I have been working on getting a new leg made. It's been going all right. I have another appointment to see him the 6th of January, which I will update the page here with some embedded video I will make of myself walking on this old leg and compare it to the new leg with it's Otto Bock components. I am really excited to say that I think they will get me set up with an active vacuum socket valve so that it won't lose its vacuum seal and will feel like part of my body. Proprioception. That is what they call feeling the leg back.
I am day dreaming out the leg at this point, but I know it's going to happen, just hope that it's with the Otto Bock parts I think I need, the C-Leg knee is awesome and I hope that I can do well with it. My new spare leg is going well as can be expected, with vacuum sockets, when one loses integrity it's just gone and won't seal anymore. We ran into that at my last appt, but we talked about active vacuum socket valves, and the Harmony system is the one I am guessing he's going to set me up with.
I am confident I will get out of this wheelchair this time, even though I am not in perfect shape he's assured me that I can build up to using it six to eight hours a day. THAT will be awesome, it's hopefully going to work out well for me. I should be going in again soon, and we'll try it again on a fresh socket. I am not giving up on the vacuum sealing system until I see Harmony fail. It's something I really think I could benefit from, so it's worth investigating fully!
When I had the third socket we were working on work before we hit that breaking point, well it honestly felt like I had my thigh back! I was blown away and could feel more confident over the contorl I have with a vacuum socket system. That I think is what really made it a winner for me. We both, (my prosthetist and I) wish I had been able to use the locking pin and silicone sleeve system work, but I just can not take it, I can't push my stump in to the socket hard enough for it to NOT feel like I am walking on a nail where it is in the socket. It actually bruised me a bit.
So now he's making a forth socket and hopefully it will be even better. I'd like for me to be able to have the manual one he's using now on my spare leg, so it might not be the most comfortable thing in the world but it might be there for me in a pinch. The best thing to happen is my prosthetist works with Otto Bock Educators to expand his experience with their stuff, I think I get to meet with the guy too, and see how the vacuum system is working. If he thinks Harmony can help me, then he's going to recommend it for me and we'll see how it goes.
I am sure the C-Leg will help a lot too, but I don't think I'll have that until around Valentine's day. I can be patient. I have been and will continue to because it's not that long when you look at your life. One month is nothing. And when you consider it's time I get to use walking on the spare leg parts, it should get me ready FOR the C-Leg as I need to have something of a predictble gait for it to work effectively. I should be able to get some video footage up soon on my youtube account of me using the spare parted leg. To just have to compare to footage of my up on the C-Leg.
Thanks for coming to check out my latest news page! So much going on and so much to say!
Here is some footage (ten seconds) of the nightgown material I am going to have laminated onto my socket when we're ready to do the last one and call it perfect:
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