Hi folks, won't be long now . I am starting to really freak out about my surgery. It is fri the 24th and I am trying to get my stuff in order. I wanted to know if anyone out there after having ankle surgery was able to get medical equipment from their ins, such as a knee walker , shower chair , commode etc. I wanted to order this stuff and don't know if I get the coverage. I need to check with my ins person at work but just wondered if anyone here did get assist. The knee walker is around $200.00 but it cost almost 40 a week to rent. not sure I like the idea of renting used equip anyway.
What are you having done? I am having surgery on the 21st (Microfracture for OCD). Most insurance companies do not cover knee walker, etc. But you may be one of the lucky ones. You should call them and ask if they will cover any of the items.
My insurance company wasn't much help -- they told me that a medical equipment supplier needed to submit the claim, then they would process it and tell them if it was approved.
When I called the medical equipment companies in my area (including some recommended by my OS), they told me that they carry the equipment I wanted, but did not deal with the insurance companies.
I had not had time to plan in advance, and ended up purchasing what I wanted online, with the plan to sell it later on Craigslist. Hope you have better luck with insurance.
I dont know where you live but here (Ontario) my surgeon wrote a form and I rented a wheelchair from the Red Cross Medical Help program. It's meant for people that need items short term-like after surgery. It think it cost me about 30/week and I had it for about 8 weeks. My work insurance plan covered it all because it was a request from my surgeon. It was a life saver and I had no problem renting used equipment. It still meets regulations and is clean. If that is your concern, you can always sanitize if yourself with some alcohol wipes or something.
I know my insurance will not pay anything towards equipment. Fortunately, my neighbor has a wheelchair I can borrow and I already have crutches and other things from my prior surgeries.
I"m on the clutzy side but I wanted to warn you anyways be careful not to lean too forward in wheelchair I slid out on my bottom a few times (nope, didn't learn the first time!). Maybe advertise in the local paper what you are looking for and that other site someone mentioned earlier, check that. Now I used a walker w/ a seat on it and put my knee on the seat w/ a small pillow duct taped to it (wasn't pretty) and scooted around on that before too. Sometimes the Goodwill's will have stuff too.
I used a cheap (5-10 $) solid plastic chair in my shower, worked fine. If it will fit for yours. Also in the kitchen I used my computer chair raised up as high as it would go and worked from it later on. Scooted all around.
If I think of anything else I'll log back in. good luck and don't freak, you'll work it out. I lived on the first floor of my house and stayed on the sofa for 4 weeks (I have a full bath on first floor thank goodness). When I decided to move upstairs I just sat down and scooted up on my butt. You find ways to do stuff. CJ
What are you having done? I am having surgery on the 21st (Microfracture for OCD). Most insurance companies do not cover knee walker, etc. But you may be one of the lucky ones. You should call them and ask if they will cover any of the items.
I am also having the OCD removed plus the posterial tibial tendon transfer and an calcaneal osteotomy. I will be off my feet 6-8wks non weight bearing and then physical therapy , out of work probably 3-4 months . I am 59 and have never even used crutches before. My daughter had a spare pair and I just started practicing with them. My dog is terrified of them and I think I am too. I am they type of person that freaks out to the extreme and then wonders why I made such a big deal. I usually overdramatize everything in this kind of situation. But my surgeon , who is a orthopedic surgeon that only operates on feet and ankles called my surgery a "doozy" this got me a little freaked to start out with. oh well keep up the support replies and I will stay in touch just so I don't totally crack up....... only 16 days to go.....oh God!!!!
I dont know where you live but here (Ontario) my surgeon wrote a form and I rented a wheelchair from the Red Cross Medical Help program. It's meant for people that need items short term-like after surgery. It think it cost me about 30/week and I had it for about 8 weeks. My work insurance plan covered it all because it was a request from my surgeon. It was a life saver and I had no problem renting used equipment. It still meets regulations and is clean. If that is your concern, you can always sanitize if yourself with some alcohol wipes or something.
