Anyone else have problems putting on their own socks, or tying their own shoes???
My knees have gotten so bad, my husband has to put my socks on for me, and then do up my shoes.
I am realizing that I will soon have to buy only slip on style shoes, but until then, does anyone else have this problem. I hate losing what little indepence I still have. My GP suggested finding someone who sells a long shoe horn, and perhaps a sock aid of some kind. I live in B C and have not yet found anyone
out here that carries one. This is so frustrating.
oh man! Glad to hear its not just me. It is getting harder and harder to get dressed. Knees hurt to stand on one leg or to sit down and bend and i get so short of breath... oh i don't like it at all. I may have to wear more dresses and get one of those grabby things
Goldie, yes, I have to confess that I do ask my husband for help dressing from time to time; I have a lot of pain in hands, arms, legs, feet, etc. Depending on my pain levels, sometimes I need help with my bra or my shoes. I hate having to have help so I try to do it myself but it doesn't always work out. :(
Hi Goldie, i definately have problems with getting my socks and shoes on, i tend to go for shoes that are easier to get on now. But socks they are a nuisance at times arent they?hehe. I am thinking of buying one of these things that help you get your socks on, its a kind of frame where you put the sock onto and then slip your foot into the wide part where the sock has been opened and it pulls them on for you. I hate struggling with socks in the Winter, i dont hardly wear them in the Summer, as i feel they are abit restrictive sometimes, and i do get quite hot anyway, I can go up and down like a yo-yo with how i am feeling with how hot i get. Have you looked in a disability aids book on or online on a disabilities catalogue. There are some for your area i think. I live in the Uk and there are loads, but i remember when i was looking for an extra large pill organising box, i came across a few other countries with disability companies which sold the same thing, its worth a look. I dont think that you can get them anywhere in the general shops. Another thing is, you could ask your doctor to refer you to an Occupation Therapist, and they would be able to help you with things you might need, or point you in the right direction for what you need. I had an O.T out this week, and before she came they sent me a book with all the helpful gadgets you can buy from their website. Some of the British ones might ship to your area if you cant find one where you are, its just a thought, anyway take care, look after yourself, love and hugs Astrid40xoxo
thanks for posting this astrid. i am going to try to find the frame you were talking about. i make so much noise getting dressed that im afraid my neighbors will complain...i huff and puff and moan and wince...then i try to get the other leg in the pants (lol)
Hi Janice, you are welcome, i know what you mean, its so frustrating sometimes isnt it? Sometimes i think my neighbours might think what an earth is that women doing down there, hehe. I live in a ground floor flat, and everyone can each other and what they are doing at times. Fortunately most of my neighbours are fairly quiet, the only real time we had any problems was when the teenage girl had a party upstairs and it sadly got out of control. My next door neighbours arent well either, so they like a bit of peace and quiet. Anyway bye for now, love and hugs Astrid40xoxo
Hope you are maintaining and are in good spirits. Please don't take offense to this, but I would like to ask if you don't mind......"what's your age"? If you don't want to answer publicly I understand. If you perfer you can send me a private message. This is the reason I ask...... first to answer your question "yes, I do have challenges putting on sock and shoes, but it doesn't stop there. There is also the difficulties with buttoning clothes and zippering things as well! I'm just wondering how much possibly could be from just the body getting older and what part is lupus activity. My step-mom has severe arthritis and said ever since she's got to be a certain age her body isn't "springing back" the way it use to which is very understandble. So being that I am only in my thirties and really never started having any real problem until after I hit thirty; I would like to know your (and others) take on this.............
THAT IS SO IRONIC BECAUSE I HAVE THE SAME ISSUES.SORRY TO HEAR THAT I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM I BELIEVE WE ALL DO. EVERYTIME I GET DRESS NO MATTER WHAT THE OUTFIT MAYBE I ALWAYS WANT TO WEAR SLIP-ONS ITS JUST MORE COMFORTABLE AND EASIER SLIP-ON SLIP-OFF.SHOE HORNS ARE VERY HELPFUL AND YES LOOK INTO A SOCK AID BECAUSE THATS VERY HELFUL ALSO YOU AN FIND THEM AT MEDICAL SUPPLIES STORES OR LOOK ON-LINE..BUT HOPEFULLY THINGS WILL GET BETTER..TAKE CARE
lol. i bought shoes today and opted for slip ons. I thought of all of us lupites who have trouble getting into shoes and it made me smile. i didn';t feel alone
Hi Goldie , yes, yes i've had to convert to slip on , and happy to say am not going to give up my INDEPENCE EITHER , so get the slipons and KEEP it MOVING !!! Haveing people to help you do things really is nerve wracking at times ( the wait moments until they have time to help you is hard for me - I can't realate to it!!! ) ... Beverly L.
P.S. i hate that i had to give up my highheels - i just bought 3 new pair when this all hit my last year , and haven't wore them yet ( only at the store and sitting on the side of my BED ) ... LOL
Hi everyone, I think I'm in very good shape with my lupus... I do try to make the best of it ... as i suppouse we all do. I can do a lot of things...and some i cant, ..I can't run, bend low or tiptoe, but i still beleive that im doing ok. Pain... everyday .. the malaise its just frustrating... and forget about wearing heels... not even flats .. my feet are not that swollen but i have gone up one size in shoes and even when i were flats its almost unbearable. I carry flip flops with me everywhere... (I have a good excuse cause Panama is hot most of the time) still..trying to get my feet inside a shoe or socks its unthinkable... sad.. I know... Goldie...I dont know of an aid you could use but ill keep an eye out for it!
Hear ya loud and clear!... same thing going on with me!
