Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion Helpful Tips Canes KickAS!

Our snow is already a bad memory.

I think I'll surprise her with some pink bunny slippers soon.

Happy New Year.

whatever...


LOL. Of course there are some wonderful things about Ontario...it's just not the weather.

Happy New Year to you too.

Canes....can also be a fashion statement!

If I am going to have to use one, it might as well be fun. My favorite one that I use gets me more compliments than any other accessory I have.

It is wooden and after my husband got it cut to the right length, I sat with double sided permanent tape and taped one inch at a time wrapping that inch with a primary color embroidery thread. Every inch changes color and it is so bright and pretty and textured. I have another one that I just got that I am going to do in the bronzy shades and even put a tiny bit of metallic here and there.

Just use your imagination. There are so many ways of decorating your cane, walker or wheel chair. I also have a very nice plain one with silve handle for those very dressy times.

This also brings out your creativity which helps each of us.

Of course, I doubt if you guys want a cane that is bright with primary color stripes or one with bronze shades and metallic colors running through it but you can have fun shopping the really neat cane websites. If you Google Walking Canes, you will find more sites and different canes than you ever dreamed anyone could think up.

It helps me so much. I use it to help me keep from falling. A couple of weeks ago I didn't take it with me when we went for a short shopping trip and took out a table of pottery dishes in Dillard's. I literally cried. Not that I hurt but that I drew such a crowd. Funny now. Not then.

Blessings.
Possi

Possi, I'll pass on the pretty colours but you have given me some ideas for adding a little festive flair...then again, I probably won't do that either.

I have been thinking of getting a silver and black sort of classy number for those special occasions - my good ol' salt of the earth, wooden stick doesn't go so well with a suit...what would be cool is the walking stick from that old original black and white Werewolf movie with Lon Chaney. That was cool...black stick, silver head with a wolf and a pentagram.

My daughter got that evil Wii thing. At first, I loved it but now it is a dirty word to me. lol

Wii=PAIN

I'm sure I simply overdo it...like most things. Even when I employ the laziest, least calorie burning type of movements (I watch what my daughter and her friends do) I still wind up sweating and hobbling for the painkillers. It's brutal.

I sure hope you guys are smarter with it.

OK, I know I'm late to this great cane thread, but as the saying goes, better late than never!

ToP, as so often happens, I got a great laugh out of your post about fighting through crowds with your cane. So many people are just oblivious of the people around them as they charge through a crowded area. In fact, if I happen to be with my mom or dad when we run into a crowd, without even thinking they automatically become the fullback to my halfback, cutting a swath through the crowd and making sure nobody gets near me! If I'm on my own, I just try to stay out on the edge of the crowd if at all possible, and at all times I practice the walking equivalent of defensive driving. I automatically assume that every person there is going to run into me unless I do something to prevent it, and I always wait an extra beat if it looks like a gap is about to close or that someone is about to cut one direction or another. I also use my free arm to reach out and touch anyone who I know isn't aware of my presence and thus might bump into me. This is most necessary if I am walking past someone who is directly on my right or left with their back turned as they talk to someone else.; in other words, if they were to step backward, they would either step right into my right or left arm, or they would step right into my path. Some people apparently think that since they can't see what is going on behind them, there can't possibly be somebody behind them.

As for your dilemma about how to carry things, etc. when using the cane, that's always a doozy, no doubt about it. I must say, I've been using my cane for so long that I've become a master at thinking of different ways to carry objects in my free hand/arm. Carrying stuff really becomes an issue on days where I'm not feeling good--on those occasions, my goal is always to do as little walking as possible. Thus, if I find myself needing to carry multiple objects--say, bring in groceries, or, on a smaller scale, carry my lunch and drink from the kitchen to living room--my goal is always to make as few trips as possible. I've become very adept at carrying objects under my left arm (I use my right hand for my cane), which leaves my left hand free to carry something else, and I can also usually carry a small object in my right hand and still hold the cane firmly enough to use it while walking. I used to be able to not use the cane if I only had to walk a short distance, so I was able to cheat a bit if I had a lot to carry, but that stopped being an option several years ago. Now, the first priority is always to make sure I can hold onto the cane well enough to use it safely. In fact, no matter how creative I've become at carrying things, I should make it clear that I never overdo it and that anyone using a cane should always thing 'safety first,' especially if just getting used to using a cane.

Thinking specifically of the example you gave of trying to carry a briefcase and a cup of coffee while also using your cane, if you are able to carry your briefcase under your arm instead, that would leave your hand free to carry the coffee. I realize there's a good chance the case is either too heavy or too awkwardly large to carry that way, but if not, you should be able to pull it off. Even if that works, however, I can't imagine having to deal with the added stress of saluting over and over! That would really complicate things, especially if you must use the right hand and that's the hand you use to carry your cane--it's not like you have a choice and can just carry your cane in your left hand at all times! Glad to here that you won't have to worry about saluting too much longer!

