#my orthotics fit and everything

[britcision]

👀👀👀

Fellow Demonia Stan???

This was the year I finally caved on the silver holo Shakers and put ace laces in them and it is my best decision of the year I literally can’t recommend them enough

BUT

Pink holo longboy Shakers have been on sale for Months tempting me

(https://demoniacult.com/collections/sale-over-the-knee-boots/products/shaker-374bphgpt)

And white holo Voids there is so much pink and white holo in the sale section rn it’s killing me

What’s your favourite style??

So my birthday present to myself for next year is gonna be celebrating my fucking half birthday instead and when January comes I’m just sleeping for the whole week I’ll pretend I’m excited to exist in July

Expecting me to make plans and shit in the arse end of the year when everyone is sneezing all over everything and it’s fucking freezing?

No thank you how about when I have experienced sunlight and warmth and positive emotions

[berenwrites]

I have my new legs!

Well I have my orthotics, at least, which makes my legs feel like they are new. I also have new shoes to go with them - the most expensive shoes I have ever owned 🤣 - they're Italian!

This is my left leg in the orthotic. Couldn't get a decent angle on the right one ����. The orthotics are carbon fibre and support my ankle and give my heel something to stand on, since my foot is at a permanent 50ish degree angle.

I put the tube bandage on as a test, and don't have one on the other side and have quickly come to the conclusion it's entirely unnecessary. Might invest in some long socks though, just because that would be fun.

This is the left one without the shoe.

As you can see they also make my foot longer to a) fit in the shoe and b) assist with my stride pattern.

The shoes are great because they just do up via the little knob on the side and the back comes down like a tongue so I can get the orthotic in much more easily.

The orthotics make me so much more stable and support everything. They also make me at least an inch taller 😆. I've always been about half an inch taller than my twin, but now I can lord it over her 🤣.

Now I have to wear them for the next 4 weeks or so, see if I have any problems and go back to LOC to make any adjustments. Jack, my consultant, was awesome - we were there for 4.5hrs yesterday and he made loads of adjustments already.

My only real issue is my big and little toe on my right foot rub on the shoe, so going to have to figure out how to stop that. My big toe is right under part of the adjustment to fasten the shoe, unlike on the left one (the joys of having feet that are on at slightly different angles and where my ankles only move a few millimetres in either direction).

It is quite amazing the difference they make. I don't need my crutches at all so far (we will see about out of the house later on). Although I have discovered that if I get up some speed, stopping is a little more tricky - almost walked into a door when going across the old dining room towards my office 😆. It's a bit like walking down hill too fast.

Oh and standing up from the loo is somewhat entertaining, because it's lower than a normal seat 🤣🤣🤣.

The coming weekend will be a good test since it's Easter Sunday and we're having everyone round to our place for lunch, so there will be lots of standing and cooking.

I was worried that they might make sitting down at my desk uncomfortable, but it is the opposite - they make it a lot more comfortable. They prevent any pressure on my ankles and encourage me to sit up straighter. Not an outcome I had anticipated.

Now I just need to practice getting them on and off.

[oloreandil]

hello i saw you talking a bit in the tags of the cane post you reblogged from me hehe, you mentioned you might make a longer post about the use of canes for balance, figured id send an ask so if u wanted u could put that in the answer. im really interested to learn more about it — im currently writing a character who uses a cane for balance reasons and i might have to use one someday since i live somewhere that gets gotdamn icy in the winter, so im interested to hear how best practices differ from using a cane for injury/pain

hi ! very happy to infodump about (my) cane usage, after this post. i'm adding this one which has incredible advice on tons of mobility aids. prefacing this with "ymmv, varied sources help because everyone does different things", as usual ^^

cane usage can be about distance or span of time you need to walk / stand up. this depends on why you need the cane and if certain situations trigger it more

for me, walking is better than standing up still, because i'm not weighing down on any body part long enough to cause pain. leaning on the cane hurts even if i switch hands regularly. crutches (especially forearm crutches) are more efficient, but not indefinitely

for long visits and similarly tiring activities (lots of still time + starting / stopping movement), a wheelchair is way more useful. otherwise the heterogeneity of the movement will hurt in itself

canes are a huge help with footing if the terrain slopes, gets uneven or is a little unpredictable. however if the terrain is muddy, extremely crumbly / cracked, or slippery, you may need tip attachments to make the grip better

