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Post by rowland on Feb 1, 2021 18:08:41 GMT
The other day returning to the car after a pleasant walk, I noticed that a man leaning into the open boot of his car had an unusual stance: he was straight-legged with his lower back curved slightly in as it would be when sitting bolt upright. Driving past him I noticed the ends of metal uprights attaching a caliper to his right boot. Over the years my awareness of gait and stance has been heightened by my experience of wearing a caliper. Does anyone have observations to share?
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bruce
New Member
Posts: 17
Interests: KAFO, AFO
Leg braced ladies.
Ladies in W/C with leg braces
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Post by bruce on Feb 9, 2021 21:36:22 GMT
I went into a restaurant and saw a girl sitting in a booth with her right leg jutting a little out into the aisle. I immediately saw the brace on her leg. There were metal uprights going into her skirt. And I could plainly see a brace attachment on the heel of her shoe, a brace cuff on her calf and the hint of a knee pad too. Then I saw her other shoe had a braced too. When she finished dinner, she swung her legs inti the aisle and pushed hard on her knees to get the braces to lock. She got up with her crutches and crutched out of the restaurant using a swing through gait. She had to push up on her crutches a lot in order to get her feet to raise off the floor. I remember it now !!
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Post by rowland on Mar 23, 2021 18:12:27 GMT
This morning I listened to a reading from an autobiography of the Beatles on Radio4. A memory came to me of a summer afternoon in a park with a view. i was on my way back to my digs, I stopped and stood looking out over the city when another lad came carrying a "tranny" playing a Beatles song, "I want to hold your hand," I think. He had a short-sleeved summer shirt, light-blue jeans and trendy black boots. His back was deformed, you could see the hump beneath his shirt. One leg was held straight with a caliper under his jeans, the lower end visible against his boot. After a while listening to the music his girlfriend joined him and they walked off together.
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Post by deejay on Mar 23, 2021 23:21:37 GMT
Started in shoutbox but ran out of space......
I clearly remember three main experiences. All when I was primary school age.
A male teacher clearly had a kafo. He used to take us out to play football. He would sort of hop/run and could still kick a ball. I dont remember him ever unlocking the knee joint. Perhaps it was rigid.
We went to visit family friends. The son was just slightly older than me. Quite a trouble-maker, I remember. We only saw them about once a year. They lived in a remote farmhouse. This time when we visited, he was wearing kafos on both legs. I dont know why. We went out for a walk. I was fascinated and desperately wanted to ask about them and if I could try them but I didnt have the courage.
A boy at the school bus stop was wearing a patten ended perthes brace. One foot suspended above the ground and a metal lift under his other shoe to compensate. This was the most interesting type of caliper I had seen.
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Post by rowland on Mar 24, 2021 13:52:05 GMT
Just a comment , not a sighting. Before I needed to wear a legbrace for medical reasons, I sometimes rigged up my own brace and always regretted I couldn't have hinges at the knee. Some years ago, the man in the pub who hailed me across the room like a soulmate, turned out to have a rigid KAFO. If I find him when Covid 19 allows I shall ask him whether he has had his knee fused. If I had known this was sometimes done I would have felt more confident on those rare but pleasurable outings when I was young.
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Post by castmenow on Mar 24, 2021 16:53:56 GMT
A couple of recent sightings that are of note.
In a large town near where I live I have seen the same lady twice over recent years. Once in the Asda supermarket and once in the high street. She has a single KAFO with an ischial ring, but this does not appear to be weight bearing, metal uprights with a knee hinge and a thermoplastic calf and foot section which goes into her shoe. On both occasions she was wearing the brace outside of her jeans.
The second sighting was maybe 4 years ago in Brighouse. A man with what looked like brand new black metal and leather KAFOs on both legs worn outside his jeans and using crutches to swing through. I was with my wife so no chance at more than the sight as he crutched stiff legged towards me, no turning to watch as he went by. This is one of the few sightings that I keep debating with myself as to medical or recreational bracing.
I may have mentioned these before, I now I did post about them elsewhere.
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Post by kenny83 on Mar 24, 2021 19:02:42 GMT
I can't say that I have had any sightings recently, There is a sighting-ish back in my wearing AFO days that comes to mind. One a very warm summers day I was in the local town. As it was warm I was wearing shorts, So my red braces with some pretty good sharpie drawings on them were pretty noticeable.
So, I was waiting in a queue in the shop when the person standing behind me asked where I got my braces from & if I chose the design on them. (Obviously took a good look at the braces) I said no and explained they came in red and that me and a few friends drew the designs on them. (The braces were due to be replaced shortly at that point, So i wasn't too bothered about drawing on them.)
She responded with something like, "Ahh That's a shame, I like that design and wondered if I might be able to get it on my next brace." She then showed me the multi coloured design on her AFO. I never saw her again so I wonder if she was a tourest etc.
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Post by rowland on Apr 16, 2021 17:21:33 GMT
Looking out for more sightings now that the country is getting busier. Hoping for posts that will give me ideas for future braces, but nothing too modern. I am a traditionalist as you probably are too. Metal and leather for me.
