Osteoarthritis

[Allison Joy]

I'm going to share my Disney story here, especially since you mentioned you feel like you're "too young" to have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis. First of all, don't let others or even doctors tell you that you are "too young" for any particular diagnosis The human body is a strange and marvelous thing, but everyone is different. Don't judge your situation by others. And if others give you grief about it, then that's their problem, not yours. And, if you want to respond, which you absolutely don't have too, then feel free to respond with humor. You know, "Yep. I'm a [insert age] year old trapped in the body of an 80 year old!" Or "Yep. I won the medical mystery lottery. Maybe you'll be next." (Okay. So that last one may be a bit harsh.) Or just tell them to bug off. Any of those options, or ignoring them are acceptable!

Now. On to my Disney story. I hope all the regulars don't mind me posting this again, because I post it on most threads when someone is reluctant to get a wheelchair/scooter.

I'm now 34, and took my first Disney trip summer of 2016, when I was 33. At the age of 29, I had a hip replacement, due to complications from hip problems, and subsequent surgery at age 9. And my entire life, I've had some other minor (to me) physical limitations. I always like to think they are not obvious to others, but I think they are more obvious than I realize, because, despite being and looking young, I am nearly always offered a seat on a full bus/light rail, whether at Disney or the occasional times I take public transportation in my city. That's the intro, and here's my Disney story.

On our week long trip, the last day in the parks (Magic Kingdom) my friends rented a wheel chair for me. I'll be honest, I was kind of upset. I didn't feel I "needed" it, because, honestly, I can do longer distances. I'm just slow. Like... really slow, especially be the end of the day. I felt like I was taking advantage of something I shouldn't, and even hesitated sharing my story here at first, for fear that other people would think I was taking advantage of things. Looking back, I'm glad they did rent the wheelchair for me, because the next day was departure day, and I'm honestly not sure I would have navigated nearly as well at the airport the next day with my luggage (carry on) if I hadn't had that "rest" day the last day in the parks. (That being said, I'd still like to "conquer" Magic Kingdom without a wheelchair/ECV one day.)

One special thing that happened to me is I saw a young girl with a pink cast on her leg who was also in a wheelchair. She looked pretty sad to have to use the wheelchair. But the moment she saw me, she got this HUGE smile on her face and waved at me. I think I was probably the first younger looking person she saw in a wheelchair, and it made her feel not quite so alone. So... all that to say there are definitely advantages to renting a scooter/wheelchair and there may been some hidden magic pixie dust in that wheelchair/scooter too.

(P.S. I love sharing my full story to hopefully encourage others. Post here or PM me if you want to hear it.)

 

[Winchester24]

I see I would really look into getting either an ECV or a wheelchair.

If you think you can do more walking a wheelchair that you can push when need to and sit when need too ( If you have one or two people that can push it when you need a break then this might help)

if you can not do a lot of walking then an ECV might be the way to go even with ( either mobility device) you do not have to use it all the time, You can park it and go into a shop and look around. Park it if the line is not long ( both distance and time) or park it in the land and look around some. Yes, there is a lot of walking at Disney. But with a good touring plane and not crisscrossing the parks will also help cut down on the walking that you do. I hope you have a great trip how long will you be at Disney for.

Thank you! I like the idea of being able to park it, as I know I will not be needing it all the time. We will be there for 8 days, it looks like it is the most expensive to rent in the park and you can't reserve for the week. I'm looking at other companies now. Thanks again!

 

[gap2368]

Thank you! I like the idea of being able to park it, as I know I will not be needing it all the time. We will be there for 8 days, it looks like it is the most expensive to rent in the park and you can't reserve for the week. I'm looking at other companies now. Thanks again!

I would rent from outside the wait for the buses at the end of the day can be quite long ( and I would guess this would be the time you would really need to sit) also some of the resorts can be a long walk to your room or to the food court and you can not take the ECV or wheelchair out of the park ( for the most part sometimes they will let you bring a wheelchair out and to your hotel but that is very iffy ( I have done it before))

 

[Winchester24]

I'm going to share my Disney story here, especially since you mentioned you feel like you're "too young" to have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis. First of all, don't let others or even doctors tell you that you are "too young" for any particular diagnosis The human body is a strange and marvelous thing, but everyone is different. Don't judge your situation by others. And if others give you grief about it, then that's their problem, not yours. And, if you want to respond, which you absolutely don't have too, then feel free to respond with humor. You know, "Yep. I'm a [insert age] year old trapped in the body of an 80 year old!" Or "Yep. I won the medical mystery lottery. Maybe you'll be next." (Okay. So that last one may be a bit harsh.) Or just tell them to bug off. Any of those options, or ignoring them are acceptable!

