Knee injury, crutches, weight on arm…LE risk

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Lisbeth
Lisbeth Member Posts: 32
edited March 2015 in Lymphedema

Hey everyone - has anyone dealt w/this? I injured my knee and the orthopedist gave me crutches and told me to use them 3 weeks. Of course he does not get it that having had 20+ nodes out in my axilla and putting 60 pounds of my own weight against that arm is not good. I can already feel how angry my hand is after using them for 10 minutes! So… I've put them down. Fortunately the injury is not so serious that I can't hobble around at home without crutches, at least. But getting around town and going to work is another story.

Anyone ever dealt w/the crutches issue? Not sure how to handle.

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  • Macintx
    Macintx Member Posts: 118
    edited November 2014

    I've seen crutches that just go up to the elbow where just the lower part of your arm would be taking the weight. They are called forearm crutches. Maybe you could try those?

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  • Marple
    Marple Member Posts: 19,143
    edited November 2014

    Lisbeth, how distressing!  I'm just not sure how you can handle this.  I injured a knee too but fortunately it was the same side as my affected arm and I used a cane with my other arm.  Is your injured knee to take no weight at all?   

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  • Lisbeth
    Lisbeth Member Posts: 32
    edited November 2014

    Thanks, both of you!

    Yes, the crutches put the weight on my lower arms. Since everything is connected (upper and lower arm) I feel quite the raging reaction armwide. I'm supposed to keep the weight off the injured leg as much as possible, so this would classify as "no weight bearing." It's basically a stress fracture in the femur where it meets the knee.

    I do have a call into my lymphedema therapist but no clue when she'll call back. I always did wonder what would happen with this if I ever needed crutches!!


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  • Marple
    Marple Member Posts: 19,143
    edited November 2014

    Maybe with the crutches you could use your 'good' arm crutch for the brunt of the weight and use your affected arm crutch more for balance.  Boy, getting around is a challenge without the added good/bad arm issue.  I hope you live in a bungalow.

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited November 2014

    Lisbeth, when I broke a leg bone I rented a knee walker like this:

    https://www.goodbyecrutches.com/turning-knee-scoot...

    But I see there's a new version that would be ideal for you:

    http://www.turningseatedwalker.com/The_Next_Genera…

    Hopefully you can find some such contraption to get around with. Have to tell you my kids were green with envy and wanted us to BUY it so they could have it when I no longer needed it. Uh, no, kids--sorry!


    Keep us posted, and get well quick!
    Binney


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  • proudtospin
    proudtospin Member Posts: 5,972
    edited November 2014

    when I had toe surgery~~~they were going to give me crutches but I asked for the walker due to the LE issue

    they agreed with no problem, I still have it in my basement if you want mine?  but pharmacy sells them for little

    also, I got myself an office chair on wheels to roll around my house~~

    good luck!

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  • Lisbeth
    Lisbeth Member Posts: 32
    edited November 2014

    Thanks so much, everyone!! So many helpful ideas!

    It's a knee-area femur injury so unfortunately they did rule out the knee walker as it puts pressure on the injury.

    But it definitely helps to hear how you got through your situations; I can bounce these off my ortho doctor. Thank you!

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  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited November 2014

    lisbeth. First thing I thought of was the pushie scooter but I see that won't work. The wheeled walker may be helpful. The office chair is great for indoors and I used this for my dble mast surgery. Just don't let the wheels get to far ahead. Don't forget all the big box stores lendthose electrical scooters. They are so wonderful that you will never want to shop any other way. :)

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited November 2014

    Lisbeth - my sister has had several strokes, and uses a "rollator" walker (the kind with big wheels and brakes and a seat.)

    She just had emergency pacemaker surgery, and the cardiac surgeon forbid her to use that walker for two weeks, as she could pull all the leads out by leaning on the handles.

    The Continuing Care nurse at the hospital suggested a "hemi" walker.... those are specially-designed for anyone who cannot put weight on an arm... like, say, a stroke patient, or a person with Lymphedema. You still have the stability, but your weight is more distributed throughout your body.

    Here's a picture:

    image

    The other thought I had would be to use one of those cheap "transport" wheelchairs.... they are very lightweight, sold nearly everywhere, and are fairly easy to maneuver inside the house by using your good leg to scoot along. (You take the footrests off.) But the rolling office chair is a great idea, too! Just be careful on hard surfaces. You don't want to end up out on your sidewalk by accident.

    image

    Hope you heal quickly!!!

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  • amygil81
    amygil81 Member Posts: 165
    edited November 2014

    Lisbeth, I'm sorry I didn't see your message sooner. I hope it's not too late to put in my $.02.

