Chapter One
The first time I remember using braces was when I was four and a half year old young boy, I have Muscular Dystrophy, and I’m sitting on a mat in the physio room at the special school I attended, I was warring black leather boots attached to the boots with a thick leather strap were two steel bars which went up my leg and finished just below my knees, the bars stuck into the boots and then the leather strap held the steel into the boot, at the top of the bars was thick leather straps to hold them to my legs, this strap had Velcro sewn on it to fasten it up, I remember my physiotherapist saying ” I hate the sound of Velcro” so I found it funny to rip open and close the straps just to see her face and to hear her moans, we both laughed about what I’d done to make her cringe. Thinking back she may have liked the noise as much as me! I wore these low leg irons until I was seven, then one day I was seeing my Doctor at the hospital and he told my parents he thought it would benefit me if I could stand and even walk a few steps, to do this I would require full leg splints which would need to be made from a plaster casts, I had no idea at the time what they were talking about but when they finally asked me if I’d like to walk naturally I said yes. My parents dropped me off at school after my hospital appointment; we went to the physio room to tell my physio what had been decided about my new leg splints. She said “oh no not more Velcro to tease me with” and we both laughed. When my parents went I asked what my new leg splints would be like. My physiotherapist said “now it’s my turn to tease, you wait and see”.
A week went by and no one mentioned my new splints, then I was called out of class and told to go to the physio room, which I did. when I went in the room there was a man standing by my physiotherapist (jenny), said “This is Mike and he’s an orthotics engineer, he’s going to make your legs splints” I just went red and said Hello. Mike told me to slip off my trousers and sit on some polyethylene he’d placed on a mat. I was then put in two white stockings which went from my thighs to my toes, then plaster was wrapped around my leg and my leg pressed straight until the plaster was hard, then the cast was removed and the same was done to my other leg, then Mike said “I need to take your casts with me and I’ll be back in two weeks with your leg splints” I said that’s fine” and he took them as he left. My legs were washed clean, I got dressed and was lifted back into my wheelchair, there I sat disappointed I hadn’t got my new splints and still strapped in my old heavy irons. Jenny noticed my face and said “don’t worry your new ones would be ready in no time” and she explained they would be a type of plastic with plenty of Velcro on them. I just laughed…
Two weeks went by slowly as I kept thinking what my new splints would feel and look like, then Jenny called me out of class and as I entered the physio room I could see Mike but no splints, Mike told me my splints had got lost, then jenny pulled out a box from behind a screen and in it were my two leg splints in a clear polyethylene bag, also in the box was a pair of shoes the same size as my boots. I was lifted onto a bed and unstrapped my old leg irons and took them off for the last time. Mike opened up the bag and took out one off my new leg splints, let me explain how to put it on” he said as he rolled up my trouser leg, as he placed the splint on my leg he said” they are made of a plastic type material and as you see they don’t bend at the knee, when the leg is flat fasten this kneepad first” he threaded the for straps of the kneepad through the four strap loop holders which were riveted on the splint and pulled them tight, as he did my skin went onto the plastic and it felt great!! then at the top of my leg was a two inch white leather strap and another across my calf, ” how’s does it feel” said Jenny, I said it felt good” then the other splint was strapped to my leg, and as I looked down at my legs in the splints I liked the look and feel of the white plastic and leather on my skin and I new I would ware them as much as I could. Mike then got out my new shoes and placed them on my feet, now it was time to stand up for the first time. Jenny and Mike both helped me to my feet and I stood up holding onto the bed, I felt 10 feet tall and very proud of myself. Jenny got the big mirror so I could see how I looked standing, It was now time to walk a few steps Jenny got a walking aid with two wheels at the front and two rubber ends on the back, I walked a few steps with no problems, then I walked back to my classroom, it was a struggle to sit down with my legs straight but I did manage it alone. Jenny left the splints on me but came back an hour later to take them off as it was home time and she thought it best to take them off for the taxi ride home.
