Hey everyone, I've been away for quite a while now but I'm back.  Hey, I was wonderring, who all is planning on attending the ACA Conference this June?  I plan on going.  It will be my first time attending.

Rich

I got me new leg and I like it.  I have the same socket which still fits and helps with adjusting to a new leg.  I love the Ceterus foot.  It is very comfortable and it does not rotate too much like I worried about.  I am back to a Mauch knee and being a 15 year veteran of this knee, I am comfortable with it.  I am having trouble getting it set up just how I like it though.  For one, the foot is heavier than I am used to so that effects the swing phase a little; not too much with sneakers, but it makes it hard with regular shoes which are heavier and I have to wear all day at work.  The other issue is getting it right for walking down stairs.  I've got the flexion set good for walking, but no matter what I do with the stance control, it still reaches a breaking point where it breaks fast.  So adjusting the stance control only sets the point where it will break (earlier or later on my decent down a stair).  I don't want it breaking hard like that at all, but smoothly.  If I set it too aggressively, it makes the knee to stiff for walking.  So here is what I am thinking.  I am thinking that maybe the socket alignment (front to back) has something to do with that.  I don't want to mess with the socket because I am not any good with that.  So, I have to wait until Tuesday to have my prosthetist do it (he's only in town on Tuesdays).  Anyone have any thoughts or insights on the matter?

I am getting my new leg tomorrow, switching FROM a C-leg back to a Mauch.  I am keeping the same socket which fits so that is more than half the battle of getting a new leg right there.  The knee I'm familuar with, but the foot, the Cetrus, I am not.  That will be the big difference from the stiff foot I have now and never liked.  I will update on how it goes.

I’m looking for opinions on the Ceterus foot, by Ossur. I am considering switching from a C-Leg back to a Mauch which I am very familiar with and my prosthetist is recommending a Ceterus. Is anyone using this foot and if so, what do you think of it? Do you like the level of flexibility and cushion? What about the weight? In the attached picture I included one that has the additional flexion/rotation attachment (blue ball) and one without it. Any thoughts on that attachment?

Thanks for any input you may have.

Hey everyone, I am considdering switching from a C-leg to a Mauch SNS hydraulic knee.  The first two legs I had was a Mauch and it worked very well for me; although it would buckle every now and the and I would fall.  Then I had a Ca-tech which is pretty much the same thing, but i liked the Mauch better.  I've had a C-leg for just over 3 years now and the knee needs some serious repairs ($6,000).  I am considdering going back to a Mauch.  The C-Leg is very stable and I have not fallen once in over 3 years, but it also is much harder to get set just right, especially getting a good medium between having good flexion for walking and walking down stairs.  It's either too stiff or flexible one way the another.  Plus I can't make any adjustments myself like I could with a Mauch.  The other thing is I hate the foot I have with it the C-leg.  It is way too stiff.  So I am thinking of maybe getting a Mauch and a new foot.  What do you all think?  What does a Mauch knee and a foot cost?  I am thinking probably alot more than $6,000 and I am trying not to irk my insurance company because they made me fight them for a whole year to get the C-Leg approved.  What do you all think?
Thanks,

SURVEY:  Who has taken methadone for phantom pain?  I don't ever hear of that being used anymore, but I was on that after my amputation back in 1988 and it helped so much.  My pains were horrible!  I was on a low dose so I didn't feel anything outside of less painful phantom pains.  I would suggest it for anyone with phantom pains that are really bad.  But you need to be careful not to stay on it too long because it is an addictive drug.

 

OK, so back in 2000 I bought a used NAD stereo receiver off this guy for $50. This was a great receiver that sold for over $400 when it first came out in 1987. I used it regularly since I got it and got much enjoyment from it. What a work horse! Well, it was finally time to upgrade and so I got a 7.1 system. I decided to sell the old receiver on eBay. I started the bidding at $50 (what I paid for it 8 years ago) and it sold for $145. Sweet !!!

I just added a new video. Here is another one of my band. This is from a promo video we created. This song is an OK song, but the jam in the middle is really cool. It's over 7 minutes here but we've done this song live a few times where it lasted 15 minutes or so.

Jimmy Dix - "Hunting Ducks (With a rake) "

http://www.lessthanfour.org/bongoboy/blog/media/video/index.one?a=view_video&vid_id=239634

Hey, is anyone planning on attending the ACA Conference this summer?  I have never been a member of ACA (Amputee Coalition of America) but I plan to join and attend the conference this summer if I can.  Let me know who thinks they might go or are interested.  I think it would be cool if we could get a big group together.  We have a great opportunity to get to know people there before we go.

I would like to comment on a comment Jim about my blog titled “Is this site dying” a day or two ago.   Let me first start by saying that I am in no way complaining about this website.  I think it is an awesome resource and I am glad that it exist.  I was just a little disappointed at how much it had quieted down.  Plus, it reminded me of the saying that if an organization is not seeing some level of growth, that it is in a state of dying.  I don't know if that applies to the cyber world, but it may.  I think it may have been just the holidays that have gotten people very busy.  Plus, I know for me, I had run out ideas to be involved.  I could not think of anything to blog about or post to a discussion board and so I waited for something to respond to and there was not much.  But that's the nature of these things.

Now, about the depression issue.  I don't totally agree.  When this first happened to me when I was 16, I went through some major changes in my life as a result.  To make a long story short, it straightened me out and I thanked God for taking my leg. I thanked him because I saw it as God's intervention in my life.  He was answering my prayers.  Call me a liar if you want, but that is how I felt.  And I do still feel that way a little.  Keyword is "a little."  My resolve regarding that issue is not as strong as it used to be.  I have struggles that I do not want and I often say to myself... “Hmm, I really wish there was a better way to have straightened me out than taking my leg.”  I have physical struggles due to being an amputee, I have physical issues due to the negative effects of the chemotherapy, I feel that it hinders my ability to get into romantic relationships or should I say my "dateability."  This is crap I have to put up with and at times I just really wish I had my leg back.  But I can't change that and so I try to make the best of my life and what I can do.  So yes, I do get depressed, but I don’t think I am generally depressed about being an amputee.  What I love so much about this site is that 1) I can communicate with other amputees on a variety of issues that only amputees would understand and 2) with the photos, profiles and videos, etc, there really is a human element to it that you don't get from plain old forums or bulletin boards.  We can get to know each other a little.  I am under no illusions that I am developing strong relationships with everyone here because there is still an element of artificiality.  That is not to say that I won't ever become close friends with anyone here, but I know that it won't happen between me and most people. That's just the nature of it.  But I do think this level of contact is far better than I have had with other amputees in my 19 years as an amputee and for that I am very grateful.  And so I can say is thank you very much Josh for this site.

Rich