WDW with arthritis

[Haley Whippet]

I have to think about it. It is an additional cost I hadnt planned on. I am falling apart fast! I have to go on CPAP so now I have to make room to pack a machine and a cane too. We will be at AKL so we would be relying on buses all week so that would not be fun with ecv.

A ECV and riding buses is no big deal. I have done it many times.
Even my 84 year old Dad had gotten on the bus in a ECV. And trust me, If he can do it anyone can! Having a fun trip without pain is the way to go.
Deb

 

[snowwite]

I tried laser treatment that was supposed to help my pain. I was hoping for a temporary "cure" before my trip. It is worse! I think it made it more inflamed. I can hardly walk this morning.Ugh.
I am worried what people will think. I am deaf in my right ear and have needed a hearing aid since I was 17. Do I wear one, no. I am afraid people will look at me differently or teas me like when I was a kid. In my head I know it is stupid but I cant shake that worry.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Some treatments will make a condition worse before it makes it better. It sucks, I know, but there is still hope that it'll have eased by the time you go. As for the hearing aid, it's entirely up to you, but do bear in mind that kids can be a lot meaner than adults, and it's fairly unlikely that people will tease you. However, if you have hearing problems, you might want to look into getting a GAC to allow you to sit closer to the speakers so you can hear the shows more easily (for more information, see the FAQ).

Good luck and do whatever you need to, to have a wonderful and magical trip!

 

[whgrn]

<I am worried what people will think. I am deaf in my right ear and have needed a hearing aid since I was 17. Do I wear one, no. I am afraid people will look at me differently or teas me like when I was a kid. In my head I know it is stupid but I cant shake that worry.>

A good friend of mine (42 yo) wears a hearing aid. I knew her for years before I realized it! She actually had to tell me! They can be nearly invisible, and if you have longish hair it will cover almost completely. Try it out--you might be surprised when no one notices but you!

I think we all tend to be sensitive to our "differences", but in reality, most people either don't notice or don't care. And the people who REALLY matter--friends and family--love us regardless.

Get that GAC or ECV if you need it. Park the ECV and walk when you are able, and ride when you need to. Enjoy YOUR trip, and, as my grandma used to say, "to heck with the poopy people!"

 

[JDFan]

Oh my goodness! I LOVE that answer ... "to heck with the poopy people!"

I think I will pass that along to my husband who is very hard of hearing and refuses to wear a hearing aid because of what people might think.

To heck with the poopy people!!!!!

 

[Haley Whippet]

I agree 10000000%
TO HECK WITH POOPY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to learn that lesson. I now proudly ride my ECV!
Deb

 

[snowwite]

<I am worried what people will think. I am deaf in my right ear and have needed a hearing aid since I was 17. Do I wear one, no. I am afraid people will look at me differently or teas me like when I was a kid. In my head I know it is stupid but I cant shake that worry.>

A good friend of mine (42 yo) wears a hearing aid. I knew her for years before I realized it! She actually had to tell me! They can be nearly invisible, and if you have longish hair it will cover almost completely. Try it out--you might be surprised when no one notices but you!

I think we all tend to be sensitive to our "differences", but in reality, most people either don't notice or don't care. And the people who REALLY matter--friends and family--love us regardless.

Get that GAC or ECV if you need it. Park the ECV and walk when you are able, and ride when you need to. Enjoy YOUR trip, and, as my grandma used to say, "to heck with the poopy people!"

OMG your grandma should have sold bumper stickers!

 

[GroovyWheeler]

Here's another suggestion; You could rent a motorized wheelchair or a regular wheelchair from your own DME dealer, and use it anywhere in the parks, without having to turn it back in to the park rental place/off-site rental place, as you would with one of Disney's ECVs or wheelchairs. The only thing is, is you or someone in your party, would have to fold and lift the wheelchair into the back of your rental vehicle, if you plan on renting a car.

I have osteoarthritis, dystonia and scoliosis, and have always brought my own manual wheelchair (especially since it has special seating in it), as I've always had my DH or my mom, to push me around. But, when we go to Disney next year, I'm also weighing the possibility of renting an ECV at one of the parks, and taking my walker vs. bringing my own manual wheelchair again, as I've done in the past.

I usually ignore all of the stares, especially when people see me get out of my own wheelchair (during the last few times I've brought it), and push it when I feel like walking. I can walk with support, but tend to be a little bit of a leaner over to the side, because of my scoliosis curvature.

I'm also deaf, but in my left ear, and I wear one of those headband type bone conduction hearing aids. My hearing aid looks identical to a regular headband, so usually people don't pay any attention to it, except some of the airport screeners that question me about it, when I have to go through the "pat down" process.

Samantha

 

[snowwite]

I decided to do PT until we go,see the specialist next week and see what he says-maybe a round of steroids will help? I got a stretching device I have to use daily. I am taking my knee brace,ice pack,heating pad and cane. I have a sleep study on Friday. If I get CPAP I may need an entire bag for medical crap.

 

[kmjmom]

I would also appreciate advice about ECV rentals. I have a pretty messed up ankle requiring surgery that will be done in May. After surgery I will non weight bearing for up to 2 months. I have been in a walking boot/cast since December and could really use a quick Disney fix as a spirit boost before I have the surgery. I realize I will be limited in what I can access as far as rides, but as someone posted earlier on there are plenty of other attractions that I would enjoy. Besides, just being in the park and hearing the music is a treat! So.. that said, do you think I'd be able to pull it off using an ECV? I would have to rely on Disney transportation, so I'd need to be able to rent one that I could use outside of the park. Any advice?