The ride home takes about 1 1/2 hours as we have to pick up other children on the way to take them home, we’d picked up a few older boys then we picked up a girl called Sandra who was 13, she noticed me holding my splits, she took them off me and laughed, “Are these stupid things yours?” she said I went red with embarrassment, she then started to undo the straps, I tried to take them off her but she got the other boys to hold me down while she strapped them on my legs I felt humiliated but good at the same time, she laughed as I sat there waiting for her help to take them off luckily she did before she got home. Every time for the next two years Sandra got in the taxi she strapped me in the splints, then one day she told the older boys to hold me still rolled up my sleeves and put my arm in the leg splint, she strapped the shin strap around y wrist and worked her way up my arm until my arm was rigid in the splint, then told the boys to do the other arm the same, so My arms were splinted and It felt amazing although I couldn’t show I liked it. I knew she was a bully but little did she know how much I enjoyed her forcing me into my splints…
Chapter Two
As I told you in chapter 1 I have Muscular Dystrophy and I use plastic leg splints to walk with, so to continue my true story I wore my leg splints for the next 2 years or so, Sandra still continued to restrain me in them while we traveled too and from school which I enjoyed!! Sometimes my legs would be strapped and sometimes my arms would be restrained in the leg splints, then Sandra left school and so the rides too and from school were never the same again.
As I grew taller my splints needed replacing about once a year, I looked forward to having new splints as I enjoyed the casting and also the feel and smell of the new leather straps, then when I was 10 they said would I like to try a new type of leg splint with hinges so I could bend my legs when I was sitting, I said yes as it was hard to move around in my wheelchair with my legs sticking out. I was casted in the same way with plaster, and had to wait 2 weeks for the splints to be made, the day came when my splints arrived, I was called from class and as my physiotherapist (Jenny) pushed me down to her room she said she was pleased with them and I’d be able to ware them all day. We entered the room and Mike was their with my splints, I couldn’t believe it when I saw all the straps, iron and plastic, and couldn’t wait to put them on. Mike said to put the splint on bent and to put the top part of my leg in the plastic thigh cuff first then put my foot in the plastic foot part after, as i put my thigh in the cuff he folded over a leather piece which went inside the cuff to stop the plastic pinching my skin when the straps were pulled tight, he opened the Velcro and threaded the 2 leather straps through the loops and pulled them tight, then he put my foot in which was held in by a thick leather strap across my calf, then he straitened the splint and the hinge locked it strait, he then got out a leather knee pad which went around the iron bars which held the top and bottom of the splint together, this fastened with buckles. he strapped on the other splint and i walked around then I bent my legs by pulling up a release catch on the iron bars as I got into my wheelchair, Jenny said “you can keep them on and go home in the taxi in them now they bend” I said thank you to mike for making them and left the room. I kept them on until i had my bath and went to bed, but was pleased with how I could bend and straiten them as I liked. I loved the smell and feel of my new leg braces.
As time went by I started to put them back on after my bath to go to bed in, i used to look at them with my legs in them and wished Sandra was still around to strap up my arms! this I’d not had done since she left school a year ago, I did use a leather trouser belt to tie up my hands sometimes but was afraid I’d not be able to get free so instead I used to put on my leg splints on my legs and put 1 wrist in my thigh cuff and strap it up for an hour then swap wrists it felt amazing!!! This I did regularly over the next few years in private I was terrified of someone finding out what I was doing but couldn’t help tying myself this way as I enjoyed the feeling of being tied up.
