hi janet,
please no guilt! you deserve it!
i struggled for so many years. walked much too far when i barely could. i should have asked for one much sooner.
it took a year for a tendon/ligament tear to heal (where the IT and TFL bands attach to the trochanter) because i had to walk a quarter to half mile every day from the parking lot into my building. it would start to settle down over a weekend, and by the end of the week, it would be so flared again. would have healed much sooner otherwise.
other times, the PF was so bad, i'd ice my feet before i went home, just so i could make it out to my car.
still, finding handicapped parking near my building is next to impossible, but instead of being up to a half mile away, i'm not within a quarter mile of my building. every little bit helps.
i rarely use it other places where the non-handicapped spaces are right next to the handicapped ones, then i leave it for others most days.
but work, or i should say getting to and from work every day, was just destroying my body.
and if i'm in bad shape when i have to go to the doctors or somewhere, i do use it. but if i'm that bad, i really don't go anywhere besides work or doctors.
a lot of times, its just nice to know its there when i need it. and since flares are so unpredictable...........
and then, one might feel fine when they go into a store, work etc, but after being on one's feet for awhile, can barely hobble back to the car.
i too was amazed how easily i got it when i finally got up the courage to ask for it. had always thought it was for people in wheelchairs, with walkers, etc. never really thought it was for people like me, who can walk, just with a lot of pain at times. i know better now.
glad you have one now as well!
