Amputations planned and not

During volunteering at Amp clinic, I learned a few things.  I always wondered why I didn't walk as well as I wanted and my prosthetic didn't fit as well as I wanted either...... I learned that most people who get amputations today know before hand that that is going to happen so most times the prosthestist is in the hospital and often in the surgery as well, so the leg is cut the way he/she wants it to be cut so the prosthetic leg will fit the best possible way. Unfortunately, since my amputation was the result of a life saving procedure, the docs didn't give two shits about at the time about an artificial leg.......

I see people that walk much better than me and I also see some that walk worse.  By and large, those amputees that get to keep their knee walk much better than those that don't.  It only makes sense.  Unfortunately I am an AK amputee (Above Knee) and since the docs were just concerned with saving my life and dealing with all my other injuries and maladies from the accident the amputation was low on their priority list.  After reading my extensive medical reports, they seemed most concerned with my TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury.  

To this day many of my doctors and my prosthetist maintain that I am doing remarkably well in terms of walking, gate, flow and balance.  I continue to improve but I still can't do what I see other AK amputees do and when I ask why?  They say "you have/had a brain injury".  I am sorry but I don't buy it!  In the beginning, I accepted it, but my Dad never did.  It seems to me that I can retrain the brain to work better.

I have seen a couple of brain scans of mine and the Doc has explained it to me and shown me the damaged areas.  I have done research on this as well and the brain is an amazing thing.  My skull was shattered and I had brain swelling and brain shearing post the accident and from what I can gather other parts of the brain are kicking in to help out and do the jobs of the parts of the brain that were damaged.  

Some of it has to do with sides of the brain which I don't really understand for I have scars on both sides of my head.  I maintain still that the brain excuse is just an excuse and hence is BUNK!  I think walking better has to do with fit and comfort of the prosthetic leg!  No guy ever wants to talk about this but shrinkage is a big factor.  

I hate shrinkage but the professionals seem to like it.  Even the female experts.......  I don't though for I guess I am old school where bigger is better.  LOL.....  The more my residual limb (stump) shrinks, the more taut and defined it becomes hence, the stronger it is.  The bad part is I have to keep going in for new sockets which is an arduous and time consuming process.  They always want the socket to ride up high to capture a bone or two for support which irritates me.

I would much rather have the socket  down much lower for it would be much more comfortable but the experts want to capture that bone  which they maintain gives me the support that I need to walk, have balance and do things.  Unfortunately, I argue that the socket is too close to another area that is sensitive to guys and to another bone which is really important to guys as well.  That is why the new socket procedure is tedious and so damn frustrating.  It must be much easier for a female AK amputee.