Any Suggestions for Handling an

[Bullett]

Ambulatory challenged spouse???

My husband sustained a tib-fib fracture about 8 days ago on a dual sport ride in So. Utah. I'm going crazy trying to keep him occupied while I'm at work.

Does anyone have some suggestions for keeping a "non-weight bearing" middle aged child occupied?

I already beat him at Scrabble (only once, so far), he has a laptop to access the Internet and he just got a Kindle that he seems to really enjoy.

Tomorrow, I will entertain him with an auto ride to see his orthopedic surgeon, but I'm running out of ideas to keep him occupied. Do y'all have any ideas or suggestions?

[womanridge]

Knitting, Crochett? Let him have the remote:wave

[Montana]

You can get Scrabble for the laptop, I found it at Staples.

I put together a marquetry table while spending 6 weeks in a full cast. I propped up the leg and worked with hand tools and table-top saws and sanders.

Those 3D puzzles are pretty time-consuming. They are printed and then stuck to foam, so it takes a lot of time to manipulate them compared to flat puzzles. Sit him in front of a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood on sawhorses for a work zone.

Those are my ideas.

[AKBeemer]

Play Station or X-Box with a motorcycle racing game

[SUNRIDER711]

Playing Farmville on Facebook,,,, you create a farm, harvest crops,,,buy buildings, etc... My whole family is addicted.

Georgia

[From MARS]

Buy a trailer, hook it behind your RT, put him in it, and take him for a ride!:D

Tom

[RTFlyer]

Vicodin!:buds:brow

In all seriousness though, you will have you hands full. After a ruptured achilles tendon, I was a complete jerk after a few weeks of sitting around. Try to get him out, even if he needs to use a wheelchair. Home Depot, the mall, anything... My wife even took me to the zoo. Cabin fever is the real danger.

[Muriel]

Don't know if this would make things better - or worse! But Whitehorse Press and Aerostich Rider Wearhouse both have a huge selection of motorcycle-related books. Good luck!

Muriel

[PAULBACH]

sudoku on the Kindle

Web Sudoku - Billions of Free Sudoku Puzzles to Play Online (http://www.websudoku.com/) « Check Out This Link

[tghsmith]

as an avid model builder I suggest do some web hunting and find him some bmw models to pass the time not spent riding.... a 1/6 scale r75/5 and r90s are out there to be found, plus lots of other bikes in smaller scales.....

[Ted]

I was laid up a decade ago after a bad accident with both wrists/arms in external fixators, two broken legs, neck, ribs, shoulder, and a bunch of other fun things. I spent about 4 months in various hospitals and hospices and then was moved in to my Dad's English basement apartment. I spent another month re-learning how to stand up and then walk - walking to the bathroom on my own was a victorious day I will never forget.

Anyway, spending months on end on one's back unable to do more than sit up is excruciating - my (now) Wife spent a lot of time trying to find things to keep me occupied. Here is what worked for me :)

1. Laptop (with touchpad) - this was essential, especially early on when all I had use of was a couple fingers. Aside from the Internet there are interesting games you can get to keep the mind occupied - I liked strategy and history type games like Civilization and the Gettysburg. I also collected recipes from all the friends who brought dinners and lunches over the months and used Microsoft Publisher to create a cookbook of them, had them printed up and sent out to everyone at Christmas.

2. Audiobooks & iPod: I was unable to hold a book for any length of time and I must have burned through 40 audiobooks. They are ridiculously expensive so I took advantage of my local library's shut-in service to borrow them. I listened to them on my laptop but I am still hooked on them and use an iPod these days - importing the CDs into iTunes/iPod is easy.

3. DVD Movies: I watched them on my laptop: I must have watched Ken Burns' Civil War series three or four times. The library had an extensive collection of documentaries and video travel guides, the Hollywood movies get old very quickly.

4. Wooden Boat Models: I built five of them. It is pretty exacting work and uses only white glue (no fumes), sandpaper and an exacto knife. The first one I got as a gift and really had no interest in it, I started it out of boredom and found it to be really engaging work that ate up a lot of time. Here (http://laughingwhale.com/index.htm) is where I got them. I used a thick piece of cardboard from a TV box as a work surface, kept everything clean and organized.

