In November last year the surgeon had to cut my tumor off of my sciatic nerve. That left me with some weakness of my hip muscles and paralysis of the muscles that move my ankle and toes on the left. I worked my way up from a walker to crutches and then a cane. My first cane was a Hurrycane, chosen by my wife because it looked like the best collapsible cane at Walgreens. It has served me well over the last 5 or 6 months but is starting to wear out. Also, I’ve always wished it was a little bit taller.
I searched around for canes for tall people and it was surprisingly hard to find something that looked like what I needed. When googling for medical devices the ratio of honest information to sales pitches is pretty low. I eventually settled on the Leki Wanderfreund. The manufacturer specializes in trekking poles and walking sticks. But they also make this cane so that it feels much more like a piece of sporting goods than medical equipment. I haven’t weighed them, but it is significantly lighter than the Hurrycane.
The absolute best part about this cane is the grip. It allows for a variety of hand positions and I can manipulate it with my fingers. I can hook it with my pinky and have some use of my hand. But the one thing I miss about the Hurrycane is the ability to wedge a foot of its tripod base under my foot and keep it standing.
I’m still dialing in the length, but I’m glad I can adjust it so finely. I think this is going a big help in adjusting my mobility.
