Tips when wearing walking boot?

crazy43

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 27, 2005
Would love to hear anyone’s experience having to tour with a walking boot. At this stage in my recovery, my foot feels completely fine in the boot, no longer painful when walking and no swelling at night for a couple weeks now. I’m fine all day at home (tho my job is largely at a desk), but I’m afraid of how it will be walking miles throughout the day. Hoping it’ll be fine! We’ll only be there for 4 days so I’m hoping not to have to take breaks. But I would really love to hear others experiences whom have been in my position.

Thank you in advance! :flower:
 
Have you considered getting a wheelchair? I don't know the nature of your injury, but going from a desk to being on your feet for hours and walking miles and miles every day could bring surprises. I think you should just be prepared to modify your routine should things get uncomfortable. Listen to your body, as they say.
 
Would love to hear anyone’s experience having to tour with a walking boot. At this stage in my recovery, my foot feels completely fine in the boot, no longer painful when walking and no swelling at night for a couple weeks now. I’m fine all day at home (tho my job is largely at a desk), but I’m afraid of how it will be walking miles throughout the day. Hoping it’ll be fine! We’ll only be there for 4 days so I’m hoping not to have to take breaks. But I would really love to hear others experiences whom have been in my position.

Thank you in advance! :flower:

I would say 'no way' walking all those miles in a walking boot. Wheel chair or ECV a complete necessity!
 
I wore one for a month back in 2015 when I messed up my ankle. I did use a cane, just to make sure I didn't fall.

There's no way I would wear a walking boot in Disney. I would rent either a wheel chair or scooter and use that instead. I would also take a cane with you just in case.
 


When our doctor heard we had a Disney trip planned, he put my wife in a brace instead of a boot. He said that type of walking activity would cause the ankle to heal in an unnatural way inside a boot. So, my advice, talk to your doctor before you leave. A boot might not be the right treatment.
 
I agree that you need to talk to your doctor about it and be prepared to rent a wheelchair or ECV. The average day at Disney is 10 miles of walking. Even if your foot feels fine, you may cause some damage with all that excess walking.
 
I agree with talking to your MD and considering a wheelchair or ECV.

I had to travel for work while wearing a walking boot. Just the travel part -- airport, flying, connection, flying, airport -- was enough to make my foot/ankle and therefore knee and therefore hip most unhapppy. I was fortunate that I was attending a training class so could sit most of the time at the destination. I cannot imagine even attempting Disney in a walking boot unless using a wheelchair or ECV.

Also, if you will be flying: my boot had air bladders in it that inflate to hold the limb in place. As the plane ascends, the air in the bladders expands. I had not thought of this on the first leg of my journey (oops). We were ascending after takeoff and suddenly my booted leg became rapidly extremely painful as the air bladder quickly inflated - we're talking it went from fine to very very painful in seconds. It took a moment for me to remember physics and realize what was happening. I then had to unbelt myself and scramble reach the boot and to deflate the air, all in the cramped confines of economy class. I deflated it all the way and left it that way until we were at altitude then carefully inflated it again, though not fully, just in case. As we descended the air "shrunk", and I had to reinflate it again once we were on the ground. For the rest of the legs of the trip, having learned the painful lesson, I deflated fully once I was boarded and seated, inflated some once at altitude [enough to keep the boot in place, but not fully inflated], then reinflated once back on the ground: problem solved.

Also, going through airport security is a bit of an adventure with a walking boot. Since I was not permitted by my MD to walk without it, I was allowed to go through the magnetometer with it, get wanded and patted down, then sit, take it off, and they passed the boot through the xray machine and then swabbed it, while I took off the sock and they checked the leg that had been in the book. I feel sorry for the person doing the pat-down, but did warn them in advance the sock and leg/foot would be stinky from being in the boot. So, allow lots of time for security screening. They directed me to the lane for those with special needs, which probably also helped. There was no rush, and they had dealt with walking boots before so had a process (actually, they had a couple options, which they explained to me and let me choose from) and knew what to ask and how to assist.

SW
 

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