Achilles Tendon/Broken Wrist I Have

Achilles Tendon/Broken Wrist I have a ruptured Achilles tendon on my left foot and it is in a plaster cast. I also have a broken right wrist that is also in a plaster cast. I will be using a walker to move around; the walker has the capability of supporting my broken right wrist. I choose this disability because a friend of mine currently is using a walker after Achilles tendon surgery.

Since we are in the winter months I thought I would include a scenario in which I slipped on the ice, fell, and broke my right wrist. To have these two disabilities to cope with at the same time would be a tremendous hardship and a worthy topic for this essay. Simulating the Disabilities Before doing the simulation, I expected that my movement and my typical daily activities would be limited. As a right-handed person, I expected that the greatest challenges would result from inability to use both arms fully.

I did not expect that using my left hand would present any particular difficulty and it would be little more than an inconvenience. I expected that using the walker would provide a few more challenges. I worried that it would be cumbersome, especially on the ice and when going through doorways. I felt it was fortunate that it was my left foot in the cast and not the right because that meant I was still able to drive a car.

In that way, my mobility would be restricted only when I was moving on foot. In the car, I would be free to move about as I wanted. To simulate the disability, I wrapped my right hand and wrist in an elastic bandage. I also wrapped my foot and ankle in an elastic bandage. Since the cast was supposed to be a walking cast, I borrowed a rubber Croc from a friend who wears a larger shoe.

I was able to fit my bandaged foot in the shoe and thus keep the elastic bandage from direct contact with the ground, which would have gotten it wet. The slight difference in height between the Croc and my regular shoe also provided me the unevenness that I would expect to feel with a walking cast. It made my gait irregular, which I wanted to simulate. I wrapped my wrist and my foot the night before because I wanted to begin my day with the simulation.

I felt the simulation was quite realistic. Having a friend with a real, though temporary, disability provided the information I needed to create the simulation. Elastic bandages, wrapped thickly around my wrist and foot, really gave me the appearance of someone who was injured. I felt they would be quite convincing when I went out in public and pretended to be disabled for a day. A Day as a Disabled Person Soon after I woke up, I was made aware of my disability.

As I got out of bed, I pulled the covers aside with my left hand instead of my customary right, and it felt awkward. I was surprised that I even noticed a difference. Pulling back the covers is something I do automatically in the morning, but I had to think about it, even for a few seconds, as I reached for my quilt with my left hand. I put on the Croc and reached for my walker.

I balanced my bandaged wrist on top of the walker and made my way to the bathroom down the hall. The walker fit through the door without any difficulty and I was pleased about that. I used the bathroom, which was awkward with just one hand. I moved to the sink to wash my face and hands and realized that I could not get my right hand wet because of the simulated cast. I turned on the water with my left hand.

As I learned when I pulled back my quilt, a simple, automatic activity with the right hand become something I had to think about when using the left. I picked up the bar of soap and lathered one-handed. I brushed my teeth with the left hand and this, too, was awkward. I was surprised at the manual dexterity required to use a toothbrush. When I use my right hand, I do not even give it a thought. With the left hand, I had to make a conscious effort.

Getting dressed was a challenge. Because of the "cast" and lack of flexibility in my ankle, I could not put on a regular pair of jeans. Instead, I chose sweatpants. I stretched the elastic bottom over the cast and was grateful after I pulled them up that I would not have to manage a zipper and button. I had not given any thought to how I was going to get downstairs with the walker, but after I finished my bathroom routine I was faced with that challenge.

At first I thought I could push the walker ahead of me, but at the top stair I realized this would be very dangerous since there was not enough room on the stairs for the walker. After thinking about it for a moment, I folded the walker, held it in my left hand, and bumped down the stairs on my backside. At the bottom of the stairs, I unfolded the walker and pulled myself up.

It was a good method in the privacy of my own home, but I wondered what I would do when I faced stairs out in public! Making breakfast took longer than usual. I had to pour cereal and milk and eat left-handed. As with using the toothbrush, I felt uncoordinated and conscious of every movement. I washed my dishes when I was finished, a cumbersome task to do with one hand. I put on a jacket (struggling with the zipper) and go ready to go to school.

I did not want to negotiate the outside concrete steps the same way I had negotiated the stairs inside the house, so I leaned heavily on the railing and eased myself down, the walker folder and tucked under one arm. I unfolded the walker for the short walk to the car, then folded it up again, placed it on the front seat next to me, and got into the driver's seat. I had to reach over with my left arm so I could turn the ignition key.

I also released the emergency brake with my left hand, then shifted first into reverse, then into drive. It was very awkward to do this. When I thought about driving before simulating the disability, I thought only in terms of being able to use my right foot to accelerate and brake. I often stop at a drive-through and get coffee and a bagel on my way to school.

This was out of the question on the day of the simulation because I only had one hand, which I had to keep on the wheel. It was bad enough to be disabled for a day, but I would have to do it without my caffeine! When I got to school, I again had to struggle with the ignition and putting the car in park. I unfolded the walker. I put my books in a bag and put the strap across my body so I could carry them.

It was difficult to do with one hand because the bag was heavy and I had some trouble getting my hair out of the way of the strap. I made my way to class using the walker, with my bandaged wrist resting on top. Friends and acquaintances wanted to know what happened, and I told them I had fallen on the ice and severely sprained my wrist and ankle.

I did not want to go into too many details about the accident because making up a story would just get too complicated. I also did not want to tell people that I had simulated injuries for a class project because I wanted to be taken seriously and treated as though I really did have disabilities. I was late for class because I had some trouble finding the elevator. I had never before had occasion to use it, so I was not exactly sure where it was.

I am sure there was signage, but I did not see it. The elevator was in use by others and I had to wait for it. I am accustomed to climbing two flights of stairs quickly in the morning, so I felt some impatience waiting for the elevator. The remainder of the day was much the same as my morning experiences. Putting on and taking off my zippered jacket made me aware of the fact that I could not use my right hand or arm.

I took notes in class and found my writing nearly illegible. Sitting down and getting up again required a bit of extra time and planning. I ordered a burger for lunch and had to have a friend cut it in half because it was too difficult to manage with just one hand. When I went home, I made a sandwich for dinner and ate it with an apple and some chips. I did not feel that I even wanted to try to cook anything or do dishes afterward.

Taking a shower that night was challenging. I thought I would just stand in the shower with my left leg resting on the floor outside the tub, but then I realized I had a "cast" on my right arm that I could not get wet. I ended up wrapping both simulated casts with plastic trash bags so I wouldn't get them wet. I still ended up getting a considerable amount of water on the bathroom floor. Just before going to bed, I removed the elastic bandages.

Being disabled for one day was enough. What surprised me most about the experience was the difficulty of even the simplest tasks. I had not realized how often I needed two hands to do something until I only had the use of one. I was surprised at how difficult it was to brush my teeth, use the bathroom, eat, write, and drive only using my left hand. I expected that the walker would present the greatest challenges and I was right about that.

Navigating stairs, crowded hallways, and icy streets and sidewalks were difficult and I was continually worried that I might fall. Since my right wrist was already bandaged, I was concerned about how I might brace myself in a fall and whether I would incur a real injury. I was pleasantly surprised to find that people were helpful. Every time I needed a door opened, it seemed as though someone was there to do it for me.

In a few instances, people got a bit impatient when they were stuck behind me in a crowded space. I was not able to move very fast and I could see, when they finally got past me, they looked a little annoyed. I did not have to ask.