This week, I went back to the doctor to get the pins out of my foot from my third foot surgery. I’ve had the pins in for 6 weeks and I was really, really, really tired of living with them.
The pin removal process is not terrible. This is the second time I’ve had pins removed. The first time, I was really nervous about the pin removal, but this time I knew what to expect. It wasn’t too bad.
My disappointment came when the doctor said I needed to wait another 2 weeks to walk. I was expecting to walk within a few days. I’m trying to be a patient, but it still feels like a setback.
For now, I have to go back to wear a big orthopedic boot on my foot and continue to use my scooter to get around. The good things are that I can take a shower without the cast cover and I can sleep without the splint.
Showering After Foot Surgery
After my foot surgery, I had a splint on my leg that came up to right below my knee. With the splint, I couldn’t get it wet and I couldn’t take it off. I also couldn’t stand or put any weight on the splint.
As you can image, trying to get a shower was lots of fun but I used a couple things that made it easier.
- Use a Waterproof Cast Cover – I have used this waterproof cast cover and it works really well. It is long enough that it would cover a full-length leg cast but I just wear it to right below my knee.
- Get a Shower Stool – I have this adjustable height shower stool and it’s been great. I’ve raised it to a height that will allow me to put my knee up on it for balance as I stand and shower. I fold a washcloth into quarters and put my knee on the cloth so that it’s softer.
- Pull your Knee Scooter Right On Up – I “park” my knee scooter right by the shower and use it to hang my towel. If your scooter is anything like mine, it can take a little water without hurting anything. Just towel it dry when you’re done.
Which Knee Scooter?
I have a KneeRover knee scooter that I bought from Amazon for about $100. I could have gotten one through my insurance, but the copay through insurance was much more than $100 so it didn’t make sense to go that route.
I just wanted to mention my experience if you’re in a similar situation. Be sure to do your homework and find out the cost of the knee scooters so that you can make the decision that’s best for you.
Do You Need a Basket?
Another tip about the knee scooter is that you can use a string bag on the front of your scooter in place of a basket. Having a bag or basket on the knee scooter is a huge benefit when you need both hands for steering.
If you get a string bag with a pocket on the front, it’s a great place to stick your phone or anything else you need to keep handy.
I think it’s a big plus to have either a basket or a bag on your knee scooter because you will always have things you to carry. Whenever you take a hand off the knee scooter, the risk of fall/wreck goes up dramatically.
How to Reduce Falls on Knee Scooter
Knee Scooters are a real fall risk when you’re non-weight bearing on your foot. I’ve fallen on my face several times. Here are some high-risk activites and some tips so that you won’t make the same mistakes.
- When You’re Standing Up From Sitting – Since you’re non-weight bearing, you’ll have to stand up using only one leg. Be cautious about how much weight you put on the handlebars of the scooter before you get your leg on the seat. The scooter tends to tip forward and you can easily lose your balance.
- When You’re Getting Out of the Car – You may find that you need someone to hold the knee scooter in place or lock the wheels while you’re getting up on it because the knee scooter tends to roll away when you put your knee on it.
- When Going Up Curbs or Single Steps – Going up onto a curb is so easy! It’s fairly easy and stable to lift the front wheels of the scooter and put it up on the curb then you can scoot forward and the scooter will come up on the curb with you.
- When Going Down Off a Curb or Single Step – I find it very difficult to get off a step or curb on my own and I prefer to have someone standing nearby to assist if I need it. When putting the scooter wheels down off the curb, I feel like I’m going to flip forward over the handlebars.
- When Scooting in Parking Lots That Have Tiny Rocks – Parking Lots are full of hazards in the form of tiny rocks. If your scooter wheel hits a rock, it’ll sometimes turn you sideways and try to throw you off. Be very careful and look out for rocks!
These are the main times when I’ve had spills or near-spills on my knee scooter. I should also mention that if you need to go up more than one step, you’ll need to use a traditional crutch or something else. And I’ll be honest, that’s not something I ever mastered!
Now it’s your turn – what are your experiences after foot surgery? Leave them in the comments so we can commiserate.