The Obsession With Walking..Why?

I'd wear it in a second. If it took this or any other mechanical devise to keep me upright, so be it.
I don't know what it's like being in a chair, but I'm going to do everything in my power to stay out of one.

I honestly don't even care about walking (anymore), I'd honestly just like to get off the vent. Being realistic here.

How closs are you to not needing a vent Pink...What obsticals remain for you?

Joe

Me too Wavewolf. The chair actually gives me much more mobility so its a good thing to me, not any type of defeat. But when I first started using forearm crutches it took me a really long time and I should have started using them years sooner. But eventually I just had it, and went out and bought a cane from walgreens. The fair has always been special to me and I'd spend every day there as a 4-H kid, and when I couldn't spend 90 minutes there with multiple breaks to rest... The cane ended up returned the following day because it was a complete disaster attempting to use it, but then I ordered my first pair of forearm crutches. The difference in what I could do was amazing to me and I was so excited.

When the Dr first brought up using a wheelchair, I resisted and said no. It did take me 6 months to say "ok give me the script" but I kept remembering when I first got the forearm crutches. And the difference with the chair was 100x more amazing. I still use a combination of mobility aids, I have joint bracing (I love my AFOs!), forearm crutches, manual wheelchair, power wheelchair, and am getting a smart drive power assist for my manual. They're all tools to get me more out of life.

My ortho focuses on walking as if thats my only problem, and with my knee surgery he wants to focus on getting me walking more... Thats not my top priority. Walking isn't the be all end all, and even if there was a surgical fix for my joints, I still have a heart condition and orthostatic intolerance that makes being upright exhausting for me. I'd much rather get rid of the fatigue, pain, my b&b issues, etc before suddenly being able to walk perfectly fine.