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BananaAnna838
04-21-2009, 07:43 PM
Well it's been decided by my doctor that I definitely need knee surgery. I'm getting an MRI on Thursday, than next Thursday (4/30) I'm seeing him to determine what type of surgery I need.
The problem is, I'm going to Disney is 3 weeks!! :) That's great, but I really need to protect my knee or else I'll have to wait for it to heal before I can get surgery.
What do people suggest? I'm not too comfortable using an ECV, plus it's more comfortable to keep my leg straight. Walking really hurts after a while, even with my brace. We're going for 10 days so I'm nervous as to what to do that will be safest for my knee and won't mess up the rest of my family.
Thoughts?

faline
04-21-2009, 08:15 PM
Go for the ECV. I went to Disney a few month after knee surgery. Did okay but got tired pretty quickly so that trip we spent a fair amount of time at our resort!

BananaAnna838
04-21-2009, 08:25 PM
I'm sorry, I should clarify that I won't be getting surgery until after Disney.

Something else, ECV vs regular wheelchair for this problem?

Thanks for the reply :)

faline
04-21-2009, 08:30 PM
I also did a trip to Disney pre-surgery - before I knew I needed surgery but was really in quite a lot of pain. Going up and down stairs was a particular challenge!

I'd go with the ECV because it means that someone doesn't need to push you around and you retain a bit more independence in where you're heading and when you're heading there.

sisterdisco
04-21-2009, 09:20 PM
Given that your leg feels better straight and you can still do some walking, I would recommend renting a manual wheelchair w/ elevating leg rests.
The wheelchairs that Disney has probably do not have elevating leg rests, but you can rent one from the local Durable Medical Equipment vendor in Orlando (there are probably lots of vendors to choose from).

The wheelchair will be small enough to navigate around and if you have a rental car, you can put it in the trunk of the car. Can't do that w/ an ECV.

Good luck. Hope your knee feels better.

Beast_fanatic
04-21-2009, 09:24 PM
My hubby went to WDW not too long before his knee surgery, and he wore his knee brace. The main problem that he had was that since he was wearing shorts and it was hot, that the brace rubbed, and he ended up with a blister on the back of his calf. We ended up at the first aid center for some large bandaids, and they also gave us some antibacterial gel to apply to it.

The other problem that we had was that he had some trouble getting in and out of the rides with the brace on. The 2 that I remember specifically were Rock 'n' Rollercoaster and Space Mountain.

We intentionally took things super slow and took more breaks than usual. It was a little frustrating to me (since I didn't have any pain), but I did it for him, and we did still manage to have a good time. He never would have considered an ECV for himself before the surgery (he used one a few times afterwards at large stores).

jec13
04-21-2009, 10:16 PM
Last July I was told by my doctor that I required total knee replacement surgery on my right knee. I told him that I had a trip to Disney scheduled for the beginning of September. He told me that I would be better off holding off the surgery until after I got back from Disney. He gave me some anti-inflammatory/pain killer. I took one in the morning and between sitting in the rides and shows and sitting to eat, I didn't really need any other assistance. I did have the surgery the week after I got back and I am going back down in June for my first post-surgery trip.:mickey:

deedeenmickey
04-21-2009, 10:19 PM
I would do the Scooter. Unless you have strong arms or someone who is willing to push thru the world.

I would not be ashamed to do this if you need it. There's no sense in injuring your knee and postponing the surgery longer.

Good luck and keep us posted.

BananaAnna838
04-22-2009, 07:08 PM
Thanks for all the input, there's a lot to keep in mind! Does anyone know for sure if the wheelchairs in Disney do or do not have the leg rest things that my leg could be straight?

MRI is tomorrow morning, maybe I'll see something interesting!

BananaAnna838
04-25-2009, 02:33 PM
No one knows about the wheelchairs and leg rests in Disney?

Beast_fanatic
04-25-2009, 11:22 PM
I'm going to bounce this over to the Guests with special needs forum where hopefully someone will have an answer regarding the wheelchairs...

