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.