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Post by rowland on Dec 31, 2020 15:34:42 GMT
"How does it feel?" was the question the orthotist put to me when I went for a fitting in February. The caliper had been away to have an ischial ring fitted. He usually wants to see how it fits on my leg but this time I had worn it for a year or more before the ring was added. I have forgotten my reply but it was probably "Great!"
Nearly a year later I can be more precise:
It feels comfortable, reassuring, strong,- a pleasure to wear.
In particular the addition of the ring has made it into a seat which allows me to stand steadily.
Psychologically it fulfils the desire I have had since childhood to wear a "leg-iron".
I hope others will join me with their answers to the question "How does it feel?"
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Post by rowland on Dec 31, 2020 17:37:28 GMT
An afterthought: I also enjoy slight discomfort, enough to remind me I am wearing a leg-brace.
I must just add that the leg-brace makes me smile or laugh especially when I am putting it on.
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Post by castmenow on Dec 31, 2020 22:54:58 GMT
as you list both psychological and physical aspects I will answer both.
Psychologically, putting on my braces also fulfill's my childhood desire to wear them. When I put them on I feel happy and correct, they feel as though they belong. When I hear the spring loaded knee locks engaging for the first time I get a little bit of a rush. Having my mobility restricted is not an issue for me, it is something I look forward to experiencing again.
Physically, yes they cause a little discomfort but that is just part and parcel of wearing them as you point out. Other than that, I like the physical sensation of being embraced in all of the straps and needing to think a little bit more when moving around, especially things like trying to get stuff out of the lower kitchen cupboards. I could unlock my knees and do it, but the right thing is to keep knees locked, because that is what the braces are for.
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Post by poliowannabe on Dec 3, 2021 10:11:47 GMT
I just got a new pair of leather & steel Kafo's that came with a spinal pelvic waistband attachment. These braces were 'over all very restricting and since a few weeks ago..I am still getting used to wearing them.I had specially made shoes so that the lower section of my braces are very inflexible. The stirrups attached to my ortho-shoes have a special attachment that made it impossible to walk normally ..giving the impression when I am walking in public that my legs are really paralyzed .This went well until I discovered how dangerous it is to drive my car. I then detached my pelvic assembly in order to be able to drive with just my kafo's safely .I have experienced real paralysis a number of times while wearing my kafo's. I lock my braces then sit in a chair with the braces sticking off the chair ..then ½hr-40 minutes later both my legs are asleep..giving me about 5 minutes of really being paralyzed in kafo's .Some years earlier ..I was in hospital for a procedure that required a spinal injection around L2-l3 . I had total disability for several hours ..and the doctor allowed me to wear my kafo's..which gave me a chance to actually experience what it was like to be paralyzed while wearing kafo's .It was a amazing experience ..one I never will forget . It continues to inspire me today to continue locking my legs and hanging them off my chair almost everyday. Of course I struggle about why I like to do this since childhood..when I used to tie wooden planks on the back of my legs to experience what wearing kafo's was like .I can tell you folks..this is not something that goes away very easily as its connected to my sexuality . Wishing everyone a happy x-mas season and new year .Hope to go to London to vintage leg brace workshop..when Covid goes away .
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Post by jaylad on Dec 5, 2021 17:49:33 GMT
Firstly it is really good to see something on the forum that is relevant to our interests, so many thanks to Rowland for starting this thread. It also makes a change from all the Spam that keeps invading this forum.
I use a wheelchair and or KAFOs/AFOs and for nearly three years now I have chosen not to walk, I either use a wheelchair sometimes with AFOs for added effect or a pair of KAFOs. The answer to how does it feel is simply it feels right. I guess when I first started using a wheelchair (something I've imagined doing since early childhood) or KAFOs on a more regular basis, at the time mostly weekends, I found that I felt like a different person. I felt more comfortable with who I was and that I was the way I was meant to be, so eventually after a few years of just weekend 'pretending' I knew that I wanted more. I wanted to live as I always imagined myself being, which was a wheelchair using paraplegic a transition that I have finally managed to achieve. I won't pretend it was easy or straightforward but in the end it was well worth all the sacrifices and I have no regrets about changing my life to the way it is now.