At the age of twelve I saw a girl in a plastic spinal jacket and knew I just had to get one! I’d never seen anything like it before, her body encased in plastic and strapped up by 4 2inch leather straps it looked amazing and I just craved for one as soon as I saw it! I’d been having pain in my back so I told Jenny, she looked at my spine and immediately said that I had scoliosis and explained that I’d need to see the hospital doctor to see if I could have a brace made, I said what kind of brace? She said the doctor would decide what I needed and she made me an appointment which was a week later. A week went by slowly but it was worth the wait, after being x-rayed it was confirmed I needed a spinal brace as soon as possible, this scared me and made me think just how serious it was, now I was frightened, why had I wished this on me? The Doctor made a phone call and I was taken down to the plaster room where I was told to undress apart from my leg splints, then I was told to stand and was put in a body stocking from my hips to under my arms, I was told to hold onto a bar as the bar was pulled above me it was pulling me straight but I hadn’t got the strength to hold on and my grip slipped and I let go, Mike said if I couldn’t hold on he’d have to strap me to the bar, I tried again but couldn’t hold on. Mike went to a box and pulled out 2 leather cuffs he put out my arm and wrapped the cuff round my wrist and fastened the buckles tight the cuff hooked onto the bar and he did the other arm the same way, he then pulled the bar up by a rope and my arms went above my head, he pulled that hard my arms were hurting my spine was stretched as my feet almost left the floor the pain in my arms was intense, I was left helpless like this for what seemed like hours but in fact was only 15 minutes before I was plastered from my hips to under my arms. The plaster was let to set and then cut off, I was lowered and my wrists removed from the cuffs, I remember thinking I’d like to take the cuffs home, I was washed and dressed then was told the brace would be fitted in 2 weeks at my school. Two weeks went by, and I was called too try it on, I took of my shirt and waited for Mike to show me my brace. Really came holding it, it looked amazing! all white plastic and leather straps, he pulled open the Velcro straps and placed it behind me, I was told to lay back as they held it open, as I did I felt the foam padding on my skin, the brace was then moved into position, a leather piece went inside across my chest to stop the brace pinching me, I was told to strap it up myself from the bottom strap working my way up, I passed the bottom strap through the loop and pulled it tight, working my way up until I’d fasted all 4 straps, Jenny said they needed to be pulled even tighter which she did, It felt really tight I could only just breath, they told me to lay there for 5 minutes to get used to the restriction, after a minute or 2 I got used to how it felt and my breathing was good again, maybe I just panicked. Jenny told me to try to sit up, I couldn’t as much as I tried I couldn’t move, Jenny was laughing and told me to roll on my side then push up, it was hard but I did it, it felt really strange but I loved it! My spine was rigid in the brace. They helped me into my wheelchair and told me to go and look at myself in the big mirror, as I reached for my wheels It seemed like I was a foot taller as I struggled with the restriction to push myself to the mirror, I looked at myself in my knew brace and smiled it looked great and I knew I’d love to ware it, but then I wondered what would my friends would say? I knew I’d get teased but it was worth it. Getting my shirt back on was tricky but I managed it on my own, having a crafty feel of the straps and plastic as I put my shirt on.
Jenny wanted me to stand up to see how it would feel or even if I could still mange to walk in it. My leg splints were put straight and I pulled myself up, it was hard work walking and I knew I wouldn’t mange to walk far in it but wanted to walk and ware my spinal jacket too. I took off my leg splints but went home in my spinal jacket it was a funny ride home all the others in the car kept touching or knocking on it. When I arrived home Mum, Dad, brothers and sister all said I looked better sitting up straight and I must try to use it. It was time for my first meal wearing my brace, I’d never of guessed how hard it would be to eat the same amount as before and how tight my brace would feel for the next 2 hours. That night I took off my brace had my bath and then strapped it back on to sleep in I lay on my stomach first then on my back I was awake all night feeling, un-strapping and strapping my knew spinal jacket! I loved the feel and smell and knew I’d get used to it in no time at all.
As time went by my muscular dystrophy got slightly worse, I had to see the doctor who said it was to much for me to walk in my leg braces as I’d fallen over too many times, he unstrapped my leg splints and took them away, he knew if I’d taken them home I’d still use them! I went home, that night I went to bed devastated! Looking down at my legs not splinted and it upset me, I was 17 crying over splints, am I mad I thought? then I rolled out of bed crawled over to my set of draws and got 3 leather belts, took them to my bed, put one around my ankles one just above my knees and then wrapped the other around my wrist, pulling it tight with my teeth the buckle locked in place, I panicked hope I could release it I thought! then in my bedside draw I got out my roll of duct tape, I’d managed to take it from the garage weeks ago but not used it yet, It was difficult with the belts on but I put a strip over my mouth and knew I’d feel better after being tied up. I stayed tied up all-night!! When I awoke the tape had fallen off my mouth, I wished I could have wrapped it around my head a few times but couldn’t with my hands strapped up. It did make me feel better but I do miss my full leg splints to this day!!
