DS just dx'd w/Osgood-Schlatter Disease...

[gigi1313]

and we're not sure how to roll...

O-SD is a disease of the leg, causes great pain, swelling, hot/tender spot just below the knee... doctor said limited use, no stairs, minimal walking, no running, limit standing... he also has to ice it periodically throughout the day but i figured we would do that at the baby care centers when i am nursing ds6mos...

DS is 11yo, and big for his age, so a stroller is definitely out (plus we'll have ds6mos in a stroller)... he is hesitant to use a wheelchair but is agreeable to an ECV, but i don't think he's eligible to rent one due to his age (is he?) nor am i sure that's a good idea 'cause he has a wild side...

other than the limp, there's nothing outwardly visible... he also has sensory issues and ADD but we've always just "dealt" w/them when at wdw, going at slower times of the year, hitting the parks early, etc...

i'm not sure if he would (or should) qualify for a GAC due to his inability to walk/stand for long periods of time but figured this was the place to ask...

any and all suggestions/assistance/etc appreciated

 

[SueM in MN]

and we're not sure how to roll...

O-SD is a disease of the leg, causes great pain, swelling, hot/tender spot just below the knee... doctor said limited use, no stairs, minimal walking, no running, limit standing... he also has to ice it periodically throughout the day but i figured we would do that at the baby care centers when i am nursing ds6mos...

You can also get ice at any of the counter service restaurants and at First Aid. I'd suggest getting one of the old-fashioned ice bags; the ones made of waterproof cloth that have a screw on top. You can still find them in most drug stores. Bring it along, collapsed in your bags, get ice and when you are done, you can just pour out the liquid and collapse it again.

DS is 11yo, and big for his age, so a stroller is definitely out (plus we'll have ds6mos in a stroller)... he is hesitant to use a wheelchair but is agreeable to an ECV, but i don't think he's eligible to rent one due to his age (is he?) nor am i sure that's a good idea 'cause he has a wild side...

he would be too young for an ECV - the parks and most of the companies rent only for use by people over the age of 18. One company (Randy's) has rented before for younger teens, but no one will rent for a preteen (and it probably is not a good idea if he has a 'wild side' even if someone would rent to him.
If he's pretty much adult size, (at least 5 feet tall) a park rental wheelchair will probably work for him. If he's smaller, you will want to look at post #2 in the disABILITIES FAQs thread where there are places you can possibly rent a smaller one or a special needs stroller.

other than the limp, there's nothing outwardly visible... he also has sensory issues and ADD but we've always just "dealt" w/them when at wdw, going at slower times of the year, hitting the parks early, etc...

i'm not sure if he would (or should) qualify for a GAC due to his inability to walk/stand for long periods of time but figured this was the place to ask...

any and all suggestions/assistance/etc appreciated

There is information in post #6 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread about Guest Assistance Cards (GAC).
For inability to walk/stand, those are what WDW calls "Endurance Concerns" and the usual suggestion is to rent a wheelchair, etc. to avoid walking and use Fastpass to avoid long waits.
Also, keep in mind that a GAC won't usually shorten the distance that you walk. Some of the queues have a very long distance, even if the wait is not that long - here's an example of the long queue at Soarin'.

The pictures actually show the Fastpass line; so the wait may not be that long, but the distance is. Each picture shows one small part of the queue (there were some pictures I just could not fit on one page). And, when the ride is over, the distance to walk out is just as long. Just off the top of my head, I can think of at least one queue in each park that is that long of a distance.
The other thing to think about is that most shows have you enter one large room to be sort of 'gathered' into the correct number of people for one show. There are usually not any chairs and your waiting time will be at least the length of one show (so for Laugh Floor, you would be waiting for at least 10 minutes in one room.) For those situations, you would be standing still. For other lines, you generally are not actually standing still - you are moving forward at a slow speed.

 

[gigi1313]

thanks... after posting i went and read the FAQ (i know, i know, i should have read it before! LOL!)... an ecv is out (and smartly out imo, but i'm glad it's not just me saying "no" LOL)... stairs will be a problem, so i read where we could use the wheelchair entrance if he is on foot to keep him from having to climb stairs, which is a good tip... he is over 5' tall, so a regular wc will probably fit him just fine... now, to decide if we want to rent for the length of stay from an outside vendor (which means bringing both a wc and a stroller on the buses!) or inside the park and let him hoof it part of the day (to/from bus stops, around the resort, etc)...

thanks also for the ice pack suggestion... i think i'll head to drugstore.com to see if they have one!

 

[SueM in MN]

stairs will be a problem, so i read where we could use the wheelchair entrance if he is on foot to keep him from having to climb stairs, which is a good tip

If he has a wheelchair, he will be using the accessible way (which is often not shorter, especially at the Studio and AK) and will avoid stairs, etc. without needing a GAC. The CMs will see the wheelchair and route him/you to the appropriate place.
To use those areas without a wheelchair, you would need a GAC that says you can use the wheelchair entrances.

 

[minnie2]

As a kid I had Osgood. Sorry about your sons pain I can truly feel for him!

Since I had that as a kid I have some issues with that same knee to this day. Although there was many yrs where it was just minor pain.

Any way I anted to suggest getting a brace for his knee. also they sell these neoprene ice pack things where you stick the ice pack in the neoprene sleeve and wrap your leg in it and you can ice your knee and walk if need be. It is wonderful! I use it all the time!

I would doubt one of the GAc passes would be allowed for that. I think fast passes and icing it when you can would be the best bet along with Tylenol. Maybe give him some in the morning before the parks and if it starts acting up give him more.

