Oh great! We go in four days and now...

[HunnyPots]

My 16 year old dd sprains her foot/ankle! At least we hope its just a sprain. She fell out of a tree! Can you believe that? I never thought it would be my 16 year old DAUGHTER that I would have to keep out of trees! My 13 year old son, yes, I could see that!

Her foot is swollen and she can't put any weight on it but of course this is the day our doctor is out if the office so if we want our crappy insurance to cover the cost of x-rays we have to wait until tomorrow to find out if there is any fracture.

Sorry to bother you all. Just needed to vent. I'm trying very hard not to make her feel any worse about this than she already does.

Pixie dust please!

 

[disney queen]

well, there always is the wheelchair. right?

 

[redskiesx25]

hey..i'm in the same boat as ya! well..not exactly...
you see, im going with all my aunts uncles and cousins and my mom and sister and brother and my sisters boyfriend, and grand parents and everyone...well my uncle has a VERY bad hip and will need to get it replaced...so while we are in disney, he will be using a scooter. Well it does have its good sides..i heard u get onto rides faster, also.

 

[jennymouse]

Oh, man, that's awful! You can rent an ECV (scooter) from Walker Medical or there are several other places to rent them. Ask over on the DISabilities board. They're about $200 for the week but well worth it. If you rent them each day in the parks she would still have to walk to/from the bus/parking lot. And sometimes they run out. She can take the ECV on most rides or transfer to the ride vehicle. I took my 80 year old father in February and he used one and loved it.

Good luck. I know that really bites.

 

[mrsv98]

As strange as it sounds, I would actually hope for a break. She would be a lot more comfortable with a cast then limping around with a sprain. In either case, I would consider a scooter. You can rent them relatively cheap and they will delivered right to your room.

Here is some some PD for a quick-healing ankle!

 

[JonHM]

while in chemotherapy last year, used an ECV (it was around $35 per day - WELL worth it) and not only did she LOVE it, but it actually got us to the front of the ride lines as well. The company we rented from (I *think* it was Walker) had the chair waiting at our hotel when we checked in, and just picked it up automatically when we checked out. It was great.

 

[spagheddie]

Desperate times call for desperate measures. After all, it is WDW. A couple aspirin, maybe a shot of hooch, by the time you get off the monorail to enter the park she'll be saying, "Sprained ankle? What sprained ankle? Last one to Splash Mountain is a rotten egg!"

 

[mic_key_mouse]

LOL spagheddie!!!! An ECV is a great way to go. I have a disability that puts me in a chair at random times, and an ECV beats walking any day! I pray things work out well and it isn't serious.

Blessings,
mic_key_mouse

 

[HunnyPots]

Desperate times call for desperate measures. After all, it is WDW. A couple aspirin, maybe a shot of hooch, by the time you get off the monorail to enter the park she'll be saying, "Sprained ankle? What sprained ankle? Last one to Splash Mountain is a rotten egg!"

I love it!!! OK, I am actually laughing now. Thank you very much!

 

[bjakmom]

HunnyPots - 10 years ago when my DD was 16 she did exactly the same thing the night before we left - sprained her ankle running down the ramp from the boardwalk to get into the car (I just knew I should have kept her home that last night )!!!

We iced it up and drove on down - we were able to get her a wheel chair - back then we just called and they delivered it right to the FW cabins for us - it was a lifesaver, even though she got tired and cranky in it (it was July - very hot and crowded!).

We still managed to have a great trip (though not her favorite!) - the rest of us loved going to the front of the line with her and I have some really cute pictures of some of the characters giving her extra attention - I think it was either Baloo or Prince John that stole the wheelchair from me and took her for a hectic ride over by the tea cups!!

Very sweet of you not to make her feel any worse than she does - poor DD suffered far more than the rest of us - by the end of the trip she was up and walking - hope your trip is as magical - Enjoy !!

 

[Schmeck]

According to the DisAbilities board, just being in a wheelchair will not get you to the front of any line - most queues are wheelchair accessible, and you wait in line like everyone else. Non-accessible queues will have you wait at the side for a bit, until an accessible ride vehicle is available as well. At least, that's what everyone says on the DisAbility board!

If you need a Guest Assistance Card for a disability, they will gladly give one to the disabled person. You need to be able to explain exactly what assistance is needed. If you have more questions about being wheelchair-bound at WDW, I'd really like to recommend the DisAbilities board!

