Update:
.jpg)
Wednesday morning I attended the Northwest Wisconsin Regional Police
Memorial Service at the Florian Gardens.
Law Enforcement Officers from all other the region attended the
ceremony. Two of the officers from Fall Creek
and four officers from Altoona attended also.
I serve both of these departments as chaplain. I went out to lunch afterwards with a number
of officers. The memorial service is a
somber reminder to the potential price that an officer might be called upon to
give for the safety of the community or his fellow officers. Please remember the families who are left
bereft by their death. Please pray for the safety of officers as they respond
to the scene and as they do their jobs.
I got my prosthesis adjusted on Wednesday afternoon which made it far
more comfortable. Leah, my prosthetist,
added a couple more pads onto my foam liner.
It made it much more snug on the leg and thus it takes more work to push
my leg into the prosthesis when I put it on; but it has taken up the sloppy
feeling I was having. The pads were
placed to protect my shin bone which apparently was making contact with the
inside of the prosthesis. One record that is being kept is the
circumference of my leg every inch from the knee down. Since I received my prosthesis on March 17
(almost two months ago) I’ve lost ½ inch on those measurements. My leg will continue to shrink for the next
year until it reaches its final size.
Here’s a SYNOPSIS of what has happened so far. On Thanksgiving Day, November 28th,
2013 I was hospitalized with a life-threatening fever. I had my left leg amputated below the knee on
December 3rd, 2013. I was released from the hospital on December 5th
and began using a wheelchair while my surgical site healed. I had my initial appointment with my physical
health and rehabilitation doctor (Physiatrist) on January 27th. I had my first appointment with my physical
therapist on February 3rd. He
gave me a number of exercises that I could do while lying in my bed to begin
strengthening my body in preparation of walking with a prosthesis. I was given shrinker socks on February 24th,
2014 to reduce the fluid in my leg in preparation for being fitted for
prosthesis. Since then, except to take a
shower or change my stockings, whenever I don’t have the prosthetic leg on, I
am wearing my shrinker sock. One week
later on March 3rd, 2014, a plaster cast of my leg was made to use
as a mold for my first prosthesis called a “test socket.” I received my test socket on March 17th,
2014 and began walking short distances that day. I was at the prosthetic lab at least once a
week after that as we tweaked and fine-tuned the fit of the leg. I began regular trips to the physical
therapist to learn the mechanics of walking using a walker. More exercises were prescribed both to
strengthen me and to reduce muscle cramps, etc.
Later I was taught how to go up and down steps and a ramp. Eventually I transitioned to use of a
cane. When the fit seemed good, my
prosthetic leg was taken to be used as a mold for my first “permanent”
leg. It usually takes a week to make the
new prosthesis. Because of when mine was
made, I was extremely fortunate to get mine back in four days. The first leg was made of plastic and
reinforced with plaster wrapping. My
first ankle and foot were pretty stiff so that I could learn to walk. I received my first “permanent” prosthetic
leg on April 24th, 2014. This
leg is made from acrylic and is much lighter than my previous leg. This prosthesis should be good for about one
year. At that time my calf muscles will
have atrophied and shrunk and my next prosthesis will be built. They’ll be able to reuse my ankle and foot
from my current prosthesis. This newly
fitted leg should last me about three years.
As of May 1st I only contact my physical therapist if I have
a question on how to do something or need a new exercise to help overcome a new
ache and pain I have from using my prosthesis.
I have a number of exercises that I am supposed to do at a minimum of three
times a week. They help me maintain and
continue to strengthen the muscles and tendons that I rely upon to walk. I also now only call the prosthetist when I
have a question or a problem. Right now
I still have monthly follow-up visits with Dr. Schmidt, my physiatrist. I have my next appointment with my primary
care physician in August and a follow-up with my podiatrist (to care for my
right foot) in September. In addition,
I am still under the care of a retina specialist which I see each month.
For now I am limited to short walks using the cane. For intermediate distances I am supposed to
utilize my walker, and for longer distances I am required to use my
wheelchair. Usually, I use my cane to
walk into a store and then use one of their motorized carts to do my
shopping. I think that later this summer
some of those restrictions will be lifted if everything continues on
track. I walk fairly well on paved or
flat surfaces. I’ve begun walking a
small amount in grass and on uneven surfaces.