Hope he gets better quick! And for what it is worth, I bounced back pretty well and started riding again years ago.

[PGlaves]

I vote for a roll-around shop stool, and all of the Meguires shiny products available. Add in sponges, brushes, cloths, etc. and he can have fun.

When he gets a little stronger and more sure of himself, move a tool box full of sockets, wrenches, drivers, pliers, and about a bushel of wire ties within reach.

A guy ought to take advantage of some downtime, you know. :)

[Semper_Fi]

A perpetual motion machine.

This is an intricate model you create and once set up and IF properly integrated becomes a perpetual motion machine.

There are different size kits you may want to check out.

Here is a quick video of the finished product

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHpycDDElQY

[iRene]

Believe it or not, with two broken legs (don't ask) I kept my gym membership.
My sister would put me in the car and take me to the gym. I could do some upper body weights,
but the REAL benefit was that they had a PRIMO handicapped shower.
At home, it was a tight fit in the bathroom, and a lot of cleanup after.
At the gym, there was a "drive-in" tiled shower with grab bars and a full size bench.
Oh, and the hand-held shower head!
I would go during quiet periods midmorning and spa out in the shower.

You need to get him into a routine- a coffeeshop visit in the morning for the paper and a cuppa,
then maybe a crutch around the block or a park, then lunch, maybe the gym, then a bookshop,
museum or library visit.
In bad weather, we'd go do a few laps around a big box store or a mall.
We also went with the deluxe Netflix membership, and I watched BBC and Masterpiece Theatre series
and streamed movies on my laptop.

[wezul]

Get him a laptop and an internet connection and I have just one suggestion.
SIP.
Or maybe jigsaw puzzles are more his speed?

[Bullett]

Wow. Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone. :clap

[rab1957]

It sounds like he's going to spend some time on crutches. I've had 8 surgerys on my knee and spent a fair amount of time on crutches. After one week on the under the arm style I bought a set of these, http://www.walkeasy.com/shop/Category.asp?ProductType=Forearm+Crutches

They are much easier to use and won't kill the armpits.

[martinPH]

Drop him off at the mall!

[Montana]

Good physical therapy makes all the difference as you progress through the different stages of hardware. Walking with crutches, even when you are allowed no weight-bearing on the injured leg, doesn't involve the armpits, if you are taught correctly. I know this, I've had to relearn to walk three times.

Once he is using crutches, get two things: a little kids sand bucket that swings easily and a robe or apron with large patch pockets. The bucket works as follows: load it with the soda, beer, sandwich, etc, then grasp the bail and the handlebar of the crutch together with the bucket hanging on the outside of the crutch. Now you can travel across the room carrying what you want, and if the beer already is opened, it swings a bit but stays pretty level and won't slop. The reason for the additional pockets is pretty obvious.

I killed a lot of time doing the at-home part of the physical therapy exercises: two or three hours in the morning and two or three in the evening.

[ultracyclist]

Take him to the pediatric ward of your local hospital or to the Childrens hospital in the area and perhaps he would like to read some stories to the sick kids.

[Voni]

Great idea! It feels so good to help others. And kids always share their giggles and smiles!

Voni
sMiling

[sudani]

Bullett,

How's that nurse thing going? Have you strangled him yet? :wave

Did you use the bucket option? I'm thinking a good size fanny pack would work, too.

Anyway, hope the worst of it is over.

[Copilot]

My husband is looking at hip replacement at the end of January or early Feb. We're looking at 3 months off of work for him. Our mission will be serious rehab to get him back on the bike in April. If all goes well, we'll be spending lots of time at the gym.:nyah

[sudani]

Copilot,

That would be a miraculous recovery to have the surgery in late January and be riding in April. I hope that is the case. Major stuff. After your gym time you'll be in tip top shape.

I did 10 yrs of going to the gym 5 days a week. The ex had heart issues. I did my time and ran a half marathon to top off thoes years...:) Never wanted to run a marathon. That's just nuts!

[bmwgsrider]

Ambulatory challenged spouse???

My husband sustained a tib-fib fracture about 8 days ago on a dual sport ride in So. Utah. I'm going crazy trying to keep him occupied while I'm at work.

Does anyone have some suggestions for keeping a "non-weight bearing" middle aged child occupied?

