I hurt my ankle fairly bad last week and am going to have to get it casted after the swelling goes down. The current plan of treatment is to put it in a full leg cast (which will cover my entire leg except for the top quarter of my thigh) for 6 weeks and then a short cast (to my knee) for 4 more. I’ll be on crutches for at least 10 weeks.
I am a junior and live in an off campus apartment with 3 other roommates. My college offers a free shuttle with stops at my apartment complex and at several locations on campus. Several friends have told me that I should withdraw for the semester and move home. Am I stupid to want to stay and finish the semester? Withdrawing would probably delay my graduation a full year because of how some classes are scheduled.
Also, does anyone tips on surviving with a cast and crutches? This is my first time being injured.
I had crutches for an ankle sprain a while back, it was terrible. I kept falling over and had to switch to a cane. If I were you, I would get either one of those one-legged scooter things or a wheel-chair, maybe an electric one.
Contact dean of your major college or dean of students. They can tell you if there are ways they can help you and official word from them to teachers will allow teachers to cut you some slack instead of talking to professors individually
Contact your school’s disability services office to see what services (if any) they have available. The resources available vary by school, but they don’t just deal with students who have learning disabilities or need testing or homework accommodations. They may also have services for temporary disabilities, like breaking a leg or arm and having a cast. Something that may be helpful is seeing if they have a service that will take you to your classes since you’ll be less mobile with crutches. It’s always worth looking into, and I’ve found that the disabilities services office is underutilized by many students who either don’t know it’s available or don’t feel like the services are meant for them.
I had a friend who had surgery that limited her mobility for months (cast and crutches for a while, walking boot for a while, she couldn’t walk without taking frequent breaks or take the stairs for even longer). She still stayed in school and completed her classes, so I certainly don’t think it’s crazy for you to want to do so (especially since it will push your graduation date back by a year). She went to a school with lots of hills and relatively long walks to class, but her school had a service for students with disabilities where they would drive her to and from class. It took a bit of planning and foresight, but it was manageable. The hardest part for her was just daily living–figuring out how to shower, go grocery shopping, cook food, etc, with a cast and crutches. School was a cinch compared to all of that. If you can figure out how to live your life with a cast and crutches, then I don’t think adding classes on top of that will be the biggest burden in the world.
Time between classes shouldn be a problem. It’s more the daily living and getting to and around campus that I’m worried about.
It’s not really college related, but I’m also interested in any tips on dealing with the cast (ie, itchiness, sweat, and heat) if anyone has any. This will be my first time wearing one.
I had two friends on crutches, both living off campus, last year. They used the shuttles to get onto campus, and then just stayed there for the most part during the day. I don’t think it’s any reason to withdraw at all.
I’d suggest making sure you get to the shuttle stop on time, or catch a shuttle to get you to campus earlier than you need to be there, just to be safe. You also might be able to find a friend with a car who can drive you sometimes.
I don’t think that my friends really had that much of an issue with the crutches. You adapt pretty quickly, you have to a bit more careful walking, but otherwise they were out and about doing everything as normal.
I’ll agree with getting a noticeable cast color. Not that it’ll be unnoticeable if it’s not something bright haha. It’ll be an interesting talking point, and people will help out if you need it.
Don’t try to figure this out on your own!!! Like others say, talk the Dean of Students or Disability Services and ask what accomodations/helpful things they have at the college. They may be able to put in you in an accessible room or have a bus pick you up or whatever. But you may not even know what accommodations are possible until you ask.