Now. On to my Disney story. I hope all the regulars don't mind me posting this again, because I post it on most threads when someone is reluctant to get a wheelchair/scooter.

I'm now 34, and took my first Disney trip summer of 2016, when I was 33. At the age of 29, I had a hip replacement, due to complications from hip problems, and subsequent surgery at age 9. And my entire life, I've had some other minor (to me) physical limitations. I always like to think they are not obvious to others, but I think they are more obvious than I realize, because, despite being and looking young, I am nearly always offered a seat on a full bus/light rail, whether at Disney or the occasional times I take public transportation in my city. That's the intro, and here's my Disney story.

On our week long trip, the last day in the parks (Magic Kingdom) my friends rented a wheel chair for me. I'll be honest, I was kind of upset. I didn't feel I "needed" it, because, honestly, I can do longer distances. I'm just slow. Like... really slow, especially be the end of the day. I felt like I was taking advantage of something I shouldn't, and even hesitated sharing my story here at first, for fear that other people would think I was taking advantage of things. Looking back, I'm glad they did rent the wheelchair for me, because the next day was departure day, and I'm honestly not sure I would have navigated nearly as well at the airport the next day with my luggage (carry on) if I hadn't had that "rest" day the last day in the parks. (That being said, I'd still like to "conquer" Magic Kingdom without a wheelchair/ECV one day.)

One special thing that happened to me is I saw a young girl with a pink cast on her leg who was also in a wheelchair. She looked pretty sad to have to use the wheelchair. But the moment she saw me, she got this HUGE smile on her face and waved at me. I think I was probably the first younger looking person she saw in a wheelchair, and it made her feel not quite so alone. So... all that to say there are definitely advantages to renting a scooter/wheelchair and there may been some hidden magic pixie dust in that wheelchair/scooter too.

(P.S. I love sharing my full story to hopefully encourage others. Post here or PM me if you want to hear it.)

Thank you so much for sharing! I've spent a good part of my life with chronic illnesses considered "invisible" to others. I have learned to advocate for myself within the medical community and to other people (thought I find that more difficult for some reason) but being booed was a new one! I love your attitude and would love to hear your full story!

 

[Winchester24]

I would rent from outside the wait for the buses at the end of the day can be quite long ( and I would guess this would be the time you would really need to sit) also some of the resorts can be a long walk to your room or to the food court and you can not take the ECV or wheelchair out of the park ( for the most part sometimes they will let you bring a wheelchair out and to your hotel but that is very iffy ( I have done it before))

Ooh I didn't even think about having to give it up for the day, thanks for the tip! It stinks because it would be so convenient to rent through Disney, but they are more expensive and I'm not loving having to leave it in the park and chance not getting one the next day.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

As the previous poster said, it’s unlikely you will be able to get a DAS for what is considered a mobility issue, but no one can say for sure, so if you believe you need one, you should ask.

If you are granted a DAS, you won’t go to the front of the line when you return; you will go to the end of the FastPass line, which could be anywhere from 5 - 20 minutes long.

Seems the fast pass lines right now are much longer waits than 20 mins...

 

[Lilsia]

Just from reading what others have said (not just in this thread) about how much their (normal) feet hurt at the end of the day or how many miles they clocked in a particular day. I knew there was a ton of walking, but seeing "9 miles on day one, 6 miles on day 2" in a thread really puts it into perspective. I haven't been to the parks since I was a kid (one time to the Boardwalk for NYE as an adult) and I guess I underestimated the amount of walking and lack of opportunities/places for rest. You don't remember being exhausted as a kid-just being excited. Plus this diagnosis is fairly new and was only discovered (and triggered) after a traumatic injury, I haven't had time to fully adjust or accept the limitations I guess.

But you don't HAVE to do all of that walking. I work on my feet so I am used to walking but a few years ago I had really bad plantar fasciitis. I did not have any mobility assistance but I did take it nice and slow. I planned my touring to be more compact instead of the usual back and forth. And I did sit down a lot more often. I had no problems finding places to sit. I think it is just a part of life that we will not always be able to do everything we did when we where young/healthy, etc. So we just adjust the way we do things. I am not saying to not get a scooter or other assistance, just pointing out that you do not have to walk 9 miles a day to enjoy your WDW vacation.

 

[Smittolis]

Thank you for sharing, this is definitely an issue with education and understanding with respect to the 'average joe' who at first feels that a disability is merely physical. Just remember 'we' as humans judge with our eyes initially, rightly or wrongly we all form opinions based upon our own experiences and what we see. Doesn't justify it by any means but it is important to understand for context.