Chapter Three
So I continued to tie myself up with the belts for some time but as my muscular dystrophy got worse I couldn’t get out the straps by myself to put them on, so my self restraining came to an end, but I still had my spinal jacket which by now I needed help to put on and off, so I used to have it put on when I new my carers were going out for a long time so I could imagine I’d been restrained by force! Then my urge was satisfied for a while. My addiction to splints got worse but so did my condition, luckily this meant more splints were needed to help with my pain and posture, I’d not had any other splints on my legs since my calipers were taken away but the doctor said I could be cast for some ankle splints, I was also fitted with a hard plastic collar as my neck was giving me pain, as I was strapped up in the collar I remember thinking how good it will be wearing it with my back brace on! and couldn’t wait to try it. I was then plaster cast for my feet splints which felt great! then told they’d be ready in two weeks, that’s great, no more pain I said, the ride home was great too, people looking at my shiny white plastic and leather straps on my collar and the restriction was amazing, I just loved it.. and knew I’d be in my spinal jacket and collar the next day! The next day I was hoisted into my wheelchair with my spinal brace and collar on, it was fantastic I couldn’t move my spine at all, it was to much I said, I’d never be able to get used to this, my mum said I would as they were off out for a few hours, as they went I panicked as I could not take off my collar because my arms were to weak to reach the Velcro strap at the back of it! but I was also very aroused so much that after only a few minuets of me being alone I ejaculated it was the best orgasm I’d ever had… I washed myself and spent the next minuets just watching myself in the mirror trying to move, I loved it. after two hours the restriction began to hit me hard and I started to panic but even this turned me on as I tried to get hold of the collar strap but knew I’d be stuck restrained until my mum returned to take it of for me which was two hours later. I still use the collar and jacket to this day. Ten days later my feet splints were ready for me to try so we went to try them; They are white too with three straps on each foot splint. He strapped on the left foot and my face must have lit up as I remember him saying you look pleased! I was, even though it had been ten years since they’d taken my calipers away I still craved for them so just to get up to my knees in plastic again felt amazing to me.
I was now 31, 4 years after getting my feet splints, and collar, my fingers and wrists had been hurting for some months, so my doctor said I needed full hand resting splints to use at night, I was exited but knew if my hands were strapped up I’d no longer be able to feel the plastic and straps like I did every night when I was in bed with my spinal jacket on, but I thought it would be great to have the resting splints as I could no longer tie up my hands and knew they would replace that feeling that I’d missed for so long.. I was measured and a week later returned to have them fitted, as I looked at them I knew I’d made the right choice to have them, as he pulled open the straps he said my arm was not as straight as it should be and he’d talk later about them! He placed my hand in the splint and put the 1st strap around my wrist then there was 1 across my fingers 1 around my thumb another across the back of my hand and another on my forearm, 5 straps to hold me ridged it was everything I’d hoped I’d feel and as he put on the other 1 it felt even better, he said how do they feel? I said good, he then started talking about my arms bending but not going strait, he said they’d get worse if not splinted as straight as he could pull them, I didn’t know what to say, I said I’d think about it as I didn’t know when I’d use them, he said it’s best I used them in bed or when relaxing watching a film or something but he said I should wear them as often as I could, I asked for a few weeks to get used to my wrist splints first, so I was given an appointment for a month later. That night I wore my spinal brace along with my new hand splints it was another fantastic sleepless night and I loved it, and still do…
A month went by fast and I went to be cast for my plastic arm splints, I was unsure but exited at the same time about my choice to have them but as the cast went hard I knew they would feel great! The casts were cut off and I was told they’d be ready in two weeks. I returned as planned nervous and scared, I was called into the fitting room, their they were, the shiny plastic looked great and they smelt good too, he opened up the splint and placed my arm in it, the plastic went from my wrist to my armpit and completely circled my arm apart from 2cm, then he folded in the leather piece that would stop the plastic pinching me, then he threaded the 4 leather and Velcro straps through the loops and pulled them fairly tight, I can’t begin to explain how good it felt, my heart was pounding fast as my other arm was placed in the other splint and strapped up, I caught a glimpse at myself in the mirror and I just loved the look of them on me. I was told to wear them as much as I could and said I’d try, but I knew I’d use the at least 4 hours a day! Most days I’d sleep in them I said. I was told to get used to them first. I didn’t want people seeing me in them yet so I asked mum to take them off she said not for 3 hours so I was taken home still strapped up in them, everyone in the ambulance asked about them I just said my arms were bending up so I had to wear them a few months but I knew I’d be using them forever!!
So that’s it my true account of my Splinted life, I’m now 39 and I still use all my splints and enjoy them, I think I’m insane so I’ve not told any of my friends or family about my fascination of being splinted for fear of rejection and I’m sure if they knew they would never strap me into them!! So am I mad? Do I need a straitjacket? OH YES PLEASE!!!