Update:
It seems
like it has been a long wait for my next test socket to arrive. I have an appointment to have it fitted on
Friday morning at 9 a.m., so the wait is over.
I was cast for this leg back on January 22nd so it will have
been just over three weeks. Of course, this
will be the third try to find a comfortable fit since my first definitive leg
quit fitting well back in October 2014.
It has added up to a lot of painful steps and continually trying minor
adjustments to see if we can make something comfortable again. My prosthetist is optimistic that this will
be the one to get me active and walking again.
Honestly, I’m hoping that it is; but I’m feeling doubtful. I have this feeling that it will be another month
or so and several more legs before something works. I hope I am wrong!! I’ve been riding the wheelchair for the last
couple of weeks. I wear my prosthesis
but I am taking only a step here and there.
It causes enough pain taking less than 25-50 steps a day. Someday!
Someday, I hope to be walking and able to go all day long again. I’ve been dreaming about springtime and
riding my bicycle again. I really
enjoyed getting out and getting the exercise last summer. It can’t come soon enough. I want to walk be able to do small chores
around the house, or spend more time out doing stuff. Right now I have only limited mobility and if
I do just a little bit too much, I’m in pain.
Pain robs me of my energy pretty quickly. I’ve had to drastically cut back on most
things to compensate.
For the
first time, I had lightning bolt kind of pain in my right leg the other night. My right leg is the “original manufacturer
installed parts” (the leg I was born with; my ‘meat’ leg). It started off every 20 minutes or so during
the early evening. It increased in
frequency until I was sucking air about every 30 seconds. That lasted for four hours. WOW!
That was intense! It finally
calmed down and I was able to get to sleep about 11:30 p.m. (2½ hours past my
bedtime). At 3:30 a.m. I was woken up by
more lightning bolt pain shooting down my leg.
I am kind of use to that in my left leg; but this is the first time I’ve
had it in the right leg. Since that
night, it hasn’t happened again. I was
getting ready to call the doctor for an appointment to get something to help
the pain. But since it hasn’t happened
again, I’ll wait.
My
prosthetist has already been wondering if maybe part of my problem with pain
has nothing (or little to do) with my socket.
So I should try some medication to see if that helps. I want to try the new socket before I go on
any meds to see it changes anything. If
I still have the phantom pains in my left (amputated) leg, then I probably will
give the meds a try. As I have said
before, I am extremely fortunate that I have had so little nerve pain since my
amputation in December 2013. Most
amputees are not so blessed.
I got fitted
for a brand new wheelchair. My current
chair was loaned to me by a family member.
It was an older chair; but it has worked great for me so far. But now the wear and tear of me using it and
its age is really showing. It is quite
the process of appointments to get approved for a wheelchair. I guess it makes sense so that insurance
doesn’t pay for something that isn’t necessary; but it seems excessive. Everything has to be justified, documented,
down to the smallest detail. So I had to
go over the details of my injury, lifestyle, mobility issues, doctor’s
limitations, etc., etc., etc. with a
physical therapist and the rep from the wheelchair company. And this is for a fairly simple, “push it
yourself” wheelchair. I can only imagine
what it would take if I needed a powered chair!
It will probably be about another six weeks before I get my new
chair. One of the issues with my
current chair (among other things) was that the arm rests were cracked. It was pinching the skin on my arms using
it. I knew it would take 8-12 weeks
total to get the chair, so I started early before it got too bad. Right after I had the final wheelchair
evaluation, I got the armrest stuck under a table at my office and ended up
ripping the vinyl to pieces. I just
laughed. Talk about good timing! Good thing the chair is coming soon
(relatively). It does amaze me how long
it takes to get any durable medical equipment.
I haven’t had it bad; but a lot of people don’t have any other resources
and they have to sit and wait forever to get something that they really
need. It just seems wrong! Wish we could fix that, especially for older
seniors.
With all the
pain, I’ve had to get more sleep, I have less energy to do things, and I’m not
as mentally focused as I’d like to be.
All that to say that I haven’t been able to give full-time effort to my
church lately. The way things have gone
over the last four months, I am beginning to wonder if I ever will get back to
100%. The church has been very gracious
to me during my recovery period. On
March 1st, I’ll begin a three month sabbatical so that I can get
more rest, attempt to gain full-recovery, and evaluate whether I will be able
to return to full-time ministry. I am
thankful for their continued support of me while I try to determine the
long-term nature of my challenges. It
will be very strange to be gone that long from the church that I’ve pastored
for the last 18 years. However I’m
looking forward to the respite.
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