Beverly L. said:
Hi Goldie , yes, yes i've had to convert to slip on , and happy to say am not going to give up my INDEPENCE EITHER , so get the slipons and KEEP it MOVING !!! Haveing people to help you do things really is nerve wracking at times ( the wait moments until they have time to help you is hard for me - I can't realate to it!!! ) ... Beverly L.
P.S. i hate that i had to give up my highheels - i just bought 3 new pair when this all hit my last year , and haven't wore them yet ( only at the store and sitting on the side of my BED ) ... LOL
You are not... I thought I was.... IM SORTA GLAD U GUYS ARE GOING THRU THE SAME THING... well not gald but u know what I mean!
janice said:
lol. i bought shoes today and opted for slip ons. I thought of all of us lupites who have trouble getting into shoes and it made me smile. i didn';t feel alone
Hi Goldie, i am so glad you have found what you wanted. If it would work, you can actually get elasticated laces, that dont overstretch so they still are tight enough to hold the shoes on but easier for you to slip on your shoe, i was thinking of getting some myself. My grandmother had some and she swore by them. I have to buy really comfy shoes, i find the ones with the padded souls the best for me. I have a pair at the moment, that i have had about three years now and have just about had it. So i have been on a mission to find another pair like it, which is really hard. I also had another lovely pair of red pumps which sounds awful but everyone really liked them, and they werent just being polite, i have never seen anything like them again. Although Sketchers shoes are supposed to be really good but very pricey. I tend to use clarks and save up for them gradually, its not easy when you have to buy shoes that are right for you. When i was well i never had to think about what shoes i had to get, if i saw it and it fitted that was all i had to know, but now as my skin is thinner and my feet now swell due to the Lupus and the steroids, i have to be much more careful. Its the same with clothes too, i cant have anything too heavy on me now, like jeans, i dont wear jeans anymore. I have some nice pants that are velour, i feel really old sometimes hehe, bye for now, love and hugs Astrid40xoxo
Goldie said:
Thanks Astrid,Janice, JoAnne& Lil Soldier.
Since posting I have been able to locate the stocking aid. www.parsonsadl.com. It was easy to find once I started asking the right people. My GP gave me the name of the pharmacy that carries products like this. I was able to get a long shoe horn too.
I tried it when we got home, and it works. Too bad it doesn't do up shoe laces too. I guess I will have to break down
and buy a pair of slip on loafers. I am lucky in that I am still able to do up zippers.
Lil Soldier to answer your question I am 56 years old. Was diagnosed at age 50, although I had all the signs at age 20.
I believe it is Lupus related, but as I also have Rheumatiod Arthritis, I am getting a double whammy.
Perhaps if treatment had started earlier with me, the outcome would be different.
Hi Janice, i know what you mean. I have some comfy ones that are slip ons that have an elastic bar over them, they sound horrible but they look quite nice, trouble is they are getting old now, so i am going to have to renew them. I have trouble though as i am in between a size 6 and a size 7, 39 and 40 in continental sizes, so getting the right fit can be quite hard at times. I have been lucky the last few years and had two great comfy pairs of shoes, but i cant find any for the life of me at the moment, i will have to order some on the internet and hope for the best i think, but its sending them back that is tiresome if they are wrong, eh, hehe. Its annoying that our feet gets so swollen at times. I just said to someone else, when i was well i could walk into any shoe shop and if they fitted and were the style i wanted, i would get them, but now i have to be so picky. Ah well thats the least of my problems hehe. Bye for now, love and hugs Astrid40xoxo
janice said:
lol. i bought shoes today and opted for slip ons. I thought of all of us lupites who have trouble getting into shoes and it made me smile. i didn';t feel alone
Hi there Natalie, i know what you mean, i have trouble doing anything physical now, i used to be a dance teacher a long time ago, and i used to take part in triathlons. So having Lupus has made me a physical wreck now, At first i found it abit hard to accept, but now i find other things i can sit and do to make me feel abit happier about the situation. My feet and ankles get swollen as well, so i have to buy the comfiest pair of shoes i can find. I find the flip flops that have the toe piece really uncomfy for me, but the other types that have the bar across them, are not too bad, i did have a really comfy pair of those, but they have worn out now, i hope i can find another pair as in the summer i wore them everywhere. I hate wearing socks, i think socks are awful. But as we have cold winters over here i have to wear them. As soon as any sign of good weather, i have the socks off, and i am so relieved that i dont have to wear them anymore. I bought some of these socks that dont have the elasticated bit round the ankle, they are so lovely, they arent restrictive like the other ones are. I havent seen any more of those though, so i only have a few pairs. If i see them again i will get a few more pairs as it makes such a difference when you feet swell, hehe. Anyway bye for now, take care, love and hugs Astrid40xoxox
It was very hard for me to accept that I needed help dressing. My care-giver had to go back to his own life after 1.5 years of taking care of me after my hip replacelment with complications.
Besides an immune complex, including Lupus, I have osteaporosis and had the hip replacement (four surgies.)
1. I see that you've found out the about stocking aid. Does it also help with socks? If not, these are also available at medical supply, hospitals, etc. If you're handy some you can make yourself.
2. Getting the right shoes is key. Some good brands of shoes that I recommend (you can find these online to buy or find a retailer.) Online has a bigger selection, especially at the brand store. Also, these are an investment. You may end up with 2-3 pairs of great looking and comfortable shoes, not 10 and they last until you're completely tired of them.
Merrel
Miphisto (sp?
Keen
Dansko (this is at the bottom of my list, but they do make some classy mules that might work)
Costco, in the winter, has some great calf-high boots lined with sheepskin as well as some mule-type slippers.
Hope this helps,
When I was working they called me the "hyphenator." I edited PR and ad copy.