At 33 I was in a job that was going nowhere. I am a software engineer, and have won a few professional awards for my work. My job was getting stale. I was looking for a new challenge. I carefully followed the professional journals and local newspaper want-ads. I saw an ad that fit my qualifications and at the end it said: “First preference given to disabled.”
I am not disabled but the job description was just what I had been looking for. It offered an opportunity to work in a field that had always fascinated me. I knew, with the recent economic slowdown and so many engineers out of work, there would be fierce competition for the job. I had the experience and educational qualifications but so did a whole lot of other people that were vying for the position. I decided I would have to add something that others did not have.
I scanned the internet. I tried ‘disabled,’ ‘crutches,’ ‘wheel chair.’ When I found ‘braces,’ and the many internet sites that explore the wearing of leg and body braces, I knew I had found my answer. There were several sites for people who were not disabled but wore braces for pleasure. Some wore full leg braces, some just ankle braces, somebody braces, some neck braces, and some various combinations.
After searching thru internet links I found a site that would supply any sort of brace without requiring a medical prescription. Since I was anxious to secure the new job I contacted the brace supplier. I was told that everybody is so different I would have to take very careful, detailed measurements, and make plaster casts of my legs. These were necessary to ensure the braces fit my body exactly with the ankle, knee, and hip joints corresponding to my joints. If I was going to wear braces all of the time they must fit perfectly to be comfortable.
I got the plaster bandages. I spread a tarp on the floor, got a bucket of warm water, dipped the bandages, and wrapped my legs from hip to ankle in a thick layer of plaster. After a half hour the plaster was hard enough to allow me to cut it off without destroying it. With shears I cut a slit down the side of my legs and carefully removed the casts. Then I closed the slits and plastered over them.
I sent the casts off along with the measurements. When the braces came back I was stunned. They are a magnificent example of careful, caring workmanship. Not only are they functional, they are beautiful to look at. The shiny sturdy chrome struts go from under the heels to under the armpits. The polished tan leather is carefully sewn with a soft lining. The calf casings have three strong buckles, the thighs, four straps. The body brace has two strong steel struts going up each side of the spine, ending just below the shoulder blades. There is a steel support, top and bottom, circling half way around to the sides joining with thick leather straps that secure the body firmly upright. In addition there is a front leather corset with four buckles, and straps that keep the shoulders from drooping.
When I first saw the braces I wondered if I would be able to wear such an elaborate device for any length of time. Just how much did I want that job? Was it worth going thru all this? Well, I’d never know if I didn’t try it out.
I slid the foot supports into the metal troughs that had been put in the heels of the shoes. I spread the leather of the thighs and calves, slid my feet into the shoes, and tightened the buckles around my legs. Next I swung the back brace up around my body and secured all the straps. I stood up and slid the drop-locks down on the hip and knee joints.
That was an exciting new sensation. I was standing up. The braces were keeping me upright and my muscles were relaxing. I tried walking; I should say hobbling, around the room. It wasn’t long before I fell over backward. There was no way to catch myself with my hips and knees securely locked. I got some bruises but fortunately no serious injury.
The problem then was, how was I going to get up? I felt like an overturned turtle. I undid the drop-locks and rolled over on my stomach. When I brought my knees up, the braces prevented them from bending far enough to get under me. Struggling I grabbed a chair and pulled myself up.
I was going to need practice. I went out to a large mall. I practiced walking from one end of the parking lot to the other. I kept the drop-locks unlocked. I did not want to repeat falling down. After several hours of walking I was confident I could act as though I had always worn braces.
I got out the job ad and set up an interview for the following day. When I walked in to the office the interviewer noticed I was walking slowly and stiffly erect. He could see the braces extending below my pants legs to my shoes. He did not ask me right away about my ‘Disability.’ He spent some time going over my education, experience, work interests, and hobbies.
When he got around to health he asked me about the braces. I told him I was in excellent health and wore braces because of muscle weakness. I said I wasn’t sure of the cause. Doctors thought I may have had a mild case of polio at a very young age and it could be recurring. In any case I assured him that it was stable and did not interfere with my ability to write software.
He accepted my explanation and said I had excellent qualifications and was a promising candidate for the job but there was one other person that he had interviewed who was also disabled. He wanted to re-interview both of us before deciding. He set up an appointment for the following week.
This gave me an opportunity to get more familiar with wearing braces. I couldn’t wear them on my present job but at night and on the weekend I practiced walking, sitting, getting in and out of the car, going to stores, and restaurants.
The awkwardness I felt at first was starting to wear off the more I wore them. I was actually starting to relax and let the braces do their work. My muscles, out of habit, had been fighting against the rigid support but as the week went by my body learned new ways of moving. I was beginning to enjoy wearing braces. They were becoming a natural part of me. The shiny steel and leather was making me feel strong.
At the second interview I was told I had the job. He said the other disabled candidate turned out to be faking his disability. The interviewer saw him over the weekend on roller blades in the park without braces. When confronted he admitted to wearing braces just to get the job and didn’t know if he would have been able to keep on wearing them because they made him feel uncomfortable, and they interfered with his life-style. He was glad to have been found out
This news made me realize that if I wanted this job I’d better not be caught without being in braces. I gave notice to my employer and started in at my new job. At first I wore my braces at work and took them off at home in the evening. After a few months I noticed my legs were getting a bit unsteady and I was leaving the braces on later and later.
What started out as a way to get a job I really wanted was turning into a lifestyle that I was enjoying more and more. Putting the braces on each morning, seeing the shiny steel supports and strong leather that supported my body was becoming a pleasurable experience as well as a necessity.
As the months went by my back muscles became noticeably weak. If I tried to sit up straight in a chair without being braced I would slump forward. It was getting harder to hold my body upright. The first time I put on this body support I felt confined, uncomfortable. After experiencing positive support for months I now look forward to it and find it gratifying.
At the beginning of this quest for a new job I thought it may be inconvenient to wear braces. After a month or so it seemed like something to have fun with. Now that I have worn them for an extended period they have become a part of me. They are like an addiction; I can’t exist without being held securely in leather and steel.