Slick floors. Watch out for smooth floors (wood, laminate, tile, etc.) with water. Your crutches will do the splits, leaving you stranded like a baby bird.
Doors. These are quite heavy & will close on you. Bathroom doors are the worst, use your crutch as a door stopper and shimmy your way through.
Mindset. You are not helpless, although help is appreciated. You are strong & can overcome any challenge. You are allowed to be mad, frustrated and sad. Process your emotions and move forwards with healing. Cry when needed and laugh as often as you can.
Elevate your leg. Use pillows, stools, chairs, etc. For the first week it is going to hurt to lower your leg down. Support your leg fully from the hip to the ankle.
Isometrics. Do your “PT” all day and if your injury hurts with an exercise, accomplish the same goal in a different position (instead of SLR, do hip and knee extension isometrics into the ground).
Physio’s balls. This is a must-have for the first 2 weeks. Easiest way to bend & straight leg in any position (couch, bed, floor, chair).
Self-Massage. Touch and love your injured limb. Your brain tends to ignore the “problem” and one of the earliest goals is connecting that limb back to your brain/body.
Leap frog and backpacks. Strategically placed chairs and surfaces to help you take a break when you need one (showering & changing) and to move items around your home (ie. coffee cup to couch). Backpacks are good to bring your supplies (cellphone, crafts, books, etc) to where you are posting up.
Yak tracks & Crampons for crutches. A must for snowy conditions. Watch out for puddles inside doorways, nothing will save you from these.
The pool. One of the few ways to get a cardio workout. It's a lifesaver, but watch out for those slick floors!
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