I fell again today. That's my second fall in 2 weeks.
The first fall was last week. I was walking down some stairs, and while swinging the stiff leg down to the next step, the socket came off my stump. This left me putting weight on a leg that was not lined up with my stump. Fortunately I was hanging on to a strong banister with my right hand. I quickly grabbed it with my left hand, but I was already most of the way down. I hurt my right elbow. It took lots of twisting strain.
Since then I have gotten a different socket.
Today I walked to get an ice cream cone. As I entered the fast food place, there was a guy eating an ice cream cone, and two families waiting for food they had ordered. I reached the counter, and was ordering, I had both hands resting lightly on the counter top.
All of a sudden my face hit the credit card machine, then my chin bounced off the counter, and I fell on my ass. My knee had collapsed, and as it collapsed, it went forward and hit the counter front, and that made the socket go rear ward about a foot. This unexpectedly pushed me backwards, and I fell on my back, with my head under a table.
I slowly sat up, and started to check if my knee had failed. My sore right elbow was the only thing that felt hurt.
The lady with a small girl grabbed the crying girl and yelled, "Come we are leaving now. Come!" and she dragged the crying child around me and out of the shop.
The guy was still licking his ice cream cone.
I slowly managed to get up, and walked to the counter. The girl behind the counter had not moved. She said "That's 5 rand 50."
The woman of the other family then asked. "Are you OK?" She hadn't moved, in fact none of the family had moved. I said I was OK.
I took my ice cream out side, and worked on my knee. I looked at those people, and thought..."I bet they all go to Church on Sunday."
I don't know why it collapsed. I am sure I am to blame.
Thursday, 28 March 2019
Sunday, 27 January 2019
CT scan results
My last few weeks bounce rate on my blog web site has been 100%. That means that 100% of the people that looked at my blog stayed on it for less than 5 seconds. Either fast readers, or computer bots.
This past week has been a medical week.
On the 19th I did a Parkrun. Lots of stump pain. I walked a very slow 1:26:14. My stump swelled up afterwards, and I couldn't get the socket on for 2 days. The week before, I had done 5 km walks, 3 times. I think my stump needs more than a day or two to heal, and recover.
Wednesday I went to see the Prosthestist. We chatted lots, and decided not to cast a new socket. Because my stump swells so easy, a new socket should be bigger, yet I want one tighter for walking. My current socket is too big, but I can easily shove foam into it to make it smaller. A loose socket is a pain in the ass, but a very tight socket is unusable. I'll keep my "too big" socket.
He gave me some new putty like stuff. It feels like play-dough. I am supposed to put it in the bottom of my socket, and walk. It should squish and flow around the end of the stump, and form a perfect fitting pad between the end of the stump, and the bottom of the socket. It takes about 24 hours to set, and then it should feel like a soft silicone sealer, like you use to seal around your bathtub.
Thursday I went to a Podiatrist. My good foot is having typical problems due to my increased distances I walk each week. When I used to run I had the same problems. Toenails and nerve pains. The second toe on my good foot, has a nail I thought was going to come off. It now grows almost 90 degrees to the left. The nail grows mostly up and gets thicker. I have been using a Dremmel tool to grind it down.
He said that the nail had become detached on the side, so only half is growing, which makes it bend as it grows. He said the solution is to use the Dremmel tool weekly.
I also get a pain in my middle toes that feels like they are broken, but I can twist and massage the toes with out pain. There is a nerve that is in the pad of the foot that causes the pain. He touched it and my toes really hurt. It is fairly common, and called Morton's Neuroma.
He added a pad under my shoe innersole to keep pressure off the nerve, and that helped.
The receptionist came in with a handwritten file, and said that I was an old patient. I had seen this doctor in 2008 for the same problem. Increased running distance, and Morton's Neuroma. They had been in Pretoria then.
If my brain remembered things better, I could have saved the trip.
Friday was an Oncologist day. First was blood tests. Then I had to drink a liter of liquid. Then lay in a metal tube, while they injected radioactive Iodine into me. It made me feel hot, and like I had peed my pants. After they were done they asked me to lay still. Then they re-did some of the photos in my pelvic region.
Last CT scan in February 2018 showed swollen lymph nodes in my right groin. They said they must be from an infection. Well, the lymph glands in my right groin are still swollen. The Doctors agreed that this is not a cancer related event, but also agreed that it isn't good. So I am supposed to go see a Lymph Doctor.
On Saturday I did another Parkrun. I had not done any real walking since the previous park run, so I figured I would be out of shape. It turned out to be my fastest ever, 1:10:44, and I finished with no pain or discomfort in the stump. So now I think that if I don't walk during the week, and let the stump rest well, then I can do a faster Parkrun. Maybe some time on my Exercycle to get a cardio workout, and rest the stump.
I was feeling better than after any other Parkrun, so went over to a friends house. On arrival there she pointed out that I had damaged my good leg in two places, and it was bleeding from both wounds. I had not felt a thing. She also pointed out that my calf was very hard and swollen. I fear there is something wrong with my good leg. It is red and hot, numb, swollen, and the lymph glands are swollen.
Sigh :-(
Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Settled in Africa...sort of.
I have not blogged since arriving back in Africa. Again there has been no real hits on my blog for 2 months except from China. The bounce rate is 98%. That is when the person stay on the web site for less than 5 seconds. Since nobody could read my blog in a few seconds, that means they disconnect quickly. So all the hits on my blog are probably Chinese bots.
I don't really have anything to say, except I have been walking lots. I walked 15 km last week. 5 of those was at a Parkrun. I finished in 1:14:11. I beat 8 other people. I am always last, so now I feel like a real athlete.
Today I walked to a restaurant nearby. It is 2.51 km away. I walk there, have a cheap breakfast, and walk back. On the way back, about half way, my knee must have blown a seal, because I lost all hydraulic resistance, (both extension and flexion) and there was oil everywhere. I walked the rest of the way home with zero resistance.
It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Before the last Parkrun, I had lowered the extension resistance to almost zero. The extension resistance determines how fast the leg extends from behind to all the way in front. As I am walking faster now, I need the knee to allow the leg to swing forward faster. This is to allow me to use a faster cadence. Today with zero extension resistance, the leg slammed forward, but was not dangerous. More like a big distraction.
The oil leaked from one of the top bearings. I don't know how to fix that. I just put the brand new, (but bad) 2100 I have as a spare. I'll need to transfer the extension assist spring assembly to this 2100.
The knee that blew today is one my Brother bought off Ebay. It has served me well for 2 years. I'll miss it's reliability.
The 2100 I just put on, is a brand new one, but it has a manufacturing defect. One of the adjustment screws threads in the main body, looks like my dog drilled it. So every o'ring gets shredded every time the screw is inserted. I cleaned it up as best I could. It is tiny. the o'ring is 1 mm. Maybe I will set the screw where I think it should be, then glue the screw in, with glue all around the o'ring to stop it leaking. getting all the air out is difficult, but possible if I take a few days to do it. I also have an old beat up Ossur 2000 knee. Maybe I should have put it on the leg.
I need to read my Instructable about how to remove and replace the fluid in a 2100. Maybe thicker fluid will fix the one that blew it's seal today.
Later
I don't really have anything to say, except I have been walking lots. I walked 15 km last week. 5 of those was at a Parkrun. I finished in 1:14:11. I beat 8 other people. I am always last, so now I feel like a real athlete.
Today I walked to a restaurant nearby. It is 2.51 km away. I walk there, have a cheap breakfast, and walk back. On the way back, about half way, my knee must have blown a seal, because I lost all hydraulic resistance, (both extension and flexion) and there was oil everywhere. I walked the rest of the way home with zero resistance.
It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Before the last Parkrun, I had lowered the extension resistance to almost zero. The extension resistance determines how fast the leg extends from behind to all the way in front. As I am walking faster now, I need the knee to allow the leg to swing forward faster. This is to allow me to use a faster cadence. Today with zero extension resistance, the leg slammed forward, but was not dangerous. More like a big distraction.
The oil leaked from one of the top bearings. I don't know how to fix that. I just put the brand new, (but bad) 2100 I have as a spare. I'll need to transfer the extension assist spring assembly to this 2100.
The knee that blew today is one my Brother bought off Ebay. It has served me well for 2 years. I'll miss it's reliability.
The 2100 I just put on, is a brand new one, but it has a manufacturing defect. One of the adjustment screws threads in the main body, looks like my dog drilled it. So every o'ring gets shredded every time the screw is inserted. I cleaned it up as best I could. It is tiny. the o'ring is 1 mm. Maybe I will set the screw where I think it should be, then glue the screw in, with glue all around the o'ring to stop it leaking. getting all the air out is difficult, but possible if I take a few days to do it. I also have an old beat up Ossur 2000 knee. Maybe I should have put it on the leg.
I need to read my Instructable about how to remove and replace the fluid in a 2100. Maybe thicker fluid will fix the one that blew it's seal today.
Later
Friday, 30 November 2018
Leaving USA for Africa
I haven't posted a blog in a long time. I feel the need to chat to someone, and there is no-one that wants to hear my story, so I chat to my blog. No-one has visited my blog site in almost a year, that doesn't speak Chinese.
I have been in the USA for about 6 months, and go back to South Africa in a few weeks.
I sold my RV, so am staying in a small hunting cabin in the middle of a forest.
the cabin is small, but has a microwave, bar fridge, toilet and shower, and a camping cot.
From E-bay I bought a Colledge Park Odyssey K3 ankle for $2000. That improved my self selected walking speed by over 10%. I wanted a Freedom Inovation Kinterra, but the Odessy was 1/3 the price. The ankle helps very much on uneven terrain.
I also bought a Fillaur DuraShock torque buffer for $500. This allows me to twist on the prosthetic leg. It seems most beneficial when doing little steps, like washing dishes, or making coffee. It also seems to help with uneven terrain. Small twists are not transmitted to the stump.
I am battling with my socket, as usual. it seems like 90% of the usefulness of a prosthetic is the socket. Walking without the DuraShock feels better, but it helps in the day to day moving around, that I decided to try walking 5 km with it. So with the 2100, the Odyssey K3, and the DuraShock, I walked 5.82 kilometers. As usual, most of the problems were socket related. I averaged 4.2 km/hr. My previous best speed was 3.8 km/hr.
------
My anti social behavior is becoming more pronounced. I know very few people that talk loud and distinct enough for me to usefully interact verbally with them. So they chat away, and I nod. I answered some lady the other day by saying my favorite dog was a Staffie, and she looked at me like I was crazy, she had been talking about Trumps campaign.
My leg often bothers me at inappropriate times, and being in a social situation when the socket grabs my balls, is a hard one to resolve without offending someone.
Yesterday I was invited to a ladies house for leftovers. It was pleasant, and the food welcome. While there my tummy started acting up. Like diarrhea coming on. Her bathroom is tiny, with nothing to grab or balance with, so I was reluctant to use it. But soon I had no choice.
I get into her bathroom, and balance carefully to remove my leg. Unfortunately I had on track suit bottoms. I seldom wear long pants because of the tactical nightmare of using the bathroom.
I get the tracksuit down around my ankles, then take off the cycling shorts to around my ankles. Only then can I remove the leg. I can't move the leg anywhere, because it is trapped to my good ankle. I then lower my underwear, and sit. Very diarrhea. Now to try to wipe while not only holding the leg, but with three pieces of clothing wrapped around my ankles. Lots of messy toilet paper later, my ass is relatively clean, but will require a shower when I get back to the cabin.
Back into the living room, the lady was chatting about something or the other, my mind was on my leg, that I hadn't put back on correctly. Also my tummy was rumbling again.
Soon I excuse myself and go again to the bathroom. Same balancing and tangle of clothing. I can also now see that I hadn't wiped very well. Skid marks on my underwear.
Diarrhea again, and lots of toilet paper and still messy. I get all the clothing back on, and the leg back on crooked again.
I then go out to chat again, but my mind is on a zillion things and her chatting to me is wasted breath. I decide to drive home now so I can shower.
About halfway on the drive home I need the toilet again badly. I start to pull over, but before I can get stopped, it has all come out. Gross. So I decide to just continue to the cabin. I have to get out to open the gate, and the car seat is all brown and wet. I squish to the gate and unlock it, sit back down with a squish, then drive through the gate, and get out and feel stuff dripping down my leg, lock the gate, then sit with a squish again.
At the cabin I walk straight into the shower, and start removing gross soiled clothing. Try removing long pants full of shit over a prosthetic foot. It is an impossible task. Again...Gross.
Some shit has streamed down my stump between the socket and liner.
It took more than an hour to clean up the mess, and to disassemble the prosthetic leg, clean it, and reassemble it. I ended up with a big pile of shit stained clothing.
Now it was late, and I just wanted to head for bed in my now clean underwear.
I got to bed and fell straight asleep.
About 2:00 AM I awoke to an urgent need to poo. The only way I had to get to the toilet was to get my leg on quickly. I quickly got the leg on, the light on, and stood up. The pressure of the socket without a real liner, made my weight concentrated on where the groin meets the socket. This forced the shit out. So I take about 10 steps to the toilet, and every step is a squirt of diarrhea. the underwear stopped some of it, but you could still see every step I took by the puddles on the floor.
