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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / May 2008new ankle brace and flying worries
Hi all, I just got a new MAJOR ankle brace. There is a steel shank inside the sole of my shoe (they cut the sole, then glued it back together). then there's a channel cut into the sides of the heel of the shoe and a metal bar runs through that and is attached at either side to metal posts which run up the sides of my leg to a leather strap just below the knee. couldn't find a picture of this, which would make it much easier to explain! anyway, i'm slowly adjusting to this heavy brace and think i'll ultimately like it better than my lace up leather brace that i wore inside my shoe. however, the brace-maker guy said the security people at the airline would "be all over it." so i got a letter from my doctor saying it's a prescribed medical device. but i just talked to a friend who wears a similar brace. at the security area in the airport, they detected fertilizer on his shoe (he didn't know how it got there) and that could be used to make a bomb, so they sliced the sole off his shoe to check, thus ruining the brace. i'm thinking i will pack this brace and wear my old leather one for the flights, although i'd rather be able to wear this one, but i sure don't want them to slice this one apart. has anyone had any experience going through security with a brace? thanks, diane Yes -- not ankle but wrist and everything must come off. Once I forgot one in the hustle and they ran that sniffer thing all over it. Also they make me walk barefoot through the detector arch but they do hand you a wooden cane [usually one for giants] for stability. Next you wait in this holding pen for a female guard. You walk forward a good distance still barefoot to chairs. You get to sit and lift your feet so they can look at the bottom of your bare soles. Next you stand on two footprints on this mat with legs apart and arms straight out in the air with the palms facing up toward the ceiling. This is where all the metal you are either wearing or have embedded will be buzzed and then patted down -- artificial knees, metal implant in wrist, metal necklace, and my favorite -- underwire bra wires. If you request a wheelchair from the curbside check-in to the gate this process will go better and depending on the guy pushing you, you might be able to tell him you can't walk without the brace -- you can take off the leather one and your shoes but might be able to sit in the wheelchair through a backdoor area. I have lucked out on that a couple of times. They take the wheelchair back through and hand search it while they leave you sitting in the chairs waiting for the female guard. I just flew to Nashville twice in the last two months. Be sure to take a sandwich. :) Duckie > Hi all, > I just got a new MAJOR ankle brace. There is a steel shank inside the [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > thanks, diane > Hi all, > I just got a new MAJOR ankle brace. Ditch the metal brace and go leather. If you have a tough time making it to your gate (or from) ask for a wheelchair. These guys can destroy your brace and face no consequences. What will you do when at your destination w/o your new brace? out of curiosity, did you friend wear the brace going through security or take it off and send it through the machine? It really seems to me that they should be able to tell if there's a hidden compartment in the shoe by running it through the machine. I've only worn wrist/thumb braces when flying and I always take them off for security. Sometimes they tell me I don't have too, but they have enough metal in them that I prefer to. It's easier than being scanned. If you really want to travel in the new brace, you might email the TSA through their website and ask them about the best procedure for doing so and mention your friend's experience that has you really worried. Or if you wear the leather brace and pack the mega one, insist on a wheelchair so you don't kill your ankle walking around. I hope this new brace lives up to its promise! From your description, it sounds like it might strengthen your leg muscles while supporting your ankle, heehee. And just to show what too many on this group have been doing lately, at first glance I though the subject line said *falling* worries!  SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Change everything. Love & forgive. i think i'm going to take paul's advice and pack the metal brace and wear the leather one. i've flown many times with the leather one. it's a pain to undo all the laces, but i go into a meditative state as i approach the the security area. i allow lots of time, and i tell people to go around me as i take my good time removing my laptop from its case, taking off my sneakers, unlacing my brace, etc. i don't rush and it keeps me feeling very calm and un-angry. i'm afraid the metal brace, given my friend's experience, would make me jittery since i wouldn't know what might befall it. of course, i'm flying to seattle, and the last two times my sister-in-law flew from the east coast to seattle, they lost her luggage, so the brace may end up being a goner anyway. =:-0 nann, because there is a hollow area inside the sole of the sneaker where the metal shank goes, i suppose someone could stuff something in there. the "sniffer" picked up fertilizer on my friend's shoes, which can be used to make a bomb. thus the cutting open of the shoe. i've already arranged for wheelchairs, so i've got that covered. i recall years ago (before 