you need more space to move around, and have to be careful not to knock into people / objects when you move and turn, but poor spatial awareness or muscle control will mean you still bump into things frequently

i lean on everything if i'm inside and don't have my cane ready, if i need something stable which doesn't depend on my ability to hold it, or if my legs / arms are giving out

the rubber tip reduces the aftershock of the stick slamming into the ground, especially if you have trouble measuring your strength. else, the tapping will genuinely hurt your arm + shoulder and also everyone in a five mile radius will hear you walking around

the handle needs to fit your hand (larger hand = larger handle etc). there's slide-on handles to help reduce the strain if closing your hand tight hurts. ataxia / tremors can make you drop your cane or clutch it even tighter and needs to be accounted for (softer grip, wrist strap)

any new mobility device is gonna hurt in the beginning as your nerves get used to constant pressure in a new shape. this was worse for my crutch than for my cane, possibly because the crutch came first. wheelchairs hurt in unexpected ways but i have less experience

when you stop using the cane, your hand can hurt from the sudden change in pressure on your nerve, and the rest of your body too as the limbs readjust. if you have paresthesia (clinical "pins and needles" basically), holding the cane can make it worse. i don't know how orthotics would interact with that

misc

foldable canes are very good because they can fit in your bag, instead of falling over or stabbing you in the chest when the vehicle suddenly stops. it also means you don't forget them if you have to leave quick and you're distracted

me holding my beloved foldable cane and showing the opening swoop (my favourite part). ID in alt text

using a cane slows you down... usually. the energy of a character will still affect their speed. i have always walked like a maniac which means i clack-clack my way along, out of breath + tired at the end. i can't run anymore though, so catching up with / escaping someone ranges from difficult to impossible

hidden features of the cane would work best if they don't impede its use (no additional weight, no need to take it apart / off the ground): storage of data, small items like needles, something that incorporates the tapping of the cane or its material...

stairs are difficult. how i do it is put cane two steps above me, and repeat every time i reach that step (less arm movements, easier on my shoulder). i have read vastly different methods, so my takeaway is everyone has their rhythm and the amount of training to find what works / focus implementing it will vary. brain fog, emotional deregulation and physical pain set you back

[marcholasmoth]

OSRR: 3244

i am in pain

does anybody want a uterus system? because i sure as fuck don't. please remove this offensive organ from my abdomen.

why do we have to have them. why can't we opt into them? why aren't we just "default: none" and then we can read the terms and conditions and decide if we want it? probably because nobody would want to have it. it sucks and i hate it and this pain is all my fault because i'm a dumbass and haven't been taking my birth control since i got it replaced. i'm pretty sure i've said that a few times.

anyway.

today wasn't so bad. definitely disorganized, but not bad. i ended up walking somewhere around five miles or so, around campus and into and around buildings and everything. i got to see most of the buildings today. walked around a lot. don't remember jack shit except the supervisor's name.

had lunch with a small group of people, got ramen noodles and proceeded to get soup on my shirt. boo.

learned a bunch. forgot it. did some computer training. being up early fucks with my clock. can't tell when it's 10am. feels like 1pm. eeeefjhgrjjfkfkggh.

after work i napped on the bus (this morning i learned how big south station is) after walking something like another half mile from the train to the bus.

went to see a friend to work on sociology and get dinner and i got back about 10:20, put my laundry in so i've got something to wear tomorrow, discovered my foot is doing its annual summer "itch and scratch until it bleeds" stage, which fucking sucks because as of this summer i now have orthotics i need to wear that i can't wear without socks, so i need to find similarly supportive shoes that'll fit the orthotics that have an open top to them because this is fucking awful and it's gonna be another giant ass scar and i can't not scratch it. bad times. on top of the persistent cramps.

when i got on the bus this morning, i realized too late that i left my advil and my chocolate in my car. i had to buy new advil at the bus station. i'm just glad i stopped for bagels. bagels and water. my stomach is just wicked fuckin unhappy. i hate cramps. this is awful.

joel's sweet, though. he reminded me to switch my laundry over and he gave me hugs when i got pissed off at the cable for my phone because it got stuck in the bed frame wheel. how the fuck does that happen??? pisses me off. boo.

anyway. sleep time.

