When Fizz retired in November 2021, I didn’t expect to facing the summer still being reliant on a cane.
But here we are heading into July and the bruises on my stomach and side from multiple cane jabs are beginning to take its toll.
I had previously increased my cane tip from a marshmallow (size and shape not texture!) to a ball. Which as the name suggests is like having a white tennis ball on the end of my cane. The larger tip meant that the jabs were fewer; but the larger the tip the less sensation and feedback.
To give an example of this, beside my house is an older crossing where the tactile paving is under a tree, so throughout the winter the leaves would cover the tactile paving and as such make it difficult to feel that I was approaching the crossing as the larger ball tip didn’t pick up the bumps beneath the leaves.
So, as I am about to head away for a break in Cornwall; I undecided an upgrade was on the cards. Through Facebook connections and groups I had seen a few friends using the ‘no jab cane’. It looked amazing.
So, what is a no jab cane? I hear you ask.
Its actually quite clever: it is where the handle and first section of the cane is hollow, with a spring inside, so that when the cane tip gets caught or jars on an object or cracked paving stone the cane has a shock absorber, that by going into the handle softens the blow and saves my stomach or sides from a blunt force jab.
Because I need as much feedback as possible from my cane I also ordered it with reverting back to the marshmallow tip.
It’s been amazing! The feedback from the smaller tip is much preferred and although there is the occasional jab; I certainly feel the shock absorber taking the force more often instead of me.
The handle on the cane is also much more comfortable; instead of being a black sponge like coating, it is a padded red leather with both a rounded edge and a flat edge to be more comfortable in my hand. As usual the cane also comes with a black elastic strap to secure around my wrist and to secure the cane when folded.
My cane still has the red and white reflectors, so is still my ‘candy cane’ … But a much appreciated upgrade.
