I swallowed my pride!

Well, I did it.  After months of thinking about it and going back and forth with the decision…I purchased a rollator (aka wheelie walker, walker with wheels, etc.).

 This bad boy allows me to walk with support when I do my “sprints” to the cul-de-sac and back in the neighborhood.  It provides support and lets me concentrate on walking heel to toe and picking up my feet when I move around.  Which I desperately need. 

In addition to the added mobility and assistance on my walks, I’ve noticed that my circumduction (swinging my leg around my body instead of stepping straight forward) has decreased since I’ve been using it.  This could be due to the fact that my sleek, new rollator won’t allow me to swing my leg.  I get immediate feedback when I do swing it because my foot and ankle bang against the back wheel.  Bam!

I purchased this wheelie walker from my friends at Mobility City in Lawrenceville, GA for under $300.  It has oversized wheels that are actually tires and not made of plastic.  This will help me go “off-road” if/when my body allows and the circumstances call for it (think fishing from the bank or watching youth sports). Plus, I like the look.

For better or worse, I’ve never been overly concerned about what other people think of me.  Using a rollator was a different story.  I didn’t want others to see me shuffle and struggle to move around.  I didn’t want my family to see me as a gimpy, old man.

I realized that it doesn’t matter.

My family doesn’t care.  They see me as “me”, even though I move slower than I used to.  As far as the general public is concerned, it doesn’t matter what they think.

When you get to a certain age and have lived through the ups and downs of life…you just don’t care about the thoughts of other people.  At least, that’s true for me.

If the assistance device—rollator, cane, walking poles, etc.—helps you move around and walk more, then use them!

Keep moving forward!