Update:
I had my cataract surgery on Tuesday and the eye seems to be healing
nicely. My vision is vastly improved in
my right eye. The lens they implanted
has some corrective power, so the right lens in my glasses was replaced with
clear glass as the eye heals. Without my
glasses my distance vision is about the same with both eyes now. It was very disorienting at first without the
trifocal lens on the right side for the computer and reading; but my brain
seems to be adjusting. The most
difficult task was walking because I’m used to looking down at the ground
through those lens, so I felt unsteady at first. On Monday most of my restrictions should be
removed except for getting water in the eye.
So I won’t be swimming for the next month. I have follow-up appointments for the next
few weeks, especially to watch for uncontrolled swelling following the
surgery. So far--so good. I’m praying it stays like that!
It’s been 10 days since I’ve gotten my elevated vacuum test
socket. We’ve worked out a number of the
rough spots and improved the fit and my walking gait. I’ve not had the excruciating pain which
would stop me from walking so this is considered a win! However, I still have pain when I walk,
similar to having a sprained ankle. I
can absolutely state that my left ankle is not sprained J but that doesn’t keep it from
hurting. I ignore the pain for as long
as I can and keep walking. Hopefully we
will continue to make improvements and reduce the pain even further. Pain while walking isn’t normal for many
amputees; but we may not be able to remove it completely because of my special
situation.
Last Thursday (I had the test socket for one week at that time) my
prosthetist decided that we would scrap my current socket and make a new
one! We weren’t certain when we started
if the elevated vacuum would allow me to walk, so we went with an off the shelf
liner and borrowed the vacuum pump. Now
that we know it has potential, we are going all in. Last Thursday I was cast for a custom
liner. The off the shelf liner was
close; but not a perfect match to my leg (especially my thigh) which allowed
the system to leak air. So my new liner
will come in about two weeks and then we will recast for a new socket. The socket and liner have to be a matched
pair. So it will be about three weeks
until my latest and greatest, and newest socket comes in.
I have been able to start doing limited walking, which has been
awesome. My muscles and tendons are
slowing getting used to carrying the load again. It’s nice not to always be tied to the
wheelchair. I still am in it a lot and I
have to ride the motorized carts at stores; but I can walk into the stores at
least.
Emotionally that is an awesome boost!
I can resume some of the things that were impossible for me to do in the
wheelchair. I don’t know if I will
regain full and unlimited use of my leg; but it is a start!
The attached video gives a glimpse of the elevated vacuum leg which is
very different from my last pin lock system.
If you don’t wear a prosthesis you may not think it is too different;
but there definitely is a learning curve.
I wore myself out making the video due to numerous takes and then losing
my best one after completing the editing, forcing me to reshoot one more
time. This isn’t my best; but it was the
best I could manage after so many tries.
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