It takes an amazing additional amount of strength to walk on the uneven
surfaces; so I am supposed to slowly build up my time in the yard and
eventually head to the woods.
At night before bed, I have to take my leg off and get into my
wheelchair. Then I wash the silicone
liner and my leg with soap and water.
Every few nights I put lotion on my leg to keep it from drying out from
all the washing with soap. I put on my
shrinker sock after my leg is dried. I
am in the wheelchair after I take my leg off until I go to bed. In the morning, I am back into my wheelchair
to go take a shower. I sit on a stool in
the shower. I usually eat breakfast and
work on the computer awhile before I put my prosthesis on. I have to strategically plan the sequence of
getting dressed. With my sweat pants or
warm-up pants I can pretty well get dressed or put my leg on at any time. With slacks or my jeans, the liner has to go
on before the pants do. The liner has to
be positioned in just the right spot.
Some mornings I nail it the first try.
Other mornings, it takes my more than a dozen tries. The pin in the bottom of the liner has to be
centered on my leg vertically and horizontally.
To put it on, the liner is turned inside out and then rolled onto my
leg. That is why it is tricky to get it
on correctly the first try. I am not
supposed to stand barefoot on my right foot, so I have to slide my pants
part-way on and then put my shoe on before standing to get my pants all the way
on. Then I sit back down to pull my pant
leg up to get any sizing socks and the foam liner on before sliding my leg into
the prosthesis. I am now ready to stand
and put my wheelchair away for the rest of the day. It usually takes a minute or two of
stretching to warm up the leg muscles so I don’t lurch or walk like
Frankenstein. Then as the day wears on,
depending how much I have been on my leg, I have to add additional sizing socks
to my leg. My stump naturally shrinks
throughout the day, so I have to add socks under the prosthesis to keep it snug
on my leg. Right now I am starting out
with no socks and then go to a 2-ply, later a 3-ply and by mid-afternoon a 4-ply
sock. Leah said that by next year before
I get my next prosthesis, I’ll be adding up to 10-ply of socks to maintain the
proper fit. That is one of the things
that I carry in the backpack that you always see with me.
Whew! What a lot of work to just
to go for a walk! I am grateful that I
can walk and have the ability to do so.
It takes a bunch of time and effort to do it; but I am so thankful that
I am not limited to a wheelchair. Right
now, this is what God has given me and I am appreciative of every step I can
take. I am very fortunate and count my
blessings.
I guess finally I should say that although my surgery happened over
five months ago, I am still not back to my old energy level. I guess that I am back to about 70-80% of the
energy I used to have. I cannot stand for
long periods of time. I cannot sit in a
chair for long periods of time either.
In several meetings I’ve had to excuse myself during the meeting to lie
on the floor on my stomach for about 3-5 minutes to stretch out a tendon that
is very painful. That changes the
dynamic of the meeting when I stretch out prone on the floor! “No, No. I’m alright.
Keep on talking. I can hear
you.” I need more sleep than I used to
and find it difficult to stay up past 10 p.m.
So I’ve come a long way…but have a long road still to go for full
recovery.
Thought for the Day:
What are you struggling
with today?
We tend to look at
difficulties as something that should be avoided. Sometimes we even get mad at God because He
didn’t protect us from having troubles. We
need to remember that it is those very adversities that end up making us
stronger, better people if we rise to the challenge they present.
“It is said that if we were
to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be
strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to
become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not
survive as a butterfly.
The Lord prepares
each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and
born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and
will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an
upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing
to be patient.” [Os Hillman, Today God is
First (TGIF), on-line devotional message, May 15, 2014]
James 1:2-4 “Consider
it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know
that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance
must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not
lacking anything.”
Whatever you are struggling with today, turn it over to God. Ask for His help with your attitude and with
your determination. Ask Him to give you
the wise and strength to face it. Then
get to it. Allow whatever it is to make
you a better person as it tests and challenges you.
No comments:
Post a Comment