[yarnings]

So, I’m not fully able bodied. I don’t really call myself disabled (physically), because most of the time I’m fine. It’s just that every now and again, one of my joints (these days it’s my ankles) will just up and tell me “nope, not now”. It doesn’t happen often enough for me even to have gone to the doctor about it (I admit, I was kind of hoping that getting my new orthotics would address it).

The problem is that one of those days was today. When I was *almost* to the bus stop, to go do a *big* grocery shop. Like, instead of my regular backpack I grabbed a hiking backpack to carry stuff that didn’t fit into the big bundle buggy home with. So here I am, coming home from the grocery store, hobbling to the courtesy seats at the front of the bus with a GIANT hiking backpack on, a 15+kilo large bundle buggy, and a bag of rice (only 8kg though) that didn’t fit into either of those.

I ended up calling a friend when I got off the bus to help me get everything home.

[a-roby4896]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Justin Ladies Boots L4606 10" Black Calfy NWOT In Original Box.

[nineliabilityrisk]

been thinking about my muses even though ive been way too busy to write. todays topic was michael so.

adding a cut bc these rambles are probably gonna end up ridiculously long

my michael uses (SHOULD use. stubborn headass often refused when he was little because he thought people would judge him.) mobility aids. even pre-scooping his repeated injuries from getting into fights / being needlessly reckless only exaggerated certain pre-existing conditions he had (weak / unstable joints + chronic pain making prolonged periods of unsupported standing / walking difficult)

when he was younger, before everything went to shit, he did get brought to the doctor and recommended an orthotic brace for his bad knee and a set of forearm crutches to help take the weight off his lower joints. he used the brace a lot when he was little and his crutches a little less often, but as he grew up and outgrew the sizing for both, there came a certain point where william couldnt be bothered to take him in for fittings or get them replaced (especially after an incident when someone at his school broke one of his crutches — after '83 william never really bothered intervening in any bullying related incidents involving michael and probably rationalized not getting him a new set by telling himself the boy deserved the treatment as punishment for what hed done)

so he stopped using said mobility aids for a good few years, but after he moved out and before the time sl rolled around, he did end up scraping together the money to at least get himself a new pair of crutches because his pain was only getting worse the longer he went without them. sure he didnt hold many jobs where he was made to stand for extended periods of time but after a certain point it ended up making some everyday tasks incredibly difficult for him

anyway um. obviously he could never bring his crutches with him into circus babys. imagine trying to crawl through a vent while dragging those things along i would die. he hated it at the time but he is at least somewhat grateful that he didnt end up losing them when he got scooped because there was no way he would end up being able to afford a replacement pair, especially not with how hard finding jobs was post-ennard

especially after ennard leaves, his Everything Hurts All The Time problems just get worse, and he ends up relying on the crutches far more than he ever did when he was alive — no matter how much (or how little) the remnant heals him, the nerve damage he experienced from his body quite literally rotting away isnt exactly something that just disappears overnight. his crutches help take some of the weight off his legs — he found out after breaking his femur that even his bones had beem affected by the animatronic's prolonged stay, seeming far more brittle than before. he gets pinched nerves / numbness from where the crutch rests just below his elbows sometimes if he puts too much pressure on them, and with a good chunk of his muscle mass rotted away its gotten far more difficult to support his weight on his arms whatsoever, but trying to walk unsupported would just be so much worse.

tl;dr: my michael af.ton is disabled and had been long before ennard happened. i dont bring it up much because i cant often find times where its relevant, but it is a fact about him that i almost always keep in mind.

[ this entire post was written by a disabled individual who uses the exact mobility aids spoken on in this post. mentioning the incidents where michaels access to his mobility aids was limited / removed by others OR younger michael refusing to use them does not mean i am trivializing such experiences or supporting those actions myself. a disabled persons mobility aids are an extension of their body and should be treated as such. taking away his crutches likely did lasting damage to his joints + the rest of his body. if you are someone who needs a mobility aid – no matter if you dont feel like you need it "enough," if you think it will help you and improve your quality of life that means you need it – never feel ashamed to use it or avoidant due to fear of the opinions of others. mobility aids are important medical devices and should be respected as such. ]