The fundamental issue from my perspective is your own enjoyment, what does it matter if people look disapprovingly? What does it matter if people quietly question your disposition? You need to look after yourself and do what it is you want / need to do in order to enhance your enjoyment. Disabilities come in many forms, many of the more painful and serious issues are often hidden from plain sight. If someone wishes to question why you are doing something then thats their own issue, be true to yourself and understand you are not taking advantage of anything nor anyone. You are merely taking steps to prevent any deterioration of your condition.

As a long term sufferer of numerous Auto-Immune diseases, I understand that some days you are fine and can do anything without limitations! However, there are others whereby simply walking across the room to the bathroom is difficult. Being on top of your medication is key, knowing what your body is telling you is also paramount. Being able to understand what that tingling in your knee / ankle etc.. is telling you can help you catch things before they get out of control. Knowing how your body reacts to being Iced and some other forms of intervention is also good. Knowing all of these things can allow you to really make the best of your trip.

For me personally, I sit down with my doctors and let them know that I am going to be a 'warrior' for a couple of weeks, so lets see what we can do to make it workable! haha... The response is usually a tapered increase in Prednisone leading up to the trip, during the trip, and a tapered reduction on the other end when we are coming home. This really helps with the additional pounding your joints and body will take. I also make sure I have some pain killers that work well for me, and i will time any in hospital treatment (infusions etc.) a few months in advance so that the trip is during the peak performance of the drugs as opposed to after its lost some of its initial potency. But even with all of these in place, it really boils down to making sure you know your limitations. Being able to utilize some form of walking aid to make the trip workable is nothing to be ashamed of. Look at it as if its a coach and an athlete, people do not think twice about seeking advice and expertise from a coach when their athlete needs help / improvement. The coach simply provides that expertise but doesn't really have a direct affect on the athlete. The Athlete is the one that does all the work, the coach simply allows them to see (and hopefully reach) their potential. A wheel chair, an electric scooter etc... are the same, they are simply coaches allowing someone to realize their potential ;o)

You have 2 choices, you can be bitter, or you can be better ;o) Choose to be better, choose to maximize your time and enjoyment with your family and friends. Who cares what people you will never see in a million years may think about it lol

I personally use a stroller as my walking aid, having my 2 kids in there and using it to help with mobility is a great way of killing 2 birds with 1 stone. We average 12-14 miles per day, and up to this point (touch wood!) I have never had anything other than some aches and pains! Disabilities can often be challenging, but they don't need to define you. Live the dream.

Peace

 

[Toffeewoffy]

My problem isn't necessarily physical pain, but the way my knees lock up and compress if I'm up and walking around/standing around for more than an hour or so. The first holiday after I had my right knee operated on (I tore the cartlidge, and he told me I had osteoarthritis as well) I did the parks with a knee support and my walking stick. We spent a lot of time sitting around and it almost halved what we got done in a day. As it happened I was also in a lot of pain at the time.

The following year I didn't want to risk it, so I hired a scooter. The difference was amazing. I could go through 90% all the lines in it, park up and get on the ride (with the aid of my walking stick being used as a 'third leg') and went home at the end of the day almost fit and raring to go while my daughter grizzled the whole time because she told me she'd packed all by herself - but brought the wrong shoes and her feet hurt the entire week.

I now won't go on holiday without hiring a scooter. As I now can't even do a couple of hours in the local shopping centre before being so physically tired that I can't even face the walk back to the car I hire a scooter for going shopping, too. I can do the hour-long shop at the supermarket - I, too, use the shopping trolley as a rollator, leaning against it when my back feels sore. Twice I've been so exhausted after doing local non-food shopping that I've had to borrow the superarket's mobility scooter.

But if it's not actual pain I get, it's the feeling of the joints compressing down and then getting difficult to walk on. I can't even think of going to a park without a scooter and the stick. A couple of years ago I left the stick back in the hotel - didn't realise until I went to get it out of the back of the car along with the scooter. It was very difficult doing the Pirates ride as you have to leave the scooter outside, and I was literally holding onto everything I could on the queue down to the ride itself.

If you have problems with your joints due to arthritis, being 'brave' and making do because you don't want to look like an unworthy invalid is just daft. Needing help to walk is nothing to be embarrassed about - no matter how old (or young) you are. You've paid to get into the parks just like everyone else, and you have as much right to be there and do everything as everyone else.

I'm 57 now - although I still don't look anywhere near - I basically still look like I do in my profile pic which was taken some 4 years ago) but I've got to the age where I just don't care what anyone else might think. I've only heard one rude comment just within earshot - and that wasn't even because I ran into someone. They were young and thought they were the "bees' knees" as we say over here. So, an 'old' person in a scooter clearly didn't have the right to be out shopping when they were there and were young and trendy and so beautiful! Yeah, right!