 

[OneLittleSpark]

If you haven't checked it out already, the FAQ ( http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=595713 ) near the top of the board has loads of useful information in it, including a list of reputable rental agencies (ones that the DISers here have used and had good experiences with), information on boarding WDW buses in an ECV / wheelchair, and links to numerous threads with more useful information (everything from boarding rides, to touring on wheels).

Can you use crutches for a short distance? If you can, this will greatly increase the number of rides you can go on, as it'll make transferring a heck of a lot easier. Also, when renting from an external company, you can ask them to fit your ECV with crutch holders, to keep them out of the way while you're whizzing around!

For those rides that can take a wheelchair but not an ECV, there should be some manual wheelchairs around for you to borrow for the ride. Are you travelling with someone, or are you going solo? The Disney chairs are doable by yourself for the length of a queue, but they are rather heavy and temperamental (they also seem to put the worst ones up for ride transfer).

Sorry, this message is a bit garbled, I've got end-of-term-itis. I say go, have a whale of a time, and you'll be surprised by how much you can actually do. I'm sure people here will be able to give you more help, advice and support. If you have any more questions, just give us a yell. Happy wheeling!

 

[kmjmom]

Thanks so much! I am hoping that my physical therapist may be able to advise me as to whether my fused wrist will tolerate any degree of crutches. She actually spoke about a kind of crutch that has a channel for your arm to rest on? I haven't seen these before, but then again I haven't had an ankle issue since my wrist was fused. I appreciat eyour advice and encouragement! This is a great forum!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

If you can't get suitable crutches, and you're going with someone, you could always use their arm to help you transfer. I know it's not an idea solution, but if it's the only way to get you onto your favorite rides, it'll be worth it. Just so you know, on almost all rides that you need to transfer for, you'll be able to wheel the chair / ECV right up to the ride cart.

Good luck, and have a great time !

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks so much! I am hoping that my physical therapist may be able to advise me as to whether my fused wrist will tolerate any degree of crutches. She actually spoke about a kind of crutch that has a channel for your arm to rest on? I haven't seen these before, but then again I haven't had an ankle issue since my wrist was fused. I appreciat eyour advice and encouragement! This is a great forum!

Here's a link to a picture of that kind of crutches - they are called arm or forearm crutches.
My DD (she has cerebral palsy) was able to use that kind to take a few steps when she was younger. They put a lot less stress on the arms/shoulders than traditional under the arm crutches do.

 

[kmjmom]

Thank you for the link. I somehow got the feeling from the therapist that the crutches she was referencing actually had my entire forearm from the elbow to hand in a channel of some sort. At least when she made believe she had one on, that's the position she was in. I questioned that since not only is my right wrist partially fused, I had an ulnar reduction on the same arm which involved a plate a six screws to repair. I AM an orthopedic disaster. A few years ago I tore the cartilage in my knee and the recovery was really extended since I couldn't even use a cane with this hand.(too soon after the surgery to fix it) I am grateful for the advice on this board!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

You can get crutches that hold your whole forearm, I think they're called gutter crutches. They should remove any problems caused by your wrist, but if you have problems from the elbow up, they might not work out. Just to warn you, I've heard they can be quite difficult and clumsy to use, but different people work well with different things. I doubt you'd be comfortable doing the whole of Disney on crutches though, especially if you're not used to them, so an ECV might still be in order.

Have a great time!

 

[winniethepoohsmom]

To the original poster I was thinking maybe your friend should try walking with you to get the feel of what a mile or so feels like so she can see how difficult it may or may not be. When we take trips to Disney we start taking walks around the block daily to get used to it a bit. Years ago I drove around the neighborhood to map out the best way and clock the mileage. By the time we return to Disney it will be at least 2 years since our last trip and I have Hip arthritis so I may also need to rent and ecv by then, even if I manage to get around the park without it it's not worth being in pain all night. It's nice to know the option is there. But I'm definetly looking into buying a cane, maybe a colapsable one for taking on the rides.

 

[SueM in MN]

You can get crutches that hold your whole forearm, I think they're called gutter crutches. They should remove any problems caused by your wrist, but if you have problems from the elbow up, they might not work out. Just to warn you, I've heard they can be quite difficult and clumsy to use, but different people work well with different things. I doubt you'd be comfortable doing the whole of Disney on crutches though, especially if you're not used to them, so an ECV might still be in order.

Have a great time!

That's it. Here's a link to a picture of those.
http://www.sportstek.net/rgc.htm
I couldn't remember the name. They would take pressure off your wrist and the whole arm becomes the weight bearing area. I've never seen any in use, but see how they might be clumsy.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

As it happens I saw a lady using them today. She did seem to be shuffling them along rather than lifting them and walking as with standard crutches. I have a friend who has tried them as part of her OT training, and she said they were difficult and she kept almost falling over them. With practice, however, I'm sure you could get fairly adept on them, as with any mobility device.

Winniethepoohsmom, before I got my wheels, I was using a hiking stick (I still use it when I need a bit of help for short distances) to get about. Mine folds down to about a foot and a half, so is really easy to get on and off rides with, and to shrink down for travel. You can get one with a horizontal walking stick handle or a vertical one, and you can even get them with shock absorbers (great for the wrists). Just an idea you might want to look into.

 

[winniethepoohsmom]

Thanks for the info onelittlespark, I never thought of that I will look into it!

Linda