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Post by rowland on Jun 9, 2021 17:20:33 GMT
In a cafe today in the next bay a man sat on the upholstered bench. I could see metal calipers attached to his brown boots. The view was obscured by his huge mobility scooter, so I couldn't work out whether he had AFOs on or KAFOs. He was about 45 years old and well dressed. His scooter must have cost a packet. As usual I didn't pluck up courage to talk to him. I didn't hang around to see him manoeuvre back onto the scooter. I didn't see any crutches. I just sat there working out what to say! One of these days...! I shall keep on getting out and about on the offchance!
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Post by dickie1brace on Jun 17, 2021 14:04:39 GMT
I passed a man last Friday in my local area who was obviously had a paralysed right leg. He had a raised right boot and the ends of a calliper could be seen below his jeans. I would guess he was in his late 60s early 70s and was walking surprisingly well with only a walking stick for support. Judging by his gait, his leg was useless from the thigh down as he appeared unable to swing his right leg too far forward and there was considerable 'give' when he put his weight on his calliper (ischial ring?).
Although I often walk this route, I've never seen this chap in 30-odd years so I doubt he was a local. If I see him again, I'll try to pass the time of day with him.
What made me notice him especially was the apparent ease with which he was able to walk but also because this is exactly how I would like to have to walk myself.
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Post by rowland on Jun 24, 2021 15:47:52 GMT
re dickie1brace Sightings 17th June 2021
I have noticed that some people on this forum think that paralysis is either all or nothing. This is not so. I have weak hip flexors and some weakness in the knee extensors of my right thigh. This means I cannot easily put my right leg forward, and also my knee bends so that my foot catches the ground. Some years ago I was given a KAFO which I can lock at the knee. The orthotist told me to think of my right leg as a pendulum. In order for the right foot to clear the ground I have a buildup on my left footwear. So the forward movement of my right leg depends on my stepping forward with my left leg and letting gravity swing my right leg forward. So my left stride is longer than my right, but I make good progress if a bit slower than average. On level ground I walk without other support; on rougher ground I use one or two walking poles. (When walking without my leg-brace I use crutches, apart from in the house where walls and furniture are to hand if needed.) I hope this will enable some forum members to work out how to walk in the characteristic way that Dickie has so clearly described. Happy bracing to all, especially those who can put my suggestions into practice.
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Post by busboy on Jul 1, 2021 10:35:36 GMT
Spotted a man in my local supermarket yesterday. He wore kafos on both legs, one shoe had a slight build-up. He was completely paralysed in his legs. He had crutches and swung his legs forward as he walked. When he was standing both legs were twisted round so it was obvious he had no movement in them. I have seen him before, last time I was able to talk to him. The shop had moved a lot of items around so it was difficult trying to find things. We were both looking for some cat food and I was able to get the correct tin off the shelf. He thanked me for my help and said he had had polio as a boy and couldn't stand or walk without his crutches and calipers. This time he was talking to the guy on the security desk in the doorway so I wasn't able to talk to him this time. Maybe next time....
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Post by rowland on Jul 6, 2021 17:09:46 GMT
Busboy's interesting post has reminded me that I have a sighting to report, only this time it was another brace-wearer who spotted me. I was ordering coffee in a cafe and he was in the queue behind me. He called my attention to his metal brace attached to the heel of his light brown shoe. A matching strap held the caliper in place. I mentioned the name of my orthotist and the clinic where I see him. The brace-wearer goes to the same clinic but sees a woman orthotist. He walked with a stick and his knee was not locked so I suppose he had an AFO. I shall look out for him as he is probably a local.
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Post by rowland on Aug 18, 2021 17:08:34 GMT
This morning I was queuing in a cafe when I noticed a man come in with a caliper and socket-strap showing below his trouser hem. He was near enough for me to catch his attention by pointing to my caliper and saying "Snap!" He smiled and I asked him where he got his brace from. He said he got it locally, to which I said where I got mine- he named the nearest major hospital. I get mine from a clinic in a town in the other direction, still NHS. We had seats far apart to which we had been directed, so could not develop the conversation. I think his was a metal and leather AFO. A forum member I have exchanged messages with has struck up friendships with legbracers; each of the two wears KAFOs on both legs because of polio. Another member of this forum has mentioned the loneliness of being a KAFO-user. I agree and will do my best to make contact with legbracers when I can. I shall almost think of it as my duty. I owe it to the leg-bracer community. I hope you-all will do the same if you have the opportunity.
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Post by jaylad on Aug 26, 2021 18:37:42 GMT
This is probably not totally relevant to this forum, but I spent most of today in town whilst I was having new windows fitted to my flat. I spotted a young lady in a wheelchair and on getting closer noticed she was an amputee, right leg below the knee is what it looked like. She was with a guy who I initially didn't pay too much attention to, until I saw them later in the local park. The guy was also an amputee, not sure how high, but even more unusual was that one of the two dogs they were walking only had three legs. Definitely an amputee family, what are the chances? Just for added interest i was using my wheelchair but with my right leg in a KAFO and an AFO on my left - my current favourite combination.
Just for added interest, although this part should probably go under 'What do you do in your braces' I went into Costa coffee for......well coffee obviously and cake then managed to get my hair cut at a barbers I've now used a couple of times (unusually with good level access) and visited the bank - exciting stuff! I also went into a couple of well known supermarkets, not to buy much but the accessible toilets are free to use. Even with a RADAR key (which I have) you still need to pay for the public ones due to our mean local authority.
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