[semiotomatics]

yeah okay lets talk abt this (sorry it got long i needed to vent lol)

okay so. the basics: started getting pretty severe back pain in 2013 when i started having to stand for 8 hours at a time at my job. ended up getting a workers comp claim filed and going to physio, where they taught me some exercises to strengthen my core/other muscles + got those like, deep tissue/pressure point massages w heat or w/e. but the workers comp only lasted like a couple months or smth so i stopped going after that

fast forward to summer 2015 n im at a local street festival n a chiropractor is offering free x-rays + consult for ppl experiencing back pain. well! i absolutely was still experiencing back pain! so i got said free x-rays n at the consult learned that i had 1) scoliosis 2) a tilted pelvis and 3) an extra lumbar vertebrae. he (ofc) recommended i start getting treated by him but a) my medical at the time didnt cover chiropractors and b) iiiii didnt really have the best opinion of chiropractic uhhh anything xD so i declined

over the next seven years my back pain got worse and worse, and i developed pain basically throughout my entire body, with the worst of it centring around my lower back/knees/ankles/feet. in late 2020 i finally got fitted for custom orthotics during which the...guy-who-gets-you-fitted-for-orthotics noted i had "some of the flattest feet he had ever seen" (possibly also some of the most flexible ankles he had ever seen as well, i cant remember lol). i already knew i had flat feet (obvs) n suspected my ankles were fucked up but it was v validating to hear him confirm that both of these things would increase my chances of experiencing back/knee/ankle/foot pain. unfortunately, i got those orthotics shortly after getting laid off from work n ended up not working again till almost a year later so i wasn't really able to like, test them out for a while, and by the time i did and found out they didnt really help, my free adjustment period had ended :(

alongside the chronic back/joint pain i also started experiencing sciatic nerve pain as well as routinely "throwing out" my back (idk if i pinch a nerve or tear a muscle or what but im basically bedbound for like. a week or more and if i move or use that muscle at all its the most excruciating pain ive ever experienced in my life). in late summer 2022 i "threw out my back" while volunteering n ended up walking on it for like. a couple hours afterwards which uhhhhhhhhh fucked me up severely. the pain started radiating out from my back into my hips/legs, and my hips literally just straight up stopped moving/working right anymore. i was walking like, not with a limp but almost like with a weird sway to my hips? aaaaand my scoliosis reversed itself!!! where before my spine had curved to one side, all of a sudden it was curving the other way!! and the curve was much more noticeable just by looking at my silhouette in the mirror than it ever had been before!! which was not a thing i thought could happen!! so like, what the fuck!!

i ended up getting prescribed prescription-strength muscle relaxants as well as prescription-strength naproxen for that injury, which was a godsend, but i also was motivated, mostly by the whole scoliosis-reversal thing, to actually get my back checked out by someone to see wtf was going on. so i went to a local clinic (i have no pcp) and explained my situation to the dr, basically everything ive just described here.

and he said. and i quote "well, losing weight would help with that"

.

you guys.

when i tell you that i burst into tears

i burst into tears in that room and begged him, begged him to help me find out what was wrong. i told him the pain was preventing me from working, preventing me from running errands, preventing me from living. i told him i was feeling actively suicidal because of both the pain itself and how it was destroying my life.

finally, after listening to all that, he said, exasperated: "well what do you want me to do?"

and i said "please, can you just refer me to get an x-ray to see what's going on with my back"

so he did. and i went and got an x-ray a few days later. i asked the tech there if i could get a copy of them and she said to wait until they were sent to the doctors office and request copies from them, so i did. when they hadn't called me back in a couple weeks i called them asking if they had received them yet. they said no. i asked if they would call me when they did. they said yes.

they never did.

that was in december 2022. then 2023 happened and i just. i gave up yall. i gave up on ever getting a fucking answer for why i was in so much pain, let alone ever being able to fix it. even after my breakdown this summer which finally led to me starting on antidepressants and then therapy, i still didnt have a shred of faith that id ever be able to get any dr to give a shit abt the debilitating pain i had spent the last decade of my life experiencing

and then. finally. this week. i was just like. fuck it. whats the email of that clinic. and i found it, and i emailed them asking for copies of my x-rays, if they still had them. and they responded! the very next day! unfortunately they only gave me the...i assume radiologists? findings rather than the x-rays themselves (im gonna write back seeing if/how i can get those, cause i do still want them for my records). but still!! oh my god!! its been an entire calendar year but i finally got to find out what the results were!!