BananaAnna838
04-26-2009, 12:10 PM
Thanks :mickey:
Sorry, I'm just getting nervous about the trip and my knee, and how it will be! :blush:

Marilyn Michetti
04-26-2009, 12:33 PM
I'm not sure about your WC question, although I THINK they do elevate.
My question to you is, how much do you trust the person that will be pushing your chair? Before I started using an ECV, DH would push me in a manual WC - said he enjoyed the exercise. Problem is, he would get distracted while he was pushing, and I'd be yelling, "stop", "you're pushing me into a line of people".
You need to be in charge of your speed, and direction, and you can stretch your leg out even on the smallest ones.
Good luck with your surgery. I've had both knees replaced, an ankle bolted together, and rods on both sides of my spine. The ECV is the way to go.:thumbsup:

Piglet822
04-26-2009, 06:17 PM
I recommend renting an ECV from one of the outside medical companies. I did this for a weekend that we stayed and it was well worth it. I also was not fond of using them (because I'm stubborn is what DBF will tell you) but I now need a new knee entirely because my cartilage is almost completey gone so walking any length of time is out of the question.
I like being in control of my speed and direction and not relying on other people to push me where I want (or might not want) to go.
Please let us know what you decide and best of luck with your knee :)

BananaAnna838
04-27-2009, 08:58 AM
Thanks for all the advice!!
My family members have already made it very clear that they will not push me, so IF I end up needing something, unfortunately it might be an ECV...
A couple worries I have though. I will have a brace on, but will people be angry if I get up and walk into the line for the ride? Also, I am never very good at steering things. :blush: How easy are they to operate?

One more thing. If I am walking and my knee starts to hurt badly, do the nursing stations have ice packs I could sit down with? That would be a relief!

ibelieveindisneymagic
04-27-2009, 09:49 AM
We took my Mom with us on our last trip, and she was still recovering from knee-replacement surgery.

We rented an ECV from and off-site company, and it was the best thing we ever did. She just wouldn't have been able to keep up otherwise, and we all would have felt bad if she had to head back to the resort early due to pain, etc. She had some challenges with her leg swelling, since it was down all day, but otherwise it was great.

We did what you're thinking of doing, for many rides Mom parked it outside the ride and walked through the line. She liked getting a chance to stretch and move around a bit, instead of just sitting all day. If the line was too long for her to manage, then we brought the ECV in, so she didn't suffer while waiting.

Our biggest challenge was the busses, but once we were at the parks, Mom had no trouble manging the ECV at all.

The first aid stations do have ice packs, etc if you need them, and a cool place to sit and rest, but it sounds like an ECV may be the way to go for you.

peemagg
04-28-2009, 09:22 PM
The wheelchairs that Disney has does not have legs that lift.

As far as anyone getting mad because you get up and walk after being on the scooter. Who cares! You will never see these people again so why worry about what they think. Even if you had multiple things that made it obvious that you needed it, some insensitive idiot would say something. Don't worry about what they think.

BananaAnna838
05-04-2009, 12:50 AM
Well I found out that I need a LR and MPFL reconstruction. :( It's a bit more major than what they thought I would need.
But anyway! I asked my doctor about Disney, and basically he just said to take lots of breaks. So I'm going to walk as much as I can until my knee decides it's not possible anymore, then see where to go from there.
Do you think that the CMs at the CS food places would be willing to fill a Ziplock of ice for me? I really don't want to have to waste and toss an ice pack each time I'll need it...

Mickey'sGirl
05-04-2009, 11:57 AM
Do you think that the CMs at the CS food places would be willing to fill a Ziplock of ice for me? I really don't want to have to waste and toss an ice pack each time I'll need it...
I'm sory about your knee troubles! I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, and travel with those emergency Ice Packs that you can buy in the First Aid section of the pharmacy. They are light, and soooooo effective. I don't know about the zip loc bag and ice thing. I can't see why not. I hope you enjoy your holiday! :mickey: