Dean has been given the most amazing piece of kit to help aid his walking and reduce his falls. Its called a Foot Up. The Orthotist only had one to give him at his appointment last week, therefore it was applied to his weaker left side. But he is due to be fitted with another for his other foot in the next couple of weeks. I was waiting for both to arrive before I shared the news of this fabulous new enhancement for Dean, but I couldnt wait. Chemotherapy created a lot of nerve damage in Deans legs, ultimately rendering him unable to walk for the best part of 12 months. The lasting consequences of this nerve damage means Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO), wedged insoles and prescription shoes are a large part of Deans future. Although Physiotherapy is ongoing, Deans gait will never be fully fixed. Even though I am completely driven by the hope that it might. This amazingly simple piece of kit has two parts, an ankle strap and shoe insert. The shoe insert is placed behind the shoelaces and the ankle strap applied. Once in place both are attached together using a clip and a strong piece of elastic. Each time Dean pushes downwards on his foot in a walking/running motion the elastic helps guide the foot back up by pulling his foot upwards, eliminating the drop foot Dean suffers. The drop foot means the muscle memory doesnt pull the foot up in a normal walk/run pattern, creating dragging of the front of the foot causing frequent falls. The boots Dean wears to support his ankles and the insoles he wears to turn his feet inwards to straighten them, really help place his feet in a front facing/normal position. But the foot ups complete the set and does the bit Dean cant do so well when his muscles tire. When I walk behind Dean now I can see daylight between the floor and the toe of his boot. I cant wait for his to receive the other one.
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 14:45:42 +0000
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