Mobility aids - crutches?

[Rosemary]

Karyn & Calluna

I have tried to find a picture of Dad's walking stick - no luck so far.

It wasn't a tripod base like your picture Calluna - sorry my description of the base was misleading -It was grey, adjustable. straight, had a good sized single wider rubber ferrule (now i know the word ), thicker than a normal stick with an ergonomic handle.

He had it on trial to begin with but kept it,

Karyn this cane was supplied by our NHS here - i don't know if mobility shops would have anything similar.

I find language difference interesting and a bit of fun sometimes.

Rosemary x

[calluna]

Ah, I think I know the sort of thing - standard NHS issue. Like this - the handles vary a bit. They are good solid things, the actual stick part is about as thick as a crutch would be. My wooden one is good and thick too. I have found the curved handle useful because you can hang it on things when you need to use your hands - on your arm, for instance. But the ergonomic handles are nicer in use. You do see people with slimmer sticks, that look rather nicer - those are not from the NHS, they've bought those for themselves.

And Helen, thankyou, that's really useful to know. I shall see how I get on with the standard elbow crutches. They are dead cheap, I have ordered a pair for £11.49 with free delivery. I had no idea, I thought they'd be much more expensive than that.

[Rosemary]

Thanks Calluna - that is a similar one.

yes the handle was annoying when not in use as you couldn't hook it easily on anything.

Dad could have bought his own stick - afraid it took the powers of the GP to get him to even consider using a better one.

Rosemary x

[Karyn]

I find language difference interesting and a bit of fun sometimes.

Agreed! I love the word you use in the UK for underwear: Knickers!!!!

[calluna]

Actually, we'd very probably say pants. Well we might perhaps say knickers. But pants is the more standard word. For men it would be underpants (which means briefs or boxers or trunks or Y-fronts), I have no idea why it is not underpants for women as well. But it isn't.

Underwear just means whatever you are wearing underneath your clothes - bra and pants, maybe a vest as well if it is cold, or thermal leggings or even a longsleeved thermal top. All that is underwear. So although pants/knickers are included in underwear, underwear does not just mean knickers. (Or pants.)

And talking about pants - that reminds me. Some years ago now, an aunt of mine (who was American) was talking to me about an event that I was planning to attend, she was interested in what I was thinking of wearing.

What she said was - try to imagine how just surprised I was to hear this very elderly, very elegant, and very sophisticated lady say such a thing - what she said actually was, "Are you going to wear pants?"

It definitely did take me a moment to realise that she was asking if I was going to wear trousers.

[Karyn]

What she said was - try to imagine how just surprised I was to hear this very elderly, very elegant, and very sophisticated lady say such a thing - what she said actually was, "Are you going to wear pants?"

!!!!!
Yes - we equate pants as slacks, or trousers over here. Mens undergarments are considered underwear. Ladies wear panties, or underpants.

[calluna]

The conversations that we have on here....!!

[Rosemary]

I love this lighthearted poem by Ogden Nash

Sure deck your lower limbs in pants
Yours are the limbs my sweeting
You look divine as you advance
Have you seen yourself retreating ?

Rosemary x

[Karyn]

Excellent, Rosemary!!!
So, now that we've had our fun and totally veered off track - thanks very much for your pain clarification, Calluna. I think it's fascinating that you experience this horrific pain when you put weight on your leg, but I have no idea why. I'm sorry!
Is this an issue you can discuss with the surgeon who did your mesh removal? There's got to be a reason for it ...
Hugs,
Karyn

[calluna]

I hadn't really analysed it until the other day, to be honest. When it starts to increase, I try very hard indeed not to think about it, that's part of how I manage.

What made me start to think about exactly what was hurting, and exactly when it started to hurt, and when it increased exactly - what prompted all this was having the mobility assessment the other day, for my appeal about the Blue Badge. (They have allowed me to appeal.) The OT whom I saw was very nice and she was very easy to talk to as well. However she had never heard of the pudendal nerve, which was a bit of a surprise. I mean - not having heard of PN is not exactly unusual, but not having heard of the nerve itself in the first place? - that gave me pause... She hadn't heard of oxycodone either. Anyway, she asked lots of questions, and I have learnt more about myself and the pain by answering them.

I'm seeing my GP on Thursday. I'll ask him about the mesh, and the pain getting a bit out of hand recently. I hope to start the new meds soon, but I foresee a bit of difficulty managing the pain whilst the doses are titrated up because I'll have to stop the current pain meds before I start the new ones.

There are no plans for me to see Mr Dixon again, he has discharged me. But I am seeing Dr Greenslade again in August.