so the extra lumbar vertebrae i knew already. the rest i was kinda surprised to hear cause like? ive seen my 2015 x-rays and they clearly showed my scoliosis/tilted pelvis? so i assumed this would too? but who knows! it had been seven years! also the first set were done standing up, while these ones were done lying down, so idk how that might affect things. in any case, i decided to google this "presumed lumbarization of S1 vertebra", just to see what came up

yall.

yall.

so like!!! okay!!! when i was told the whole "having an extra lumbar vertebra was fine and wouldn't cause back pain" thing that was just straight up false i guess!! and when i went to the dr and told him i had low back pain + scoliosis + an extra lumbar vertebra he should've!! perhaps!! investigated further!!

i cannot explain to you how furious this makes me. whether this is the exclusive cause of my back pain, a contributing cause, hell, even if its a complete red herring. every source i read indicated that if a patient presents with chronic severe low back pain AND known structural abnormalities (like literally all of mine!!) that they should fucking consider that perhaps those two things are related!! they should AT FUCKING LEAST try to rule them out as causes!!!!!!! they definitely shouldnt tell their (not in any way overweight btw) patient to lose weight!!!!!! fuck!!!!!

anyway. in the new year i am going to try again to get a dr to take me seriously. and maybe they wont. maybe ill have to cry and beg again for them to give me the basic standard of care. but fuck!! im not going to give up until SOMEONE agrees to actually figure out what the fuck is wrong with me!! i don't want to be in pain anymore!!! i just fucking dont!!!!!!!

HOLY SHIT

fucking. fuck.

i dont have the energy/mental bandwidth to properly explain rn but i just Learned Something abt my body that could explain a biiiiiig part of the issues ive been having

and the fact that im only learning it now, in december 2023 at the age of almost-30, has me. fuming

i legitimately want every single apathetic/lazy/misogynistic/fucking ableist healthcare professional to die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nursegracecreates]

Hi, idk if you're taking scenario requests or not so if you aren't I apologize! But if you are, may I please request a scenario of Sal with a Male S/O (or gn) that have a prosthetic arm?

I'm always taking requests (and commissions are open too), sweet pea, so your wish is my command 💖

💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫

Sal Fisher with a [GN!]SO That Has a Prosthetic Arm 💙

It was never really an issue at any point that you have a prosthetic arm

It doesn't matter if you've needed one since birth, or if something happened that required an amputation.

Sal has a few prosthetic parts himself. His face, his eye, hell he even has a few dental implants.

So while he's sympathetic towards your prosthetic arm's backstory, whatever it is, he sees your prosthetic arm as just another part of you.

He's gonna make sure that first and foremost, that the skin of your actual arm is well taken care of. He says that if your skin is well taken care of, the prosthetic itself won't be irritating to your skin.

Next is the prosthetic itself.

Sal's gonna make sure that it's a perfect fit on multiple levels.

Honestly, I can see him working at one of those prosthetics and orthotics shops. Kind of like a tailor but for medical equipment.

First things first, what are you doing with it? What are your hobbies? If you have a job, what do you do? Based off of your answers, he'll help you find options that support your activities and physical standards.

Secondly, Sally is always concerned with his SO's comfort level. Be it the most comfy sweats, to a chair that gives proper support, Sal will continually ask

"Are you comfy? Do you need anything?"

This will reflect in making sure your prosthetic arm is comfortable too. Sal will consider everything from overall weight of the prosthetic to how the material it's made from fits and feels against your skin.

Finally, Sal knows that appearance is a huge part of selecting a prosthetic. No one wants to have to strap a hideous monstrosity onto their body every morning.

He's picked up a few tricks with insurance companies to basically make them pay for better quality things.

So after all of your other needs in a prosthetic arm are met, you two get to enjoy the fun part of picking or customizing your arm so it's cute, yet functional

Other than those things, Sal doesn't make a big deal about your prosthetic

If you have certain things that you have issues doing due to your prosthetic arm, Sal is your man for literally lending a hand.

Having trouble opening something? Sal's got it. Need that candle lit?

I got you babe

If you have phantom pain, or end of limb pain, Sal will help you explore options to relieve it.

If you smoke, Sal always operates the lighter for you.

It's just one of the things he likes to do to feel useful.