Now there was shit all over the floor, all over my prosthetic foot and shoe, again between the socket and its liner, all over my sleep compression socks, and of course my underwear. I was empty before I got to the toilet, so I went straight into the shower again.
An hour later I was clean and wearing clean underwear, and the prosthetic leg was once again clean. To prevent another occurrence, I slept in the bathroom till the next morning.
This morning I said my little ritual...
I am not in pain.
I am not cold.
I am not hungry. It is a good day
-----
I don't have any "friends" I hate enough to subject them to my presence. I can not conceive of a person wanting to live with me. Even I find living with me, to be unpleasant.
I fear the only solution to my social problems is isolation. I need to concentrate on life without any other people.
Maybe I need to focus on the Buddhist meditation techniques.
I have been in the USA for about 6 months, and go back to South Africa in a few weeks.
I sold my RV, so am staying in a small hunting cabin in the middle of a forest.
the cabin is small, but has a microwave, bar fridge, toilet and shower, and a camping cot.
From E-bay I bought a Colledge Park Odyssey K3 ankle for $2000. That improved my self selected walking speed by over 10%. I wanted a Freedom Inovation Kinterra, but the Odessy was 1/3 the price. The ankle helps very much on uneven terrain.
I also bought a Fillaur DuraShock torque buffer for $500. This allows me to twist on the prosthetic leg. It seems most beneficial when doing little steps, like washing dishes, or making coffee. It also seems to help with uneven terrain. Small twists are not transmitted to the stump.
I am battling with my socket, as usual. it seems like 90% of the usefulness of a prosthetic is the socket. Walking without the DuraShock feels better, but it helps in the day to day moving around, that I decided to try walking 5 km with it. So with the 2100, the Odyssey K3, and the DuraShock, I walked 5.82 kilometers. As usual, most of the problems were socket related. I averaged 4.2 km/hr. My previous best speed was 3.8 km/hr.
------
My anti social behavior is becoming more pronounced. I know very few people that talk loud and distinct enough for me to usefully interact verbally with them. So they chat away, and I nod. I answered some lady the other day by saying my favorite dog was a Staffie, and she looked at me like I was crazy, she had been talking about Trumps campaign.
My leg often bothers me at inappropriate times, and being in a social situation when the socket grabs my balls, is a hard one to resolve without offending someone.
Yesterday I was invited to a ladies house for leftovers. It was pleasant, and the food welcome. While there my tummy started acting up. Like diarrhea coming on. Her bathroom is tiny, with nothing to grab or balance with, so I was reluctant to use it. But soon I had no choice.
I get into her bathroom, and balance carefully to remove my leg. Unfortunately I had on track suit bottoms. I seldom wear long pants because of the tactical nightmare of using the bathroom.
I get the tracksuit down around my ankles, then take off the cycling shorts to around my ankles. Only then can I remove the leg. I can't move the leg anywhere, because it is trapped to my good ankle. I then lower my underwear, and sit. Very diarrhea. Now to try to wipe while not only holding the leg, but with three pieces of clothing wrapped around my ankles. Lots of messy toilet paper later, my ass is relatively clean, but will require a shower when I get back to the cabin.
Back into the living room, the lady was chatting about something or the other, my mind was on my leg, that I hadn't put back on correctly. Also my tummy was rumbling again.
Soon I excuse myself and go again to the bathroom. Same balancing and tangle of clothing. I can also now see that I hadn't wiped very well. Skid marks on my underwear.
Diarrhea again, and lots of toilet paper and still messy. I get all the clothing back on, and the leg back on crooked again.
I then go out to chat again, but my mind is on a zillion things and her chatting to me is wasted breath. I decide to drive home now so I can shower.
About halfway on the drive home I need the toilet again badly. I start to pull over, but before I can get stopped, it has all come out. Gross. So I decide to just continue to the cabin. I have to get out to open the gate, and the car seat is all brown and wet. I squish to the gate and unlock it, sit back down with a squish, then drive through the gate, and get out and feel stuff dripping down my leg, lock the gate, then sit with a squish again.
At the cabin I walk straight into the shower, and start removing gross soiled clothing. Try removing long pants full of shit over a prosthetic foot. It is an impossible task. Again...Gross.
Some shit has streamed down my stump between the socket and liner.
It took more than an hour to clean up the mess, and to disassemble the prosthetic leg, clean it, and reassemble it. I ended up with a big pile of shit stained clothing.
Now it was late, and I just wanted to head for bed in my now clean underwear.
I got to bed and fell straight asleep.
About 2:00 AM I awoke to an urgent need to poo. The only way I had to get to the toilet was to get my leg on quickly. I quickly got the leg on, the light on, and stood up. The pressure of the socket without a real liner, made my weight concentrated on where the groin meets the socket. This forced the shit out. So I take about 10 steps to the toilet, and every step is a squirt of diarrhea. the underwear stopped some of it, but you could still see every step I took by the puddles on the floor.
Now there was shit all over the floor, all over my prosthetic foot and shoe, again between the socket and its liner, all over my sleep compression socks, and of course my underwear. I was empty before I got to the toilet, so I went straight into the shower again.
An hour later I was clean and wearing clean underwear, and the prosthetic leg was once again clean. To prevent another occurrence, I slept in the bathroom till the next morning.
This morning I said my little ritual...
I am not in pain.
I am not cold.
I am not hungry. It is a good day
-----
I don't have any "friends" I hate enough to subject them to my presence. I can not conceive of a person wanting to live with me. Even I find living with me, to be unpleasant.
I fear the only solution to my social problems is isolation. I need to concentrate on life without any other people.
Maybe I need to focus on the Buddhist meditation techniques.
Friday, 25 May 2018
May 25 2018 - Prosthetic Accessory Test
Friday 4 May 2018
My socket had been bothering me, so I visited my Prosthetist. He had a bunch of new "Toys" for me to try out for my prosthetic leg. :-)
Toy1 - A rotation adaptor is a device that fits between the socket and the knee that allows the lower leg to rotate. While sitting, this allows the lower leg to be twisted 360 degrees. I can rotate at the knee and put the foot right in front of my face.
 |
| This guy is using a rotation adapter |
Toy2 - A screw that replaces the normal pylon, so I can lengthen and shorted the pylon. This looks like something I could really use.
During the ParkRuns, I battle when the terrain slopes down from left to right. My left prosthetic leg is always way to long, and that makes walking very difficult. If I could shorten and lengthen the leg easily it would help me lots.
Toy3 - An ankle device made for ladies that change their heel height often. If the heel is thicker/taller, then the toe will not have pressure on it to break the knee loose as I walk. High heel shoes mean the prosthetic knee will remain stiff. This problem is also evident when walking down a hill. My weight never transfers to the toe as I go downhills, so the knee never bends.
This device changes allowable heel height (actually the angle of the foot) with the push of a button.
 |
| This is my old fixed ankle. |
 |
| Heel height Variable Ankle. |
Toy4 - An extension assist. This is a spring and cable assembly added to the inside of the knee to help push the knee into the straight extended position.
It takes pliers and about 5 minutes to install. There are three different strength springs.
---
On the ParkRun I was doing that Saturday, there is a 1 km section where shortening the left leg 1.5 cm would help, and a 1.5 km section where a 3 cm shorter leg would be nice. On the rest of the run, a normal length would be best.
The fancy screw pylon would only add or subtract about 1 cm to the length of the leg. My prosthetist suggested that maybe I could just lossen the bolt, and slide the pylon out of the ankle or out of the knee, then tighten it back up. I tried that and found I could safely lengthen and shorten the leg by a total of 3 cm. :-)
I Cut the pylon shorter, then marked the pylon with lines to indicate the different lengths I would require for the different parts of the run.
I decided to not use any of the new "Toys" on the Park Run because I had not practised with them.
----------------
Saturday after the ParkRun....
:-( My poor stump is in such bad shape. Blisters, and lots of pain.
The leg shortening worked well for the first half of the race. I was at the half way point 15 minutes earlier than last time. I was feeling good.
Then my stump bottomed out. PAIN.... I stopped and took the leg off and added a thick stump sock, hoping to stop the stump from going so far into the socket. That made the socket very tight, and I could feel throbbing, which means blood can not get out of the stump. After about half a km, the stump was again bottomed in the socket. Every step hurt, and the throbbing meant I could not add more socks.
The second half of the run was on pavement, and it took me 25 minutes longer than the first half, which is on rough terrain.
I could feel blisters forming on the stump, then the blisters popped, and soon the sweat was getting into the popped blisters.
I finished with a very slow time, went straight to the car and removed the leg, then headed for home. Once home I could not put the leg on because the stump was so sore. Fortunately my crutches were in the car, and I could get into the house.
A quick shower, and lots of anti-inflammatory drugs, and into bed.
I was not able to put the leg on for three days because of the swelling of the stump. I had two rows of blisters, and lots of sores on the end of the stump.
The next 10 days were short walks only. I did get to try out the "Toys". The rotation adaptor was put aside. I could not find a use for it.
The screw pylon was also set aside. The sliding of the pylon in and out of the knee and ankle, worked very well, and is quicker than screwing in and out the pylon.
The extension assist ended up having a benefit I had not considered. The spring makes the leg go straight much quicker, and it slammed straight. I was able to set the extension resistance more, and then the fast extension got smoother. The biggest benefit was that the spring locks the knee as a soon as it is straight. I no longer need to make sure the knee is straight, and locked before putting weight on it. It automatically goes straight and locks. I like that a lot. I feel much safer.
I tried the different springs. The stiffest was very stiff, and may have been ok for a hard core sprinter. The lightest spring was ok for walking around the kitchen. I ended up using the middle firm spring.
I next put on the variable ankle. I doesn't seem to have enough travel to be of any use. I took it back off, and put on my solid ankle. Then after two days I decided to try it again. It weighs more than my solid ankle, and I can feel the extra weight. It does seem to help some when walking down hill, because I can lower the toe, and that allows the knee to break loose on downhills. But then I took it off.
Then a few days later I put it back on. Duh!!!
I went to a place that had a long wheel chair ramp. It is about 10 meters long, and is exactly a 10 degrees slope.
I set the ankle so it is good for flat ground when the toe is at the farthest up position. Then before going down the hill, I push the button, and stomp on the heel to force the toe as far down as it will go, then push the button again to lock the ankle in that position. With the toe down like that it is very hard to walk on level ground, but I can walk normal down the slope. That is very nice, because I normally have to walk down slopes with a stiff prosthetic leg because the knee will never break loose. With this variable ankle set to max toe down I can do the wheelchair slope easily.
The price of the variable ankle is about R12,000 ( $1000).
Yesterday I went to get measured and fitted for a new socket. Hopefully it will not be one that allows bottoming of the stump.
The new variable ankle is almost one cm longer than my fixed ankle. I need to shorten my pylon, so it will be adjustable like I did on the ParkRun. But since I am getting the new socket in a few days, I will wait before cutting the pylon.
-----
Wednesday, 25 April 2018
April 25 2018 - More Doctors and Prosthetists.
Last Saturday I did a ParkRun at a new venue called Midstream.
http://www.parkrun.co.za/midstream/results/latestresults/
I finished the 5 km in 1 hr 53 min. I don't know why they say 1:55.
My Park run times are getting slower and slower. I keep thinking if I get the socket better, I'll walk faster. But maybe I am growing older faster, than I can improve my walking speed.
I went to the Local GP yesterday, because during the ParkRun, my one toenail turned about 45 degrees to the left. I thought it had come loose. She was very good, and said that she had no way to cut or trim the thick, brown nail, so she would remove it. While she was gathering her tools, I started thinking about using a grinder to reshape the toenail. Then I thought of my Dremmel tool. Dremmel makes a small hobby grinder for small cutting and grinding. I told her that I would go home and try grinding the toenail before we do the surgery route.
At home I got out my Dremmel tool, and got online to see if anyone else had ever thought to use a grinder on toenails. Google gave me a zillion hits for grinding toe and finger nails. It seems that podiatrists and dog parlours often use small grinders on nails.
I ground the offending toenail and shaped it much better. It was so easy and painless, I ground on the other 4 toenails...then I did my fingernails also.
This latest ParkRun is about half on dirt paths, and half on sidewalks. The dirt part is angled the wrong way, so the prosthetic leg feels way to long. Since I am missing my left leg, if the ground is higher on the left, then the prosthetic leg never unlocks, and remains stiff. This means small hobbled steps. Very frustrating when trying to "race".
I usually walk on the left side of the street for the same reason. It makes the prosthetic leg "feel" shorter, so it swings forward easier.
I removed the foot and pylon from my prosthetic knee, and used my Dremmel tool to cut a 1 cm section off the carbon fibre pylon.
If I insert the ring and the pylon onto the knee, it is still the same length, but if I take the ring out, then the whole leg is 1 cm shorter.