    I walk with crutches almost all the time because I only have one leg. My amputation (bone cancer at age 13) is high above the knee, almost to my hip, so a prosthetic leg doesn't work well for me. I had a mastectomy for breast cancer 14 yrs ago, and developed moderate lymphedema in my arm and hand about 2 yrs after that. My dr and I wonder whether my crutch use caused my LE, and I guess we'll never know for sure.

    What I can tell you is that proper crutch use is not just a matter of renting a pair at the drugstore and starting to walk. There are several types, and you need to select the right one for you. You need to have them properly fitted so that they meet your hands at the right level and don't dig in under your arms (if you're using that type). You have to be trained in their proper use if you're not to get overuse injuries, of which there are other types then LE. I'm not qualified to explain all the issues to you, but I can tell you that using crutches properly is a lot more complicated than it looks, and that you really need the advice of a trained professional, usually a physical therapist. Your primary dr can probably refer you to one, or the dr that's taking care of your leg should be able to do that.

    If crutches would help your recovery, great, but you REALLY need to consult a trained professional to make sure that you do it properly. Hope this helps.

    Hugs,

    Amy


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  • Lojo
    Lojo Member Posts: 303
    edited November 2014

    I was just at my annual appt with the breast specialist, asking about LE risk, etc. The nurse told me that they had just seen a woman who had BC 30 years ago, and had never had a problem with LE until she broke her foot and was on crutches - which triggered LE 30 years on. The nurse said the patient had switched to the crutches with the hand and arm braces. I know this isn't helpful for the original post, but I thought it was an informative story for those of us who do not have LE to be careful, even many years later.

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  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited November 2014


    wow,, 30 years later,,, that really sucks!!  You have survived BC for 30 years and then get LE,,, The risk never goes away.  More doctors need to understand this.

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited November 2014

    Excellent points, amygil81!!!

    ~ ~ ~

    Glennie - My Myofascial Release Massage therapist, who is also a Certified Lymphedema Specialist, told me about a patient she had who sailed through breast cancer surgery and treatment, and was celebrating more than fifteen years of survivorship. Then her automatic garage door broke, and in the process of pulling it down, she injured her arm and now has LE.


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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited March 2015

    OK, my turn to ask about crutches, grrrr.

    I'm about fed up with bodily deterioration, seemingly just from life's wear and tear! I'd reconciled myself to knee scope to try to identify what's continuing to create pain and swelling, despite a negative MRI, and in a visit to discuss options with the orthopedic surgeon, I asked him about persistent and obnoxious groin pain on the other side--could it in any way be related to gait change, given knee pain? Well...his short answer was nope, he sent me for MRI of the hip, and well...labral tear. I'll be meeting with another ortho surgeon on Tuesday to learn about options, as surgeon #1 does not do hip repair. Before I meet with surgeon #2, I'm wondering about impact on LE when using crutches for several weeks, which I understand is inevitable after hip repair. Or knee repair for that matter, which I still haven't committed to.

    The LE presents its sweet self most often as aches in the arm, but when I get visible swelling, it's in the axilla, and during those times I feel like I have an egg in my armpit. LE arm is left arm; knee woes are left knee; hip crap is right side. I've never in my life used crutches, so I'm having a hard time visualizing how it feels.

    Clearly, if I go for any surgical repairs, it will be two separate surgeries separated by lots and lots of time. This feels like a horrid game of strategy: which body part needs fixing the most, and at what risk to advancing my LE? My options do include doing nothing for both knee and hip, but the problems in both are keeping me from exercising as I want and as I should, which is super frustrating.

    I'll look into the crutch-alternative options posted above, and Amy's advice is priceless. But I'm just wondering if anyone has experience with crutches/LE specifically after hip surgery, and if there are any creative ideas to share.

    Carol

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  • coraleliz
    coraleliz Member Posts: 1,523
    edited March 2015

    Carol- it will depend on how much is done to your knee. I had my knee scoped & a meniscus trimmed & the knee was irrigated for good measure. It was awhile back(I was 30). I used the crutches for only 1 day. I was able to get around(walking) the following day. My husband has had arthroscopic surgery on both knees at least once. (I can't keep track). Trimming & cleaning up. He was never on crutches for more than a day or two. I believe Joan Benoit Samulson(sp) won the olympic marathon less than 1 month out of arthroscopic knee surgery. Arthroscopic knee surgery might not be that bad. Can't speak for the hip though. How long did the orthopedic surgeon think you'd be on crutches following arthroscopic surgery?

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited March 2015

    coraleliz, thanks for such an encouraging report! For the knee, I'm told just a few days after the knee is scoped, unless they find more than is expected. But still, not too long. As for the hip, I see a hip-scope specialist this week for a consult to learn more, but I've read some post-hip-scope rehab documents, and it looks like a minimum of two weeks with minimal load bearing. Fortunately that's on my non-LE side, which may be helpful.

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