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Post by deejay on Jun 29, 2018 0:44:56 GMT
Finally, after more years than I can imagine, I am sitting here wearing a steel and leather KAFO!
I was first aware of leg braces as a child. I can remember visiting friends of the family. Their son, maybe a year older than me, was in a pair of KAFOS. I dont know why. I can remember that he couldn't sit on the floor. I am not sure I really understood why not. We went out to play. He could walk but he couldn't run. All I can really remember was that I wanted to ask him if I could try them on, but I couldn't work up enough courage. I may have been about 7 or 8 but I can't really remember. After that, my interest grew. I simply wondered what it felt like to wear something like that. At home I bound a broom handle to my leg with a leather belt. It didn't really work. I noticed collection boxes outside shops, shaped like a boy and wearing leg braces. As far as I remember they were collecting for disabled children. Possibly polio I suspect. In the later years of my primary school, there was a teacher who seemed to wear a leg brace. We could see the bottom ends attached to his shoe. Sometimes he taught us football and he tried to run but almost hopped around the field. He seemed to cope quite well though. I became more interested.
As time went on I developed a few practical skills. I made a leg brace from lengths of aluminium. Straight with no knee joints. I made sure that it was hidden in the shed which was a long way from the house. One evening, after dark, when my parents were out, I put it on and went for a short walk along a nearby track where I was unlikely to be spotted. On another occasion, as a teenager, I put my brace on in the shed and to my horror, my father came to the outside of the shed and called me for dinner. He didn't come in!! I dismantled the brace and disposed of the parts. It was too risky.
I have made a couple since but have disposed of them.
I am now sitting here wearing a real KAFO, correct fit, with drop locks, attached to walking shoe.
I have worn it for about 48 hours. Even while sleeping. I have taken it off to shower and put it back on again. It feels almost natural to be back in it now.
I am getting used to the feeling of having additional support for my leg. I am getting used to having to release the drop locks before I can sit down. I stand up and drop the locks into place with a snap and my leg is totally rigid. Even with the locks released, I can't bend my leg beyond 90 degrees. I am getting used to not being able to rotate my foot.
I am learning to walk. Usually with the knee blocked and sometimes with it free to bend.
Will I ever dare to wear it when I am away from home? I am not sure. But the plans are forming......
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Post by kafokid on Jun 29, 2018 13:51:14 GMT
Hi deejay, it does feel good to be in them doesn’t it, I’ve recently got a pair, they fit real nice, I would love to go out in them one day, but wether I get the gourage is another thing. I am on my own this weekend so getting some time to wear them in the evening, my dogs are giving me funny looks lol....thank goodness they can’t talk. Like you I’ve had a life long ambition to wear them, or having my leg in plaster, there is something about not being able to bend your leg, why I can’t say, but hey it feels good. Enjoy
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Post by jimmijo on Jul 1, 2018 1:35:28 GMT
Hi deejay, it does feel good to be in them doesn’t it, I’ve recently got a pair, they fit real nice, I would love to go out in them one day, but wether I get the gourage is another thing. I am on my own this weekend so getting some time to wear them in the evening, my dogs are giving me funny looks lol....thank goodness they can’t talk. Like you I’ve had a life long ambition to wear them, or having my leg in plaster, there is something about not being able to bend your leg, why I can’t say, but hey it feels good. Enjoy Hi Kafokid, there is no finer feeling than being in caliper(s) i used to have a pair but like you needed to raise some cash so they went, I have since acquired a vintage kafo which i refurbished and wear whenever i get the chance .
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Post by misterfingers on Jul 23, 2018 18:06:02 GMT
Hi deejay I've recently joined the vb forum and am looking to make contact with persons with a similar interest (Kafo wearing) would you be interested in meeting up. I am just starting my journey of hopefully acquir new ones from vintage braces. I look forward to hearing from you. (Not sure how we can make contact not through forum!) Thank you. Misterfingers.
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Post by deejay on Oct 17, 2018 0:55:25 GMT
The next step....
Well, as I said, I did it, I got a kafo. I never thought I would ! After many years of waiting it was a dream come true and it fitted very well, considering it was not made for me.
BUT it was not perfect. The thigh section was too small and I had to use a leather belt to wrap around. The shoe inserts were not really the right size and the alignment was not quite right....but the feeling of wearing it was enough to give me the courage to contact VB to see if it could be improved.
I know that confidentiality was promised but I was still very nervous. However I was encouraged by reading past posts on the forum, and took the plunge.
I sent an email and was greeted with a totally professional response. I was offered an appointment with Robert a couple of weeks ago and that was it, I was committed to a visit. I arrived and I walked past the shop a few times, wondering if I could go ahead with the visit. The time came and I went in. There was absolutely no problem. I waited for a short while and was greeted by Robert, taken into the consulting room and he opened the conversation to put me totally at ease. He made it very clear that I was not a freak, and by no means alone in my interest in calipers.
I had taken my KAFO in a bag. We looked at its current condition and fit and discussed what I would like to improve. Robert was able to see the problems and made suggestions as to the best course of action. He took measurements and we settled on a plan. He suggested that, if possible, it would be good to do some of the work and then check the fit before completing the leatherwork. (I live some way away but he was keen that it should fit well and it certainly seemed worth the additional visit.)
Knowing what to expect, it was much easier to go back into the shop without embarrassment. Robert showed me in and then produced my KAFO, part finished and with new leather for the thigh 'corset', also new sockets in the shoe and a new calf band. It looked great even at this stage. I sat on the fitting table, he fitted it on and he made a note of a few adjustments which were needed.
