Saturday (1/14/2017)

Update:

Tomorrow morning I’m headed to Indianapolis.  I have a Monday morning follow-up appointment with my surgeon, Dr. Ertl, in Indianapolis and then I head to Newport, KY (metro area of Cincinnati) to see my prosthetist, Rob, who will begin building a new leg for me.  It will look similar to the picture (except without the Colts logo! Ha! Ha!).

The end of my residual limb is still slightly tender since falling on it on January 4^th.  I was afraid I would have to delay this trip but I was finally able to walk again on January 9^th.   I’ll have x-rays at the follow-up appointment to double check whether there is any lasting damage.

As is typical over the last couple of months since my surgery, swelling has reduced in my leg and my current prosthesis no longer fits properly.  I’m getting a different style foot (the big spring looking part) which will be more flexible than my current foot, allowing me to walk more easily over uneven terrain and uphill.  Right now if I walk in the grass, I have to keep my leg muscles pretty rigid the whole time to keep my knee from violently swinging out to the side if the ground is even slightly uneven since my “ankle” is pretty stiff.   With the stiff “ankle” I usually have to walk uphill or up ramps on the toe of my foot.  As you can imagine, walking this way is very wearing. 

I’m pretty excited about getting a great fitting leg that’s more flexible.  Even taking it very easy in my current socket (so I don’t cause skin problems), I’ve been able to walk about 1 ½ miles per day.  I can’t wait to see how it goes with the new leg!  I’ll stay in Cincinnati until it’s done and we’ve worked out most of the bugs (I’m guessing one week; but it might be closer to two weeks).

I’ve been watching the weather down in the area pretty closely.  I think that I won’t run into the ice storm while I’m driving, only rain.  I’m praying for a safe and uneventful trip tomorrow.  If I make good time, I hope to get into a hotel early enough to catch at least part of the Packer’s game.  Go, Pack, Go!

In the past week, I’ve been to my primary care physician to monitor my overall health and diabetes, my podiatrist to check on how my right foot is doing, and my Physical Medicine and Rehab doctor to check on my residual limb (and to get the prescription for the new prosthesis). I had good reports all around! 

I’m almost packed for my trip (I travel with more stuff than the circus) and I’m looking forward to relaxing a bit with my wife this evening.  And then out the door and on the road before 7 a.m. in the morning!