I have noticed that I haven't been to the site a lot in the recent past, for that I appologize to all my old, new and not yet friends on here.  I will try to make it to the site more often now. 

I guess you could say that once I came to the realization or epiphany about the acceptence of my being an amputee and that my prosthetic was as much a part of me as my own real full leg is or ever was, that I decided to even more to enjoy the life I was given and to live it to the fullest or until my wife has me commited to an institution.  I can't say I am out there climbing mountains, skydiving or learning to surf like the lovely Jo.  Somethings are just not me.  But I have started going back to a lot of the things I love to do: going to museums, my art and enjoying my wife and family.

I hope by now most have maybe read my previous blog on my battle with phantom pain and possible winning battle against it.  I seriously believe in accupuncture now as a battle against those phantom pains.  I have been relatively pain free for months now and enjoying it.  My accupuncturist even helped with some back pain I was suffering in the recent past.  So please if you are suffering pain from phantoms or other physical reason, give accupunture a try you may be pleasantly surprised.

I guess the next thing I wanted to talk or write about was the rather large rise in new members to the site.  WELCOME!!!!!!!  I am personally glad you are here now, you are among friends now.  We are all here to assist each other and help when we need it.  You are all among others that know what you are going through, there is not a thing that you have or are going through that someone on here hasn't experienced.  If you have something that we haven't gone through, then share with us so it will help all those here now and those that come in the future. 

You should all always remember that we can't help if we don't know what is happening in your life.  Please share with us, write your blogs, talk with others here.  Like I said in the past we are all friends here.  Yes we are going to get those on the site that are devotees and such, if they bother you report them so they can get dumped.

As a final thought I want to ask again, how are you doing?  What is going on in your life?  Talk to me, I really want to know.

Big Bear Hugs and loads of luv to all!!

Phantom Pain!!!!  Most all of us have experienced it to one degree or another.  For me there were times it would completely immobilize me by making it so painful that I couldn't sleep and really didn't want to move.  It is also rather hard to explain the pain to most non-amputees as they have no true reference point to understand it.  Friends would ask me, "How can something that isn't there hurt?"  Or they would tell me to just rub it.  There mouths would just drop open when I would reply to them to find out what dump the hospital used for my foots ashes and I would.

Well another friend of mine who suffers from knee pain and muscle pain in his hip told me of an accupuncture doctor that has really helped him be able to be mobil again.  So I decided to give it a try.

I have gone for just three treatments (one a week) and I have now been pain free for over a month!!!  The doctor told me that after the third treatment that the only time I need to come back is if the pain returns, like I said it hasn't after nearly 5 weeks. 

Will this work for everyone?  No idea.  Accupuncture has been around for more centuries than modern style medicine.  What I do know is that it has helped me and I dearly hope it can help any of you that need it.

Big Bear Hugs!!!!

James

How is everyone doing?  I have been very reticent on my posting here, I have always been around just haven't posted anything in a while.  For that I appologize to my friends.   Life has been up and down, sideways a few times, and forward.

First really big update is that as of a week ago at my Lap Band doctor's visit I have lost 112lbs, in little over a year.  WOOHOOOOO!!!  Pardon me while I do a happy dance. 

Another big event is that I am still here and still loving life.  While I may not like being an amputee I have accepted it and gotten over it.  My prosthetic is now as much of my life as my good leg.  I noticed that when I had that epiphany that life got a lot easier to deal with. 

Now that there is a bit less of me to move around, I am trying to get more in shape (not that barrel was not a shape).  I want to be where I can get around a lot easier and keep up with my wife a bit more, right now she runs me into the ground.   I have noticed that women seem to have tons more energy while shopping then men ever will.  But I am striving to keep up with her as I try to enjoy being with her.  So if you are somewhere and see a very tall and large guy crawling by, it is probably me so just cheer me on and give me some water.

Well don't want to completely bore you all to tears so I will sign off for now.

Big Bear Hugs and lots of love,

James

Well on 29 July my wife and I will have a major celebration.  We will have been married for 15 wonderful years and it will be my 2 year anniversery of my amputation.   Haven't decided yet how we are going to celebrate but we are going to. 