I now need to wait another week or two for the finished item and that time cannot come quickly enough !!
I would say to anyone else who is considering a visit and has not yet plucked up the courage....go for it. You will be made very welcome, you will be treated with total respect and you will certainly receive a good quality product.
Meanwhile, I will let you know how the final fitting goes....
Next step, to work up the courage to wear in public.
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Post by misterfingers on Oct 17, 2018 22:43:31 GMT
Hi deejay I haven't got round to making on appointment yet, too many other things on at the moment. I do still occasionally wear my eBay Kafo, it is a remarkably good fit, sometimes wearing it overnight, (I don't know it's there!) Wearing it for longer somewhere outside would be great, it's just getting somewhere and then putting it on. Maybe meeting up somewhere neutral is the answer, I don't know. i hope your final fitting goes well!
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Post by deejay on Oct 28, 2018 11:30:45 GMT
KAFO collected !
After what seemed like a lifetime (only a couple of weeks actually), I made my third trip to VB to collect my fully restored and now personally fitted KAFO.
I sat on the couch and as the straps and buckles we're tightened up and straight away it felt that it was now made for me. The thigh cuff had been the problem before. Now it has been made taller and wider and it feels right. All other leather work is new.
I stood up, locked the knee joints and it gave all of the comfortable support that I had been waiting for.
Nothing would have been better than to leave the shop wearing my new kafo, but unfortunately I had to drive, so I had to pack it into a bag and wait till later to try it out for real.
After a long journey home, I was able to finally fit it on.
It is great to finally wear a calliper which fits perfectly. After a few hours it almost felt normal to stand up and slide the drop locks into place, then to walk about, fully supported. Then to have to release the locks to sit down. I almost don't want to take it off, but I have to.
Now to think about wearing it away from home.....
Robert and VB couldn't have been more understanding and more help. The quality of workmanship is great and I would recommend them to anyone.
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Post by castmenow on Nov 9, 2018 22:30:14 GMT
deejay, what an excellent write up of your experiences of getting your new kAFO. I can sense your excitement when you say you even slept in it and finding out how limiting it is, yes, until you wear one for the first time, you do not appreciate that the knee will only bend so far, to just over 90 degree, you can not squat down in KAFOs.
I also enjoyed reading about your visit to Vintage Braces and your nervousness, your thoughts entirely echo my own when I booked an appointment with an ortho to get my braces made, and even worse, this was a normal straightforward ortho rather than one openly taking business from the recreational wearer / pretender. However, afterwards, when everything is sorted it is so worth it. I hope you get lots of enjoyment out of your braces.
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Post by deejay on Nov 9, 2018 22:45:02 GMT
Did you need braces in any way? How did you go about getting yours?
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Post by castmenow on Nov 10, 2018 8:19:52 GMT
I have no physical need for my braces, the need is entirely mental / emotional. I have had a long time desire to wear braces and getting them was my lifelong ambition, finally getting them a couple of years ago in my mid 50s. I found a local orthotics manufacturer (I live a fair distance from London) and approached them to see if they would make me some braces even though I had no need or prescription. They said yes they would and so I went in for measurements and then a 1st stage fitting and then the collection, paid cash in hand. I was very very nervous before going in for the first appointment being an able bodied pretender.
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Post by deejay on Nov 11, 2018 1:27:05 GMT
Ok. Must have been a big decision. Were you open with them or did you create a story about having real need for them? What about now, do you wear them 'out and about"?
(Sorry if you have answered that elsewhere, I couldn't go and explore the rest of the forum mid writing this).
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Post by castmenow on Nov 11, 2018 12:27:21 GMT
I have not posted on this forum much so I have not told any of my back story here. I first checked with them that they still made traditional metal and leather braces. They responded that they could still do this if I required, although they mostly made plastic with metal hinges now. I then went back with a description of what I wanted and some example photos and at that point said would they make them for someone who did not have a medical need for them on a private basis. They said yes so I booked an appointment for measurements and a discussion of what was required. The measurement session and follow up fitting sessions were very polite, the orthotist never asked anything about why or anything and just did his job. I never volunteered anything either. I wanted to ask if he had come across pretenders previously, but did not want to get into a sticky subject, we it was left as the elephant in the room.
I have worn braces out and about from time to time, mainly around town centres / shopping centres away from home. I took the car into a tyre centre once for new tyres with just my left KAFO on, I drive an automatic, less common in the UK, but it does mean I can quite happily drive somewhere with the one KAFO on. Nobody has ever said anything to me about having the braces. However, they are mostly for indoor wear.
I'll see about writing something in my own post over the next few days.
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Post by deejay on Nov 11, 2018 21:20:23 GMT
Yes, I suppose if you don't volunteer much information, they probably guess but are happy to take the money anyway. In overall terms its perfectly harmless anyway, just a bit quirky. Not sure I could do it though. Its great to have VB and be able to discuss without a problem.
I have had orthodontic retainers (braces) made and it was a similar situation.
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Post by castmenow on Dec 28, 2018 9:22:10 GMT
I also like the idea of wearing orthodontic braces, I never had to as a child and I have not followed up on this, did not think of trying an orthodontist to make some on spec like I did with the leg braces. There used to be a company called the Recreational Braces Company in the UK years ago who were like VB, a real orthodontist that supplied the pretender business on the side, I should have followed through before they stopped, but it has always been a secondary interest for me.
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Post by deejay on Dec 28, 2018 13:15:54 GMT
I got mine from there. A shame they have gone. Look at ‘bracesforum.net’
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