At the end of this month, it will be one year since the bottom third of my left leg went AWOL.  I've had my "permanent" prothesis from Hanger for about 4 months now.  I went back to work full-time 6 weeks after I was released from the hospital, and I have never had any kind of physical therapy since I got my leg.  I walked with a cane until a couple of weeks ago, and I still have a "limp", try as hard as I can to walk "normally".

I want to start getting back into some type of exercise regimen.  I eventually want to get back into cycling and sailing.  Does anyone have any experience with getting back into a more active life-style following an amputation?  Any organizations out there that help amputees get back into physical activities?

 Spent the Presidents' Day weekend, I guess appropriately enough, taking in some of the sights in Washington DC, "our nations capitol" .  The wife and I, and a good friend of hers, stayed at Hotel George - about 3 blocks from the Capitol and about 2 blocks from Union Station.

This was my first attempt at long-distance walking since the amputation and the new "RoboLeg".   Saturday, we did the Holocaust Museum, which takes about 3-4 hours to experience.  There are benches and seats spaced along inside, so I only had to take a few minutes' rest during the 3.5 hours we were there.  If you haven't been to this museum, I highly recommend it.  The exhibits are well done, and all of the graphically disturbing images are displayed in  such a way that one doesn't have to see them, if one chooses not to see them.  All of the "gory" stuff is displayed on monitors on the floor behind 4-5 foot walls, so kids and the folks who don't want to see the horror are spared.  My self, I went to look.  I thought I owed it to the 9 million victims of the Nazis (6 million Jews, 3 million Gypsies, Poles, Homosexuals - and handicapped people, too!) to bear witness.

What really got to me was seeing a collection of children's prosthetic legs and canes, taken from victims on their way to the "showers".  But I made the tour in fine shape, using my trusty cane and a couple of one-ply socks to help "RoboLeg" fit.

 Sunday, we went to the World War II Memorial, and then walked down the mall to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.  Again, there are lots of benches and places to rest.  We then took a cab to the FDR Memorial, and since it is about 4.5 acres in length, I got a free wheelchair from the Bookstore to use.  Just had to leave my Drivers License for a deposit.

 All in all, I did more walking those two days than I normally do in two weeks.  The good news is, it is possible - no sores, or aches, or pains.  The bad news is - I can't beg off from doing walking because of my poor little leg... :>)

My second major snow event since my amputation occurred yesterday, and after freezing rain last night, the side-walks and side-streets were slick and slippery when I left for work this morning.

The first event, a month or so back, introduced me to my new limits of stability on snow/ice with my prosthetic. It took me about 20 minutes to get to and into my car. I slipped and slid just about every other step, but I fell only once - it was the prosthetic leg that slipped and took me down. The townhouse that I share is on a slight hill, and it was extremely nerve-wracking just getting out the door, across the access road and to the street. My driver's door was frozen shut, and there was a sheet of ice adjacent to the door, so I could not get any traction to pull open the door. I eventually got into the back seat through the rear door, on the passenger's side, reached over the seat to the driver's door, and forced it open from the inside. Whew!

Luckily, I was able to get somewhat of a grip on the slippery surface this morning - my sister-in-law gave me some slip-on ‘snow/ice traction" thingys called "Yaktrax Walker" for Christmas.

They slip on over your shoes, and greatly improve traction on icy/snowy surfaces. I was still cautious getting to the car, but I only slipped once, slightly, and was able to catch myself on the car hood.

I highly recommend the Yaktrax Walker to anyone that has to deal with ice and snow.

http://cozywinters.com/shop/yk-walk.html

As a part of my job, I will begin travelling in the very near future.  This will entail flying on commercial airlines again - something I haven't done since the BKA.

And, what with the post-9-1-1 world, I can't help but wonder a bit about how flying the friendly skies will be.  I mean, when they ask me to take off my shoes during the pre-boarding procedures, do I just go ahead and pop off the leg and hand it to the screener?

I think of the scene in the movie, "Airplane!", when the guy is trying to go through the metal-detector, and first takes off his hand, then his leg, then...

I wonder if I need a statement from my doctor to allow me to board the plane with "RoboLeg-3" on?

And, God forbid, if there's some emergency and I have to slide down the chute, do I pop off the leg first?  What do I do when I get to the ground?

Yeah, I know, 'much ado about nothing".  It'll probably be fine. 

 

I started working at a new job at the beginning of November.  I am a DoD civilian Project Officer / Producer for the Naval Media Center in Washington, DC.  It's a 2+ hour drive from my house in Midlothian, so I had to find a place to live in the DC area during the week, and commute home to Midlothian on the weekends.  I really love the job, but the commute home tends to suck hugely - it takes anywheres from 2 to 6 hours to drive the 120 miles home, depending on the traffic on I-95.

I am very lucky and very blessed, in that my new job does not require that I have two functioning legs.  It's mostly a desk-job kind of work, with lots of computering and phoning and emailing involved.  So far, everyone has been OK with my 1 and 1/2 leggedness.  I think I will be able to put in the 12 years required for me to reach that Golden Plateau of Retirement.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I have so many wonderful peiople in my life to be thankful for - my lovely bride, Anita, most of all, for standing firm beside me throughout this whole amputation thing.

Enjoy your day tomorrow!  Eat lots of good food!  Catch a game on the TV, if you're so inclined!

And, please, join me in remembering and honoring those incredible men and women of our armed forces, who will not be home tomorrow, but instead standing watch all around the world so that we may enjoy a day of food and family.