I'm always happy to chat about my expereinces or answer any questions (within reason!) so just send me a pm, although I may not reply immediately you will get a reply.
Cheers Jay
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Post by dickie1brace on Dec 6, 2021 6:13:34 GMT
+1 to Rowland for starting this thread.
Psychologically, wearing my brace is very important to me and, as others have said, it just feels 'right' the moment I put it on. I certainly feel happy wearing it and crave being able to wear it all the time and in public. I wear mine at lest twice a week at home at the moment. Not much by many people's standards I know but I don't want to overdo it in case my understanding wife gets upset.
Physically, I wear my KAFO with it strapped up as tight as I can stand so my right leg and foot is immobilised. I have a steel / thermoplastic one at the moment with integral foot support which prevents any foot movement as well. This is how I prefer it. Like Poliowannabe, I can achieve temporary paralysis of my lower leg whilst wearing my KAFO but things can get very uncomfortable if say I'm just watching TV rather than doing something to take my mind off it.
Recently, I have explored some BIID / BID forums and realise what I have suspected for some time now - I am suffering from BIID. My desire is for a paralysed right leg from above the knee, something I have wanted badly since early childhood. I've struggled with these feelings for many years and it is only in the last few years that I have been able to properly experience the joy of brace wearing and simulated paralysis. All I've got to do now is achieve gradual actual paralysis - safely!
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Post by deejay on Dec 8, 2021 1:58:42 GMT
Yes, I suppose the one thing that I want to hear from others is how does it feel. I know how it feels to me but thats another matter, in a way.
Anyway....how does it feel to me....
I had wanted to experience wearing full length 'calipers' since I first saw anyone with them. Like others I had experimented and been inventive but nothing was ever the real thing. Then the internet appeared and the opportunities became more real. I bought one which was about right but not quite. It was good to put it on and, yes it felt real for the first time but not quite. I wore it often for short times and enjoyed it but it was not in the best state and had been patched up. It didnt feel quite 'mine'.
Then I worked up the courage to contact VB. I have told that story before in more detail.
So how did it feel when my kafo was ready, sized and right for me ?
The first and probably the best thing was having it fitted for the first time. The fact that someone else knew about it and was fitting it for me made the process 'real'. I now knew what it was like to go through that process, stand up with it for the first time and check for fit. (The Forest Gump moment of course !) The minute that the drop locks were pushed down and I felt my leg locked rigid, I was asked...'How does it feel ?' I so wanted to describe the emotional feeling but, of course I just managed to say something like 'great' or 'fine'. I managed to describe the fit and where, perhaps it needed a little adjustment but really the answer should have been that it felt like something I had wanted for as long as I could remember. I wanted to try walking around but I stood there enjoying the experience of standing and being supported. I could almost slump into it rather than having tense my leg muscles and work at standing still.
In a perfect world, I would have been asked if I intended keeping it on to go home and just being asked that question would have felt great but that was never going to be an option. I had to drive for one thing and also I would have to arrive home eventually and potentially meet people I knew. I had to take it off and pack it in a holdall. I leant down and released the knee locks, it already felt natural to do so but it was also a thrill, and I was able to sit down. I stood up again and slid the locks on again, then released them and sat down. Each time it added to the fact that it all felt natural, or at least I wanted it to feel natural.
At first it took me some time, each time, to put my kafo on. I gradually learned how to do it fairly easily. Walking around was good but I needed to add a little to the heel of my other shoe. Then it became easier and I could walk quite smoothly. I think, at this point, I might feel a little differently to some because my particular 'thrill' is to be able to wear appliances as naturally as possible and almost forget they are there. Perhaps others like the restriction to show more. Now, after wearing often but not constantly, it feels incredibly comforting and normal to slide into my caliper, to tighten the straps up to their usual positions and walk straight away. It doesnt feel particularly restrictive any more. Although I prefer to wear shorts, I do put on jeans over the caliper sometimes and I like that only the ends show but I still find that takes some time and actually getting the trousers off again is even more difficult, even with knee locks released. I sometimes wear the caliper unlocked and I enjoy walking virtually normally while still feeling the comfort of wearing it and then when I lock the locks again, I can enjoy the renewed sensation of having to be straight-legged and the support that gives, especially when standing still.
How does it feel ? Natural, comforting but still a thrill !