I am particularily a blessed person that I have such a wonderful woman that not only stands behind me to help hold me up at times but stands beside me as an equal (did I say that right love?)  No matter what I have put her through she stands by me.  Knowing some of the women I dated before her, she truly stands out by no small margin.

I have also come to a sort of epiphany recently.  Most of you may just roll your eyes at me but others will just smile and say "it  is about time".  I totally feel now that I have come to complete terms with being an amputee.  Not just the fact that I have a prosthesis, but that it is part of who I am now.  I accept that now.  And if you really want the truth I am now happy with it.  Don't get me wrong I like others wish it had never happened, but oh well it did.  Life is too dang precious to get hung up on this stuff.

I am having just as much if not more fun now as I ever did before the amputation.  This experience was truly a life changer and eye opener, and I accept it and that which comes with it.

Before I get too far into speach making I also wanted to give everyone an update on my weightloss.  Since my lapband surgery in October of 2008 I have lost nearly 85 pounds.  WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!  Pardon me while I do the happy happy joy dance.

You are all my friends and I love each and every one of you.  Big Bear Hugs to all.

This is sort of an after the fact (couple weeks) blog post.  Couple weeks ago while at my prostheticist, I was trying on a new socket on my leg and was taking a few steps when the leg literaly fell off.  Can you guess what happened next?  Yep I hit the floor and even better landed on my stump.

Well actually the pin on my liner actually hit the floor first, then the bone nob in my stump and then my knee hit the floor.  Can you say "DANG THAT HURT!!!!!!!!!", well I actually said something using a few more colorful metaphors but you get the picture. 

My first big worry was that I had busted my stump open, I hear that is always a big possibility when falling like that.  My prostheticist slowly rolled my liner off, he was figuring the worst too.  Luckly no blood poured out on us, WOOOHOO!!!  Now came the concern of did anything break in there?

Well after some grunting and groaning I did get up off the floor and into a wheelchair he had brought into the room.  I must say that I am quite proud of myself for doing that on my own with no help.  Couldn't walk but atleast I got up.  Off we went to the X-Ray machine and after a few tense moments the results came back that I had no broken bones, WOOOHOO!!!

This all happened 3 weeks ago, and basically I have been confined to my wheelchair due to either leg too swelled to get on or leg being too painfull to walk very much.  I bruised the muscle pretty bad and think I jammed my knee too.  The muscle in the stump isn't as painfull as it was but when I walk (using my walker) the knee can hurt and make me rely too much on my arms for support.

If anyone has any advice please pitch it.  I am scheduled to go on a business trip in a couple weeks and I have to be walking to go. 

But I am doing better and starting to walk again it just feels like I am starting all over again from scratch on walking and it really really frustrates me to no end.

Well as of a week or so ago I have lost 61 lbs according to the doc's scales.  I look in the mirror and see the same guy staring back at me, little more gray hair but still the same guy.  Everyone else goes ape over my weight loss and I am still wondering what they see that I don't.  I go back to the doc in a few days for next checkup, need to go jog around the building a few times prior.  :-P

I have noticed the cloths not fitting the same.  Some things that were tight on me last year are now falling off of me.  I have went cloths shopping some in the last month and I am wearing cloths now in sizes that I wore in High School.  That I guess is the most impressive part of this as far as self image goes.

Another very big thing that has happened is that I seem to be more at ease with the movement with my prosthetic now.  It doesn't bother me near as much as it used to.  Actually mostly now it is almost completely pain free.  Think it boils down to my excisive weight caused a lot of pressure on my leg and stump area and now that it has lessened considerably the force isn't as bad. 

Just wish now my balance would get better.  Hate having to occupy one hand with my cane but till I get more balance back and strength in my leg area, will just have to carry it.   Gives me something to swing at all the whipper snappers.  :-D

Something else I want to ask y'all about and see if you have an opinion/answer for.  With my weight loss and buying new clothing I have found that I am buying cloths based on things not directly related to the clothing purchase.  For example in buying pants, you normally buy pants by looking at the waiste size and pant length.  I can't do that now, I have to buy pants in relation to how they fit my legs.  My right leg has gotten rather muscular and thick and normal size pant legs in a waiste size for me are way too tight and I most times start doing the Incredible Hulk transformation with them just bending my leg.  So now I buy pants based on the leg size and fit resulting in some baggy saggy seats in the pants.  Anyone experienced this have any advice beyond what I already do?  I know it doesn't help being 6ft 9in tall with a 30-31in inseam either, but nothing I can do about that.

