What's up with the legs?

June 16, 2008 1:24 PM

I saw a guy today who had something going on with his legs that I was curious about. He was wearing shorts and had these sort of flesh-colored "sleeves" over both legs and what looked like some sort of therapeutic boot with a very thick sole or padding. He walked as though he had a prosthetic leg, but these were not like any prosthetics I have ever seen. He didn't have a cane, crutches or any other sort of assistance. Any ideas what this was all about?
posted by mattholomew to health & fitness (8 comments total)

Could be a burn victim. The compression clothing helps scarring.
posted by sanka at 1:31 PM on June 16, 2008

I have seen those flesh colored "sleeves" on a friend of mine who was a severe burn victim. That could be it.
posted by skewedoracle at 1:32 PM on June 16, 2008

could be pressure stockings for poor circulation as well. That doesn't explain the "boot" thing though.
posted by cosmicbandito at 1:35 PM on June 16, 2008

Actually I'm guessing he had varicose vein surgery. The new treatment going around is that they puncture several holes in your leg and suck out the offending veins, and you have to wear those sleeves you speak of for a few weeks afterwards. My buddy just had this done, actually, and lots of people were giving him curious looks (so you're not alone).
posted by fusinski at 1:52 PM on June 16, 2008

I worked with a woman who had a compression sleeve for her arm. She was a breast cancer survivor, and she wore it for her lymphedema.
posted by rhapsodie at 2:01 PM on June 16, 2008

Agreeing with burn victim/ skin graft recipient. My brother wore a compression stocking in combination with a boot-type thing when he badly burned his heel. He still wears the stocking and an orthotic when he knows he'll be walking a lot in a given day.
posted by weezetr at 4:23 PM on June 16, 2008

TaffDad has those because he has dangerously low blood pressure. A sideaffect of his Parkinsons disease. He walks funny because of the Parkinsons and wears the flesh coloured compression stockings to stop himself from fainting.... he also wears odd shoes because his feet get really really hot in the stockings (he lives in Australia, you can imagine the discomfort) and he has trouble putting normal shoes on....

To someone who didn't know.. he could look like he has prosthetic legs that don't work very well. The type dad wears are secondskin or something like that.
posted by taff at 3:48 AM on June 17, 2008

If he's older (~50+), he may have Diabetes -- which can do some real damage to your lower legs (due to Diabetic neuropathy and poor circulation).
posted by joquarky at 1:00 PM on June 17, 2008