5 Tips to Survive Having Crutches & Living Alone

Last week I had really ambitious plans for all the amazing blog work I would do this past weekend. I was going to write a post about re-potting/taking care of/obsessing over indoor plants AND one about installing an above-the-door shelf in my bathroom. And maybe even overhaul my minuscule, awkward-shaped closet. But then as I was carrying some heavy shelving into my apartment, I tripped and open fractured my pinky toe.

And then, long story short, I put off going in and getting stitches until it was too late because I AM A HUGE BABY and now I am stuck on crutches for the next 2-4 weeks.

I live alone in a little space with a little dog. There are 19 stairs (one way) that must be climbed to get to my apartment. Here is what I have figured out so far:

5 Tips to Survive Having Crutches & Living Alone

Invest in clothes with lots of pockets. Maybe even get cargo pants. Seriously though, I’m not going to wear pocket-less clothes until I don’t have to have crutches anymore. Nothing is worse than getting all the way down your hallway stairs and realizing you left your phone upstairs, because normally you would carry it in your hand, but now you can’t because your hands are holding onto your crutches.

Before I leave any room, I obsessively look around for anything I might possibly need and stuff all my pockets.

Luckily I work in a fun place that allows me to wear jeans most days, but if you don’t, you might want to beg your boss to wear jeans instead of dress slacks, or see the next tip.

Invest in a cross-body purse/bag. I’m one of those ladies who carries an over-sized, over-stuffed purse everywhere. I really just need to be prepared (for everything!). And I have to carry my laptop around a lot (for work, blogging, etc). Luckily my laptop case is already a cross-body type bag, but my purse is not. So I have downgraded to a little side satchel that I use when I travel. Otherwise, it’s impossible to balance on crutches because my obnoxious purse-bag always slips off my shoulder.

The side satchel has taught me what’s really essential (surgical tape, band-aids, wallet) and what’s not (5 chapsticks, two notebooks, 15 pens, 8000 pieces of junk mail). Just think of being on crutches as an experience in minimalism.

Push things around with your crutches. There are going to be things you’ll have to do in your little space, like laundry. Or feed your dog. And that requires moving things, which you can’t do because you can’t use your hands. Find a large, light-weight plastic basket (like a laundry basket)and just push it (kick it) around with a crutch or your good foot/leg when you have to move stuff. You will feel really stupid and helpless, but hey, you live alone, so no one is there to laugh at you.

Use a lightweight bag to carry your food from the kitchen. You’re probably going to want to eat while you’re on crutches. The problem is that you won’t be able to carry a bowl of cereal to the couch or a bowl of soup back to your desk at work because hey, no hands. I’ve been using a re-usable grocery bag to carry things like chips and salsa, ice cream (yes, the whole carton), and cans of La Croix. I do this at work too (but I try to look more respectable and eat salad from a Tupperware dish or whatever). Use Tupperware to transport in the bag if you want to eat anything hot or messy.

REST. This is really hard for me. But luckily I have good company.

P.S. This is how I walk my dog. You can find the little clip on thing here.

More tips for surviving crutches here.