If your arm ever needs any repairs, Sal will work on it, and sometimes he'll get Todd in on it and they end up "upgrading" it in ways

TLDR: While Sal doesn't mind your prosthetic arm since he has prosthetics too, he will make sure your arm is comfy and just what you need. Ever the sweetheart, Sal just wants to take care of you 💙

[cephalopodiums]

Every time I see gtws fanart with an orthosis I'm like "!!!! Orthosis! :D" And then I look away to not overanalyze the Design and try to not go on a research spree on historical orthotics and material sciences of the Minecraft materials and how they could be integrated into orthotics designs. like what would a KAFO out of diamonds weigh? What material corresponds to netherite and how would using that affect things? Would it even be practical? How would you work with such a material, and would it's durability be longer than necessary? Probably not, and it would probably be able to be modified if it doesn't fit as well anymore... But the weight would probably be an issue, since an ingot is made out of four gold bars and gold is way heavy, so, I think that would put netherite out of the running. How similar is diamond to carbon fiber? They are made out of the same base atom, but of course structure is everything. Man i really wanna know if there would be a material with some of the properties of carbon fiber composite in Minecraft theory dream world. But with magic like potion how would that affect the use and design of orthotics? Potion of leaping and potion of speed, would that affect anything? man. Now I rambled, even though I didn't want to. Leather steel KAFO, probably copper used as well... I'm stopping now. My break is over and I need to go make a real orthosis.

[berenwrites]

I Love My Orthotics

So I've had my orthotics from LOC now since just before Easter, and they are amazing.

I can cook again without being in crippling pain for days afterwards. I still have to take breaks and sit down, but I can get up again without it being a hobbling experience.

I can carry my own things because I'm not using my crutches every time we go out. Have to admit I almost cried when we went to a community concert and they had refreshments during the interval and I didn't have to sit there and ask my hubby to go get me some things on a plate, I could do it myself.

And when we walk up the road, Rob and I can hold hands again. Haven't been able to do that for about 15 years because of the crutches.🥰🥰

Still loving being so much taller too. Getting into my kitchen cupboards is so much easier!

Uneven surfaces are a bit of a challenge, but I'm getting them figured out. Walking up my sister's drive (it's steep) gives my calves a good stretch - thought I might have to walk up it backwards at one point.🤣

Went out to Canterbury wearing them for the first time last week and had to grab my sister's arm at one point because the pavements are so uneven, but I was getting it by the end. Have definitely activated muscles I wasn't using overly much before. 🤣

Have one small problem though - standing up off lower seats. I mostly need a little help from something supportive close by. Went to the hairdressers on Sat and had to nip to the loo while waiting for Rob to be finished. Realised after I had sat down that there wasn't really much to hang on to to stand back up. Thought for a minute I might have to take the orthotics off before I could stand up 🤣. Luckily there was a sturdy, old fashioned radiator within reach. 🤣🤣

The orthotics need a bit of tweaking, but I have another appointment at the end of the month for that, so all is good.

A lovely friend also bought me some awesome welly socks to show off.

Have discovered that I need close fitting, cushioned socks for everything to work best, so have bought some boring hiking socks for that and have turned the welly socks into leg warmers. These are probably the least colourful of the set, but I keep forgetting to take piccies.

The fastenings on the boots also keep loosening a bit when I wear them, which they are not supposed to do, but the mechanism has a lifetime warranty and with one email to the manufacturers, they are sending me a repair kit to fix it.

BTW, is anyone has issues with toes rubbing on shoes, I cannot recommend these enough: Protectoe. The link is the silicon big toe cover, but the brand does all sorts for all toes, including skin coloured ones. I've tried other brands in the past that kept slipping off or were too tight, but these are amazing, soft, non-slip, comfy, and fully washable. Just don't put any cream on first or they slide like you greased a cookie sheet 😆.

[tea-and-spoons]

What happens when... I get custom orthotics?

I’m so excited for you, you’re going to feel so much better!  I can walk SO much longer without pain with my custom orthotics, and I really hope it’s the same for you!  I think it’s super cool how making a tiny adjustment at your feet can make such a massive difference in how you feel.

This post is about the kind of custom orthotics that are like shoe inserts and just go under your foot, not AFOs or anything more complex.  And there are a lot of different ways you might get casted for custom orthotics, so I’m just going to write about the one I get.  My evaluation and casting was done by a physical therapist, but you can also get custom orthotics at a dedicated orthotics and prosthetics office.

