Update:
I’ve been
thinking about the events of the last couple of years, so I did a little
checking. Let me give you an overview of
some of the events.
In June 2012
a couple of days after riding my ATV particularly hard, I had excruciating pain
in my left foot. For the next 18 months,
I used crutches and minimized the use of my foot. I was in constant pain whenever I
walked. It presented itself like arthritis
and with my family history that is what we thought it was—so I lived with the
pain and minimal use.
During the
fall of 2013 I caught every cold and flu that was going around. I would spend a week in bed, feeling better
the next week and then get sick again by the third week. During this time I had an ugly sore develop
on the bottom of my left foot.
Eventually it began to heal and seemed to respond to treatment.
The Sunday
before Thanksgiving 2013, I got the flu again.
I couldn’t keep warm, had the shakes, and lived in front of our
woodstove trying to beat this latest bug.
On Thanksgiving morning, my wife having determined that something was
very wrong, took me to the emergency room.
My white cell count was out the roof.
Doctors told my wife that if she had waited another hour to bring me in,
I most likely would have died. I was one
sick puppy with an infection raging through my blood stream.
I was given
all the heavy duty antibiotics by continuous IV. Even those barely put a dent in my infection,
so they began looking for the cause. It
was my left foot. The sore that we
thought was healing was on the outside; but on the inside, the infection raged
on. On November 30, 2013 I had my first
surgery (debridement) to determine if the foot could be saved. The conclusion was that the damage to my bone
and tissue was too severe and eventually I would lose the foot. The surgeon said that most people try to save
the foot and usually about 18 months later they are faced with the reality of
it cannot be saved and then they amputate.
I decided that I had already suffered for 18 months already with a bum
foot and I didn’t need to waste another 18 months trying to save a lost
cause. I quickly elected to have the foot
amputated.
They determined
that I didn’t have arthritis; instead I had Charcot disease. It weakens the bone structure causing breaks
and deformity which results in ulcerous sores and often end in amputation. I probably had an infection from it all
through the fall of 2013 and that is why I caught every cold and flu. We also found out that I had diabetes.
I had to
wait a couple of days to get stronger before I could undergo the next
surgery. On December 3, 2013 my left
foot was amputated just below the calf muscle.
Surgery went well and the doctors were very optimistic that I would
eventually return to a very active, healthy life.
Since I tend
to heal slowly and because of my age, my surgeon wanted me to have plenty of
time to heal before being fitted for a prosthetic leg. After 2 ½ months in a wheelchair, on February
24, 2014 I was given a shrinker sock to begin preparing my stump for fitting. On March 3, 2014 they made a cast model of my
leg in order to build my first prosthetic, called a “test socket.”
I took my
first steps in my test socket on March 17, 2014! Woot! Woot!
There has been a gigantic learning curve for being an amputee with a
prosthesis. I continue to learn new
things about care and my new life each day.
I had been
given exercises to do in my bed or on the floor on the day after my
surgery. Now that I could walk, I was
given physical therapy and my exercise list grew exponentially.
During the
first few months and then throughout the first year or two of wearing a
prosthesis, your residual limb (or stump) shrinks in size calling for
adjustments and eventually a new more permeant leg. I received my first “permanent” prosthesis on
April 24, 2014.
During this
time I got serious about losing weight and striving to lower my dependence upon
insulin. I finally listened to my wife’s
nutritional advice and drastically changed my diet and intensified my exercise
program. So far, I’ve lost over 40 pounds. I still have another 30 or more pounds to
lose. I gone from a 50 inch waist to a
42 inch waist and I am still losing. I
was able to maintain a healthy blood glucose level without insulin this
summer. My blood glucose levels are so
good now that I am no longer considered a diabetic.
One side
effect to the undiagnosed diabetes is that my retinas have been damaged
(especially the right eye). Even after
the diabetes is under control, the eyes continue to deteriorate. I’ve been receiving monthly treatment in my
eyes which slowly seems to be helping my vision.
I’ve been
very fortunate to have very little pain and stay in relatively good health. I had a 3 ½ week period this summer when I
couldn’t wear my prosthesis while I let a blister heal. That was a bummer being back in the
wheelchair 24/7 again. But even then it
didn’t stop me from doing most of what I wanted to do.
This summer
I bought a bicycle that works with the range of motion of my prosthetic leg and
started riding 8-10 miles per day.
