This going to sound so weird at least it is extremely weird to me. For the past couple of nights I have had a dream of me running!!! But I can't run for I am an amputee! I can walk mostly with the assistance of a cane and sometimes without one in confined spaces. So why would I dream of running when it is at this time impossible.
The dreams are so vivid! I am not only running but in one of the dreams I am actually racing. It is so strange on a plethora of fronts. I usually can never remember my dreams but these two dreams I can recall. Why?? Maybe I am not done improving and once my new liner arrives and my new socket is built, I will continue to improve and perhaps even run. Wow - that would be something. Wouldn't it?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Flow and Gate
After losing my left leg above the knee, I had to learn to walk all over again. I don't remember when I fist learned how to walk for I was only one or something like that but I am sure it had to be easier than this. As a kid and when my sons learned how to walk, they didn't really think about it - they just did it. Nike would be so proud.
After getting my prosthesis, I just thought that I would strap it on and start walking. How wrong I was..... To make a long story short, that didn't happen. I began by using a walker and I could get around ok with that, but the experts were not happy with the amount of time that I would stay on my prosthetic side. Evidently, I would get off my prosthetic side as quickly as possible and thus my flow and gate suffered.
I guess when normal people walk they have a heel strike on both of their feet. I could have a heel strike on my artificial foot but I would step with my real foot and not have a heel strike thus my gate suffered. I had to think when I walked rather than just walking. I had to spend enough time on my prosthetic side to make the artificial knee bend and then I had to walk on my real side with a heel strike on my right(real) foot. When I concentrated, I could do it the way my physiatrist and therapist wanted, but then a funny thing happened.
My physiatrist wanted me to walk without thinking. He made me walk fast with my cane and he maintained that my flow and gate improved when I did that because I was walking without thinking. His name is Dr. Foxx and he is convinced that my flow and gate suffered not from the amputation of my left leg but from my brain injury suffered in the accident. He believes that I walk better on my artificial side than I do on my real side. My prosthesist and my therapists agree. In short I had to trust my arificial leg. It has been a long process because at times I still hike my left hip rather than walking through with my artificial leg and my flow suffers.
After getting my prosthesis, I just thought that I would strap it on and start walking. How wrong I was..... To make a long story short, that didn't happen. I began by using a walker and I could get around ok with that, but the experts were not happy with the amount of time that I would stay on my prosthetic side. Evidently, I would get off my prosthetic side as quickly as possible and thus my flow and gate suffered.
I guess when normal people walk they have a heel strike on both of their feet. I could have a heel strike on my artificial foot but I would step with my real foot and not have a heel strike thus my gate suffered. I had to think when I walked rather than just walking. I had to spend enough time on my prosthetic side to make the artificial knee bend and then I had to walk on my real side with a heel strike on my right(real) foot. When I concentrated, I could do it the way my physiatrist and therapist wanted, but then a funny thing happened.
My physiatrist wanted me to walk without thinking. He made me walk fast with my cane and he maintained that my flow and gate improved when I did that because I was walking without thinking. His name is Dr. Foxx and he is convinced that my flow and gate suffered not from the amputation of my left leg but from my brain injury suffered in the accident. He believes that I walk better on my artificial side than I do on my real side. My prosthesist and my therapists agree. In short I had to trust my arificial leg. It has been a long process because at times I still hike my left hip rather than walking through with my artificial leg and my flow suffers.
Friday, August 6, 2010
which leg
I am now on my second leg. I am an above the knee amputee and my first leg was a C-Leg and it was a very good leg. It only let me down once when it malfunctioned when I was living in Florida and it dropped me and I broke my collar bone. I got my C-Leg in Maine and against all my advice from my prosthetist and my doctors, I returned to Florida to teach high school social studies classes. The experts wanted me to stay in Maine and learn how to use the leg before returning to Florida to teach.
I taught at Freedom High School in Tampa and I wanted to return asap for a myriad of different reasons. The school opened in 2002 which was my first year there and I wanted to back for the first graduating class and I wanted to pay back all my students who drove over an hour to come see me when I was stuck in Heartland Nursing Home in Brooksville, Florida. They would come and see me and bring me food and just hang out with me.
I was married at the time but my wife rarely came to see me and initially never brought my sons to come and visit their Dad. My parents were told by my wife that I was brain dead. I had received a large insurance check for $17,000.00 and my wife forged my name and cashed the check. The check was to pay for me to get an artificial leg but my wife used the money to get a boob job and to have scars removed and lyposuction. I guess that was more important than having her husband walk again. My parents learned the truth and came down to rescue me from my imprisonment in the nursing home and brought me to Maine where I received my C-Leg from Atlantic ProCare. Except for letting me down once and breaking my collar bone, the C-Leg was a very good prosthetic leg but it didn't last that long. Now I have a Rheo Knee and I like this leg better. It is safer and more secure to walk on.
My therapists are concerned with flow and my gait which were two terms that I had to learn and master. For the most part I can walk in confined areas without the use of a cain, but in unfamiliar ground and long trips, I use the cane and my gate and flow is much better with the cane than without it.
I taught at Freedom High School in Tampa and I wanted to return asap for a myriad of different reasons. The school opened in 2002 which was my first year there and I wanted to back for the first graduating class and I wanted to pay back all my students who drove over an hour to come see me when I was stuck in Heartland Nursing Home in Brooksville, Florida. They would come and see me and bring me food and just hang out with me.
I was married at the time but my wife rarely came to see me and initially never brought my sons to come and visit their Dad. My parents were told by my wife that I was brain dead. I had received a large insurance check for $17,000.00 and my wife forged my name and cashed the check. The check was to pay for me to get an artificial leg but my wife used the money to get a boob job and to have scars removed and lyposuction. I guess that was more important than having her husband walk again. My parents learned the truth and came down to rescue me from my imprisonment in the nursing home and brought me to Maine where I received my C-Leg from Atlantic ProCare. Except for letting me down once and breaking my collar bone, the C-Leg was a very good prosthetic leg but it didn't last that long. Now I have a Rheo Knee and I like this leg better. It is safer and more secure to walk on.
My therapists are concerned with flow and my gait which were two terms that I had to learn and master. For the most part I can walk in confined areas without the use of a cain, but in unfamiliar ground and long trips, I use the cane and my gate and flow is much better with the cane than without it.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
My Prosthesist 8/4/10
I went to see my prosthesist today at Atlantic ProCare for I am having an issue with my socket. It is not fitting right for I have a sore on my stump but my therapists hate that word and they make me call it a residual limb. I got casted today for a new socket and this will make my fourth socket since losing my leg. Why do I need a new socket? Good question......Something guys never want to talk about has happened - Shrinkage!!! My residual limb has shrunk. Why won't it grow? I always thought that bigger was better, but oh well.
He also ordered my a new liner for he thinks that the liner is causing the sore on my stump. The liner that I have is basically straight and it needs to be flared to make it wider toward my groin area to make it more comfortable. As us guys know the groin area is a sensitive manly area. Comfort is the key when using a prosthetic leg.
I have now had two different types of artificial legs and the bottom line is it doesn't matter what the leg will do and all the bells and whistles it might have, it won't mean a thing if it isn't comfortable to wear.
He also ordered my a new liner for he thinks that the liner is causing the sore on my stump. The liner that I have is basically straight and it needs to be flared to make it wider toward my groin area to make it more comfortable. As us guys know the groin area is a sensitive manly area. Comfort is the key when using a prosthetic leg.
I have now had two different types of artificial legs and the bottom line is it doesn't matter what the leg will do and all the bells and whistles it might have, it won't mean a thing if it isn't comfortable to wear.
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