I have been practising a "pit stop" like procedure where I sit on the ground, remover the lower leg, insert or remove the ring, then put the leg back together, and stand up all within 45 seconds.
My thinking is that when I get to a section on the ParkRun that has ground higher on the left, I remove the ring, and when the ground is more level, I re-insert the ring.
If I make the ring the exact correct thickness depending on the terrain, then I should be able to walk straight up when the ground is slanted. That should remove one more excuse for my poor times.
--
Later...
I just got back from the Prosthetist. I quickly went to the same one I have been using for years.
My socket got a large crack in it. I tried super glue. That was a waste of time. If layers of fiber glass crack from the strain, then Super glue doesn't stand a chance.
We chatted about the places where the socket hurts and rubs, and he will work on those areas while he is fixing the crack.
I showed him my spacer insertion technique and he showed me a pylon that had a ruler engraved into it. He said that the manufacturer allows the pylon to be extended 3 cm and still be griped strong enough to run on. That means I'll be able to change the length without having to get on the ground, and using the insert.
This Prosthetists also says that he does the Midstream ParkRun. We didn't see each other there. Now that I am home, I see that his name is on the results page, along with his wife, mother, sister, and 2 daughters.
He kept my socket for the day, but I have many spares, so I just made up a temporary prosthetic leg. It will let me stand, and walk around the house.
I got a nice letter from the ParkRun People. They offered to let me be an "early walker". Someone that walks the route before the race, and reports any mud puddles, construction or obstacles on the course. That way I could be a staff volunteer, and still do the run. That sounds like it would be a good solution.
--
http://www.parkrun.co.za/midstream/results/latestresults/
I finished the 5 km in 1 hr 53 min. I don't know why they say 1:55.
My Park run times are getting slower and slower. I keep thinking if I get the socket better, I'll walk faster. But maybe I am growing older faster, than I can improve my walking speed.
I went to the Local GP yesterday, because during the ParkRun, my one toenail turned about 45 degrees to the left. I thought it had come loose. She was very good, and said that she had no way to cut or trim the thick, brown nail, so she would remove it. While she was gathering her tools, I started thinking about using a grinder to reshape the toenail. Then I thought of my Dremmel tool. Dremmel makes a small hobby grinder for small cutting and grinding. I told her that I would go home and try grinding the toenail before we do the surgery route.
At home I got out my Dremmel tool, and got online to see if anyone else had ever thought to use a grinder on toenails. Google gave me a zillion hits for grinding toe and finger nails. It seems that podiatrists and dog parlours often use small grinders on nails.
 |
| Dremmel tool being used on a dog. |
I ground the offending toenail and shaped it much better. It was so easy and painless, I ground on the other 4 toenails...then I did my fingernails also.
This latest ParkRun is about half on dirt paths, and half on sidewalks. The dirt part is angled the wrong way, so the prosthetic leg feels way to long. Since I am missing my left leg, if the ground is higher on the left, then the prosthetic leg never unlocks, and remains stiff. This means small hobbled steps. Very frustrating when trying to "race".
I usually walk on the left side of the street for the same reason. It makes the prosthetic leg "feel" shorter, so it swings forward easier.
I removed the foot and pylon from my prosthetic knee, and used my Dremmel tool to cut a 1 cm section off the carbon fibre pylon.
If I insert the ring and the pylon onto the knee, it is still the same length, but if I take the ring out, then the whole leg is 1 cm shorter.
I have been practising a "pit stop" like procedure where I sit on the ground, remover the lower leg, insert or remove the ring, then put the leg back together, and stand up all within 45 seconds.
My thinking is that when I get to a section on the ParkRun that has ground higher on the left, I remove the ring, and when the ground is more level, I re-insert the ring.
If I make the ring the exact correct thickness depending on the terrain, then I should be able to walk straight up when the ground is slanted. That should remove one more excuse for my poor times.
--
Later...
I just got back from the Prosthetist. I quickly went to the same one I have been using for years.
My socket got a large crack in it. I tried super glue. That was a waste of time. If layers of fiber glass crack from the strain, then Super glue doesn't stand a chance.
We chatted about the places where the socket hurts and rubs, and he will work on those areas while he is fixing the crack.
I showed him my spacer insertion technique and he showed me a pylon that had a ruler engraved into it. He said that the manufacturer allows the pylon to be extended 3 cm and still be griped strong enough to run on. That means I'll be able to change the length without having to get on the ground, and using the insert.
This Prosthetists also says that he does the Midstream ParkRun. We didn't see each other there. Now that I am home, I see that his name is on the results page, along with his wife, mother, sister, and 2 daughters.
He kept my socket for the day, but I have many spares, so I just made up a temporary prosthetic leg. It will let me stand, and walk around the house.
I got a nice letter from the ParkRun People. They offered to let me be an "early walker". Someone that walks the route before the race, and reports any mud puddles, construction or obstacles on the course. That way I could be a staff volunteer, and still do the run. That sounds like it would be a good solution.
--
Saturday, 14 April 2018
April 14 2018 - Rethinking my Goals
I got up early this morning to go do a ParkRun at a new venue. I got there, and it was so crowded. There are usually a thousand people running this ParkRun every Saturday. There must have been 500 white SUV's in the parking lot. Yuppy city. The parking was so far from the start line, that I just turned my car around, and headed back home.
It sounds silly to want to park closer to the start line so I don't have to walk so far before I race 5 km. Standing while waiting for the start, and the extra walking reduces the pleasure of the ParkRun because I will be tired, and sore before the race even begins.
I stopped on the drive home, and considered going to another Park Run venue. Then I asked myself what I would be doing right now if I could do anything. The answer was to be sitting in my wheelchair, drinking coffee and reading a book. So I came straight home.
Yesterday I went to the Prosthetist. He asked me to walk swinging my arms in an exaggerated manner. I would start fine, but after a few steps my arm synchronisation would get screwed up. He asked if I was ever in the military, and I said "Yes.". He then said it was just like marching and I should be keeping my arms stiff. When my hands go forward, they should be even with my shoulders. He said that I must not have been a very good soldier if I couldn't even march. I told him I had been a Nuclear Reactor Operator on submarines, and we didn't march much.
He said I was concentrating too much on the prosthetic leg, and didn't have spare mental capacity to dedicate to controlling arm movement. I agree 100% with that.
He said that I was so far from understanding and performing the basics of prosthetic use, that the loan of the Bionic knee was a waste of time, and I should come back when I was able to walk much better. He suggested I do a hundred hour with his physiotherapist. He then rebuilt my leg with all my previous components, and I left.
I got the feeling that he was trying to tell me that I am a 68 year old, one legged guy with cancer, and I should not be wasting his time, or my time, by trying to do a ParkRun faster.
He may be right.
I wore the fancy Bionic knee for 4 days. I was supposed to have it for two weeks. One of the bad things about the Bionic knee was that it didn't bend far enough to allow kneeling. It also was not very smooth. Lots of clunking. The energy required to walk was much more.
The knee is programmed with a special computer that the Prosthetist has, and I am sure that the Prosthetist had set the knee up electronically with many limitations. This means I have to get an appointment to get any adjustments made, and instead of paying for added features, I must pay to have the disabled features activated. I hate the way the "New World" works.
On the way home I had a flat tire on my car, and spent the next half hour kneeling by the side of the road, changing the tire. If I had still had the fancy Bionic knee on, I would have had to remove the entire leg to be able to change the tire.
Sometimes things work out for the best.
This week I bought some walking poles. The physio lady said they would force me to use my arms in sync with my legs better, and I do need to do that. I haven't walked with them yet.
I need to re-think what my goals are. Being healthy is a good goal. Being able to go shopping with the leg is a good goal. But is doing a ParkRun faster, a sensible goal for someone like me???
---
It sounds silly to want to park closer to the start line so I don't have to walk so far before I race 5 km. Standing while waiting for the start, and the extra walking reduces the pleasure of the ParkRun because I will be tired, and sore before the race even begins.
I stopped on the drive home, and considered going to another Park Run venue. Then I asked myself what I would be doing right now if I could do anything. The answer was to be sitting in my wheelchair, drinking coffee and reading a book. So I came straight home.
Yesterday I went to the Prosthetist. He asked me to walk swinging my arms in an exaggerated manner. I would start fine, but after a few steps my arm synchronisation would get screwed up. He asked if I was ever in the military, and I said "Yes.". He then said it was just like marching and I should be keeping my arms stiff. When my hands go forward, they should be even with my shoulders. He said that I must not have been a very good soldier if I couldn't even march. I told him I had been a Nuclear Reactor Operator on submarines, and we didn't march much.
He said I was concentrating too much on the prosthetic leg, and didn't have spare mental capacity to dedicate to controlling arm movement. I agree 100% with that.
He said that I was so far from understanding and performing the basics of prosthetic use, that the loan of the Bionic knee was a waste of time, and I should come back when I was able to walk much better. He suggested I do a hundred hour with his physiotherapist. He then rebuilt my leg with all my previous components, and I left.
I got the feeling that he was trying to tell me that I am a 68 year old, one legged guy with cancer, and I should not be wasting his time, or my time, by trying to do a ParkRun faster.
He may be right.
I wore the fancy Bionic knee for 4 days. I was supposed to have it for two weeks. One of the bad things about the Bionic knee was that it didn't bend far enough to allow kneeling. It also was not very smooth. Lots of clunking. The energy required to walk was much more.
The knee is programmed with a special computer that the Prosthetist has, and I am sure that the Prosthetist had set the knee up electronically with many limitations. This means I have to get an appointment to get any adjustments made, and instead of paying for added features, I must pay to have the disabled features activated. I hate the way the "New World" works.
On the way home I had a flat tire on my car, and spent the next half hour kneeling by the side of the road, changing the tire. If I had still had the fancy Bionic knee on, I would have had to remove the entire leg to be able to change the tire.
Sometimes things work out for the best.
This week I bought some walking poles. The physio lady said they would force me to use my arms in sync with my legs better, and I do need to do that. I haven't walked with them yet.
I need to re-think what my goals are. Being healthy is a good goal. Being able to go shopping with the leg is a good goal. But is doing a ParkRun faster, a sensible goal for someone like me???
---
Tuesday, 10 April 2018
April 10 2018 - Trying out a Bionic Knee
During the fitting of the knee, the Prosthetist found that neither of the feet I have been using will work, because the knee is to long. So they had to temporarily give me a old, straight, cheap plastic foot.
The Physio lady and I walked around a bit so I could get a feel for it, But I never felt safe with it. Every step it feels like it is collapsing. This "collapse" is only for a few degrees. But that same feeling with my Total Knee 2100 means I will fall to the ground.
When I step forward, the Genium is designed to hit the ground at a 4 degree knee bend angle. As soon as my body weight is put on the knee it gives slightly until the computer locks the knee from bending further. This is supposed to give a slight "give" and therefore be softer on the stump. But as soon as I try to walk, it goes to 0 degrees with a clunk. There is no resistance in going from the 4 degrees to the 0 degrees.
The Physio lady said to not push back with my stump. With the 2100, I have to push back to make sure it is locked. This Genium should not require that. But how can I ever walk forward without pushing back with my foot to push me forward. If I walk backwards with the Genium, it feels much better than walking forward.
So as I walk, the Genium goes click, thunk, click, thunk, click, thunk.
I am battling getting used to this knee compared to my Total Knee 2100. I am used to making positive that the knee is locked before putting any weight on it. The Genium is supposed to do that thinking for me, so I need to learn to let it do what it is supposed to do.
With my 2100 everything seems "Black and White". The knee is totally floppy, or the knee is locked. The Genium is all "Grey". It is kind of, sort of, floppy, or kind of, sort of, locked.
This Genium knee has 3 accelerometers, and 5 sensors. It detects if I am standing still, sitting, falling, and the speed I am walking.
If the knee detects that there is weight on the leg, and it is straight, it will lock straight. Like when I am just standing.
If the knee is bent in one position for a short period of time, it will lock in that position. Like squatting.
If it detects I am trying to sit, then it will give resistance to the knee bending of about 30 kg (60 pd) to help lower me into the chair.
If the knee detects I am sitting for more than 2 seconds, it goes into power saving mode, and supplies no resistance to movement.
On walking up stairs, if the knee detects a sweeping backward motion very soon after a stance phase, (I have to learn to signal the knee with this action) then the knee thinks I am going up stairs, and it will go all loose until it detects pressure while bent. Now it thinks the prosthetic leg is on the next step up, and will lock in that position.
It does the same thing when walking up a steep slope.
When walking down a steps, or a steep slope, it will act similar to when I am sitting down, and apply resistance, so I can sort of ride the knee down the slope or steps. Going down steep slopes is great. I can do that much better today than ever before with any knee. This down slope walking should speed up my ParkRun time significantly.
I definitely rub people the wrong way. The Physio lady and the Prosthetists seems to just want me out the door. So I left, with the knee not performing anywhere near what I think it should.
As I was leaving, I met the guy that works there that is a double leg amputee. We chatted for about 20 minutes. He is full of useful knowledge, experience, and information.