Brad

In a post later in this thread, TiredofPain mentioned how using his cane had helped him when walking on ice or snow. While I'm glad to hear that his cane helped him feel more stable in that situation, I wanted to pass along a link to an attachment you can buy for a cane that will make it a million times better for use on ice and snow. I have had one of these on my cane for years, and I won't leave home without it once the snow flies here in Michigan.

In fact, I would even add a warning that quite often, using a cane on the ice is incredibly dangerous if you place any kind of weight at all on the cane--it is very easy for the cane to slide across the ice, which means that if you were placing weight on it, you are very likely going to fall because you will lurch forward when the cane slides. Unfortunately, I am speaking from painful personal experience here--well, in a way I am. My fall was caused by a spot of water on a vinyl floor, but it might as well have been ice, because the effect was the same. I was having a particularly bad day and was putting the cane in front of me and leaning on it with both hands when disaster struck. As I put the cane to the floor and leaned down on it, it landed on the water spot and immediately shot straight forward; with nearly all my weight coming down on the cane's handle (and with my fused spine leaving me very bent at the waist too), my body followed the cane's momentum and I stumbled forward. I almost caught myself on the counter to my left, but not quite. Before I could grab anything else, I was on the floor, dazed and bleeding from a seven-stitch cut to my forehead. Thankfully, I was alive, and I suffered no permanent damage, but things could have easily been much worse. Seeing as ice is even more slippery than a water spot, I think you can see how dangerous ice and snow can be for those of us who use a cane.

To avoid any dangerous slip and slide accidents, this easily removable attachment is just what you need. It is easy to put on or take off with just a screwdriver, and the ice pick portion of the attachment is hinged so you can simply flip it down when outside in the snow and flip it back up when you get inside and want to use the cane normally. I will say that, while it does only take one screwdriver to take the attachment on or off, it's not something you'll want to mess with every day, or even once a week. It is easiest to put the attachment on once winter arrives and then remove it when the snow is gone for the year. Or, you can do what I do and keep a "winter cane" and a "rest of the year cane"--a couple years ago, right after winter had begun, I decided to buy a new cane that had a softer handle than the one I was using. As I was getting ready to switch the attachment to my new cane, I realized that I could just leave it on the old cane and use that one whenever I had to go outside in the snow and ice. Sure, the handle wasn't as nice, but I wouldn't need it that often and could tolerate it. If you have the money to buy a second cane--and it can be a cheap one that isn't as nice as your regular cane--I recommend going that route because it is much easier.

Additionally, I should add that once you add the attachment, be aware that your cane will feel heavier at first and it will also 'swing' differently than you are used to. While the attachment is as light as they could make it, it is still heavy enough to change the balance of yoru cane and make the cane feel quite different in your hand. This is another very good reason to buy a second cane to designate as your 'winter cane,' as there's no reason to use the cane with the different 'feel' all winter when you're indoors or there is no snow on the ground. (And one final reason to go with two canes: if you carry around the winterized cane all winter as your only cane, which I did for one year before changing, it is a mortal lock that you are going to either scratch your leg or tear/damage your pants or socks with the pointed end of the attachment!)

All right, even I can't believe I needed that many words to just post a dang link; sorry about that folks. I guess I thought some of those ideas or warnings were important enought o pass along with the link, but maybe not. This link goes to a general shopping site, from which you can choose from several sites that sell the attachment:

Attachment for using your cane in ice and snow

Hope this helps even one person who lives in a winter "wonderland."

Brad

I saw a woman with some sort of crampon like thing on her cane and figured it would be pretty easy to get myself one. Fortunately, we've had our blast of ice and snow already for this year but I'll keep it in mind for next winter...should take me about that long to get around to it too.

Thanks for the good advice, hopefully I will use it before I have a nasty tumble.

One week to go...

By this time next week, I won't be worrying about my briefcase for awhile. I did notice that when I've stopped, I can hang things off the handle of my cane - this was a wonderful discovery. Unfortunately, it doesn't work when I'm on the move because the added weight of the bag or briefcase throws the balance off.
The saluting thing does suck! I only have a few days left so I'll put up with it. I briefly (no pun intended) considered fixing a cup-holder onto my briefcase or I could always leave the briefcase at home and bring a backpack? There are always other options.
Being so new to the whole AS thing, I am still able to "cheat" and walk a short distance without my cane. For me, if a dog were to run off with my cane, I wouldn't fall down. I simply feel more pain and get much more tired out when I don't have it with me.
Tomorrow I will take some of my gear back and it fits nicely into a large green duffle bag...barely. The dang thing is nearly as tall as me and probably weighs as much...how the heck am I going to manage this one? Oh well, "suck it up princess" are words that are haunting me right now...lol

what do you mean you've had your blast of ice and snow for the year?????

its mid january......we still have at least 2 months to go

sue