Well I have just noticed I am about to start writing a book so I will cut it off here before I have to start asking for an advance.

Y'all have a good one and remember we are only limited by our desire and deviousness.

50 lbs total weight loss since October!!!!!!!!!!  I was sweating bullets waiting in the waiting room for my weigh-in.  But after getting off the scales the nurse told me that I had lost more weight and was up to a total of 50 lbs total weight loss.  WOOOOOOOT!!!!!!

I was worried that I had gained weight, but NO!!!!! BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

How Y'all doing?

Well had my doctors appointment late yesterday and then an adjustment on the lap band.  Officially, according to the doctor's scales, I have lost 33 pounds.  I say I have lost more but not going to argue with it.  It is pounds off that I am determined to stay off.

The adjustment to  the lap band wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so future adjustments will not be all that bad.

My goal is still to lose a total of 200lbs.  It may take me a few years but I will lose it.  I just love the new feelings and the ability to move easier.  As I have said before in an earlier blog that if you are overweight by a large amount you should look into this surgery.

Next big event is Thanksgiving and then Christmas.  It will be interesting but I think easily manageable.

Big Bear Hugs to all my friends, whether you know me or not.

Well it has been almost a month since I had my lap band surgery and life is wonderful.  Weight is coming off and I am feeling sooooo much better.  At my first weigh in little over a week after the surgery I had lost 22 lbs. 

Now a few weeks later the weight loss has slowed some but I am still almost 40 lbs down now.  Walking has gotten easier too, it should get a lot easier in another week or so when I get a new (smaller) socket.  The weight should continue to go down, though at a slower rate now that I am back on regular food. 

What I love the most about this lap band is the fact that I don't feel hunger any more.  WOOHOOO!!!!!  Eating now is a necessity, not something to use as a stress relief or comfort food pick me up.  I actually have to remind myself now to eat.  I think all this is wonderful.

I heavily recommend that if you are overweight (and not just a pounds though) PLEASE look around your area for a compitent physician to talk to about this surgery.  I did it to save me and so I can be around for a while to bug my wife for many more years.  Of course I didn't want to make her a rich woman that fast.  :)

But seriously my friends, PLEASE look into this. 

Will give you an update in a few weeks after my next weigh in and band adjustment.

After much deliberation by my wife and I we decided I would do it.  So we talked to a doctor who specializes in this and had it done at 7:30 am CST yesterday.  If you are wondering what I did I had the lap band proceedure done.

I am a pretty big guy, about 6'9" tall and around 450lbs.  Even before I became an amputee I had troubles getting around.  Getting up from a prone position was next to impossible.  Knees hurt all the time, got short of breath from exertion, etc etc.  Doc told me that if I didn't loose some weight I ran the risk of losing the right leg sometime in the near future or even worse dieing.  Since I decided not to make my wife a rich woman too soon or not be able to bug her (yes pookie I love you),  I figured I need to get a little more proactive.

I had been going to Dr. Britt for a few weeks, he is a wonderful surgeon and was my wound care doctor helping me heal a blister I had gotten on my heel that wouldn't heal.  He kept after me to go to one of the syminars about the lap bad proceedure.  So I finally relented and went to one.  As part of the syminar he talkes about 5 conditions that if you meet any one of  them you are a prime candidate for the proceedure.  Guess what?  I met all 5, wooohoooo.  Now I was worried.

So the wife and I talked it over and agreed I should start the proceedure.  I had the surgery done at 7:30 yesterday.  I am happy that I did too.  I needed to make a life style change and I did.  If anyone has questions about what I am going through or general questions about the proceedure please ask me.  I will give you an honest answer and try to steer you in a way you can make an educated decision if it is for you.

This proceedure is completely reversable, it is NOT the gastic bypass where they take part of your intestins and close off part of your stomache.  This is a very low invasive surgery and recovery is so much faster without the many complications.  Yes there are complications but they are more known and treatable now then they have been in the past.

I will try to remember and write some blogs on here as I recover and make my way through this.

I hope you are all well.