He says that he tried the Rheo3 (Ossur's Bionic Knee) and the Genium, and didn't like either one. He says he likes to be in control of things, especially of his prosthesis. He says the Bionic knees take to much of his control away. They are in charge of how he walks, not him. He asked me what my profession was before I lost my leg, and I said that I was a pilot. He said that he would be surprised if I liked relinquishing control of my walking to a computer.
He said that first time amputees like the Genium, because it makes learning a prosthesis much easier. He also said that it seem to be liked by non-technical people better than technical people. That is sort of the opposite of what I would have thought. I thought that geeks and nerds would love all the AI and computers.
But then, most geeks I know like Linux and the command line, and the non-technical people I know all like friendly, easy Microsoft.
He also said that when he does rough terrain, he uses walking sticks. The ones like ski poles. He says the extra balance provided, makes him much faster. All the energy used to run the race is still from him, so he doesn't care what others think. He usually doesn't use a cane, crutches, or walking sticks because they are a pain when he isn't walking, or using them. But he says that anytime he can conveniently use a cane, crutches, or walking sticks, he does.
I just read this on line:
The highest of high-end prosthetics right now is the Genium knee, "the Maserati of microprocessor prosthetics,". Ottobock developed the Genium with the Department of Defense, hoping to let soldiers with lower-limb amputations return to active duty. It's waterproof, dust proof, saltwater resistant, and it runs silently. The Genium's estimated cost is around $120,000.
I think the cost has come down quite a bit. The Genium is now about R850,000, which is only about $71,000.
The Genium comes with a nice charger for the batteries. It holds on magnetically, and works through clothing. The battery should last about 5 days.
I have another appointment on Friday. Then I'll try to get them to fix the knee, and I'll get the download for Android to control and program the knee with blue-tooth from my phone.
Till then I'll be walking on a $71,000 knee that goes click, thunk, click, thunk, click, thunk.
--
Friday, 6 April 2018
April 6 2018 - New Physio Lady.
On Tuesday I went to a new Prosthetist. There they have on staff a Physiotherapist lady that specializes in amputee walking.
Today I had an appointment with her. We talked for a bit, then went walking around the complex where their office is. The complex reminds me of a Collage campus.
She had a route to walk, that had many of the obstacles I have trouble with. We walked up some steps, then up a long slope where there was some loose soft gravel. Then we walked more stairs and slopes, and got back to the office an hour later. I was very tired.
She showed me how it is easier to go up steps if the good leg goes one step past the prosthesis leg on the way up. It was counter intuitive what she said, but after a few times up and down the steps, I could see her point. I need to work on steps a lot.
Then we did a long steep slope. Up and down. I was more interested in how to do slopes quickly, than how to do them pretty and normal. She showed me a quick side bunny hop for going down slopes. It is definitely faster than how I currently do slopes, but it uses a lot of energy.
We then went to a soft gravel parking lot. I tried many ways to walk on the soft gravel. The solution to walking on gravel and soft sand is....don't try to walk on gravel and soft sand!
I then mentioned how when I stand talking for a long time, my good hip starts to hurt. She said it was because my "blah blah blah, was to tight on the "blah blah blah", and it forced my "blah blah blah" to pull. So I need to change my long term stance to put much more weight on the prosthetic side. I tried her way, and it helps.
The best thing I learned today was getting up after a fall. I showed her how I do it, and she said that my way, is one way, to get up, but it require a lot of strength. I agree, because when I fell on the last Park-Run, I was already tired, and it took great effort for me to get up. I start on my stomach, but my way means that any weight I put on the prosthetic leg is on the toes, and therefore the knee will not lock. With the prosthetic knee not locked, then all the strength to rise must come from my good leg.
She showed me another way, that is slower, and looks silly, but requires much less strength.
If you sit on the floor with your legs in front straight, then your toes point up. If you lie on your stomach, then your toes point down. She showed me to start on my stomach and do the splits as far as possible. The toes gradually point more up (less down). At 90 degree splits, the foot is parallel to the ground. Now if I push backwards with my hands, the prosthetic leg heel takes the force. NOW the knee will lock, and I can push my bum up high and slowly stand with legs far apart. Then shuffle till both legs are together.
We got back to the office, and I was standing, and she said I should sit.
I told her how when I finish a long walk, as soon as I sit, my stump starts to hurt, and it throbs painfully. I then either stand again, or take the leg off. The leg will not come off easy, and it take a huge, long, effort to free the painful stump.
She says she knows what causes that, and fetched one of the prosthetists. He said that on the top, inside of the thigh near the groin, is where the artery and veins come into the leg. The artery is deep, but the vein is near the surface. My socket presses to hard on the vein when I sit, and the blood trying to escape the stump is trapped. This makes the stump swell, and throb. He says the socket should never press in that area, and I either need a new socket, or I need to grind or cut the offending parts away.
As soon as I got to the car, I battled to remove the socket from my throbbing stump. Once the socket was off, the pain was gone in seconds.
Once home I took my Dremmel tool and cut and ground off about half a centimeter all across the front inside of the socket. Now I need to trim the plastic liner.
I was hoping to get to try a new Bionic leg today, but it looks like only next week.
Tomorrow is a Park-Run. I want to try the new venue. I am a bit worried because I had a rough day today, and yesterday I walked 5.5 km, and the day before was about 2.5 km. I wish I had a full day to rest before the Park-run.
I also bought new Park-Run socks, and new insoles for my good foot shoe.
I hope they give me good luck tomorrow.
--
Today I had an appointment with her. We talked for a bit, then went walking around the complex where their office is. The complex reminds me of a Collage campus.
She had a route to walk, that had many of the obstacles I have trouble with. We walked up some steps, then up a long slope where there was some loose soft gravel. Then we walked more stairs and slopes, and got back to the office an hour later. I was very tired.
She showed me how it is easier to go up steps if the good leg goes one step past the prosthesis leg on the way up. It was counter intuitive what she said, but after a few times up and down the steps, I could see her point. I need to work on steps a lot.
Then we did a long steep slope. Up and down. I was more interested in how to do slopes quickly, than how to do them pretty and normal. She showed me a quick side bunny hop for going down slopes. It is definitely faster than how I currently do slopes, but it uses a lot of energy.
We then went to a soft gravel parking lot. I tried many ways to walk on the soft gravel. The solution to walking on gravel and soft sand is....don't try to walk on gravel and soft sand!
I then mentioned how when I stand talking for a long time, my good hip starts to hurt. She said it was because my "blah blah blah, was to tight on the "blah blah blah", and it forced my "blah blah blah" to pull. So I need to change my long term stance to put much more weight on the prosthetic side. I tried her way, and it helps.
The best thing I learned today was getting up after a fall. I showed her how I do it, and she said that my way, is one way, to get up, but it require a lot of strength. I agree, because when I fell on the last Park-Run, I was already tired, and it took great effort for me to get up. I start on my stomach, but my way means that any weight I put on the prosthetic leg is on the toes, and therefore the knee will not lock. With the prosthetic knee not locked, then all the strength to rise must come from my good leg.
She showed me another way, that is slower, and looks silly, but requires much less strength.
If you sit on the floor with your legs in front straight, then your toes point up. If you lie on your stomach, then your toes point down. She showed me to start on my stomach and do the splits as far as possible. The toes gradually point more up (less down). At 90 degree splits, the foot is parallel to the ground. Now if I push backwards with my hands, the prosthetic leg heel takes the force. NOW the knee will lock, and I can push my bum up high and slowly stand with legs far apart. Then shuffle till both legs are together.
We got back to the office, and I was standing, and she said I should sit.
I told her how when I finish a long walk, as soon as I sit, my stump starts to hurt, and it throbs painfully. I then either stand again, or take the leg off. The leg will not come off easy, and it take a huge, long, effort to free the painful stump.
She says she knows what causes that, and fetched one of the prosthetists. He said that on the top, inside of the thigh near the groin, is where the artery and veins come into the leg. The artery is deep, but the vein is near the surface. My socket presses to hard on the vein when I sit, and the blood trying to escape the stump is trapped. This makes the stump swell, and throb. He says the socket should never press in that area, and I either need a new socket, or I need to grind or cut the offending parts away.
As soon as I got to the car, I battled to remove the socket from my throbbing stump. Once the socket was off, the pain was gone in seconds.
Once home I took my Dremmel tool and cut and ground off about half a centimeter all across the front inside of the socket. Now I need to trim the plastic liner.
I was hoping to get to try a new Bionic leg today, but it looks like only next week.
Tomorrow is a Park-Run. I want to try the new venue. I am a bit worried because I had a rough day today, and yesterday I walked 5.5 km, and the day before was about 2.5 km. I wish I had a full day to rest before the Park-run.
I also bought new Park-Run socks, and new insoles for my good foot shoe.
I hope they give me good luck tomorrow.
--
Tuesday, 3 April 2018
April 3 2018 - Going to a Different Prosthetist
Today I decided to try a different prosthetics company. The prosthetist I have been going to since my amputation, seems to be trying less hard for my business than he did before. I have no specific complaints about any of his work, so maybe I just wanted a change.
I have been walking about 12km a week, mostly just to the shops for coffee. A few weeks ago I tried a local ParkRun. Park Runs are 5 km run/walks. There are athletes that finish in about 30 minutes, and fat, old ladies pushing a baby carriage that finish in just under an hour.
My fastest two leg ParkRun time was 35:39. My fastest time since amputation was a 1:24:48.
Last week I did a ParkRun in 1:56:19. I was exhausted and very slow. The terrain was very uneven the entire race. Uneven terrain means that the leg will sometimes unlock when I don't want it to, and sometimes will stay locked when I need to bend it while swinging it forward. Uneven terrain require me to concentrate on the ground immediately in front of me, where the prosthetic foot will land. This is not fun, and requires total concentration.
This is the foot I have now. An Ossur Vari-Flex. All the prosthetists I have talked to, say this is the foot of choice for most amputees.
I have always felt that the solution to uneven terrain is a flexible ankle. My Vari-Flex has a zero flex ankle.
Last year I borrowed, for 2 weeks, an Ossur Proflex ankle. It has hydraulics in the ankle so the foot can move the toes up and down to match the terrain.
It made uneven terrain a bit easier. It made slopes a bit easier. I would gladly have paid a few thousand Rand for that ankle...It was R87,000. Definitely not worth that much to me.
Today I called around to see if any other Prosthetic companies have any ankles to loan me. One place sounded much better than the others, so I drove there. They have a 2 hour evaluation exam and test, that is done by a Physio lady, and a prosthetist.
They are very modern, and proud of their technological approach to the prosthetic business. One thing I liked very much about their methods was they insisted on real world conditions.
My old prosthetist did all his alignment on a flat floor. I always felt that he could get it perfectly set up in that room, but it was all wrong before I even got out to my car. These new people first aligned everything on a flat floor, then took me outside to the real world. Steps, slopes, loose tiles, and rocks.
They strapped a small electronic measuring device on my prosthetic ankle, then made me walk supper fast for 6 minutes. This device measures acceleration, impacts, distance, cadence, and stride length. They also had video cameras to record me walking from all sides.
We studied the videos and the computer printout from the device after my walk.
They both said that my foot problems seem to be knee related. I told them my knee was fine, and the problem was lack of flex in the ankle.
I had to be careful, because these people seemed to know what they are talking about, and I always think I know everything.
While they were doing computer things, I chatted to a double above knee amputee. He works at a disabled children school. He told how he puts his single, above knee amputee kids on a pure straight leg with a J type carbon fiber running foot. He says that the kids run much faster over uneven terrain without any knee at all. He says the knowledge that they won't fall makes them go much faster than having a very expensive knee, that may make them fall.
This Para-Athlete runs with no knees. It looks funny, but he doesn't fall, and is very fast.
The prosthetist and the Physio lady both said that I may be faster on uneven terrain with no knee. I need to think about that.
They both said that I need more push off (energy recovery) in my prosthetic foot. They found an old Fillauer All-Pro foot and put it on my leg. It looks like this.
We then did the 6 minute fast walk with the measuring device strapped on. My stride was longer, and I was a bit faster. They say that it should have lots more give and flex on uneven terrain. They loaned it to me for a week.
Tomorrow I will go to one of the ParkRun venues near me that has rough terrain, and give it a try.
When I was done, and getting ready to leave, a lady came in. She was an above the knee amputee from cancer, so we had a great talk. She is getting a loaner knee. The top of the range Bionic knee from OttoBock. She was excited. The OttoBock guy said his job was to put as many people on OttoBock products as possible, even if it was just for a week or two. He said that he had another loaner that he wanted me to try out. It is a super Bionic knee. Lots of Artificial Intelligence in that knee. Here is what it looks like:
If the actions of the knee fit one of many event criteria, then it thinks you are tripping and it takes corrective action.
It senses when you are standing still and will lock the knee. It senses when you are sitting, and goes slack. It senses if you are walking fast, and varies the resistances to match. It is programmable via blue-tooth, so you can change program profiles via a cell phone. You can read more about it here..
https://www.ottobockus.com/prosthetics/lower-limb-prosthetics/solution-overview/genium-above-knee-system/
A very fancy machine, but it costs almost what my house, and my car together are worth.