9/11) getting a wheelchair at heathrow and the guy pushing the chair actually took me across the tarmac as a shortcut! i've also used my frequent flyer mileage to upgrade to first class. heaven! diane i think i'm going to take paul's advice and pack the metal brace and wear the leather one. i've flown many times with the leather one. it's a pain to undo all the laces, but i go into a meditative state as i approach the the security area. i allow lots of time, and i tell people to go around me as i take my good time removing my laptop from its case, taking off my sneakers, unlacing my brace, etc. i don't rush and it keeps me feeling very calm and un-angry. i'm afraid the metal brace, given my friend's experience, would make me jittery since i wouldn't know what might befall it. of course, i'm flying to seattle, and the last two times my sister-in-law flew from the east coast to seattle, they lost her luggage, so the brace may end up being a goner anyway. =:-0 nann, because there is a hollow area inside the sole of the sneaker where the metal shank goes, i suppose someone could stuff something in there. the "sniffer" picked up fertilizer on my friend's shoes, which can be used to make a bomb. thus the cutting open of the shoe. i've already arranged for wheelchairs, so i've got that covered. i recall years ago (before 9/11) getting a wheelchair at heathrow and the guy pushing the chair actually took me across the tarmac as a shortcut! i've also used my frequent flyer mileage to upgrade to first class. heaven! diane yeppers. i agree with paul too. first class sounds like a comfy winner to me.<smile> your friend could have walked across a lawn or a small patch of of recently fertilized grass, at any time within the past several months, and not cleaned his shoes. and that could have caused the sniffer to pick it up. you're going to seattle? book tour??? if so, where??? maybe i can get there to see you. kate kate, i'm actually just flying into seattle, then renting a car and driving to bellingham (hi carole!) for my niece's wedding. i'll be there a few days and then fly to san jose for a granddaughter fix. i wish i could see you, but it's going to be a busy little trip. :-( diane I am not far from San Jose -- it is actually an easier airport to manage than Oakland when SF won't do. Weather here is fab but heading toward warmer for the weekend. Of course, further south it probably is even hotter. I'll send you my phone number just in case you get a break from grandmommy hugs. Duckie > kate, i'm actually just flying into seattle, then renting a car and > driving to bellingham (hi carole!) for my niece's wedding. i'll be > there a few days and then fly to san jose for a granddaughter fix. i > wish i could see you, but it's going to be a busy little trip. :-( > > diane kate, i'm actually just flying into seattle, then renting a car and driving to bellingham (hi carole!) for my niece's wedding. i'll be there a few days and then fly to san jose for a granddaughter fix. i wish i could see you, but it's going to be a busy little trip. :-( diane sounds like a thoroughly fun trip. grandchildren fixes are the best! you have a wonderful time, diane. kate Well, I just got back from my ten-day vacation last night. Vacation! What a concept. I can't remember my last one. but i digress. . . anyhow, i went through security three times on this trip. the first two times, i packed my new brace in my check on luggage because i was so afraid of them cutting it open as was mentioned here. on my final flight yesterday, i decided to wear it. i took it off to go through the xray machine, and it went through without anyone batting an eye. yay! i love this brace. it's ugly, but i can walk much better with it, so i was happy to see that i can probably get through security with it when i travel, especially since i have the note from my doctor, although no one asked for it. i know, tho, that security is uneven. last year, i went through with my swiss army knife in my purse (i forgot it was there) and they didn't catch that either. hugs all, diane That's just great that security slid you on through! I hope you can successfully travel with it that way in the future. Hmmm, do you have a statement from you insurance company or a bill from the orthotic maker you could carry with your doctor's note? That might be even more convincing if you meet up with an overzealous TSA person. Isn't it something how we adjust to setting aside vanity for better function? I've had people tsk-tsk at my wrist/thumb braces and I explain to them that I see my braces as friends! If only they could find a way to make them less hot! SignatureNann remove the Gator cheer to email me Change everything. Love & forgive. > Well, I just got back from my ten-day vacation last night. Vacation! > What a concept. I can't remember my last one. but i digress. . . [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > diane Hi, no braces but I have 7 joint replacements so I always have an extended time going through security. So far I've managed to always keep my shoes on. First I tell them I can't walk without them and when I'm getting wanded if they want them off i tell them fine but they have to put them back on because i can't without my shoe horn..so far its worked. I'm not even lying to them either!!! Get the wheelchair though...it will make things easier Karen > Hi all, > I just got a new MAJOR ankle brace. There is a steel shank inside the [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > thanks, diane |
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