|
Hi everyone,
this message is to anyone who wants to keep wearing tie shoes after a
transplant.
I read that Nancy/Va was bending over to tie shoes and thought it was OK.
that was one of the questions I asked of the surgical nurse who
booked my surgery (7/15/04)
she said "can you cross your legs?" I said yes,
"well then you can tie your shoes without bending".
I put on the shoes first from a sitting position by opening them really
wide
or sometimes you can step into your shoes from a standing
position and then do this process.
Sit in a chair and put one leg across your knee and tie your shoes.
You will probably tie them from the side, yet you are not bending and
putting any pressure on your new T.
I still tie my shoes this way as my head has been hurting after the fall
and had to figure out ways to keep from bending
and getting my head below my waist which is a NO NO.
I also borrowed a "grabber," found in Wal mart and possibly Target
which gave me a lot of help in the kitchen, dropping a towel, I could
pick it up with the "grabber".
It actually helped me everywhere in every room.
Important NOT to get your eyes below your waist. No bending below the
waist!!
I remember two weeks after my T, my daughter had gone home
and I was now alone and I took a container out of the refrigerator
and no depth perception I missed the counter and poured
applesauce all over the floor and the cupboard.
I cleaned it all up without ever bending.
What i did was take the grabber and hold a wet, clean sponge in the
grabber
and cleaned the cupboard, many times, rinsing the sponge and cleaning
the same way,
then I took a small towel and cleaned the remainder of the cupboards
all with the grabber,
then I took the same towel, rinsed and now in some cleaner and mopped
the floor
using my foot on top of the towel and mopped the floor.
it worked and i did it all from a standing position.
Try doing some of the things you normally would do by bending over
from a standing position.
You can also bend from the waist and keep your head high,
Yet i can't do this as I have arthritis in my knees and I would fall over
I also about a month before surgery, I took canned goods out of
cupboards, dishes, pots
and pans and put them all up at eye level. I moved clothes to
drawers that were at eye level from dressers in my bedroom.
I did the same with things in the bathroom too.
Imagine even if you don't live alone,
that you live alone and now have to be very restrictive during this time
after the transplant.
I did not even bend my head down to take my clothes out of the dryer,
I got a neighbor to help.
I finally about 2 months after the T asked my doctor and he said I could
now bend to take clothes
out of the dryer, and just be careful, no sudden moves.
I also have to wear the shield every night over T eye, and that will be
that way for a year.
Try these tips, they worked for me.
Karen L. CA
Jan H/SC Post-T Tips
HI All, as a note about not bending over... I had to have a hip replacement because of arthritis. One of the precautions after that surgery also is the no bending past 90 degrees. The occupational therapist, that helped me adjust, had the grabber and two other pieces of equipment to help. One is a "sock helper" that glides the sock over my heel and then up my leg and the other is a long handled shoe horn. Both of these are life savers and make dressing an independent activity. Also, if you don't have enough "bend" to get your legs crossed to tie shoes, try the coiley elastic shoe laces. They usually come in the kids department in wild and wacky colors, so they are attention getters... They are great and can be used with any lace up shoe, then the elastic of the coil keeps the shoe tight... Just some other help.
Jan H/sc
Links to some of the tools referred to by Jan H
(Links provided by Jan):
sock and stocking helper
Grabber link
long handled shoe horn
curly shoe laces
|
