I ran across a recent discovery.com article about King Tut’s virtual reconstruction. Using 2,000 computerized tomography (CT) scans of the pharaoh’s body to conduct a “virtual autopsy” an image is “built” that shows Tutankhamun naked except for wearing a loincloth.Looking directly into the “camera,” he looks as if he is posing for the picture.
The reconstructed photo shows him standing holding a cane to support his club foot. At first, I thought something was odd about the image. Tutankhamun’s damaged foot is his left foot, but contrary to my expectation he is holding the cane in his right hand.
When I injured my foot 7 months ago, I happened to have an old cane handy and started using it to aid my walking – in my ‘left’ hand, to support my injured ‘left’ foot, or, so I thought.
Seeing Tutankhamun depicted with his damaged left foot holding the cane in his right hand struck me that perhaps I was doing it wrong. So I searched Google, and sure enough, wikihow.com had a link on how to use a cane correctly. My error was revealed to me.
As the article says: “When you step forward on your bad leg, move the cane forward at the same time and put your weight on them together, allowing the cane to absorb more strain than the leg. Don’t use the cane to step with your good leg. As you become accustomed to the cane, it will ideally feel like a natural extension of yourself.”
So I limped over to my cane leaning in the corner and took a spin around my shoebox, and hallelujah I could walk again! It took only a couple of turns to feel that my cane did indeed “feel like a natural extension” of myself. I can’t wait for my next outing to really take this cane for spin to do my errands without feeling like I’m wearing an eye patch and a peg-leg.
Even though I have gone from cane, to a knee-to-toe aircast, Canadian Crutches and now back to a cane along with diabetic shoes, my ordeal is far from over. But my late in life arthritic foot fracture pales when compared to the young king’s troubles.
“In the flesh” Tutankhamun was truly a mess and lived a rather miserable life. Aside from having wide hips like a girl and a serious overbite, the Egyptian Pharaoh teenage king was unable to stand or walk unaided and always had to rely on one of his approximately 130 walking sticks found in his tomb. Additionally, Tutankhamun was subjected to the perils that many people suffer when living with a leg or foot injury. He apparently had taken a pretty bad tumble and broke his leg just above the knee shortly before he died at age 19 years old.
The fact that he ended up in a “treasure-packed” tomb in the Valley of the Kings could not have been much consolation to him. Nineteen year olds are at the starting gate of maturity when the run to the finish line should just begin. He’ll never know it, but 3,500 years later he sends a little help to one also now lame and dependent on walking sticks.
Vidda, I had to start using a
Vidda, I had to start using a cane a few months ago and I also assumed it should be on the side of the injury. During my physical therapy I learned that a cane should be used as ” an extension of the injured leg. When the leg is in motion the cane should be enacting the same motion” . At first it seemed like it would be counterproductive but …tah dah!!…it actually is quite helpful when used correctly. Now using a cane is second nature to me but I think k it’s pretty common to assume it should be on the ” injured” side.
And, on a weirdly funny note when I initially read your post my very aging eyes read ” Tutankhamen was subjected to the usual penis that many people suffer when living with foot or leg injuries” . And I thought..What???!! Then I read it again and saw what it actually said. Made much more sense but not quite as amusing.
Kris, would you believe...?
Kris, would you believe I did the same thing when I was proofing this piece? There must be something to that…
In one of the many Tutankhamen articles I’ve read, I remember reading that his mummification includes his mummified ‘erect’ penis. 3500 years ago, pre-Jew-Christian era, of course, our sexual organs were an important dynamic of many cultures. Not unlike the Sixties, now that I mention it! Ah, the good ole days…
Oh, yeah...those rowdy
Oh, yeah…those rowdy Sixties…I miss them quite a lot!
Leraning new tricks
Don’t you just love when your learn something new and simple that makes an enormous difference in your life? And then the added bonus of teaching others?
I do.
“When you have no companion, look to your walking stick”
I also found out Chris that using two walking sticks is even better, which I would think Tutankhamen would have benefited better from. Indeed, I suspect, considering the difficulties with a club foot, that he would have been better supported and likely often did use two canes instead of one.
I have also discovered from my own use that it is possible to stumble or trip on your cane while walking. And, possibly this is what happened to Tutankhamen when he fell and broke his leg above the knee.
How tall should a cane be?
I have a cane that was used by a great grandfather and passed down. I was watching the Wizard of Oz recently and noticed that the wizard has a cane just like it in his hand – the same distinctive top gives it away.
What do you think is the ideal height for a cane? This one seems a bit short for me, but I still take it out and use it every once in a while, mostly for ornament. Also because I feel that old objects like to be used and not just stored away.
When my physical therapist
When my physical therapist first fitted me for my can she said the proper height is determined by standing straight and lightly resting your hand on your hip with the elbow slightly bent. Too short and it can thrown your back and hips out of alignment – too tall and it can cause pain in your shoulder.
I see a lot of people using canes that look to be too short for them – you should be able to stand straight when using one.
well, it does look like that...really!
i was given awalker after i was hit by a car years ago…hated that thing and found a really cool cane with a carved elephant head handle that worked much better. if i have to use one in the future, i know how to do it. there are canes that conceal drinking flasks or swords, too!