Good luck I hope he feels better!

 

[gigi1313]

thanks for sharing... i've been on the lookout for traveling ice packs and have not been too successful... next stop will be the sports store!

 

[minnie2]

I think I got mine at the supermarket! Maybe walmart but not a sports store.

Check amazon.com. I just checked there and they had a few but i am not sure I can actually post the link? I just put in ice pack or cold pack. I bet if you did a little digging you might even find something better.

Mine comes with it's own special ice /heat pack but i see no reason why you can't just put ice cubes in a zippy in there. I will suggest bringing a light wash cloth or small towel because it is VERY cold and my be uncomfortable so if you put the towel in between his knee and the ice and remove the towel when it is comfortable.

 

[SueM in MN]

The easiest thing to use is an old fashioned ice bag like this with a cloth bag and a screw on top for adding ice. You would be able to find those in almost any Pharmacy of Drug department of a discount store.
You can also find fancier ones like this one from Walmart that includes an ice bag and a neoprene sleeve to hold it on.

The problem with ziplock bags is that they don't have any insulation and can get your skin too cold (even frostbite) if they are placed right on the skin. Even with the ziplock, they can leak.
The icebags are made of a waterproof cloth that provides some insulation and have a screw on top which keeps the water in the bag.
Ice is easy to get - you can request it at First Aid or at any of the counter service restaurants. All the resorts have ice machines, so you can get it easily once you get back to your room.

 

[Abbie]

My son had this too as a pre-teen and the good news is he should outgrow it just fine! I know that's hard to believe right now but my son is 15 now and shows no sign of ever having had it.

I will second the neoprene sleeve thing (we got ours, several eventually, from Walmart) since my son lived in that and it did really relieve some of the pain from walking. That said, he was encouraged to walk a lot and I think that was a good thing (for him anyway). He even played soccer during the worst of it but he's a tough kid. (He broke his wrist before a football game Friday night and played anyway...we didn't even know until afterwards! Tough kid....or extremely dumb anyway )

I would think if you rented a w/c at Disney it would allow him to rest when needed because that's a LOT of walking, isn't it!

 

[gigi1313]

thanks for your thoughts and experience as well... ds played football and lacrosse for a while before really complaining 'cause he's tough (and/or dumb) too! LOL!

i will definitely hit walmart before i go to the sporting goods store... what department did you find it in? maybe i'm looking in the wrong places?

 

[Sandy321]

As a kid I had Osgood. Sorry about your sons pain I can truly feel for him!

Since I had that as a kid I have some issues with that same knee to this day. Although there was many yrs where it was just minor pain.

Any way I anted to suggest getting a brace for his knee. also they sell these neoprene ice pack things where you stick the ice pack in the neoprene sleeve and wrap your leg in it and you can ice your knee and walk if need be. It is wonderful! I use it all the time!

I would doubt one of the GAc passes would be allowed for that. I think fast passes and icing it when you can would be the best bet along with Tylenol. Maybe give him some in the morning before the parks and if it starts acting up give him more.

Good luck I hope he feels better!

ITA - my son was diagnosed with O/S also at age 11 - he wanted to play football, and just couldnt, he played hockey, less friction, lots of energy...

use the knee brace, (I know we got ours at WalMart, CVS and Walgreens have them also - just ask! They are black neoprene, with a hole for the knee cap) use the ice - and for queues like soarin, they can sit at times too... use fast pass it will all work out - but listen to him - use rests... swimming at the pool...

and know they do grow out of it!! (its just a painful time!)

 

[SueM in MN]

thanks for your thoughts and experience as well... ds played football and lacrosse for a while before really complaining 'cause he's tough (and/or dumb) too! LOL!

i will definitely hit walmart before i go to the sporting goods store... what department did you find it in? maybe i'm looking in the wrong places?

I had a link to the one from Walmart in an earlier post today.
If worse comes to worse, you can order one on line. Otherwise, print off the page and take it to Walmart. They would be able to check online or know from the SKU number which department it is in.

 

[Abbie]

We got ours in either the sports dept or the health aids dept. It wasn't the one that you could put ice in though, those sound great!

 

[LBAK]

My DD has this also. She was diagnosed 2 years ago. The dr. gave her a brace and she took some advil, iced it and rest. Now 2 years later she's back to soccer, lacrosse and basketball. we went to Disney 3 weeks after she was diagnosed and we took it slow, iced throughout the day and we had a great time. Hopefully you son will also do well!

 

[honugirl]

You can also try a TENS unit (otherwise known as E-Stim, or electrical Stim at the physical therapist), I have a unit for my bone/joint/muscle pain. Mine is really tiny, about the size of a walkman, so it's nice and portable for travel (it will be coming with me at the end of the week). You can place up to 4 electrodes around the area of pain, then the unit passes a light electrical current through it. It really helps with my pain. Most days it's the only thing that will knock it down for me and keeps me off pain killers. I highly recommend it. My insurance is picking up the tab for it too. Some companies will rent it to you for a short time, others will let you buy it outright (like I am).

Have fun!

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's a link for information about TENS units. They are prescription items.

 

[gigi1313]

i have a friend w/a TENS unit... thanks for the info... we have another dr's app't on tuesday, and i'm hoping to get a referral to a PT just to show him some proper stretches and exercises he *can* do as he does not want to sit still! he swam and rode bikes for *HOURS* today

thanks again for all the info on the brace/pad/ice pack/etc... it's great to have such a wealth of knowledge at my fingertips