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Post by busboy on Dec 10, 2021 10:45:02 GMT
Deejay's post was really interesting and a change from all the rubbish which this forum is being bombarded with.
In many ways my feelings were very similar to his, curiosity as a child and a desire to try out these 'leg irons' which saw other people wearing. My turning point came when I discovered this site and its links to VB. Now my desire to own and wear a caliper could become a reality. Ordering was easy and totally discrete and professional. Unfortunately the caliper didn't quite fit at first as it was discovered i was slightly knock-kneed, but i still remember my feelings when it was strapped to my leg and i was able to stand up wearing for the first time. I think i said it felt fine and comfortable.
I wanted to keep it home but i couldn't because I was driving and getting up two long flights of stairs to my flat would be a real challenge and that's without any of the neighbours seeing me and asking awkward questions.
Like Deejay, strapping my leg into it was difficult at first but over time I have worked out the easiest way to fit it. I usually wear an old pair of tracksuit bottoms with it as they have zips which come up the sides of the legs, but now I am experimenting with some jeans, an old pair of Levi 501s. I tend to keep them fitted over the caliper and then slide my legs through the tube it creates. Its not easy but somehow I find it easier than trying to fit the jeans on afterwards.
How does it feel? Totally natural and comfortable and I still get a thrill when I wear it.
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koala
New Member
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Post by koala on Dec 27, 2021 5:19:16 GMT
Adding to all that- How do they feel? They feel right, even proper. I find that at I need to wear them least once a week keeps me on an even keel, happens today is that day. On brace days, I'll use a wheelchair until braced so won't use the legs the entire day. Might have taken a little to get used to that, but now it just happens because, well, it's right. Like others, I started feeling the need for braces when I was a kid, probably from seeing someone wearing them. Fast forward <mumble> years and I was able to get a bespoke set. Usually, I'm able to arrange a day where I don't need to go anywhere specific and can wear them the entire day at home although occasionally I'll go to a park and take in the sun (if there is any); my car has hand controls. I should probably put my location in somewhere.... approximately 5225 miles west-southwest of the Earl's Court tube station .
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gerry
New Member
Posts: 3
Interests: Leg braces, boots, built-up boot, crutches, leather, very strong glasses [very high myopia],
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Post by gerry on Jan 7, 2022 8:44:31 GMT
Hello to All and a wonderful 2022 in leg braces!
As in your replies above regarding this topic, I felt truly in good company when I read through each member’s most sincere feelings. I could only acquire my first genuine KAFO in 2000 from an Orthotist who had polio himself as a child, but in his case, both his hands were affected. But sure, when the first fitting was made, his words were also “how does it feel?” It felt so good, I immediately left his rooms and walked through a trendy area, very much enjoying my left leg tightly in it’s caliper. A while later I asked him to make me an AFO for my right leg and to also sew into both my boots ankle straps. These straps add so much tightness to one’s feet and makes the overall feeling of being in leg irons even more real.
In my case, I realize especially when it is time to take my calipers off, that how great they really are. Unfortunately I cannot wear them as often as I would like to due to my circumstances at home. Then a very intense feeling of desire builds up over time to be in my leg irons.
A few years after I received my first caliper, I went to a different Orthotist while wearing both my KAFO and AFO. I asked him to make me a complete new set including new orthoboots with the left sole raised by 5 cm. After about 3 weeks I received the call to come for a first fitting. The excitement in anticipation was almost overwhelming!
I was asked to wait in his fitting room where his 18 year old son was working at the desk. Needless to say it was quite an experience to take off both my old calipers in the presence of this youngster, who pretended to not take much notice of me, but I could see his interest in my actions of undoing the straps and laces, etc. Eventually the new KAFO and AFO arrived from the workshop and the Orthotist fitted them onto my legs. When he asked me to stand, I almost fell over but he quickly caught me and asked how does it feel! I suggested they raise the sole of the right boot by 1 cm to even the 5 cm raise of the left boot. What I liked most of the new set was the thigh cuff of the KAFO that was fastened with a boot lace in the front. This could really tighten well and creates a wonderful feeling of reality. My own reality of wearing and being in leg irons that I have had since my early school days when polio kids were walking with leg braces.
