Hi everyone. I am a 54 year old man (as if you couldn't tell from my photo....lol) with a lovely wife Robin that I am cazy in love with after 25 years of marriage. We have a 23 year old son that lives with us. We moved to Florida from NY in November of 2006. In January of 2007 I developed a bad infection of my right foot and in early February I was told that I needed my right leg amputated and they wouldn't know how much of the leg they would be able to save until they started the amputation. Fortunately they only had to amputate below the knee. From the hospital I went into Rehab as an inpatient for 1 month. In March of 2007 I received my 1st prosthetic. I am now on my second socket and doing fairly well.

Being a diabetic and coming from a family of diabetics that all needed amputations, my worst fear for many years was losing a leg. In past years I had loat all my toes on the left foot but never had any problems with my right foot or leg. Then it happened, and when the doctors told me that I needed to have my right leg amputated it was like getting hit with an anvil. After the amputation was over I was feeling sorry for myself until it hit me. I could continue feeling sorry for myself (which wouldn't help me 1 bit or my family) or I could accept what happened and fight like hell to get back to a normal life. I chose the latter, so I worked hard in rehab and with my prosthetist to walk again. I am just about there. My prosthesis feels real good and now I just need to work with my leg guy to get a new foot. I have a veriflex foot which is good in every respect but 1. The anckle has very little give to it so it hampers me when walking on uneven ground, up and down hills and up and down stairs. He is working on getting me into a PerfectStride II foot by Bioquest. That foot has good movement in the anckle. Anyway in order for Medicare to pay for it I will have to wait until my present foot is at least 1 year old (which will be in March of '08).

My only other problem is meeting people and making friends in Florida. We moved here from New York and didn't know anyone here. Then my amputation happened so now that we are past this hurdle we are ready to start meeting people which isn't the easiest process. We will get there though it will just take some time.