I will go back to these people in a week, to return the foot I am trying out, and maybe the OttoBock guy will have dropped off the Genium knee for me to do a 2 week trial.
--
I have been walking about 12km a week, mostly just to the shops for coffee. A few weeks ago I tried a local ParkRun. Park Runs are 5 km run/walks. There are athletes that finish in about 30 minutes, and fat, old ladies pushing a baby carriage that finish in just under an hour.
My fastest two leg ParkRun time was 35:39. My fastest time since amputation was a 1:24:48.
Last week I did a ParkRun in 1:56:19. I was exhausted and very slow. The terrain was very uneven the entire race. Uneven terrain means that the leg will sometimes unlock when I don't want it to, and sometimes will stay locked when I need to bend it while swinging it forward. Uneven terrain require me to concentrate on the ground immediately in front of me, where the prosthetic foot will land. This is not fun, and requires total concentration.
This is the foot I have now. An Ossur Vari-Flex. All the prosthetists I have talked to, say this is the foot of choice for most amputees.
Last year I borrowed, for 2 weeks, an Ossur Proflex ankle. It has hydraulics in the ankle so the foot can move the toes up and down to match the terrain.
Today I called around to see if any other Prosthetic companies have any ankles to loan me. One place sounded much better than the others, so I drove there. They have a 2 hour evaluation exam and test, that is done by a Physio lady, and a prosthetist.
They are very modern, and proud of their technological approach to the prosthetic business. One thing I liked very much about their methods was they insisted on real world conditions.
My old prosthetist did all his alignment on a flat floor. I always felt that he could get it perfectly set up in that room, but it was all wrong before I even got out to my car. These new people first aligned everything on a flat floor, then took me outside to the real world. Steps, slopes, loose tiles, and rocks.
They strapped a small electronic measuring device on my prosthetic ankle, then made me walk supper fast for 6 minutes. This device measures acceleration, impacts, distance, cadence, and stride length. They also had video cameras to record me walking from all sides.
We studied the videos and the computer printout from the device after my walk.
They both said that my foot problems seem to be knee related. I told them my knee was fine, and the problem was lack of flex in the ankle.
I had to be careful, because these people seemed to know what they are talking about, and I always think I know everything.
While they were doing computer things, I chatted to a double above knee amputee. He works at a disabled children school. He told how he puts his single, above knee amputee kids on a pure straight leg with a J type carbon fiber running foot. He says that the kids run much faster over uneven terrain without any knee at all. He says the knowledge that they won't fall makes them go much faster than having a very expensive knee, that may make them fall.
This Para-Athlete runs with no knees. It looks funny, but he doesn't fall, and is very fast.
They both said that I need more push off (energy recovery) in my prosthetic foot. They found an old Fillauer All-Pro foot and put it on my leg. It looks like this.
Tomorrow I will go to one of the ParkRun venues near me that has rough terrain, and give it a try.
When I was done, and getting ready to leave, a lady came in. She was an above the knee amputee from cancer, so we had a great talk. She is getting a loaner knee. The top of the range Bionic knee from OttoBock. She was excited. The OttoBock guy said his job was to put as many people on OttoBock products as possible, even if it was just for a week or two. He said that he had another loaner that he wanted me to try out. It is a super Bionic knee. Lots of Artificial Intelligence in that knee. Here is what it looks like:
If the actions of the knee fit one of many event criteria, then it thinks you are tripping and it takes corrective action.
It senses when you are standing still and will lock the knee. It senses when you are sitting, and goes slack. It senses if you are walking fast, and varies the resistances to match. It is programmable via blue-tooth, so you can change program profiles via a cell phone. You can read more about it here..
https://www.ottobockus.com/prosthetics/lower-limb-prosthetics/solution-overview/genium-above-knee-system/
A very fancy machine, but it costs almost what my house, and my car together are worth.
I will go back to these people in a week, to return the foot I am trying out, and maybe the OttoBock guy will have dropped off the Genium knee for me to do a 2 week trial.
--
Tuesday, 10 October 2017
Oct 10 2017 - Am I becoming a Chicken/Fraidy-Cat?
My whole attitude to life has been gradually changing for a few years now. I think more due to the loss of the leg, than from the cancer.
I am seeing the "Black Swan" philosophy in many aspects of my life.
I recently got food poisoning.
A month of wonderful, home cooked, healthy, meals is not worth one bout of food poisoning. Food poisoning, harmed me more in a day, than healthy eating for months could possibly benefit me. I would be healthier eating from MacDonald's everyday and NOT getting food poisoning.
Visiting a friend and getting lots of attention and caring, would be negated in a one second fall down their stairs. A fall could break an arm or leg to make crutches and a wheelchair unusable. That means months in a bed. I don't think a few months of love and caring are worth that risk. I would rather be in my safe home, in my safe wheel chair, than taking small risks, that have such super consequences. There is the desire of safety, in all that I do.
It used to be that the pluses of life were balanced by the negatives in life. It was worth doing exciting things if the worst that could happen was proportional. Life was in balance.
Now I see the positives in life as being minor, and the negatives as being huge.
A month of enjoyment playing with kittens, is not worth once, tripping over one, and falling.
Some people will act super concerned about the health of their children, spend big money on car seats to protect them, buy the safest car, and the best medical care money can buy, and yet, text while driving. In one second they can do more to damage the future of their supposed loved ones, than a whole life of caring and love could ever make up for. Their "love", is false love.
I would gladly forgo the positive pleasures of life, for the absence of the negatives of life.
The Buddhist philosophy, is of minimizing both the peaks of life, and the valleys.
I think about statistics of falling while using my prosthetic leg.
If the prosthetic is reliable 99% of the time, then I would fall every 100 steps.
If the prosthetic is reliable 99.99% of the time, then I would fall every 10,000 steps. That is only one day of walking.
99.999% reliable is a fall every 10 days.
99.9999% reliable is still a fall every 100 days. A broken arm, or broken leg every three months is un-acceptable to me.
Stairs, kittens, uneven ground, carpets, and wet floors change the percentages to make me want to just stay home in my wheel chair.
I seem to have made peace with the cancer. Death no longer scares me, like it did a year ago.
Injury, or falling, however, terrifies me.
I am sure the psychologists would have lots to say about that.
How unlike the "Me" that I used to know..
I am seeing the "Black Swan" philosophy in many aspects of my life.
I recently got food poisoning.
A month of wonderful, home cooked, healthy, meals is not worth one bout of food poisoning. Food poisoning, harmed me more in a day, than healthy eating for months could possibly benefit me. I would be healthier eating from MacDonald's everyday and NOT getting food poisoning.
Visiting a friend and getting lots of attention and caring, would be negated in a one second fall down their stairs. A fall could break an arm or leg to make crutches and a wheelchair unusable. That means months in a bed. I don't think a few months of love and caring are worth that risk. I would rather be in my safe home, in my safe wheel chair, than taking small risks, that have such super consequences. There is the desire of safety, in all that I do.
It used to be that the pluses of life were balanced by the negatives in life. It was worth doing exciting things if the worst that could happen was proportional. Life was in balance.
Now I see the positives in life as being minor, and the negatives as being huge.
A month of enjoyment playing with kittens, is not worth once, tripping over one, and falling.
Some people will act super concerned about the health of their children, spend big money on car seats to protect them, buy the safest car, and the best medical care money can buy, and yet, text while driving. In one second they can do more to damage the future of their supposed loved ones, than a whole life of caring and love could ever make up for. Their "love", is false love.
I would gladly forgo the positive pleasures of life, for the absence of the negatives of life.
The Buddhist philosophy, is of minimizing both the peaks of life, and the valleys.
I think about statistics of falling while using my prosthetic leg.
If the prosthetic is reliable 99% of the time, then I would fall every 100 steps.
If the prosthetic is reliable 99.99% of the time, then I would fall every 10,000 steps. That is only one day of walking.
99.999% reliable is a fall every 10 days.
99.9999% reliable is still a fall every 100 days. A broken arm, or broken leg every three months is un-acceptable to me.
Stairs, kittens, uneven ground, carpets, and wet floors change the percentages to make me want to just stay home in my wheel chair.
I seem to have made peace with the cancer. Death no longer scares me, like it did a year ago.
Injury, or falling, however, terrifies me.
I am sure the psychologists would have lots to say about that.
How unlike the "Me" that I used to know..
Monday, 10 July 2017
July 10 2017 - PET scan relief
After visiting the oncologist and the surgeon, the consensus is that the PET scan shows a clear body, free from any sign of cancer.
The bright spot shown on the PET scan, in the inside groin area, of my stump, is most probably a torn muscle, NOT a tumor. :-)
Angiosarcoma does not usually metastasis to muscles. It will first go to lungs, liver, and kidneys.
A PET scan shows fast cell growth, like a tumor, or a torn muscle.
The bright spot shown on the PET scan, in the inside groin area, of my stump, is most probably a torn muscle, NOT a tumor. :-)
Angiosarcoma does not usually metastasis to muscles. It will first go to lungs, liver, and kidneys.
A PET scan shows fast cell growth, like a tumor, or a torn muscle.
I spent a few hours with the prosthetic guy. He has lately been on some courses to learn about "Elevated Vacuum" prosthetic systems. He wants to practice on me.
I'll get to tryout some expensive prosthetic hardware. The leg he wants me to tryout costs about $100,000. I hope I don't like it, because if I do, then I'll be trying to borrow that money from someone. Actually I have no intention of ever paying it back, so it would be more of a "gift", than a loan. :-)
Elevated vacuum systems are another way of attaching the prosthesis to the stump. There is a seal between the socket, and the stump. A vacuum pump that sucks the air out from between the two. This makes the stump swell and form a perfect fit inside the socket. It is supposed to make the proprioception (feeling of position) much better.
One downside I see with a system like that, is that putting the prosthetic on, and removing it, is a much more complex and time consuming procedure.
Another problem is that the vacuum pump is battery driven, and needs recharging daily.
I look forward to trying the system, but I feel that reliability of a pure mechanical system may suit me better than the electronic systems. I feel the same regarding the new bionic knees and ankles. It is hard to beat the reliability of stainless steel, titanium and carbon fiber, when compared with batteries, motors, and electronics.
-----
Friday, 23 June 2017
June 22 2017 - Third PET scan
Today I went for my third PET scan.
The diet was followed perfect, and I was looking forward to a clean scan. I packed an egg sandwich to eat after the scan.
I drove to the PET scan place, arriving at 10:00 and did the whole procedure of injections, pills, and drinking peppermint tasting fluid.
I took my prosthetic leg off while there, and just used crutches.
I did the scan, then she said she wanted to re-do a section. So I ended up doing a total of 40 minutes in the tunnel.
Then they told me to go wait in the cool down room because I was too radioactive to be near anybody for an hour or so. Normally they allow me to eat then, but the lady said no food. About 20 minutes later, she said the Doctors wanted another partial scan.
So I went back into the tunnel, but this time it was only for about 10 minutes. They just did my groin area.
Then I went back to the cool down room. They said I could now eat.
After eating, I started to put my leg on, to go home. Then the Lady told me to leave the leg off for a bit longer. After another hour she came in and asked me to follow her on crutches, to the ultrasound room.
There they did an ultra sound probe of the area next to my groin on the stump. The cute ultrasound Lady said the area in question was next to, the groin lymph node.
After 10 minutes she had a pile of picture paper on the floor. She picked them all up and left. About 20 minutes later, she came back with a doctor. He did another 10 minutes of ultrasounding my thigh, and he produced another pile of paper pictures. They both left with the pile of pictures, and told me to go wait in the cool down room.
About 10 minutes later a lady told me I could put my leg back on. They they came and gave me a big sealed envelope and told I could leave now, and me to give the envelope to the Oncologist. They said that it takes 3 or 4 days before the pictures are interpreted and the report will be sent to the Oncologist.
On the way home I felt depressed, so bought a pizza.
At home I looked at the CD. All images are in DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) format.
---------
June 23
It was not easy to see the DICOM images. I had to use GIMP (Graphic and Image Manipulation Program) to convert them to png format.
Here are 2 of the PET scan pictures.
It is easy to see what the problem is. On the groin muscle is a bright spot on the PET scan photos.
The bright dots above it are my balls, and the big ball above them is my bladder.
---
Today I also spoke with my prosthetists. He made a cast of my stump almost 5 weeks ago. I wondered why things are taking so long.
He has been going on courses to learn a new system for prosthetic attachment.
Normally, like with mine, there is a seal, and a one way valve, that allows air out of the bottom of the socket when the stump is forced into the socket. This forms a suction in the very bottom of the socket, and that keeps the prosthesis from falling off.
With this new system, the seal is very high on the stump, and a small vacuum pump keeps the whole stump under a vacuum. This is supposed to keep the volume of the stump the same, and force the sides to be in contact with the socket. This is supposed to give greater feel, and less stump shrinkage through out the day.