 

[JKanownik]

I'm so sorry to hear that, but I know exactly how you feel. One and a half weeks before our wedding, DH decided he wanted to go play basketball at the park. As he was leaving, I tried to talk him out of it and told him to be careful. About an hour later, he comes in limping. His ankle was swollen and purple. He had sprained his ankle and I was furious! After some intensive physical therapy and lots of rest he was finally able to walk again and we ended up having a great wedding and disneymoon.

I hope things work out for you and your family. I'm sure you will have a magical trip no matter what! I will send some pixie dust your way!

 

[RLewis]

HMMM. She gets front of the line access all day for every ride -and someone pushes her around in the hot sun while she relaxes and eats mouse ears.

Just where is this tree?

 

[Serenity]

That is just awful.

Here's hoping that it gets well soon.

 

[Safari Steve]

Just to reiterate...
Having a wheelchair/ecv will not allow you to skip any lines. Most attractions have fully accessible queues, and the ones that don't often have only one or two ride vehicles that are utilized for the alternate entrance. Guests using wheelchairs sometimes have to wait longer due to specific boarding situations and operational necessities of certain attractions. The appropriate service for a guest in a wheelchair is accessibility , not priority .
The fine folks on the disABILITIES board will be happy to offer suggestions for companies that will rent ECVs. You can rent wheelchairs at the park, however in order to rent an ECV from a Disney park, you must be at least 18.
Disney offers a guidebook for guests with disabilities, which describes accessibility, transferring, and boarding requirements for attractions at each park. Hope your daughter feels better soon.

 

[bjakmom]

Safari Steve and Schmeck - thanks for clarifying the current procedure for wheelchairs - it was a little over 10 years ago when my DD was in a wheelchair - I didn't mean to mislead anyone with my post!

Perhaps they had to change their policy - I did not see this at WDW, but several times at USF we have seen whole families with one wheelchair and every time you saw them there was a different family member in the seat ! I have not seen this recently, so maybe policy was changed to avoid this kind of 'front of the line' fraudulent access.

And I know RLewis is kidding about sitting comfortably in a wheelchair all day, but it is very uncomfortable in the hot weather and my DD often felt claustrophobic when we were in a crowd as she was down lower than those standing around her - just something we should all remember when we see people who have to be in this position - this is why I would have no problem with people legitimately in wheelchairs going to the front of the line - I think they are often dealing with pain and discomfort enough!

 

[sami66]

Here's some hope. (assuming she sprained her ankle and didn't fracture it). I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago at work. I work in a behaviour management program in a school. Well, there was no management that day...as I was running down the stairs after one of my students who was going to "get even" with one of her classmates, my ankle turned over. OUCH!!!!
It was purple and swollen...very! This happened on a Fri. On Monday I was back at work limping and in pain and I haven't taken care of my ankle the way I should have. I borrowed an air cast from my friend. (looks like a ski boot that you pump air in and you can remove it) What a life-saver! I could actually put my foot down and walk! Maybe see about getting one for your daughter. After 2 weeks my ankle is better...but remember I didn't rest. If your daughter rests and ices she will be just fine. Just take a few more rest breaks at the parks and she can always ice it if it starts to bother her. I know that nothing would stop me from having the time of my life at WDW!!!!
Good luck and take care!

 

[2BigKIdz]

Last year I fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle. I was sure it was broken at first, it instantly swelled with a large knot and turned black/purple. The first two days it hurt a great deal but by the 4th day it was almost normal, just had to walk a little gingerly. Hope your daughter has the same speedy recovery that I did.

 

[HunnyPots]

I borrowed an air cast from my friend. (looks like a ski boot that you pump air in and you can remove it) What a life-saver!

That sounds interesting. Where would I find something like that?

The weird thing about dd's foot is that it does not look purple or discolored at all. Only a single dark spot on the top about the size of a dime. The swelling is now limited to the top of her foot and her toes. She cannot bear any weight at all and her toes cannot move. Not that it hurts too much to move them but she tries and they do not move. This is what concerns me most.
We will see the doctor tomorrow if there is no improvement.

Thanks for all the replies and concern!

 

[sami66]

Hi HunnyPots!

I believe my friend got it at the hospital. Her foot was broken, unlike mine that was sprained. I'm sure your health care professional will be able to tell you where to get this. Be prepared though...a bit pricey....but so worth it. I tried using crutches..LOL! Had bruises under my arms from pulling my own weight.