I got a call from my prosthetisist yesterday to come in today.  Didn't tell me what he wanted me for but I knew I was getting a new socket and leg soon.  Well I show up at the office and low and behold there sat my new leg just waiting on me.  WOOOHHHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No more walking on the rock.  My old leg (now my secondary) was solid frame carbon fiber.  There was NO ankle movement or give and very little give even while walking.  But witht the new leg comes the Ohio Willow Wood Pathfinder II foot.  And boy is it a different sensation to walk now. 

My first steps it felt like I was trying to walk on a ball or something.  I was all over the place.  It was very different then what I was used to.  It has like a leaf spring in the front that is split to give me somewhat a sensation of having 2 toes.  Where the Akhiles Tendon (sp) would be in a normal foot I have a "heel spring" or as I refer to it, a shock absorber.  Even got a small air pump so I can adjust the pressure and give of the device.

More later when I get a bit better at walking on it.

Just watched this on CNN.  It will be interesting to watch the progress of this and see where it leads.  What are your thoughts?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/26/regrowing.body.parts/index.html

I would have just put Normality in the title but my wife and friends tell me that I have never been normal.  : P

Well I did it today, I walked all over Super Wal Marts.  WWWOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO.  Yeah there are those out there saying to themselves "yeah so what".  To me that is a major milestone.  Everytime I had been there up till today I was in my wheelchair.

Today I walked in and around (I do mean AROUND) the place.  Wife and I would get to one side and she would remember something she needed on the other side, and away we would go.  If I didn't have boat sized feet was going to stop by the shoe section and get some rollerskates and tell her to go wild, but.....

She kept asking me "you ok" or "do you need to go sit down?"  My response was " I walked into this place, I will walk out of this place."  She would just look at me, shake her head and go on.  But I did, I walked in on my own two feet and walked out the same way. 

How am I feeling?  Well there are two sides to that story.  First side, I feel very dang good, ecstatic actually.  Second side, DANG WHO BEAT ME?!?!?!?!?!  Everything hurts, think even my hair hurts.  Haven't felt this rough since that first hangover when I was a teenager.

Next major milestone is a new socket and leg.  Instead of the solid Carbon Fiber leg that I currently use I am getting a Pathfinder foot.  Prosthetisist says it is night and day different then what I am on now.  Can't wait.

Well my friends let's get out there and show people that just because there is less of us that we can make just as big or even a bigger impact on the world.

A friend sent me this link to an article on Snopes.com.  If you are unfamiliar with Snopes.com, they are the website where you go to determine if a rumor or story is true or just another fake story running wild on the internet.

The web address is: http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/molly.asp

This is a TRUE story of a pony abandoned during Hurricane Katrina that at the rescue farm was attacked by a dog.  The ponies leg was severily damaged and had to be amputated. 

Read the story you will be inspired.

Yup the subject says it all.  I no longer actively use my walker or wheel chair.  When I go out now all I take with me is my cane.  If you had asked me a month ago about when I would quit using either I would have looked at you and just shrugged my shoulders.  But stubborness comes in handy and I am now getting around with a cane and have also started walking without any support. 

Yes you read it right I am walking some with no support.  I cannot walk a great distance but I am getting there.  I am still having some shrinkage of my stump so about to get a new socket.  Had to order some new fabric the prostheticist is going to lamenate on it.  When it gets made will get a picture of it and post it on here.  Right now my current socket has a lamenated fabric that is covered with wolf heads.  Pretty cool.  The new socket's fabric is called Shaman.  Need to take a pic of current socket too I guess.

For some extra update to how I am doing I am currently in the final stages of healing a pressure sore on the heel of my foot.  Had to wear a funny shoe for a while but it is healing just fine.  Doctor is amazed at how fast I am healing, being a diabetic and all.  I told him sometimes it just takes a jolt to get my healing to kick in but once it kicks in it is fast.

I still remember my promise to my wife while I was in the hospital having my surgery.  I am now planning on taking her dancing soon.  Just hope she doesn't expect a Fred Astair, I am more of a Fred Flinestone.  Maybe get some of our best friends together for a grownups night out and all go dancing. 

Remember all, Life is for living, not for sitting around depressed at what life has thrown at us.  Throw something back and give it hell.