Struggling to walk with Rollator

Mandie4711

Hi,
 I use a Rollator indoors and a wheelchair outside. Lately I’m struggling so much to walk safely and fear falling as broke my neck of femur 4 years ago which has made my mobility worse. Every time I have to walk I have panic attacks really badly . I’m so stressed out and it’s affecting me mentally and I’m depressed all the time. I would use my wheelchair for safety and less stress but I cannot transfer myself anymore since I broke my hip. I don’t know what to do for the best as if I’m having panic attacks about walking I’m going to fall and if I start using my wheelchair how on earth do I manage to get in out of . I’m so lost as really don’t know what to do. I’ve tried a transfer board but it hurts my hip when sitting on it plus I tip forward and cannot shuffle across. I really need help please.

luvpink

Mandie4711 said:

Hi,
 I use a Rollator indoors and a wheelchair outside. Lately I’m struggling so much to walk safely and fear falling as broke my neck of femur 4 years ago which has made my mobility worse. Every time I have to walk I have panic attacks really badly . I’m so stressed out and it’s affecting me mentally and I’m depressed all the time. I would use my wheelchair for safety and less stress but I cannot transfer myself anymore since I broke my hip. I don’t know what to do for the best as if I’m having panic attacks about walking I’m going to fall and if I start using my wheelchair how on earth do I manage to get in out of . I’m so lost as really don’t know what to do. I’ve tried a transfer board but it hurts my hip when sitting on it plus I tip forward and cannot shuffle across. I really need help please.

Hi
I would ask my gp for a physiotherapy assessment regarding the difficulties transferring in and out of the wheelchair.
Also explain to the gp the issues you are having with anxiety and how its affecting your ability/confidence to mobilise

They may prescribe you anti anxiety medication.

Albus_Scope

Hi @Mandie4711 I'm sorry to hear you've been struggling. Are you in regular contact with your GP? 

I agree with Luvpink and getting in touch with your GP is your best first course of action. Do you have any friends or family who can support you?

Mandie4711

Physio gave up on me and I’ve explained to my Dr all about my anxiety and was just given pills which made me dizzy that made my walking worse. I don’t tolerate medication very well. I’m anorexic now due to mouth pain as well like Trigeminal Neuralgia so have no upper body strength at all. Walking today my feet hurt so much as have osteoarthritis in foot and just broke down as cannot cope with this anymore . 

Mandie4711

My GP doesn’t help at all unfortunately.

Albus_Scope

Would it be possible to speak to a different GP at the same surgery? Sometimes speaking to a different doctor really can work wonders. I would suggest also speaking to your local council to organise a social care needs assessment as you could get some help at home. 

I've popped you a quick email.

luvpink

Mandie4711 said:

Physio gave up on me and I’ve explained to my Dr all about my anxiety and was just given pills which made me dizzy that made my walking worse. I don’t tolerate medication very well. I’m anorexic now due to mouth pain as well like Trigeminal Neuralgia so have no upper body strength at all. Walking today my feet hurt so much as have osteoarthritis in foot and just broke down as cannot cope with this anymore . 

There are medicines available that don't have dizziness as a side effect.
As Albus said you can request to speak to a different gp

You will need to explain to them that you can't take anything that would make you feel dizzy because its an unwanted side effect and dangerous for you due to your mobility issues.
Please don't give up.
Its do hard sometimes when we constantly have to struggle to get the help we need but this is your quality of life and perseverance is needed.
Have you spoken to a social prescriber at your gp surgery?
Quite often they are very supportive and can help to sign post you to services useful for the difficulties you face.

Mandie4711

All the medications I’ve been given have caused me to be dizzy or like a zombie. I have spoken to a social prescriber through my GP and Health in Mind but the social prescriber couldn’t help me either and Health in mind just kept telling me that if I fall I won’t hurt myself. She knew I had broken my hip by falling but kept dismissing this fact so she was unable to help either. I feel everywhere I turn no one can help me. I’ve been walking today as I have too but my leg keeps nearly giving way every time so obviously that has only made my fear worse. I try my best but when your unstable and hurt your anxiety goes through the roof. I think using a wheelchair is the safest option for me now as I have drop foot in both feet and osteoarthritis in my left foot. I’m just concerned about using a wheelchair full time due to the transferring problems and getting blood clots by not using my legs .

