Reading other people’s posts makes me think. My physio gave me a crutch and a four pronged stick My occupational therapist got me to use a walker. Are all these people being kind or could I do better. I wonder…
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I wonder is a good question. I’ve used this chat community for some years and have given and taken some great advice……..but…..Last week I had an unsettling result of being a choconut and ended up in a place no-one wants to go to. I did some experiments to get me out of it and remarkably they succeeded. I was elated and decided I should share my results with others who may accidentally get there. I was rather proud of my letter and thought I should have saved it so I could use it again on other chats……but I couldnt find it! Two days of searching and it came to light again. Then I did an even more stupid thing, I filed it but cant remember what title I gave to it. So it has gone again and now the track would be muddied, so finding it again is highly improbable, so if you read that letter of mine and liked or needed it, please tell me where it is and I have a file name specially for it!
Deigh
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It’s here Deigh. It made me chuckle. Should I have chuckled? Being a choconut is a serious business. 
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My physio sent me two emails, so I probably could have done better.
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I got beth physio and OT coming to my house during lockdown and they were good. But I did feel uncomfortable with the physio because because she was very pregnant and I was one of her last before she went on maternity. She did give me lots of use tools and exercises…but no walking aids
To be honest though, I didn’t want any or I’d never walk normal again.
The one that baffles me most was the speach and language therapy (SALT) for my aphasia, I was none verbal at the time. They wouldn’t come to my home, they wear intending to conduct the therapy over the phone
Well that first call wasn’t even close to a success so I ditched it
Lorraine
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My feeling exactly EmeraldEyes. Walking aids make you lazy and don’t try to improve or am I being unrealistic?
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@jenny-wren They are going by a text book. The only person who knows what they need is YOU. I wish you well.
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Walking aids give you hope when you can’t walk. It isn’t about laziness - it’s about being incapacitated due to illness. I’d love to be able to walk again, and so would many of us, I suspect.
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Walking AIDS have their place and I’m sure initially after a stroke many many people wouldn’t be able to manage without them. However as time goes on there’s no reason why you can’t try to walk without using them. This can initially be around the house where you’re close to furniture that you can hold onto if you start to wobble and then as you build your confidence up you can try outside. It may well be worth you giving it a go and just see how you get on.
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Hi Mrs5K how is your walking now? When we were talking about scooters you didn’t feel you could walk far.
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@jenny-wren , I reckon walking aids are a means to an end. Sometimes it’s better have them but not need them. Better safe than sorry right?
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I see walking aids as a confidence booster. I used a quad stick just after my stroke. I then progressed to a normal walking stick as my muscles got stronger. I now only use the stick when walking longer distances (although I don’t lean on it - it’s just in case of the odd wobble). I know professionals say you should try and walk without any aids, but that’s not always possible.
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My walking is about the same as it was. Not really made any progress. I have FND as well as had a stroke which is making it doubly difficult. We keep working at it though.
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I used a stick after my stroke to give me some confidence once I started to go out. After a couple of weeks I put it away. No i didn’t have any issues with walking and so didn’t need it. But I felt better at the start for using it.
If you feel you need to use a stick then use it I say.
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@Dexster Well said, they do not make you lazy, they give support when required. I need my cane now and again, but I do not rely on it.
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I don’t believe walking aids make people lazy. You can develope poor posture over time which can develope into other issues such as shoulder pain and back issues. But for some it’s a necessary evil, particularly if they live alone.
I was one of the lucky ones, I have a family at home, a hubby and two children to aid me in my recovery, to hold onto when out walking etc. Not everyone has that. My stroke was a TIA 5yrs ago. I knew I could get a lot better, and I am! I just didn’t know at the time it would take this long. The doctors gave me a false impression.
But for the more severe stroke survivors, aids can useful tools in their recovery. It gets them walking again, but more importantly its gets them living a more meaningful life. Yes, walking aids can make some people lazy, but they’d be just as lazy without them 
Lorraine
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I couldn’t walk when I arrived home from the hospital but a rollator got me started.
I could take a few steps then turn and sit to rest and settle a bit.
I struggled with it as my right hand wasn’t working well either but by keep on using it, or trying to use it, there was some improvement over time.
Eventually I was toddling into the kitchen, making a brew, and returning with the cup on the seat of the rollator.
I became more confident and eventually managed to get about on the ground floor in the house with the aid of a good strong walking stick provided by an Occupational Therapist.
I still can’t walk so far, just around the house, basically, but this is way better than having to wait for someone to move me around.
So, as far as I’m concerned, those aids have opened up my world.
Since then I have been able to drive a modified car which lets me get out of the house.
I take a light weight electric scooter with me and have used it to visit the supermarket, a local park and even had a guided tour along a canal tow path on a couple of occasions.
So, despite my limited mobility, I now have options opening up a world which was at first very limited and isolated.
I think, as a project, I’ll try to collect some photos of my expeditions this year, while there is good weather, and share them on a blog post.
That’ll keep me out of mischief for a bit.
keep on keepin on
(I’m not the only one finding my way. I bet there will be others with similar ideas. I know from experience that, when you are stuck inside, there is delight in seeing the adventures that others are having.)
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@EmeraldEyes If people develop poor posture or aches and pains, they are not using the cane correctly. I understand some people cant use it correctly as they do not have the strength and are using it more as a third leg.
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