Until very recently this system has only been available for below the knee amputees.
The brochure says it is for people that:
need volume management
require improved socket fit and comfort
benefit from increased proprioception and enhanced gait symmetry
need added safety by eliminating/reducing pistoning
Well, I have need of all of those. As usual, they want the price of my house for the vacuum system.
One company also has a new foot/ankle system that allows walking on uneven ground.
Again big prices. Add to that a good new knee, and the total for a new leg will be +- $155,000 or R1,900,000
My prosthetists say he is trying to get a loaner vacuum rig so he can practice building a system. He wants to learn on me. He also wants the medical aid to pitch in for most of the cost. I may have to also add some money.
All this is very exciting for me........
But now I have a shining spot on my PET scan pics. :-(
------
The diet was followed perfect, and I was looking forward to a clean scan. I packed an egg sandwich to eat after the scan.
I drove to the PET scan place, arriving at 10:00 and did the whole procedure of injections, pills, and drinking peppermint tasting fluid.
I took my prosthetic leg off while there, and just used crutches.
I did the scan, then she said she wanted to re-do a section. So I ended up doing a total of 40 minutes in the tunnel.
Then they told me to go wait in the cool down room because I was too radioactive to be near anybody for an hour or so. Normally they allow me to eat then, but the lady said no food. About 20 minutes later, she said the Doctors wanted another partial scan.
So I went back into the tunnel, but this time it was only for about 10 minutes. They just did my groin area.
Then I went back to the cool down room. They said I could now eat.
After eating, I started to put my leg on, to go home. Then the Lady told me to leave the leg off for a bit longer. After another hour she came in and asked me to follow her on crutches, to the ultrasound room.
There they did an ultra sound probe of the area next to my groin on the stump. The cute ultrasound Lady said the area in question was next to, the groin lymph node.
After 10 minutes she had a pile of picture paper on the floor. She picked them all up and left. About 20 minutes later, she came back with a doctor. He did another 10 minutes of ultrasounding my thigh, and he produced another pile of paper pictures. They both left with the pile of pictures, and told me to go wait in the cool down room.
About 10 minutes later a lady told me I could put my leg back on. They they came and gave me a big sealed envelope and told I could leave now, and me to give the envelope to the Oncologist. They said that it takes 3 or 4 days before the pictures are interpreted and the report will be sent to the Oncologist.
On the way home I felt depressed, so bought a pizza.
At home I looked at the CD. All images are in DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) format.
---------
June 23
It was not easy to see the DICOM images. I had to use GIMP (Graphic and Image Manipulation Program) to convert them to png format.
Here are 2 of the PET scan pictures.
It is easy to see what the problem is. On the groin muscle is a bright spot on the PET scan photos.
The bright dots above it are my balls, and the big ball above them is my bladder.
---
Today I also spoke with my prosthetists. He made a cast of my stump almost 5 weeks ago. I wondered why things are taking so long.
He has been going on courses to learn a new system for prosthetic attachment.
Normally, like with mine, there is a seal, and a one way valve, that allows air out of the bottom of the socket when the stump is forced into the socket. This forms a suction in the very bottom of the socket, and that keeps the prosthesis from falling off.
With this new system, the seal is very high on the stump, and a small vacuum pump keeps the whole stump under a vacuum. This is supposed to keep the volume of the stump the same, and force the sides to be in contact with the socket. This is supposed to give greater feel, and less stump shrinkage through out the day.
Until very recently this system has only been available for below the knee amputees.
The brochure says it is for people that:
Well, I have need of all of those. As usual, they want the price of my house for the vacuum system.
One company also has a new foot/ankle system that allows walking on uneven ground.
Again big prices. Add to that a good new knee, and the total for a new leg will be +- $155,000 or R1,900,000
My prosthetists say he is trying to get a loaner vacuum rig so he can practice building a system. He wants to learn on me. He also wants the medical aid to pitch in for most of the cost. I may have to also add some money.
All this is very exciting for me........
But now I have a shining spot on my PET scan pics. :-(
------
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
June 11-14 2017 - Biopsy results, Park Run venues, Army amputees
June 11
Park Runs are 5 km run/walk/strolls for the family.
For more info, see my May 28 2016 blog about Park Runs.
My favorite nearby one at the Voortrekker monument closed down. It was all on tar roads.
There are usually many baby strollers, and dogs on leads. There are 3 new Park Runs to replace the one that closed down. All three are on rough terrain, and are two lap races. They all say that the terrain is not suitable for strollers, or young children.
Last week I walked one lap of the Bronberrik Park Run venue nearby. It had 3 streams to cross, and a very steep hill. It took me 1 hour 6 minutes to walk the 2.4 km. The up and down slopes slowed me WAY down.
Today I went to another new Park Run venue at Laudium. It is on a large sports ground, and has many 2 meter high berms around the various cricket fields. I zoomed around just one lap.It took me the exact same time, 1 hour 6 minutes and the distance was 2.5 km.
Again, the up and down slopes were the main time killer. Walking up a 2 meter berm, and then back down the other side is so hard for me.
A big reason NOT to run these Park Runs is the fact they are 2 lap races. Most people finish in about 45 minutes, and they usually stop timing after an hour. That means that every single person running the Park Run will lap me. There is no room to pass people in many sections, so I would end up delaying many, many people if I competed in these races.
So I am thinking about doing my own Park Run at these venues, on a Tuesday or Thursday. I need the exercise. I will miss the atmosphere of the real Park Runs though. :-(
---------------
June 12
Today I went to the surgeon to have my stitches removed.
She said all looked great, and the biopsies were good news. Both tumors were benign Basil Cell Carcinoma.
I also chased up why the PET scan is taking so long. The Medical Aid has not given approval yet. Last time it took days. Now so far it has been 2 weeks.
------------
June 13
I just got news from my Medical Aid. The PET scan is approved.
About 10 minutes later I got a call from, and had a good chat with, the PET scan Ladies. It looks like the morning of June 22 for my PET scan.
---
I got a bit of a shock today, while reading an article in a US Army magazine.
They took active duty Soldiers that had lost either :
1 leg below the knee. (BK).
1 leg above the knee (AK).
2 legs below the knee (BBK)
or
2 legs above the knee (BAK)
They also took about 100 un-amputated soldiers.
All of these people were required to walk (no running or jogging) fast in a straight line for 6 minutes.
The military calls this a 6MWT (Six Minute Walking Test).
The total distances walked were measured.
The distance each group averaged for 6 minutes was:
Able body: 761 m
BK: 661 m
BBK: 576 m
AK: 542 m
BAK: 482 m
I am an AK, and last week I was just able to walk 2400 m in 66 minutes. That means a double above the knee amputee can walk over twice as fast as I can. ??? What is my problem?
Of course these are young, fit, soldiers, that have received the very best treatment, training, and rehabilitation possible, and they have the best prosthetics money can buy.
The US Military plans on spending $1.76 million for each above knee amputee.
The best prosthetic knee I own, was bought on eBay.
The Army has done some major work on lower leg prosthetics for soldiers returning to active duty.
These papers are all available for download. It is like sipping water from a fire hose.
AK combat soldiers prefer pure mechanical knees while on combat patrols, but use microprocessor controlled knees once back inside the camps.
In the 6MWT the type of prosthetic knee was statistically irrelevant. Not so with the prosthetic feet used. Most military AK personnel are issued feet like these:
"carbon fiber J-shaped energy storage and return feet with shock absorbers and torque rotators"
Us civilians have to pay house like prices for these things.
Interestingly it seems as if personal preference is the single largest determining factor in the usefulness of a prosthetic foot. Users perceive differences between different foot designs with no evidence to support the differences. One foot just "feels" better than another.
----------
June 14
I decided to see just how far I could walk in 6 minutes.
This required changing the setup and adjustments for the prosthetic leg.
The knee locks stiff with weight on the heel, and breaks loose as weight shifts to the toe. There are three things that control when the knee breaks loose on a Total Knee 2000 or 2100..
The over center geometry of the leg.
Geometric lock settings.
The angle of the foot in relation to the leg.
The easier the knee breaks, the less energy it takes to walk, but it is far less stable when washing dishes or walking around in the house. Falls are much more likely.
For my walks around the Park Run courses, I had lowered the toe on the foot. This makes it easier to go downhills, but harder to walk up slopes. This lowered toe resulted in less stability.
The area for my 6 minute walk is flat and tared. So I wanted the foot back to level, but also wanted an easier breaking knee. So I adjusted the foot angle and the over center angle on the Total Knee 2000.
Once I was happy that I could go fast, AND not fall, I went to the section of road by my house and walked fast for 6 minutes. Using 2 different GPSs, I went 401 and 403 meters. Far short of even the double amputees tested. :-(
I went home, had lunch, and increased the knee flexion resistance, and decreased the extension resistance. This should make the leg swing forward quicker, and therefore allow more steps in the same amount of time.
Back on the road, and away I zoomed for 6 minutes. 400 meters, and 401 meters on the GPS. The same speed, no change.
I went home and installed the Total Knee 2100 from eBay. It is a much better knee, but also not a 100% knee. It leaks oil, and makes squishy noises. I got it all adjusted as best as I could, and then back to the road.
This time I did 420 and 422 meters in 6 minutes. That is a 5% increase. I didn't feel faster or better, but obviously it was.
I think I agree with the Army's result. Basically....
A good knee is essential for stability and mobility, but the type and cost of the knee is not a significant factor in speed.
A variable angle foot, a shock absorber, and an energy recovery system is more important in gaining speed.
If my goal is a one hour Park Run, then I think a variable angle foot to handle slopes better would benefit me far more than a fancy bionic knee.
Also losing some weight, and getting in better shape wouldn't hurt either. :-)
-----------------------
Park Runs are 5 km run/walk/strolls for the family.
For more info, see my May 28 2016 blog about Park Runs.
My favorite nearby one at the Voortrekker monument closed down. It was all on tar roads.
There are usually many baby strollers, and dogs on leads. There are 3 new Park Runs to replace the one that closed down. All three are on rough terrain, and are two lap races. They all say that the terrain is not suitable for strollers, or young children.
Last week I walked one lap of the Bronberrik Park Run venue nearby. It had 3 streams to cross, and a very steep hill. It took me 1 hour 6 minutes to walk the 2.4 km. The up and down slopes slowed me WAY down.
Today I went to another new Park Run venue at Laudium. It is on a large sports ground, and has many 2 meter high berms around the various cricket fields. I zoomed around just one lap.It took me the exact same time, 1 hour 6 minutes and the distance was 2.5 km.
Again, the up and down slopes were the main time killer. Walking up a 2 meter berm, and then back down the other side is so hard for me.
A big reason NOT to run these Park Runs is the fact they are 2 lap races. Most people finish in about 45 minutes, and they usually stop timing after an hour. That means that every single person running the Park Run will lap me. There is no room to pass people in many sections, so I would end up delaying many, many people if I competed in these races.
So I am thinking about doing my own Park Run at these venues, on a Tuesday or Thursday. I need the exercise. I will miss the atmosphere of the real Park Runs though. :-(
---------------
June 12
Today I went to the surgeon to have my stitches removed.
She said all looked great, and the biopsies were good news. Both tumors were benign Basil Cell Carcinoma.
I also chased up why the PET scan is taking so long. The Medical Aid has not given approval yet. Last time it took days. Now so far it has been 2 weeks.
------------
June 13
I just got news from my Medical Aid. The PET scan is approved.
About 10 minutes later I got a call from, and had a good chat with, the PET scan Ladies. It looks like the morning of June 22 for my PET scan.
---
I got a bit of a shock today, while reading an article in a US Army magazine.
They took active duty Soldiers that had lost either :
1 leg below the knee. (BK).
1 leg above the knee (AK).
2 legs below the knee (BBK)
or
2 legs above the knee (BAK)
They also took about 100 un-amputated soldiers.
All of these people were required to walk (no running or jogging) fast in a straight line for 6 minutes.
The military calls this a 6MWT (Six Minute Walking Test).
The total distances walked were measured.
The distance each group averaged for 6 minutes was:
Able body: 761 m
BK: 661 m
BBK: 576 m
AK: 542 m
BAK: 482 m
I am an AK, and last week I was just able to walk 2400 m in 66 minutes. That means a double above the knee amputee can walk over twice as fast as I can. ??? What is my problem?
Of course these are young, fit, soldiers, that have received the very best treatment, training, and rehabilitation possible, and they have the best prosthetics money can buy.
The US Military plans on spending $1.76 million for each above knee amputee.
The best prosthetic knee I own, was bought on eBay.
The Army has done some major work on lower leg prosthetics for soldiers returning to active duty.
These papers are all available for download. It is like sipping water from a fire hose.
AK combat soldiers prefer pure mechanical knees while on combat patrols, but use microprocessor controlled knees once back inside the camps.
In the 6MWT the type of prosthetic knee was statistically irrelevant. Not so with the prosthetic feet used. Most military AK personnel are issued feet like these:
"carbon fiber J-shaped energy storage and return feet with shock absorbers and torque rotators"
Us civilians have to pay house like prices for these things.
