Essential Accessories for Crutchers

So you're on crutches? What a coincidence! So am I! Well crutching might be annoying, but some basic accessories will take away the worst aspects of them. Below are my top five.

1. Shower Stool
Gosh I wish I could write this one without having to use the word stool. But I honestly don't know how people take showers without these vital pieces of plastic. If you have weak water pressure in your house, you might also want a detachable shower head, but my apartment is pretty good about that, so I just used the stool. I've had minefor quite a while actually, since I'm a lower-leg injury veteran.

2. Crutch Bag(s)
I ordered two bags from The Crutch Bag, but a quick google search will show you lots of bag options. I actually didn't use mine as much as I expected, probably because I had a strict policy of always wearing pockets. But in the absence of pockets, you definitely need some crutch bags. I'm a lady, see, and we usually use handbags and purses for our stuff, but you can't use those when you're on crutches 'cause they will slide off your arm, knock into your crutch, disrupt your flow and the like. And, even if you have a bag that works for you, it's nice to have something that you don't have to take off your body and open and close. I used my crutch bags a lot for things that I needed at-the-ready, like my keys and wallet, and for stuff I picked up, like my mail.

3. Coffee Travel Mug/ Thermos
One of the most annoying parts of being on crutches is how to handle the coffee situation. I require coffee to do work, but the place where I buy coffee is like a million miles from the library. Sometimes a friend would be there to make a run for me, but most of the time I was on my own. For four weeks I actually avoided going to school purely for the coffee reason. And then one day, when I was talking to a friend about my desire to create a crutch attachment that was carefully designed so that it could carry a cup of coffee for you, it hit me: a thermos! I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I'm wicked smart. I had considered a travel mug, but those things still spill if you knock them around. But not so with a thermos! I can fill it at home for use at school later, or if I needed more than 24 oz of coffee, I could crutch to the nearest coffee vendor and ask to fill 'er up (and then return to the library, my thermos in my trusty crutch bag).

So, don't be an idiot like me. Get a reliable thermos. I would have bought this one.

4. A Netflix Subscription
This is true if you like movies, but it's also true if you're into (a) educational videos, (b) motivational speakers and financial planning advice, or (c) vintage exercise DVD's. Usually, I just get one DVD at a time, but while I'm on crutches I'm getting four at a time, and I sometimes think about upping my subscription again. Going through exercise DVD's is fun!

5. Video Games
Do you like to play video games? Or maybe you liked to play video games but now you are 30 and have too many responsibilities? Well now's your chance. It is you duty to sit on your butt for the next however long. Your obligation. Your chore. So you might as well develop that hand-eye coordination by logging in some serious video game time. Bonus f you can rope a friend or family member into playing with you. Bonding time!

I'm actually horrible at regular video games so I prefer role playing games like Final Fantasy. These games take 60+ hour to play but it feels more like 20. If you are unfamiliar with RPGs because you just aren't cool enough, they are basically really long stories that you interact with. You look for clues and need to go to this place and that place to get more of the story, usually fighting monsters along the way. But, they require little skill, which is my speed. Anyway, they are a great way to pass the time. If you have the original PlayStation, I can recommend Final Fantasy 7--it's a gamer favorite.