So!  Getting custom orthotics starts with an evaluation to figure out what’s going on with your legs.  They’ll watch you stand and walk in bare feet, measure your ankles and feet really precisely, and move around your knees, ankles, and toes.

Once you’re done getting measured, then it’s time for getting casted.  They had me lie on my stomach on the exam table with my feet hanging off the end.  I’m really jumpy, so they also put a mirror up by my head so I could watch what was happening and that was really nice.  I think most PT and orthotics clinics have a mirror around, so it’s worth asking if that would help you too!

The actual casting involves strips of plaster placed over the soles of your feet, and then smoothed by hand to become the right shape.  It’s very similar to if you’re ever had a plaster cast for a broken bone, except it’s right on your skin.  It’s warm and kind of slimy because it gets soaked in hot water to soften it.  It takes a bit to get this part done because they have to get the plaster strips smoothed so they’re snug to your feet and cover every part.  And then you wait for it to dry and harden while you hold still- I remember that taking around 10 minutes.  Once it’s hardened, the plaster cast gets carefully slid off and you have a perfect mold of your foot!  It leaves some chalky white residue on your feet, but whatever doesn’t come off with a towel will come right off with water.  And then you (most likely) do it all again for the other foot!

The finished molds go off to whoever is making your orthotics, and you wait at least a couple weeks while they make your new “feet”.  The actual orthotics will be plastic or carbon fiber on the bottom, with some fabric over the top.

When your orthotics are made, you go back in for the final steps!  (pun not originally intended, but now that I’ve noticed, I’m leaving it in)  They’ll have you stand on the orthotics to test the fit, and the fabric on top needs to be trimmed.  (If you have to trim your own, just trace the inserts that came with your shoes!)  The most important part here is to SLOWLY build up how much time you wear your new orthotics for each day.  Seriously, add maaaaybe an hour each day.  Custom orthotics are adjusting not only the alignment at your feet, but everything else up through your lower back too, it totally changes how you walk.  For the first week or so after I got mine, I would just randomly lose my balance and like, tip over in the grocery store!  If you go too fast, things might start hurting even if your orthotics are perfect.  So if things are hurting, try backing off how much time you wear them for.  But if you’re going nice and slow and it’s still ouch, definitely get in touch with your PT or orthotist.

Congrats on the new “feet”!!

[clunelover]

Good things:

1. I went to the physical therapist a couple weeks ago and he recommended buying an ankle brace on Amazon. I was sort of annoyed at this as a solution (um I already am looking pretty frumpy and bleh from the ankle down since I have to wear motion control shoes that fit my orthotics all day every day so adding a brace is not helping, also it’s not super comfy and it takes a while to put on) but ummm omg, now my feet are back to hurting just a normal amount instead of an insane, debilitating, already hurt when I wake up type way. So that’s pretty awesome! I’d greatly reduced the amount of cooking and working out I do because of the pain so hopefully those things will pick back up again

2. Calvin is 2 so will get into those big toddler moods where everything is horrible and all he will do is scream and say no to everything. This morning that was happening, and then in the midst of it Jeremy farted. He said, “excuse me! Daddy farted.” And Calvin screamed “NO! CALVIN farted!” And I just can’t get over that

3. We had Jeremy’s office party last night but we bailed very early and went to see Knives Out and it was great!!

[a-roby4896]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Justin Ladies Boots L4606 10" Black Calfy NWOT In Original Box.

[phansterrdan]

I'm enjoyably astonished by these: modest, a la mode, and comfortable shoes. At the point when I previously got them the heels appeared to be a little solid and hurt a piece however I worked them back in for with my hand and they felt incredible after. I can't remark on the insole especially in light of the fact that I generally take them out for a dr scholls one however you truly can't turn out badly with these by any means. I'm extremely content with the buy.

- Pics are following 2 months of wear, I don't spotless them routinely so ignore the stains.

audit imagereview picture

Bought for my child. Decent looking shoes. Fit him well with develop room.

Just fyi: no curve bolster and thin insole. It would appear that you could supplant the insole if necessary however they don't look sufficiently tall to oblige curve bolsters or orthotics. Not critical to my young person but rather felt it worth referencing for grown-ups.