Interestingly it seems as if personal preference is the single largest determining factor in the usefulness of a prosthetic foot. Users perceive differences between different foot designs with no evidence to support the differences. One foot just "feels" better than another.
----------
June 14
I decided to see just how far I could walk in 6 minutes.
This required changing the setup and adjustments for the prosthetic leg.
The knee locks stiff with weight on the heel, and breaks loose as weight shifts to the toe. There are three things that control when the knee breaks loose on a Total Knee 2000 or 2100..
The over center geometry of the leg.
Geometric lock settings.
The angle of the foot in relation to the leg.
The easier the knee breaks, the less energy it takes to walk, but it is far less stable when washing dishes or walking around in the house. Falls are much more likely.
For my walks around the Park Run courses, I had lowered the toe on the foot. This makes it easier to go downhills, but harder to walk up slopes. This lowered toe resulted in less stability.
The area for my 6 minute walk is flat and tared. So I wanted the foot back to level, but also wanted an easier breaking knee. So I adjusted the foot angle and the over center angle on the Total Knee 2000.
Once I was happy that I could go fast, AND not fall, I went to the section of road by my house and walked fast for 6 minutes. Using 2 different GPSs, I went 401 and 403 meters. Far short of even the double amputees tested. :-(
I went home, had lunch, and increased the knee flexion resistance, and decreased the extension resistance. This should make the leg swing forward quicker, and therefore allow more steps in the same amount of time.
Back on the road, and away I zoomed for 6 minutes. 400 meters, and 401 meters on the GPS. The same speed, no change.
I went home and installed the Total Knee 2100 from eBay. It is a much better knee, but also not a 100% knee. It leaks oil, and makes squishy noises. I got it all adjusted as best as I could, and then back to the road.
This time I did 420 and 422 meters in 6 minutes. That is a 5% increase. I didn't feel faster or better, but obviously it was.
I think I agree with the Army's result. Basically....
A good knee is essential for stability and mobility, but the type and cost of the knee is not a significant factor in speed.
A variable angle foot, a shock absorber, and an energy recovery system is more important in gaining speed.
If my goal is a one hour Park Run, then I think a variable angle foot to handle slopes better would benefit me far more than a fancy bionic knee.
Also losing some weight, and getting in better shape wouldn't hurt either. :-)
-----------------------
Wednesday, 31 May 2017
May 24-31 2017 - Visits to the Oncologist, and surgery.
May 24
Today I visited the Oncologist again. I had an appointment also last Thursday.
I renewed my prescriptions. I had planned on canceling all pain medication, as I had not used any in months.
Then the weekend happened. I had terrible PLP. It felt like my left foot (the missing one) was nailed to the floor. I took more pain pills on Saturday and Sunday than I have this year total.
I don't know the cause of the PLP, and am afraid it might return. Today I got a prescription for more pain pills.
I also got my normal Celebrex and Avodart prescriptions.
We decided to have the open sores behind my ears removed and sent for testing. I don't think they are Angiosarcoma, but I do know that AS likes the scalp, and likes areas of the body that are stressed. These sores fit both of those possibilities. I see a surgeon on Monday. She will look at them.
That skin is very thin behind the ears on that bony part. I don't know how to remove a sore from there. I bet it will hurt, and I'll wish I had more pain pills.
The good thing is I'll stop having blood on my pillows in the mornings. I have been wrapping gauze around my head, and then wearing a balaclava over that to keep the blood off the linen.
We decided to go ahead and start the PET scan procedure. So today the Oncologist ordered the PET scan. Next will be Medical aid approval, then the ordering of the radioactive goo that goes into me, then the PET scan place will call and make sure I stick to a strict diet before the scan.
My prosthesist is building a new socket for me. This one is way too big, and I shove lots of foam between my stump and the socket every day. As my stump shrinks, the foam moves around and some comes out the top and some collects at the bottom.
--------
May 29 2017
I just visited the surgeon. She looked at the sores behind my ears, and she said they should be removed and sent for lab tests. I asked her what she thought it was. She said it was probably basil cell cancer, and not malignant.
I asked when she thinks would be a good time to schedule surgery, and she said " Tomorrow morning."
She said that I would be the first operation scheduled, so should be back in the ward, recovering by about 9:30. If all goes well with the anesthetic, I should be released by noon. I shouldn't drive for 24 hours after the surgery, as it will be a general anesthetic.
My release would be on the condition that someone was there to drive me home.
At home I found my main computer to be "unresponsive". I suspect the CPU temp is to high. Probably needs cleaning of the cooling fans.
-------
May 30 2017
I'm just back from the hospital after the surgery.
The hospital suggested that I only use crutches, instead of the prosthesis on the day of surgery, so it won't get stolen while I am in theater.
My buddy offered to collect me after I am released, but asking him to be at the hospital by 06:00 to drop me off, was to much to ask. So I drove myself there, and planned on driving back after I felt good enough, hopefully before dark.
I went into the theater at 07:00 and woke up about 10:00. I was very groggy. They say there are a few conditions set by the doctor, that were necessary for my release.
I had to eat a meal, pee at least half a liter, and have someone collect me in the ward.
I ate breakfast, but was still drowsy, and fell asleep. I woke up just in time for lunch. I then peed the required 500 ml.
I then fell asleep again, and only woke around 13:30.
They said I could leave as soon as my driver arrived. I told them I wanted a cup of good coffee and a piece of chocolate cake while my buddy was driving to get me. So they released me to go sit in the cafe until my "fictitious driver" collected me.
I drank coffee and had some more lunch. I still did not feel 100%, so I had another cup.
I finally felt better at 15:30, and I drove home. No problems.
Now I sit at home with pain behind both ears. Pain behind ears is not a very "noble, or dignified" pain. But then I guess having pain in a missing foot also isn't a pain to be "proud" of.
The Doctor was going to prescribe pain pills, but said that the pills I already have are much stronger than anything she would prescribe for my newest, aches. I will now take a few pain pills, and see if I can sleep.
The bandages will make any laying on my side a bad thing, as it will put pressure on the stitches. I think I'll just sit up all night for a few nights.
-------
May 31
I slept ok, sitting up right all night. The pain pills work very well on real (versus phantom) pain.
I think today will be a sit in the wheelchair day. My head hurts. But compared to PLP, this pain is easy.
----
-------------------
Today I visited the Oncologist again. I had an appointment also last Thursday.
I renewed my prescriptions. I had planned on canceling all pain medication, as I had not used any in months.
Then the weekend happened. I had terrible PLP. It felt like my left foot (the missing one) was nailed to the floor. I took more pain pills on Saturday and Sunday than I have this year total.
I don't know the cause of the PLP, and am afraid it might return. Today I got a prescription for more pain pills.
I also got my normal Celebrex and Avodart prescriptions.
We decided to have the open sores behind my ears removed and sent for testing. I don't think they are Angiosarcoma, but I do know that AS likes the scalp, and likes areas of the body that are stressed. These sores fit both of those possibilities. I see a surgeon on Monday. She will look at them.
That skin is very thin behind the ears on that bony part. I don't know how to remove a sore from there. I bet it will hurt, and I'll wish I had more pain pills.
The good thing is I'll stop having blood on my pillows in the mornings. I have been wrapping gauze around my head, and then wearing a balaclava over that to keep the blood off the linen.
We decided to go ahead and start the PET scan procedure. So today the Oncologist ordered the PET scan. Next will be Medical aid approval, then the ordering of the radioactive goo that goes into me, then the PET scan place will call and make sure I stick to a strict diet before the scan.
My prosthesist is building a new socket for me. This one is way too big, and I shove lots of foam between my stump and the socket every day. As my stump shrinks, the foam moves around and some comes out the top and some collects at the bottom.
--------
May 29 2017
I just visited the surgeon. She looked at the sores behind my ears, and she said they should be removed and sent for lab tests. I asked her what she thought it was. She said it was probably basil cell cancer, and not malignant.
I asked when she thinks would be a good time to schedule surgery, and she said " Tomorrow morning."
She said that I would be the first operation scheduled, so should be back in the ward, recovering by about 9:30. If all goes well with the anesthetic, I should be released by noon. I shouldn't drive for 24 hours after the surgery, as it will be a general anesthetic.
My release would be on the condition that someone was there to drive me home.
At home I found my main computer to be "unresponsive". I suspect the CPU temp is to high. Probably needs cleaning of the cooling fans.
-------
May 30 2017
I'm just back from the hospital after the surgery.
The hospital suggested that I only use crutches, instead of the prosthesis on the day of surgery, so it won't get stolen while I am in theater.
My buddy offered to collect me after I am released, but asking him to be at the hospital by 06:00 to drop me off, was to much to ask. So I drove myself there, and planned on driving back after I felt good enough, hopefully before dark.
I went into the theater at 07:00 and woke up about 10:00. I was very groggy. They say there are a few conditions set by the doctor, that were necessary for my release.
I had to eat a meal, pee at least half a liter, and have someone collect me in the ward.
I ate breakfast, but was still drowsy, and fell asleep. I woke up just in time for lunch. I then peed the required 500 ml.
I then fell asleep again, and only woke around 13:30.
They said I could leave as soon as my driver arrived. I told them I wanted a cup of good coffee and a piece of chocolate cake while my buddy was driving to get me. So they released me to go sit in the cafe until my "fictitious driver" collected me.
I drank coffee and had some more lunch. I still did not feel 100%, so I had another cup.
I finally felt better at 15:30, and I drove home. No problems.
Now I sit at home with pain behind both ears. Pain behind ears is not a very "noble, or dignified" pain. But then I guess having pain in a missing foot also isn't a pain to be "proud" of.
The Doctor was going to prescribe pain pills, but said that the pills I already have are much stronger than anything she would prescribe for my newest, aches. I will now take a few pain pills, and see if I can sleep.
The bandages will make any laying on my side a bad thing, as it will put pressure on the stitches. I think I'll just sit up all night for a few nights.
-------
May 31
I slept ok, sitting up right all night. The pain pills work very well on real (versus phantom) pain.
I think today will be a sit in the wheelchair day. My head hurts. But compared to PLP, this pain is easy.
----
-------------------
Saturday, 20 May 2017
Feb 21 2017 - May 20 2017 -- Trip to America
My last blog was Nov 25. Lots has
happened since then, and some may be of interest to other single
legged people, so I decided it was time to do another blog.
I am still in the USA, and traveling around. I was in Florida, Texas, and am now in Pasco Washington.
While in Florida, I tried to learn to drive my car. It is
a 2000 Chevy Metro. It has a 4 speed manual transmission. I battled
working the clutch because the clutch needs a left leg. By putting my
fake left foot on the clutch pedal and pushing with my stump, I could
depress the clutch. I even made a cup like bracket and wired it onto
the clutch pedal. I felt that the foot wouldn't fall off the clutch
pedal with this arrangement. Sometimes the clutch would slip because
I had to much pressure on the pedal. It was very difficult to “feel”
how much pressure I was applying to the clutch.
I drove around my friends property for
a while and figured I could drive safely. I headed out to the main
road, and waited for the traffic to be almost non existent, and
pulled out onto the main road. The when I tried to shift, things were
all messed up. My prosthetic foot had slid off the clutch and got
jammed behind the brake pedal. So now I had no clutch and no brakes.
I turned the engine off and stopped. Then cranked the starter till I
had moved off the road onto the grass.
I spent a few minutes trying to get the
foot out from under the brake pedal, and then really screwed up. I
got the knee locked straight. So, I am in the seat, with my ass up
near the top of the backrest, and my head jammed into the roof, and
the knee locked straight, and the foot jammed under the brake pedal.
So I bought a Toyota Prius. It is a
used one. A very used one....It is a 2005 model, and cost me $4000.
(About R50,000)
---------
There are many bears on the property in
Florida. I saw 8 in one day. They would wander around the RV, and
sniff it.
Walking on the property is hard. It is
all sand with clumps of grass growing in the sand. There are many
tree roots, and many pine needles hiding everything underneath the
pine needles. I was still able to walk quite a bit by choosing my path carefully, and watching for bears.
------
While in Florida, I worked for my buddy
in his shop. He makes different parachute equipment. I would do the
simple, easy things. I didn't want to be payed for the work, but I
did want him to git more time off. He works too hard, and to long.
He should be retired like me.
Wearing the leg was needed to do the
work. There wasn't really room for a wheelchair. Some of the assigned
tasks required standing, and some were best done siting. This was
only about 2 weeks since being in South Africa and last visiting my
prosthetist, so my socket still fit well and I could wear the leg all
day.
About every 2 weeks I would take a day
off, and rest my poor stump.
Getting around in the RV with only
crutches was not fun.
-------
Then I decided it was time to go visit
friends in Texas. It is about a 1300 mile ( 2000 km) drive. I jumped
in the Prius and off I went. I stopped and visited a friend in
Tallahassee on the way. Most of the 36 hour drive was done with no leg
on. The Prius got 52.3 Miles per gallon (4.5 l/100km). I arrived at the Texas
ranch, and was shown to my fancy accommodation. It is a small hunting
lodge with every convenience possible. It is also ADA (American
Disability Act) compliant.
