28 October 2007: Cast at last
Seem like it's too easy to let weeks go by with out making an entry. The recovery process is still s-l-o-w-l-y moving toward the goal line (that would be walking again).
10/9 Tue. Drove to Cleveland Metro for new compression garments and a follow up visit with Tammy (goddess of wound care) and Amy (the surgeon queen that did the grafting on my stump). Tammy's new out patient unit was opened and quite an improvement over her previous quarters. St. Marsh came along with me and I swear, she, Tammy and Amy in the same room could light bulbs without flipping a switch. The estrogen trio and another wound nurse poked, prodded, kibitzed then confirmed once again that the stump is, indeed, ready for a prosthetic appendage. Before I left Metro, I crutched my way up to the 7th floor, "acute rehab" unit where I spent the last two weeks of my hospital stay. Got to say thanks and show off my new and improved forearm crutch mobility to Amanda (physical therapist) and several of the floor nurses. They were all duly impressed (the last time they saw me, I couldn't wipe my own butt and 75 ft with a walker was a big day).
10/10 Wed. The PT evaluation at Drake Rehab Center went very well. Emily is my new best friend (physical therapist). She's a young bundle of energy (reminds me of Erin) and seems well up to the task of pushing (or reigning me in) thru the prosthetic transition. I'll see her once a week (Monday 8am) until I get my C-Leg then we'll step it up to a more intense three days a week for a few months. The hour long sessions have focused on the stump muscles (forward, back and out - inward "adductors" are a little too strong) along with a couple balance routines and some passive stump stretches.
I'm still doing my Monday/Thursday Overload workouts. Every Monday starts at 7:15am with a 1/2 hour drive to PT, then a two hour drive to Overload in Columbus followed by a 1 1/2 hour drive to work and back home about 6:30pm. This routine will be duplicated on Fridays after the C-leg gets here. Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to throwing myself into it.
10/24 Wed. Received the much awaited call from Brenda (BWC case manager) confirming the funding of the C-leg. Brenda's name hasn't been in the blog much but has been a significant behind the scenes player from the get-go. Within 5 minutes of her call I was on the phone with Pat (Hanger prosthetist) and made a casting appointment for Friday afternoon.
10/26 Fri. The casting was not at all what I expected. It is very similar to a plaster cast for a broken leg. My stump was covered with a cloth stocking. Pat tightly wrapped it with wet plaster strips while manually working the slow hardening but still pliable plaster into the significant features of my stump. The cast was slipped off after it hardened (10 minutes) and that was that. Pat took some pictures and I hope to get them on the blog this week. The cast will be used to make a molded replica of my stump which will be used to make the soft socket liner. Once the liner is delivered we'll make another casting of the stump with the liner on it. That will be used to make the hard shell socket which will contain the knee anchoring mechanics. Pat thinks I'll have my prosthetic by Thanksgiving.
10/9 Tue. Drove to Cleveland Metro for new compression garments and a follow up visit with Tammy (goddess of wound care) and Amy (the surgeon queen that did the grafting on my stump). Tammy's new out patient unit was opened and quite an improvement over her previous quarters. St. Marsh came along with me and I swear, she, Tammy and Amy in the same room could light bulbs without flipping a switch. The estrogen trio and another wound nurse poked, prodded, kibitzed then confirmed once again that the stump is, indeed, ready for a prosthetic appendage. Before I left Metro, I crutched my way up to the 7th floor, "acute rehab" unit where I spent the last two weeks of my hospital stay. Got to say thanks and show off my new and improved forearm crutch mobility to Amanda (physical therapist) and several of the floor nurses. They were all duly impressed (the last time they saw me, I couldn't wipe my own butt and 75 ft with a walker was a big day).
10/10 Wed. The PT evaluation at Drake Rehab Center went very well. Emily is my new best friend (physical therapist). She's a young bundle of energy (reminds me of Erin) and seems well up to the task of pushing (or reigning me in) thru the prosthetic transition. I'll see her once a week (Monday 8am) until I get my C-Leg then we'll step it up to a more intense three days a week for a few months. The hour long sessions have focused on the stump muscles (forward, back and out - inward "adductors" are a little too strong) along with a couple balance routines and some passive stump stretches.
I'm still doing my Monday/Thursday Overload workouts. Every Monday starts at 7:15am with a 1/2 hour drive to PT, then a two hour drive to Overload in Columbus followed by a 1 1/2 hour drive to work and back home about 6:30pm. This routine will be duplicated on Fridays after the C-leg gets here. Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to throwing myself into it.
10/24 Wed. Received the much awaited call from Brenda (BWC case manager) confirming the funding of the C-leg. Brenda's name hasn't been in the blog much but has been a significant behind the scenes player from the get-go. Within 5 minutes of her call I was on the phone with Pat (Hanger prosthetist) and made a casting appointment for Friday afternoon.
10/26 Fri. The casting was not at all what I expected. It is very similar to a plaster cast for a broken leg. My stump was covered with a cloth stocking. Pat tightly wrapped it with wet plaster strips while manually working the slow hardening but still pliable plaster into the significant features of my stump. The cast was slipped off after it hardened (10 minutes) and that was that. Pat took some pictures and I hope to get them on the blog this week. The cast will be used to make a molded replica of my stump which will be used to make the soft socket liner. Once the liner is delivered we'll make another casting of the stump with the liner on it. That will be used to make the hard shell socket which will contain the knee anchoring mechanics. Pat thinks I'll have my prosthetic by Thanksgiving.
Jen Kennedy wrote:
I stopped by Cleveland Overload on Tuesday. Both Jeff and blondie (forgot her name) send their hello's. I told them how well you are doing. They wanted me to tell you to stop in to say hello when you're in town again.
Luv ya