It's been 4 days of wearing them for 12+ hours, so I feel I've outworn my entitlement to bring them back. Be that as it may, they're dreadful. Truly, the most exceedingly terrible. At the point when I walk, the back slips on my heel and rubs it sore, while simultaneously, the toe is so tight, it's making torment my enormous toe and commencing the main phase of an ingrown toenail. Additionally, by one way or another the shoetongue pushes on the highest point of my foot, and that is disturbing too. I've never had a shoe with this issue, I scarcely even ability to depict it. I wear size 9 in any event ten distinct brands, and in my size, these are by one way or another both too enormous, and excessively little.

I gave them 2 stars rather than 1, since they _look reallllly good._ Doesn't make any difference however, they're too agonizing to even think about continueing wearing.

Exceptionally decent shoes ! I purchased the "way cool" tan with cowhide PU articulations. I slipped in my own supplements and went through the following 8 hours in them, entirely agreeable. The thing to recall about these PU shoes is to purchase the elastic shoe covers Amazon offers to keep dampness off. PU and any water don't blend and furthermore could be the issue some state they are having with soles. I likewise have bought the KSwiss brand at Amazon and it would seem that a similar industrial facility item. Those soles I have had no issues with 2 sets yet others there guarantee they do and mine have gotten wet. I enjoyed the styles of these accessible better and requested an elastic shoe covers the previous evening from Amazon to go with this and I'm loving more styles here, so anticipate future buys.

I'm torn here, I truly loved the vibe of these shoes, but since I walk alot I drill openings in the bottoms directly to my feet inside 2 months of owning them. Soooo, i'd really purchase these again to have around for work or get-togethers, and another pair for long strolls. So to settle this audit, they're extremely agreeable, look incredible, and estimated well. however, in case you're a major buddy who strolls 5+ miles daily or something like that, they will be annihilated in a month or two.

I have comedian feet. At the point when I was small it was difficult to get anything In my size. This implied sore feet, ingrown toenails. It was an irritation. Luckily I don't have that issue nowadays as pretty much wherever I go, there is a size there for me. Another issue has come up however. It appears we are being approached to forfeit quality for cost. What occurs here is you purchase a believed brand and the shoes self-destruct in less than a year, at that point you spend the same amount of again to supplant them. I don't care for this new issue.

I held up some time before composing this survey, hoping to come on here and let you know these are modest which is as it should be. Cheerfully, no. We are not a long way from a year since I purchased these and the main genuine wear I see is a little break on the upper calfskin part over the toes. That is truly useful for $30.

They are quite alluring shoes and they fit well overall. I can disclose to you I do a lot of strolling, and frequently wear these while riding a bicycle. Suggesting for individuals who need something reasonable however you would prefer not to fall into that pattern of supplanting them a couple of times each year.

I purchased these in a 13 for my multi year old child who can be very exacting. The quality is brilliant, they fit superbly and are obviously truly agreeable. He is a major person so economically made shoes are awkward and self-destruct rapidly. No such stresses here. He wears them to the avoidance of the various shoes he claims they despite everything look new. I expect he will be wearing these for quite a while. I am in any event, considering purchasing the remainder of my senior children sets for Christmas. This was a genuine deal thinking about the quality and solace. I recomend these shoes to anybody thinking about them without reservation.

[haile-marie]

updates

nothing exciting but i said i would update 

well i haven’t contacted the two places my therapist recommended for seeking help with getting out of the house.... so.... hopefully she doesn’t like, scold me for that (she wont its my anxiety)

im eager to meet up with my therapist and tell her everything. these past few days have been eye opening. i had NO IDEA how bad my asthma has been controlling my life. im noticing it when i sing ahhhhh this is so good for me 

im also eager to meet back up with my school advisor and get things going. im going to be meeting with someone else afterwards that might be able to help with my moving out situation. thats not why i’m putting off talking to the places my therapist recommended, and im woman enough to admit it alsdkfj;

oh and a few weeks ago i got fitted for custom orthotics (after years and years and years of suffering) and i get them on thursday so hopefully 2020 will begin a new chapter of little to no foot pain either (minus car accident related things obviously). if these work, i will have spent $500 on other inserts which is going to just eat away at my wallet forever but oh well.

anyway i’ll definitely have more updates by friday since all of my appointments and shit will be over with. i don’t know who reads these but if you do i love you very very much and please have a wonderful day/night and take care of yourself as well ❤