tub. Bubble jets on your legs as well as a double stream of water on your back. My wife says it was the best money we ever spent. Haven't had any problems with anything. Frank

 

[Fishslayer]

My second round of chemo + neulasta left me with peripheral neuropathy. Been tempted to look at the walkers with a built in seat. I can generally walk around okay but man, standing still can get painful. "Sitting" in a line would be much more pleasant.

 

[OLDSTER]

Great to hear your doing OK and can still enjoy some shooting ( a caring grandson to boot). At our age ( 71 here), things start to go wrong. My lower back has given me fits for years and gets worse with each passing year, so I too have to modify my hand gun shooting at the range; I cannot stand for very long, so I either sit at, or lean against the bench. Good luck sir.

 

[CajunBass]

Thanks for the heads up. I don't need a walker (yet) but my wife does. She has a couple, but hates to use them because they're hard to take into places like bathrooms and such. As a result, she manages with a cane, and holding onto me. I think I'll show her one of these, and see what she thinks.

 

[pj35745]

Emphysema and 3 ancient compression fractures came to life and almost killed me. Woke up at home after 4 days in the horsepistol.
Daughter got me the heavy 4 wheeler with the seat. Worked well getting out of the house and helped get my legs back.
Pain in the *** to fold up and load into the car. Way heavy for my limited strength and lungs.
Went to a thrift store and picked up an aluminum 2 wheels in front and 2 skids on the rear for $10!
The outriggers fold in onto the frame and loads up pronto, either behind the drivers seat or in the back/trunk.
If I burn the skids out, I can go get another one for another $10!

 

[crazyphil]

I make walking sticks. Have sold a couple of the diamond willow ones. Mostly give them as gifts. I have been using one for awhile now. Left hip is worn to the point the left leg doesn't always do what I tell it to do and so to avoid anymore falls I often have one in hand. Always at night walking the dog! My favorite is made of black locust I was going to make a self bow from but can no longer bowhunt. Has an elk antler burr on top from a shed I found years ago bowhunting for elk. Black locust is some HARD tough stuff. Hope I don't get so bad as to need a wheeled walker but yah never know.

Is there any rule of thumb about how long my walking stick
should be? Does it have anything to do with my height?
I'm 6'3" (Or I was once. Probably shrunk a bit)

 

[Targets Guy]

So far so good. But thanks for the info. I take good notes.

 

[Dave.357]

Old age sucks but I do not miss
working midnight shift.walk slower
and be careful.

 

[Robert L Wells]

Is there any rule of thumb about how long my walking stick
should be? Does it have anything to do with my height?
I'm 6'3" (Or I was once. Probably shrunk a bit)

I don't know the rule, but get an adjustable cane (they're not expensive) and find the right height for you. Then measure it from the handle to the floor. You'll be able to select other canes based on that. I'm 6'-0" and mine is 35".