I also got a small stool from a medical supply store to be able to take showers sitting down. This chair is very stable and simple: it has a wide sitting area with two handles on both ends so that you can lift yourself easily.
Transferring myself from the sink area to the bath tub was a two step process. First, I sat on the border of the bath tub (make sure you place a towel, just in case the bath tub is wet. You don’t want to trip at this point). Once safely sat facing outside the bath tub, I then grabbed the stool by the handles with both hands and slowly lifted myself while keeping the good foot on the floor until I was safely sitting on the stool. Next, carefully I carefully moved my good leg inside the bath tub, leaving the bottom half of my injured leg outside. Finally, I closed the shower curtain over the top half of my injured leg. At this point, positioned at a 90 degree angle to the shower head and facing the shower curtain I was ready to take a shower.
For extra precaution, just in case water leaked out of the shower, I wrapped a dry towel around the boot. Once I had taken the shower, I reversed the procedure to get out. It is kind of uncomfortable at the beginning, but after a couple of weeks you should get the hang of it.
There are all sorts of stools and bath tub aids out there, including something called a “transfer station” (basically a long, bench-like stool that rests partially outside the bath tub so you can sort of slide your way inside the bath tube). However, the simple stool I used did the trick for me and I didn’t need more sophisticated equipment.
17 comments:
Thanks for these very practical solutions! They are working out for me as well. Reading your blog-pre-surgery, helped me prepare for the NWB period of time.
Since I have to keep my foot elevated 24/7, I also placed a smalll hassock with a pillow on top in my bathroom. So when I am in there I can keep my foot up!
Also, before the rupture I was in and out of a walking cast (moon boot) for over a year -- and at times was not allowed to take it off even to sleep or shower. I would use tall plastic garbage bags (the kind with a drawstring)-- cover the boot and then use masking tape to make sure the seal was tight. I found that worked very well. My doctor also sold a special plastic cover -- but I didn't find that it worked well.
And another idea. For the first couple of weeks it can be hard to shower/bathe when you are still in the NWB stage. (Prior to rupturing my Achilles tendon I've had four foot surgeries.) At any medical pharmacy you can purchase no rinse shampoo, no rinse body wash and disposable wash cloths. While I much prefer a shower, these items work very well (they are used by NASA). I still try to wash my hair in the kitchen sink with my knee on a chair to keep my leg up. But these no rinse items can be very helpful in the early, more difficult stages of recovery.
hi you can also use a waterproof cast sock which can be bought of ebay very useful when having a shower and work very well indeed especially the one made from dry suit material, happy hopping .
I purchased a shower bench last night. Changed my life, literally. This is easily the best $40 I have spent in some time. I strongly recommend some sort of shower seat.
The better clear wraps (Saran Wrap, Reynolds, etc.) that sticks to itself does a wonderful job keeping your cast dry during the first few weeks. It is easier and better than using a garbage bag and tape.
If you need to keep a cast dry, a great bit of kit which I use is called a XeroSox (see www.xerosox.com). The heavy duty rubber boot fits over the cast and you then pump the air out with the supplied pump. It forms a great air/water tight seal around your leg.
Iain
Does anyone have any recommendations for someone who tore their left achilles (in terms of positioning in the shower)?
Use a bath?
I have a small walk-in shower and used a fold-up camping chair (the kind with the hole in the arm for drinks), which filled up the whole of the width, making it feel secure and unlikely to topple over as a small stool might. I kept the shower door open and kept my my bad foot elevated on a small, lightweight camping tripod stool in front of the shower. To keep the leg dry whilst I was wearing a cast (for the first fortnight), I used a plastic carrier bag that I had sut the bootom of, inserted my leg into it and tucked it into the top of the cast. I then wrapped the rest of the leg in a bathtowel. It kept it perfectly dry (which is important, to avoid fungal infection) every time. During week 6 I was able to stand (*very carefully*_ in the shower. I'm now in week 8. I opted not to have surgery. My Achilles Tendon Rupture Conservative blog is reporting my progress.
For those with a bathtub, the following might work for you: I bought a shower chair that bridges the tub wall, so that two feet sit inside the tub, and the other two feet sit outside the tub. You can just sit on the seat outside the tub, and slide into the tub, close the shower curtain, and off you go...having a shower hose attachment makes things even easier...I found this life saving.
I also have a walk-in shower and used a simple plastic garden chair - you know the kind that are stackable and they sell in every country of the world. I let me booted foot out of the shower resting on the toilet. Of course it all depends on the confi of your bathroom.
Finally at 12 weeks after surgery I can stand in the shower. The warm water feels good and it is nice to to after my physio exercises.
Shower tubseat with a handheld shower head worked very well for me. Got a long plastic shower boot from the pharmacy that did not do all that well until my wife started wrapping cast in Glad wrap which did the trick. I also was able to prop my bad leg up on the ledge so that water was less likely to track down the leg.
Thanks for the shower idea! My husband and I have been plotting ways to get him a shower. He is 6'7", and I am afraid of him falling. I am getting a shower bench today!
Hello I am now 5 Weeks post op just went to the doc and got my walking boot with heel lifts but i am still in a NWB state for 3 weeks! After reading all of the other stories i feel like my doctor is ultra conservative. Also each time i went to the doc he never did any kind of tests no stretching no mri no nothing just heres a cast come back in 3 weeks heres another cast come back in two weeks and now heres a walking boot you CANT walk on come back in two weeks which will turn into three cause of the holiday. Does this seem normal? Did your doctors do any sort of tests before telling you hat to do? Please im really going crazy here and i need some advice. austin.j_216@ahoo.com
AJ- my best advice to you is just be patient, wait out these next three weeks and make sure everything is well healed, before you take that next step (literally!) in your recovery. You've come this far already and only your surgeon knows what things looked like from the inside. I would trust his judgement and follow his advice. There is no specific test to ensure that things are healing well outside of monitoring the incision for infection and the like. On a brighter note, at least you are not stuck in that hard cast while being NWB. You can remove the boot and bathe the area and massage it to help improve circulation and decrease swelling. That is definitely a positive. Stay with it since you're almost there!
Thanks for the advice Rob its greatly appreciated. I also had one more question I seen this inferno wrap thing on the internet and was wondering if anybody has used it or has any info that says it really works. it says its for increasing blood flow which is essential but i dont wanna buy it and end up stuck with a $150 piece of garbage!
I had some unfortunate luck with my Achilles. Just had my 3rd Achilles surgery (2 on left, 1 on rt) a couple months back and have discovered a few additional things that might help. Get a stool in your bathroom and kitchen. Super handy when trying to prep and eat meals and brush teeth etc in the bathroom when you can only stand on one leg. Until I could walk I liked to prep food, then sit and eat at the counter in my kitchen. It's a real pain trying to take plates and stuff back and forth to a table or living room. Also, a removable shower head helps a ton. If you don't like them usually you can get one for pretty cheap and install it before surgery. If you have stairs, set up your house to limit your trips. For instance I left all my regular clothes downstairs in the washroom as well as my toothbrush and other bathroom stuff. If you play your cards right you only have to do stairs once or twice a day. Try and have people make food for you that u can eat for a few meals (stew, spaghetti, etc) &/or get some you can tolerate that's easy to make. One of my favorites when I didn't have anything else was PF Chang's frozen meals. Actually pretty good and relatively healthy...spendy though. Good luck people.
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