PollyPick

I feel so much for these people because if it were me I'd be screaming blue murder by now to any or every newspaper I could reach and keep going until I reached my MP for answers as to why the Government isnt putting more money into the NHS and all Social Service Agencies - they certainly have found money for the 'white elephant' barge in the Dorset Harbour so its' time to rise up and give the Government a good kick in the pants, it's our taxes they are wasting - anyone agree with me????🤔

Cantilip

I'd be screaming about 'if you fall you won't hurt yourself;. There are only Falls Clinics and Falls Prevention Clinics. Risk assessment protocols, It's totally off the edge. Had to look up Health in Mind. Is this person on some mind over matter gig? What she ought to be is as worried as you are you might fall and using her place as part of 'the system' to try to stop that.

Mandie4711

I totally agree Cantilip she was making me feel worse and I kept telling her that falling can and does hurt you that’s how I broke my neck of femur. She just said try walking further with no distractions like tv off etc and you will learn there is nothing to be afraid of . It’s fight or flight I could either face it or fun run it. If I was to fall nothing bad would happen to me.

This just made me more anxious over walking so I had to tell her it wasn’t going to work out and I didn’t want to continue the sessions. Since then I’ve become worse as her words stay in my head. What she doesn’t realise is since breaking my hip I’ve lost all my independence and can’t do hardly anything I need help showering, getting socks and slippers on I can’t even make a cup of tea anymore. My hip hurts every single day as being disabled my muscles never regained there strength and I could have the Rod from my hip to my knee removed plus the 4 screws but high risk of re fracture due to osteoporosis and holes left in the bone. I won’t regain my strength back and no guarantees of the pain going either. It’s such a hard decision to make but I don’t need someone telling me I won’t hurt myself if I fall .

Cantilip

'try walking further'?! It just gets worse. So far as I can see this lady is a mental health practitioner with zero knowledge of your physical condition and her words stuck in your head are based on her ignorance of medicine, which should help you kick them out of your brain.

I walk with a rollator all the time. I have had two occasions when my right leg kept giving way. It is true that - sometimes - after a few steps the leg corrects itself, but that's immediate and obvious. Now, 2 months after the haematoma I mentioned, my right leg is still unreliable on standing, but once I get going it's fine. There are plenty of times when a leg doesn't correct itself and every move is nerve-racking. It would be very inadvisable in that situation to tell me to walk further and that my problem will be solved by having the TV off. I think I'd get all red-eyed and evil! Lashings of hugs and empathy.

Mandie4711

I totally agree with you the councillor should have understood my fears and not make them worse. When you feel unsteady walking you’re obviously going to be concerned about falling. I’m sorry to hear that your leg gives way as that’s horrible. I have panic attacks everytime I need to walk now which is affecting me mentally a lot. I’ve got to the stage where I’m panicking about going out as well and it’s hard as although I have a wheelchair I find it hurts my hip so much and I have so many appointments coming up that I’m stressing about them especially the MRI as have to be lifted by my husband and I’m scared he’s going to drop me. I have to have it done though as it’s to see what’s going on with my hip.

Cantilip

Hi again, I was just wondering if there was anything you could do that might make you feel a bit better, I actually came up with two things. One is food! What with anorexia, pain and TGN it doesn't really sound as if you're eating enough. Are you being treated for the TGN? How about liquid food, protein shakes? The other is I don't know if you've come across the bed exercises on the Versus Arthritis site. I do some of them and you feel absolutely safe when you're doing them because you're on your bed or in a chair. Good luck with all the appointments. MRIs are not fun, I know.

Mandie4711

I’m on meal replacement shakes but still losing weight due to the mouth pain and thanks I will look up the exercises as my muscles have wasted away now which obviously makes walking harder.

egister

Side effects of medications vary from person to person.