02:21
I slept very well from about 22:30 till now. Now I am awake. I just made some hot milk Horlicks.
In South Africa there are 3 different types of hot milk drinks. Milo, Hot Chocolate, and Horlicks. Horlicks is usually for bed time, and Milo is for morning, and hot chocolate is for getting fat :-)
Tomorrow at noon I have 4 doctor appointments.
12:00 with a shrink. This is required by medical aid to see if I truley understand whats happening to me.
12:30 with a physio guy.
13:00 with a prosthesis guy.
13:30 with the surgeon to book the surgery.
I was thinking about talking with the shrink. I should just have her read my blog. I have told all and not held back. Probably it would show a more reliable indicator of my "state of mind" than a chat with a stranger. The physio guy will be not so productive. The physio for my back helped about 1/10th as much as a biokinetisist did. Physio is a good thing to help learn to walk without a leg. I'll do it, and it will help during the recovery phase.
Talking to the prosthesis guy will be the highlight. Can I build one myself? I bet with a 3D printer, and an Arduino I could build a pretty good prosthesis. I have also done fiberglass molding.
I was thinking that if you made a hinge knee, with like a brake pad on the hinge shaft, so that when pressure was put on the artificial heal, it was like applying the brakes on a car or bicycle, and the rocking of the foot forward as you walk, the toe push off, would release the brake. That would allow a stiff leg when putting weight on it, and a floppy leg with no weight on it. By varying the amount of friction, I could control the rate of the leg swinging forward. With proper geometry, or using a small olio strut, the removal of weight for the swing forward could also make the leg a bit shorter to swing forward unobstructed. This is all simple to build and design. I have over hauled many olio struts on aircraft, and made a few tight fitting fiberglass molds, like for the socket to fit the stump. The brake system could be a simple hydraulic brake like a bicycle, or maybe just a push rod.
I have read a lot about the through-knee operations, and recovery from them. The statistics don't look good. Only about 20% of the people ever succeed in using a prosthesis. Only 50% live for 12 months or longer. It is not a trivial operation. Add Angiosarcoma to that, and I think I am a "Dead Man Walking"......well sort of walking.
Not even a good movie type of stroll with a priest to the gas chamber. More like clumping with crutches, or in a wheel chair. "Dead Man Rolling" may be a better phrase.
I only have till the operation to get my solar system working the way I want for the long term future. I can't see me walking around on the roof for awhile. Like maybe never again! I had my friend order a solar box. It is an MPPT solar charge controller, a house UPS, a battery charger, a 2400watt pure sign wave inverter, and a computerized relay to control whether the batteries are charged with solar or off the grid. I could use it with the system I have now, but would be much better with more solar panels, and nice solar batteries. If I had a kilowatt more of panels and 2 x 105AH batteries, I could run my microwave, kettle, refrigerator, washing machine, and the geyser (hot water heater) Of course only one at a time. But that would be 100% off grid living.
As a practical investment, not such a good idea. Return on that investment would take 7 to 9 years.
My Fantasy Football team is now in 3rd place. Three wins in a row. I missed the first two games with the strong chemo. Now I am ready to kick ass for game 6.
I am glad I don't have to read these blogs, just write them. I have the easier job.
It is 04:17, let me try sleep again.
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21:00
A very long day, and I am tired.
I had a talk with the team that will do the amputation.
Over all it was an informative day. Way to much to tell now, as I am very tired.
I did not get to see the surgeon. He was in surgery. He will call on Monday.
My friend brought by a solar inverter I ordered. He picked it up for me. I hope that is my weekend project.
I'll explain all about my talks with the team in tomorrows blog. For now good night.
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