Recently I joined Gold’s Gym and I am working out about three times per
week. With some accommodations, I am
hunting whitetail deer with a crossbow this fall. I am able to ride my motorcycle. And I am so blessed to be surrounded by a
wife and family who love me, as well as my church and emergency services friends
who support me. I thank God for giving
me what I consider extra innings to my life (since I nearly died last
Thanksgiving). I am so blessed.
I took some
time to add up my medical appoints since my amputation. I actually might have missed a few; but I
know for certain that since being discharged from the hospital in early
December 2013, I have had at least SIXTY-THREE medical appointments.
By Category:
Primary Care
physician—2
Surgeon
follow-up—4
Physiatrist
(oversees health concerning the prosthesis and its use)—6
Physical
Therapy—9
Eye care—16
Podiatrist
(for my remaining right foot)—4
Prosthetist
(makes and adjusts my prosthetic leg and orthotics for my right foot)—22
My wife
lovingly calls me her “high maintenance man.” And that’s what I truly am! Hopefully I am the kind of man that is worth
everything she has to put into our relationship!
Thought for the Day:
“Don’t let
yourself…
Worry when
you’re doing your best.
Hurry when
success depends upon accuracy.
Think evil
of anyone until you have the facts.
Believe a
thing is impossible without trying it.
Waste time
on trivial matters.
Imagine that
good intentions are a satisfactory excuse.
Harbor
bitterness towards God or person.”
[John Maxwell, Encouragement
Changes Everything].
At times
each of us needs encouragement to move forward in life. We may have the skills and aptitude to
accomplish the goal; but without encouragement, we may not even try.
Choose to be
an encouragement to others. By your words and deeds seek to inspire others to
try, to take a risk, to stretch their wings and attempt to fly. Be a motivator. Inspire others to attempt the things just
outside their grasp, as well as to think and dream a little further. Believe in others and let them know it!
I am not espousing the power of positive thinking or that everything is
possible if we only believe. I know that
many things will remain out of reach and unattainable; but conversely, many
things will never even be attempted if we don’t inspire others to try.
“In the sport of athletics, the four-minute mile is the
act of completing the mile run in less than four minutes. It was
first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3:59.4. The
"four-minute barrier" has since been broken by many male athletes,
and is now the standard of all male professional middle distance runners.
In the last 50 years the mile record has been lowered by almost 17
seconds.” [Wikipedia, Four-Minute Mile].
For years prior to Bannister breaking the four-minute barrier, it was
considered an impossible feat. Bannister
utilized fellow runners as pacesetters to accomplish his record run. They became his encouragers enabling him to exceed
his own best time and to succeed where others had failed. No runner before him had ever run so fast. Bannister’s record lasted a mere 46 days
before someone else bested his time.
Once he achieved what was thought impossible, suddenly many others
accomplished it as well.
This is why stories of heroism or gaining victory against
insurmountable odds are so powerful.
They encourage us to try to live up to other’s examples. Even the act of watching someone struggle
(regardless of whether they succeed) has a powerful effect on the actions of
others.
Although I am not the fittest man, nor all that strong; I have had a
number of people come up to me at the gym and tell me that I am an inspiration
to them. Really? The people who have said that to me are
obviously stronger and in better shape.
They lift weights that are impossible for me to budge. What inspires them as they watch a 57 year
old, out-of-shape amputee? I think it is
because they see me struggling against the odds. If I put so much effort into to trying
despite my current situation, well then they can try harder too. In the process of me trying to better myself,
I am an encouragement to others trying to do the same. Cool!
As I watch other people exercise, it encourages me to try and work
towards the goal of someday doing something similar.
Wherever we go and whatever we do should be attempted with such an
attitude that others are inspired. Don’t
be satisfied with the status quo or good enough. Strive to do your best and seek to help bring
out the best in others as well.
My wife directs choirs and directs plays. Her goal is to coax the best performance out
of each actor, musician, or singer. It
really is amazing to see the results of normal, everyday people encouraged to
do their best.
How necessary is a coach to a football team? Would the quality of play be as good without
them on the sidelines and on the practice field?
A good teacher reaches her students and draws the very best work from
them.
The best parents help their children envision things that are currently
impossible but are worthwhile goals. How
many of us would be able to ride a bicycle today unless our parents had
encouraged us?
Look around today at those who encourage you. Look around today for those whom you can
encourage as well.