All doors are very wide for
wheelchairs. They have installed grab bars, and a shower stool. I am
so thankful for friends like these.
Showering is always my biggest fear. They have eased my mind lots.
The entire ranch is rocky ground. The
roads are dirt and rocks. I walked a few times the 1 mile (1,6km) from the Hunting lodge
to the Gate house.
My Texas friends just got a new dog. A
Blue Lacy. The Texas State dog.
They want to go on holiday next month.
They asked me to ranch sit, and watch the dogs and cat while they are
away. I was worried that if the dog gets hurt off the road, I
could not get to it, or carry it. So they got another person that
will stay on the ranch with me. I actually think she will be the
ranch sitter, and “I” will be her assistant.
My stump started shrinking. It is now
much thinner. I had to put some pieces of foam between the
fiberglass, and the socket liner.
This helped for a while, but soon
the socket liner was not able to compress any more, so the socket liner is
becoming crimped. I could not insert any more foam.
The next step was to put some silicone
sealer around the stump silicone liner. I had to be very careful when applying the silicone sealer. I found that only 100% silicone worked. Other kitchen or bath sealers were not as consistent as the 100% silicone. I also had to be careful to clean the outside of the liner VERY well and remove all glycerin from the area that I wanted to apply the silicone to. Silicone on top of glycerin just falls off.
I think I once got some bad 100% silicone from the store. It went on OK, and I thought it was going to work, but after a days curing, the silicone was still wet and soft. It just rolled up into small ropes and fell off.
This made the liner larger around. It helps, but I still need a sealing ring to get a suction.
I now need to jam some pieces of foam into the socket to get a good fit. I inflate the air bladders every day now.
-----
Feb 12 2017
Feb 12 2017
I next decided to visit my Brother and his wife in Pasco Washington. I flew from Austin to Salt Lake, to Pasco. The temperature the day I arrived there was, low 25F, high 35F. (-2C to 2 C) I don't know why anyone would live in those temperatures of their own free will.
They had installed some grab bars, and a raised toilet seat, and a shower seat. I appreciate the time and money they spent changing their house just for me.
Their efforts make my staying here much more safe and comfortable.
In the last 2 months, my stump circumference has decreased by almost one inch (2.2cm). I am so looking forward to getting back to South Africa and my prosthetist. He will give me a new stump liner, and a new socket.
The socket fits very tight. It feels good for a few hours, but blisters form, and the socket gets very uncomfortable.
One thing that works (not very well) is to duct tape foam pieces on the outside of the liner. That gives a temporary solution.
----
Feb 27
Today my Brother and I went on a tour of the BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) railroad switching yard here in Pasco Washington.
I often play a computer train game, and I wondered how close the game is to real train operations. The short answer is that it is very close in certain areas, and almost fictional in others.
We spent most of the time in the train yard computer room. All the sensors in the classification yard feed into the computers. Each train car has an RFID tag to identify it. The sensors measure the weight of the car, then measure the speed it accelerates down a hill to determine the rolling resistance of the car, then the computer sends it onto one of many tracks, as it builds up a new train.
When a train comes into the classification yard, it is separated into individual cars and then re assembled into new trains to go to different places. The computer also has to know how far the car must roll to be able to gently couple up to the next car in the building train, depending on how far it must roll, it's weight, and it's rolling resistance. Once it figures everything out, it uses brakes to slow the car down to the exact right speed.
The computer talks to many Sieman PLCs, and they control large relays to move the tracks to put each car on the correct track for it's destination, and the amount of braking needed.
--
Mar 7
Back in Texas.
My friends went on holiday to the Grand Canyon. They hired a ranch sitter to take care of the dogs and cat. This lady stayed in the main hunting lodge apartment. I stayed in the small apartment.
We both took care of the animals.
When my friends returned, we all spent much time in a bar in Mason Texas.
--
----
April 10
I'm Back in Florida. It took me 36 hours to drive the 1200 miles (2000km). Average MPG was 53.1.
I like living out with the animals, in the wild.
The RV is difficult to move around in. The narrow hall is difficult on crutches.
I will miss this place, and the people here very much when I leave.
A friend of mine here in Florida wants to have her old Porsche completely overhauled. But as it is her day to day ride, she hasn't been able to do that. So I will give her my Prius to drive when I go back to South Africa.
-------------
April 16 - Easter
I went to church today. First time in about 40 years.
I was surprised by the extravaganza. 2 grand pianos, an organ, 3 violins, viola, trombone, drummer, guitars, and about 50 person choir.
Like this.
In this needy world, that kind of excessive opulence is definitely un-Christian.
The church seated about a thousand people. Almost all the people looked rich. I did not belong there with those people. After the service many people tried to talk with me. It was so noisy, I could not understand anything they said. I just wanted to be away from that whole scene.
I might go to church again,..... in another 40 years.
Feb 27
Today my Brother and I went on a tour of the BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) railroad switching yard here in Pasco Washington.
I often play a computer train game, and I wondered how close the game is to real train operations. The short answer is that it is very close in certain areas, and almost fictional in others.
We spent most of the time in the train yard computer room. All the sensors in the classification yard feed into the computers. Each train car has an RFID tag to identify it. The sensors measure the weight of the car, then measure the speed it accelerates down a hill to determine the rolling resistance of the car, then the computer sends it onto one of many tracks, as it builds up a new train.
When a train comes into the classification yard, it is separated into individual cars and then re assembled into new trains to go to different places. The computer also has to know how far the car must roll to be able to gently couple up to the next car in the building train, depending on how far it must roll, it's weight, and it's rolling resistance. Once it figures everything out, it uses brakes to slow the car down to the exact right speed.
The computer talks to many Sieman PLCs, and they control large relays to move the tracks to put each car on the correct track for it's destination, and the amount of braking needed.
--
Mar 7
Back in Texas.
My friends went on holiday to the Grand Canyon. They hired a ranch sitter to take care of the dogs and cat. This lady stayed in the main hunting lodge apartment. I stayed in the small apartment.
We both took care of the animals.
When my friends returned, we all spent much time in a bar in Mason Texas.
--
Mar 26
I'm sore today. Yesterday I participated in a "Running and Mobility" clinic for amputees in Dallas Texas. I learned a lot, but most of it was from unexpected sources.
Last Friday I drove five and a half hours to Dallas and stayed in a hotel. At 4 on the Friday afternoon I drove from the hotel to the athletic field where the event would be held, so I could find it the next morning. It took me 30 minutes to drive the 2 miles. So much traffic. On Saturday there was less traffic, and I quickly got to the sport field. The event was put on by the CAF (Challenged Athletic Foundation) and was sponsored by Ossur. Ossur makes many different prosthetic devices. I use one of their prosthetic knees.
In my previous blogs I have told about the problems I have walking down slopes. Very difficult with a prosthetic knee. One of the most important things I learned from this event, I learned before the event even started. One of the instructors was zooming all over the place helping and organizing things. He was an above knee amputee. At one point he was almost jogging, then came to a slight down slope, and he stopped, and went down that slope like a 2 year old toddler would, taking cautious baby steps. He went down that slope like "I" would go down that slope. That made me feel less incompetent.
There were about 60 amputees there. Many were double amputees. They divided us up into 3 groups. Athletes, children, and beginners. The athletes went to learn advanced running and jumping skills, and the children went to play games like soccer. The beginners (like me) were divided into two groups. Above the knee amputations, and below the knee amputations.
Each amputee was given a volunteer to help them. The volunteer's main job was to hang on to a thick canvas belt that each student had around their waist. The volunteers job wasn't to keep us from falling, but to let us fall slower to the ground. My volunteer helped lower me gently when I fell.
The volunteers also keep us hydrated, and brought chairs when we wanted to sit. She did very well, and I appreciate her time and efforts.
The instructors led us through many procedures and practice to become better at running. They would make us practice until we were good at one thing before moving to the next. One Ossur guy came over and said my foot needed adjusting, and he was a licensed prosthetist. I thought it was adjusted fine, but he tweaked it anyway. Then he started to put lock tight on the adjustment screw. I asked him not to, but he said it was law. To prevent litigation. I told him it was "MY" leg, NOT his, and to NOT put on lock tight. He said he was forced by law. I hate people that act to the law and don't think. The first thing I did was undo all he had done, and work the screws back and forth so they wouldn't lock. I thank Ossur for putting on the event, but they sure are a money grabbing company that is only concerned about profit and litigation avoidance. No thought for what the patient might want or need.
The reason Ossur sponsors events like this is because when they teach an amputee to be athletic, then the amputee will need another leg for running. So they can sell twice the prosthetics for the same number of amputees. It is good for promoting their business.
We learned to walk backwards. In the past I have fallen a few times walking backwards. The problem is that when you step back, pressure is put on the toe of the prosthetic foot, which releases the knee lock, and the knee can collapse. I used to get frustrated because I could not master walking backwards. The instructor told us, to never get the prosthetic foot behind the good foot, so pressure is never on the toe. So the answer to the question: " How do I take steps backwards without falling?",is "Don't step back, and you won't fall. " Duh!
The last thing we did was to run an obstacle race. Actually a very simple course, but difficult with a prosthetic.
We then had pizza. I chatted to a few people while we ate.
One guy had a knee similar to mine. I asked him whether he liked it. He said "yes". I asked him if it was a model 2000 or a model 2100. He didn't know. I was shocked. He didn't even know who the manufacturer was. These knees cost as much as a car. Imagine driving a car and not knowing the model, or even knowing the manufacturer of the car you own and drive.
I also chatted to a lady about her knee. I asked which model she had, and she said this one had more silver, and the previous one had more black. Duh!
I had a good chat with a double amputee. He had two normal running blades, but they were modified to have a larger flat foot with a large rubber bumper at the heel. He says they allow him to stand for hours without constantly balancing. I asked him if that setup would work for a single amputee like me, and he said that he didn't see why not. He thinks that system is the future. Three of the double amputees had that system. I mentioned how all these amputees were just standing around talking, and all I wanted was to take my leg OFF. He laughed and said I should not kid myself, because most of these people will take their leg or legs off the minute they get into the car. Most will not wait to get home. He said he "can" wear the legs all day, but it gets very uncomfortable after about 5 hours.
Here are some pics I took at the event.
 |
| Yea Texas! |
--------
April 4
Last night was a concert by a String Quartet at the Mason Theater.
After the concert we all went to a bar. I had a wonderful and great
time. Then one of the violin players from the concert came into the bar.
We all chatted and bought him drinks. Then he took out his 1875 Violin and
gave us an impromptu concert. He said the music we would hear was just
him playing his own music. Sort of a one man jam session in a
Mason Texas Bar. I videoed him, and put the videos on you tube.
https://youtu.be/8fsg1GIPMBs
https://youtu.be/4R7F-gcgw0M
It was an outstanding evening. We left at 12.
----
April 10
I'm Back in Florida. It took me 36 hours to drive the 1200 miles (2000km). Average MPG was 53.1.
I like living out with the animals, in the wild.
The RV is difficult to move around in. The narrow hall is difficult on crutches.
I will miss this place, and the people here very much when I leave.
A friend of mine here in Florida wants to have her old Porsche completely overhauled. But as it is her day to day ride, she hasn't been able to do that. So I will give her my Prius to drive when I go back to South Africa.
-------------
April 16 - Easter
I went to church today. First time in about 40 years.
I was surprised by the extravaganza. 2 grand pianos, an organ, 3 violins, viola, trombone, drummer, guitars, and about 50 person choir.
Like this.
The church seated about a thousand people. Almost all the people looked rich. I did not belong there with those people. After the service many people tried to talk with me. It was so noisy, I could not understand anything they said. I just wanted to be away from that whole scene.
--
May 20 2017
It is 03:45 and that means phantom pain. I have not had it for a very long time. This is pretty bad pain, or else I am getting weak.
I went to the Oncologist last Wednesday, and go again next Wednesday. We put the PET scan on hold for awhile. There are some open sores that won't heal, on my head. I fear a biopsy may be in store.
I visited the Prosthetic guy. He made a new mold for a new socket, and it should be ready next week.
I just ate, and took a pain pill. My first pain pill in almost 5 months. I sure hope it kicks in soon.
I think I'll publish this blog. It has been going for months.
Now I wait for the pill to work......
-----------
It is 03:45 and that means phantom pain. I have not had it for a very long time. This is pretty bad pain, or else I am getting weak.
I went to the Oncologist last Wednesday, and go again next Wednesday. We put the PET scan on hold for awhile. There are some open sores that won't heal, on my head. I fear a biopsy may be in store.
I visited the Prosthetic guy. He made a new mold for a new socket, and it should be ready next week.
I just ate, and took a pain pill. My first pain pill in almost 5 months. I sure hope it kicks in soon.
I think I'll publish this blog. It has been going for months.
Now I wait for the pill to work......
-----------
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