I have ins but I work in the medical field and I hate dealing with them. If stuff isn't too expensive then I will buy it myself and resell it. 30 a wk works out to 240 and I can buy one for less than that . I will probably do that.
I"m on the clutzy side but I wanted to warn you anyways be careful not to lean too forward in wheelchair I slid out on my bottom a few times (nope, didn't learn the first time!). Maybe advertise in the local paper what you are looking for and that other site someone mentioned earlier, check that. Now I used a walker w/ a seat on it and put my knee on the seat w/ a small pillow duct taped to it (wasn't pretty) and scooted around on that before too. Sometimes the Goodwill's will have stuff too.
I used a cheap (5-10 $) solid plastic chair in my shower, worked fine. If it will fit for yours. Also in the kitchen I used my computer chair raised up as high as it would go and worked from it later on. Scooted all around.
If I think of anything else I'll log back in. good luck and don't freak, you'll work it out. I lived on the first floor of my house and stayed on the sofa for 4 weeks (I have a full bath on first floor thank goodness). When I decided to move upstairs I just sat down and scooted up on my butt. You find ways to do stuff. CJ
thanks so much for all the advice. I know it will all work out but since I have had so much time to prepare and I haven't done much , now I am freaking out. I did get a cheap shower chair and some gel stuff to put on the top of my crutches and I also bought something to cover my cast so I can get in the water to shower etc. I am just not sure about buying the knee walker. I am thinking about getting a cheap one. around 150-200 on amazon.
The following user gives a hug of support to prico54: Amethy5t (09-03-2012)
hi I think you just about have everything and once you get the knee walker you'll feel better about having everything together. I had my achilles tendon reconstruction surgery at around 53 yo and was NWB for 6-8 weeks too. Towards the last couple of weeks I started getting mean lol! I was tired of that daggone scooter/walker thingy! You totally get used to it the first week is rough but then you get your routine going on and you work it out. cj
hi I think you just about have everything and once you get the knee walker you'll feel better about having everything together. I had my achilles tendon reconstruction surgery at around 53 yo and was NWB for 6-8 weeks too. Towards the last couple of weeks I started getting mean lol! I was tired of that daggone scooter/walker thingy! You totally get used to it the first week is rough but then you get your routine going on and you work it out. cj
I know it will all work out but I am a wacko. I work night shift at our local hospital and thats why I am up at this bizarre hour. it will be strange sleeping at night and being out for soooo long. I actually did go ahead and purchase a knee walker on amazon. so now I have that too. I have been reading all the other suggestions and I read about the cooling machine so I went on ebay and bid on a used one. By the time I have my surgery I will have assembled a small hospital in my living room!!! I still think I will get a cheap or used commode so that I will have something in the downstairs for emergencies. At least for the first weeks I may not want to crawl up the stairs. I have a nook tablet and a laptop and I have been downloading books onto the nook so I have some good reading material. I have been stripping the wallpaper from my bedroom and am going to paint it before my surgery so I can look at nice clean new walls. I also got a brand new mattress about 2 wks ago and I love it so it won't be so bad being in bed either.
wow this surgery is an expensive one eh?
I think I'm a bit wacko too because I am a planner, I have to have things planned out in front of me I almost get OCD about it. Its crazy. Even coming down to the surgery I want to make sure I talk to the charge nurse in the OR so he/she knows they need to be careful w/ me overall and not toss me around because I have fibro. I am a control freak to say the least!!! So see, you're not so wacko!!
hey, did anyone tell you on the ice machine it runs out of ice every 6 hours or so. Hubby had to keep running out to get ice thank goodness we have an extra fridge/freezer in the garage. Our ice maker inside couldn't keep up w/ it. Now that's running the machine 24/7 there at first which I did.
