My Splints & Braced Life

Chapter 2

As I told you in chapter 1 I have Muscular Dystrophy and I use plastic leg splints to walk with, so to continue my true story I wore my leg splints for the next 2 years or so, Sandra still continued to restrain me in them while we traveled too and from school which I enjoyed!! sometimes my legs would be strapped and sometimes my arms would be restrained in the leg splints, then Sandra left school and and so the rides too and from school were never the same again.

As I grew taller my splints needed replacing about once a year, I looked forward to having new splints as I enjoyed the casting and also the feel and smell of the new leather straps, then when I was 10 they said would I like to try a new type of leg splint with hinges so I could bend my legs when I was sitting, I said yes as it was hard to move around in my wheelchair with my legs sticking out. I was casted in the same way with plaster, and had to wait 2 weeks for the splints to be made, the day came when my splints arrived, I was called from class and as my physiotherapist (Jenny) pushed me down to her room she said she was pleased with them and I'd be able to ware them all day. We entered the room and Mike was their with my splints, I couldn't believe it when I saw all the straps, iron and plastic, and couldn't wait to put them on. Mike said to put the splint on bent and to put the top part of my leg in the plastic thigh cuff first then put my foot in the plastic foot part after, as i put my thigh in the cuff he folded over a leather piece which went inside the cuff to stop the plastic pinching my skin when the straps were pulled tight, he opened the velcro and threaded the 2 leather straps through the loops and pulled them tight, then he put my foot in which was held in by a thick leather strap across my calf, then he straitened the splint and the hinge locked it strait, he then got out a leather knee pad which went around the iron bars which held the top and bottom of the splint together, this fastened with buckles. he strapped on the other splint and i walked around then I bent my legs by pulling up a release catch on the iron bars as I got into my wheelchair, Jenny said "you can keep them on and go home in the taxi in them now they bend" I said thank you to mike for making them and left the room. I kept them on until i had my bath and went to bed, but was pleased with how I could bend and straiten them as I liked. I loved the smell and feel of my new leg braces.

As time went by I started to put them back on after my bath to go to bed in, i used to look at them with my legs in them and wished Sandra was still around to strap up my arms! this I'd not had done since she left school a year ago, I did use a leather trouser belt to tie up my hands sometimes but was afraid i'd not be able to get free so instead I used to put on my leg splints on my legs and put 1 wrist in my thigh cuff and strap it up for an hour then swap wrists it felt amazing!!! This I did regurly over the next few years in private I was terrified of someone finding out what I was doing but couldn't help tying myself this way as I enjoyed the feeling of being tied up.

At the age of twelve I saw a girl in a plastic spinal jacket and knew I just had to get one! I'd never seen anything like it before, her body encased in plastic and strapped up by 4 2inch leather straps it looked amazing and I just craved for one as soon as I saw it! I'd been having pain in my back so I told Jenny, she looked at my spine and immediately said that I had scoliosis and explained that i'd need to see the hospital doctor to see if I could have a brace made, I said what kind of brace? she said the doctor would decided what i needed and she made me an appointment which was a week later. A week went by slowly but it was worth the wait, after being x-rayed it was confirmed i needed a spinal brace as soon as possible, this scared me and made me think just how serious it was, now I was frightened, why had I wished this on me? The Doctor made a phone call and I was taken down to the plaster room where I was told to undress apart from my leg splints, then I was told to stand and was put in a body stocking from my hips to under my arms, I was told to hold onto a bar as the bar was pulled above me it was pulling me straight but I had'nt got the strength to hold on and my grip slipped and I let go, Mike said if I couldn't hold on he'd have to strap me to the bar, I tried again but couldn't hold on. Mike went to a box and pulled out 2 leather cuffs he put out my arm and wrapped the cuff round my wrist and fastened the buckles tight the cuff hooked onto the bar and he did the other arm the same way, he then pulled the bar up by a rope and my arms went above my head, he pulled that hard my arms were hurting my spine was stretched as my feet almost left the floor the pain in my arms was intense, I was left helpless like this for what seemed like hours but infact was only 15 minuets before I was plastered from my hips to under my arms. The plaster was let to set and then cut off, I was lowered and my wrists removed from the cuffs, I remember thinking I'd like to take the cuffs home, I was washed and dressed then was told the brace would be fitted in 2 weeks at my school. Two weeks went by, and I was called too try it on, I took of my shirt and waited for Mike to show me my brace. Really came holding it, it looked amazing! all white plastic and leather straps, he pulled open the velcro straps and placed it behind me, I was told to lay back as they held it open, as I did I felt the foam padding on my skin, the brace was then moved into position, a leather piece went inside across my chest to stop the brace pinching me, I was told to strap it up myself from the bottom strap working my way up, I passed the bottom strap through the loop and pulled it tight, working my way up until i'd fasted all 4 straps, Jenny said they needed to be pulled even tighter which she did, It felt realy tight I could only just breath, they told me to lay thier for 5 minuets to get used to the restriction, after a minuete or 2 I got used to how it felt and my breathing was good again, mybe I just panicked. Jenny told me to try to sit up, I couldn't as much as I tried I couldn't move, Jenny was laughing and told me to roll on my side then push up, it was hard but I did it, it felt really strange but I loved it! my spine was rigid in the brace. They helped me ito my wheelchair and told me to go and look at myself in the big mirror, as I reached for my wheels It seemed like I was a foot taller as I struggled with the restriction to push myself to the mirror, I looked at myself in my knew brace and smiled it looked great and I knew I'd love to ware it, but then I wondered what would my friends would say? I knew I'd get teased but it was worth it. Getting my shirt back on was tricky but I managed it on my own. having a crafty feel of the straps and plastic as I put my shirt on.

Jenny wanted me to stand up to see how it would feel or even if I could still mange to walk in it. my leg splints were put straight and I pulled myself up, it was hard work walking and I knew i wouldn't mange to walk far in it but wanted to walk and ware my spinal jacket too. I took off my leg splints but went home in my spinal jacket it was a funny ride home all the others in the car kept touching or knocking on it. When I arrived home Mum, Dad, brothers and sister all said I looked better sitting up straight and I must try to use it. it was time for my first meal wearing my brace, I'd never of guessed how hard it would be to eat the same amount as before and how tight my brace would feel for the next 2 hours. That night I took off my brace had my bath and then strapped it back on to sleep in I lay on my stomach first then on my back I was awake all night feeling, unstraping and strapping my knew spinal jacket! I loved the feel and smell and knew i'd get used to it in no time at all.

As time went by my muscular dystrophy got slightly worse, I had to see the doctor who said it was to much for me to walk in my leg braces as I'd fallen over too many times, he unstrapped my leg splints and took them away, he knew if I'd taken them home I'd still use them! I went home, that night I went to bed devastated! looking down at my legs not splinted and it upset me, I was 17 crying over splints, am I mad I thought? then I rolled out of bed crawled over to my set of draws and got 3 leather belts, took them to my bed, put one around my ankles one just above my knees and then wrapped the other around my wrist, pulling it tight with my teeth the buckle locked in place, I panicked hope I could release it I thought! then in my bedside draw I got out my roll of duc tape, i'd managed to take it from the garage weeks ago but not used it yet, It was difficult with the belts on but I put a strip over my mouth and knew I'd feel better after being tied up. I stayed tied up all-night!! When I awoke the tape had fallen off my mouth, I wished I could of wrapped it around my head a few times but couldn't with my hands strapped up. It did make me feel better but I do miss my full leg splints to this day!!

Part 3 coming soon