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Post by pogbodge2 on May 31, 2022 11:04:00 GMT
Yes, I suppose the one thing that I want to hear from others is how does it feel. I know how it feels to me but thats another matter, in a way. Anyway....how does it feel to me.... I had wanted to experience wearing full length 'calipers' since I first saw anyone with them. Like others I had experimented and been inventive but nothing was ever the real thing. Then the internet appeared and the opportunities became more real. I bought one which was about right but not quite. It was good to put it on and, yes it felt real for the first time but not quite. I wore it often for short times and enjoyed it but it was not in the best state and had been patched up. It didnt feel quite 'mine'. Then I worked up the courage to contact VB. I have told that story before in more detail. So how did it feel when my kafo was ready, sized and right for me ? The first and probably the best thing was having it fitted for the first time. The fact that someone else knew about it and was fitting it for me made the process 'real'. I now knew what it was like to go through that process, stand up with it for the first time and check for fit. (The Forest Gump moment of course !) The minute that the drop locks were pushed down and I felt my leg locked rigid, I was asked...'How does it feel ?' I so wanted to describe the emotional feeling but, of course I just managed to say something like 'great' or 'fine'. I managed to describe the fit and where, perhaps it needed a little adjustment but really the answer should have been that it felt like something I had wanted for as long as I could remember. I wanted to try walking around but I stood there enjoying the experience of standing and being supported. I could almost slump into it rather than having tense my leg muscles and work at standing still. In a perfect world, I would have been asked if I intended keeping it on to go home and just being asked that question would have felt great but that was never going to be an option. I had to drive for one thing and also I would have to arrive home eventually and potentially meet people I knew. I had to take it off and pack it in a holdall. I leant down and released the knee locks, it already felt natural to do so but it was also a thrill, and I was able to sit down. I stood up again and slid the locks on again, then released them and sat down. Each time it added to the fact that it all felt natural, or at least I wanted it to feel natural. At first it took me some time, each time, to put my kafo on. I gradually learned how to do it fairly easily. Walking around was good but I needed to add a little to the heel of my other shoe. Then it became easier and I could walk quite smoothly. I think, at this point, I might feel a little differently to some because my particular 'thrill' is to be able to wear appliances as naturally as possible and almost forget they are there. Perhaps others like the restriction to show more. Now, after wearing often but not constantly, it feels incredibly comforting and normal to slide into my caliper, to tighten the straps up to their usual positions and walk straight away. It doesnt feel particularly restrictive any more. Although I prefer to wear shorts, I do put on jeans over the caliper sometimes and I like that only the ends show but I still find that takes some time and actually getting the trousers off again is even more difficult, even with knee locks released. I sometimes wear the caliper unlocked and I enjoy walking virtually normally while still feeling the comfort of wearing it and then when I lock the locks again, I can enjoy the renewed sensation of having to be straight-legged and the support that gives, especially when standing still. How does it feel ? Natural, comforting but still a thrill !
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Post by pogbodge2 on May 31, 2022 11:12:01 GMT
It is so nice to read these chats after finding no one else to share this. Such a relief that there are others who have the same experience as myself. I fit the general story. Wanted to wear callipers for as long as I can remember. Experienced a need to use sticks etc. Finally I could afford to buy two full length kafos with leather tops and wearing long lace up boots. For years in secret but now partially around the house. Just had them beautiful refurbished by VB. my only problem is getting my wife to accepting the ‘me’ when wearing them.
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koala
New Member
Posts: 6
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Post by koala on Jun 16, 2022 2:41:47 GMT
For the sake of brevity, I'll just say "All that above."
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Post by dickie1brace on Jun 27, 2022 11:47:46 GMT
Hi pogbodge2
My feelings (need?) are very similar to your descriptions. I am currently using a second-hand thermoplastic KAFO (bought from a fellow member of this group) which I have modified to fit me. It's pretty good but, of course, not perfect.
I can't seem to find your post regarding VB but would you be prepared to share your expereinces with them as I'm hearing mixed reports since Covid Lockdowns. I'm working myself up to go to VB. How recently did you go to them and how well did they do?
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Post by lemoignon on May 9, 2023 11:10:27 GMT
I am the happy owner of a THKAFO brace, for recreational use ; they are made of heavy da
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