GLad you ordered your scooter already too. let me know if you have any questions, k? you will be fine. cj
I think I'm a bit wacko too because I am a planner, I have to have things planned out in front of me I almost get OCD about it. Its crazy. Even coming down to the surgery I want to make sure I talk to the charge nurse in the OR so he/she knows they need to be careful w/ me overall and not toss me around because I have fibro. I am a control freak to say the least!!! So see, you're not so wacko!!
hey, did anyone tell you on the ice machine it runs out of ice every 6 hours or so. Hubby had to keep running out to get ice thank goodness we have an extra fridge/freezer in the garage. Our ice maker inside couldn't keep up w/ it. Now that's running the machine 24/7 there at first which I did.
GLad you ordered your scooter already too. let me know if you have any questions, k? you will be fine. cj
I am lucky, I have a very caring hubby. We dont have an extra large freezer but I can send him out and he will be happy to do it. He gets all helpless and if he has errands to do he feels better. good guy!
That knee scooter and "very caring hubby" will be the answer to most of your needs. Congratulations! My knee scooter is one of the best purchases I've ever made. Well worth it!
That knee scooter and "very caring hubby" will be the answer to most of your needs. Congratulations! My knee scooter is one of the best purchases I've ever made. Well worth it!
I am excited to get my scooter. It should arrive in a day or so. Now the dilema is should I go to my daughters and stay with her because she has a one story home with bathroom on same floor. My oldest son, who lives at home, is certain this would work out better for me than trying to go up and down the stairs. I told him about this forum and how i have been given such great advice including how to manuever the staircase. He thinks I will go flying down the stairs and kill myself. I am getting pretty worried about that and access to the bathroom on my second floor. My thought right now is maybe stay at home in my bedroom for the first 3 days and then go to my daughters for a week or so until I am able to ambulate ok with crutches or however I get up and down stairs. I am still not sure and I want to be as comfortable as possible. It wouldn't be so hard to decide except I have a doggie that I cannot bring to my daughters (she has a cat) and I don't want to leave him at home. My hubby only has the day of my surgery off work after that I will be on my own pretty much.
Hi! I had the same surgery as you (calcaneal osteotomy and drilling for OCD, but no tendon work) back in February. A difficult dilema you have there. You will probably feel better at home with all your stuff near you... I have to say I think you will find it hard to manage the stairs at first - if you have to go up and down EVERY time you need the bathroom. I was lucky that I was in hospital for two nights - they didn't even let me get up until the day after the surgery (I was very woozy from anaesthetic and pain drugs though). I am also lucky that I have a bathroom on all floors! When I came home I went up on my knee and down on my bottom - but that was only one way each day, and I always had someone with me, a friend would come by and help me get up in the morning, and hubby would help me at night. Is your daughter nearby? You won't want to sit in a car for very long so soon after surgery. Is she there during the day? That would be really useful as she will be able to help you out. If you stay at home, maybe your hubby could bring you breakfast in bed, then you could stay in bed in the mornings and come down when you need to get some lunch. Then you would only have the afternoon alone, and maybe not to many solo trips to the bathroom. I didn't have a knee walker as they're not so common in Europe, but I think you will find it a godsend! Do you have friends who can call in on you? Not only is it useful, but I found it helped me to stay positive, having people around and not being on my own all the time. Sorry I have waffled on a bit! Good luck with surgery.
The Following User Says Thank You to Amethy5t For This Useful Post: prico54 (08-14-2012)
I just glanced back to see what kind of surgery you're having, and it's pretty major, so I definitely would not want to be facing stairs every time I had to go to the bathroom, if I were you! I absolutely dreaded it after my OATS, and all I had to do was get up and go around a corner -- a total of maybe 15 feet, but they were 15 very painful feet there and 15 more to return.
If I ever need to go through anything like that again, I would probably get a bedside commode. I just found one on Amazon for $36, and you can even buy liners and absorbent inserts to make emptying them easy for whoever is doing it. That might be your perfect solution.
I wouldn't want to deal with or risk the stairs, but I definitely wouldn't want to leave my critters, either -- they're the best medicine!
The Following User Says Thank You to pclare For This Useful Post: prico54 (08-14-2012)
You find ways to do stuff. CJ
Re: 17 days till surgery 