I already beat him at Scrabble (only once, so far), he has a laptop to access the Internet and he just got a Kindle that he seems to really enjoy.

Tomorrow, I will entertain him with an auto ride to see his orthopedic surgeon, but I'm running out of ideas to keep him occupied. Do y'all have any ideas or suggestions?

There are lots of wonderful suggestions here. I hope your husband heals up quickly so he can be back to riding in no time. The only thing I don't understand is he is an adult and I would think he is able to find things to do to keep himself occupied while you are at work and etc. to where you don't have to all the time.

[patcarol]

I fractured both of my leg's and was off a year. I picked up a guitar. I am still practicing. I do not think I'll be famous but, it is a lot of fun.

Good Luck
Pat Carol

[Bullett]

Well, I guess its time for a status update. He's 4 weeks and a few days from surgery and is doing pretty well. The leg has healed to the point that he can be on his crutches and not have it swell up in (it seems to me) about 5 seconds.

He's been reading a lot and spending some time on facebook and some riding internet boards.

He's finally sleeping all night, which means I get to sleep all night too!

He's felt well enough to go on two excursions to Costco this week.

And, the weather is supposed to be nice enough that I can escape on a ride this week-end!

Thanks for asking; and thanks for all the great suggestions.:thumb

[sudani]

Bullett,

Happy to hear things are progressing well. Soon you'll be able to give him the shopping list and send him off to Costco all by himself. :D

[Bullett]

On one of my solo excursions to Costco, I bought a new crock pot. We had our original one since we were students and it was a cheap one. He's been putting together some meals in the crock pot while I'm at work. I don't want to admit that was my hope when I got it, but . . .:D

[sudani]

:eat don't ya love when a plan comes together.....:D

[Bullett]

:eat don't ya love when a plan comes together.....:D

Yep!

[Bullett]

Update. Saw the doctor yesterday. Hubby is authorized to gradually increase weight bearing on the broken leg as tolerated and go to one crutch. He says he doesn't have pain when he walks on it.

Oh, and the doc says he can start to drive as he feels comfortable with it.

Looks like we are through the worst of it. Thanks everyone, for your kind support and suggestions to help us through this situation.

[AKBeemer]

Now that you appear to be nearer to the end of the challenge than to the beginning I thought you might be ready for another bit of advice on taking care of you instead of the patient..............

[Voni]

Celebration time!!! :dance:usa

Voni
sMiling

[Bullett]

Now that you appear to be nearer to the end of the challenge than to the beginning I thought you might be ready for another bit of advice on taking care of you instead of the patient..............

:p Why, thank you very much!

[jacko]

Update. Saw the doctor yesterday. Hubby is authorized to gradually increase weight bearing on the broken leg as tolerated and go to one crutch. He says he doesn't have pain when he walks on it.

Oh, and the doc says he can start to drive as he feels comfortable with it.

Looks like we are through the worst of it. Thanks everyone, for your kind support and suggestions to help us through this situation.

Now that he is almost up an starting to get around again. May I suggest that he starts working out in a pool? I joined a exercise class at our local APEX center (indoor pool,weight room etc) several weeks ago working out in the water and it has done wonders for this hip replacement and back injury sustained on way to rally last summer. I can just get my leg over a RT at the dealer now but they won't let me test ride yet!

Jack

[Bullett]

I guess a status update is due. Jan rode the stationary bike to maintain range of motion and to generally avoid losing muscle mass as the leg healed. This week, he has begun some short (10 minute) walks on the treadmill. The first one made his leg sore, but he has kept it up and this exercise has improved his gait significantly. He took his first motorcycle ride since the fracture MLK week-end in Death Valley N.P. We trailered the bikes down (last year it was really (13F!) cold leaving and returning to/from SLC on the bikes).

It looks like he will be just fine for riding season. So, all is good. Thanks again everybody, for your suggestions and tips they were much appreciated. :wave

[Voni]

Thanks for the update!

:groovyCelebration!:groovy

Voni
sMiling

[tourunigo]

Now that you appear to be nearer to the end of the challenge than to the beginning I thought you might be ready for another bit of advice on taking care of you instead of the patient..............

Thanks for that one. It now hangs on my computer. Every consultant's day should start with this! - Bob