Life goes on…

Well, it has been a bit since I posted a new blog that I actually wrote, instead of throwing up some new videos. I thought it was time for a real update for all of you!

Just as the title suggests, life goes on, even after triple amputations.

every day I get a little stronger, a little more stable on my legs, and a little more of the feeling that I might be moving on from this disaster that happened to me.

I have had my legs since February, but due to Behcet’s issues, i have only really been on the prosthesis and walking for about two and a half months. I have gone in that short period of time from forearm crutches to cane. Now, in the house, I am forgoing the cane.

When I walk in the door the cane goes in the corner, to be left until I go outside again. Why, you may ask? Why not use it because I might need it? Simple. If I use it, I will rely on it. If I have to rely on myself, and not the cane, I will be forced to walk without aid. Pretty simple, eh?

And so far it is going well. I of course, use the cane outside, as I have some stability issues on uneven ground, but inside is all nice and level.

I also limit my use of the wheelchair to shower time. I used to use it first thing in the morning for that first up of the day bathroom run, but not anymore. The wheelchair is just another version of a cane, if I let myself use it, I always will. So, I don’t. I will always need a chair close by at night, in the event of emergency. I can get my legs on and be walking in about seven minutes now, but, seven minutes is a lifetime if there is a fire or tornado.

So, until I get to the point that I can have “quick on” legs, I will need the chair. In time, I will have a set of legs that i can “pop” on in a few seconds each, but until then, I will keep the chair around. The legs I have now are the best that can be had… But the technology involved also involves prep time before they can be put on.

I am now back to working, part time, at my old fire department. I am a dispatcher. That has helped my head immensely. Feeling like I am doing something productive is nice. And, the people I worked with before at the department are still the same people. And they treat me just the same as they always have. They might might make a nice comment now and again about my walking abilities, but otherwise, they still give me hell like they always have.

I need that. I need to be treated like I am the normal guy I was, the normal guy I am.

I went yesterday and signed up for classes at college. Starting in January, I will be taking 13 credit hours towards a degree in Physical Therapy Assistant. I want to be able to help other amputees, and this is the starting point.

I am also going to be guest speaking to an OTA class soon. One of the kids from the old neighborhood I grew up in, and went to school with, grew up to be a fine OT in her own right, and is teaching at the college. She has asked me if she might use my videos, and blogs in her class, and asked if I might be willing to be a guest speaker to her students.

I really feel honored to help out. My hope is that by helping out the class, I might be helping out an amputee down the road!

See, I have found that both OT and PT have a few set in stone ideas about how things are done. Mostly, they are spot on, but some things are not. As an amputee, you are taught to do things just like a person who is paralyzed from the waist down. Someone who has legs, but cant use them.

Here is the problem. I may not have all my legs anymore, but I sure as hell can use and move what I have!

You also tend to get crammed into the “no movement box” for things such as wheelchair transfers, bathroom usage, and baths/showers.

Here is a good example.. I posted long ago about sitting in the floor of a shower to bath, and not in a handicap shower chair. My OT in Louisville was not pleased with this. Her basic attitude was, “That’s just not how your supposed to do it.”

Well, screw that. why force me to sit in a chair when I am safer, and more comfortable, sitting in the floor?

Oh, right.. You put me in the “box” again.

My shower at home is now set up just the way I want it, and was done all by me. the only handicap aids I use now is a small shower “seat” on legs about an inch tall. I dont use a shower chair, I don’t use any toilet seat helper chairs… Nothing. Just my little seat. Why the seat? well, able bodied people might occasionally stand in that shower to bath.

I don’t want to sit my hind in in someones funky feet fungus… πŸ™‚ I don,t need the seat, but I use it as a precaution. That is now the extent of my “handicap” tools. I’m not handicapped, so why should I use handicap accessories?

Wait! Yes! I did just say that! I~am~not~handicapped! When I have my legs on, and my fingers or glove on, I can do all the things I need to do.

Hell, I don’t even park in handicap parking, or have a tag for my car. Why? Because every time I take the easy way out like that, I miss out on an opportunity to be the normal guy I am. Also, I would hate to take the last handicap parking spot when someone who is wheelchair bound might need the extra space to get their chair out.

thats why those spots are extra wide, people. So, every time YOU use a tag you don’t really need and park there, your taking away from someone who really needs it!

I refuse to be that kind of asshole. Really.

Some may argue that I am being silly, but I am who I am.

Wow, I got a bit off track, but hey, that happens. Maybe I didn’t.. All of this really falls under what happens when life goes on, Doesn’t it?

Life does go on, and I am living it.

Maybe I will see some of y’all around campus!

New Fingers, new walking video.. and T-Shirts!

Because Sienna at www.kyprosthetics.com wouldn’t leave me alone about a video of my new fingers, I thought I would post two short ones. Sorry, Sienna! I am the king of procrastination!

First up, bare bones, without the gloves on.

[youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jsUM9s2f8M?hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=349]

Next up, with the gloves on, and a little show and tell.

[youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD5rEanfFEE?hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=349]

And, last but not least.. me free walking up some inclines!

[youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=wylmPKKovMo?hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=349]

Now, if that wasn’t enough of me for ya, how about a T-Shirt! I made these up just for fun, but if you would like to help support my blog and sport a little Two Feet Shorter pride, try these on for size!

Black T

Gray T

Walking one year later….

One year ago tonite I went into the hospital, died, was brought back, and went into a coma…

Mid November I lost my legs and fingers, and the end of January I was first fitted for prosthesis.

Today, I am walking. A bit slow, but walking.

Enjoy!

[youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SzGPdREuNc?hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=349]

There and back again… A Two Feet Shorter holiday!

Well, of course, I am back from my trip! We cut it a bit short, as it was raining and cold every night in the mountains.

I drove about 12 hours to Dallas, TX, to my friend Kristal’s house. The drive was nice, no serious problems. The roads in TX are a bit of a mess. The interstate highways have no fencing in between the roadside and the access roads!

That means sneaky-sneaky cops!

Let me illustrate…..

================= Interstate===============me, not speeding========
——–side of the road, NO FENCING!————
==============frontage/access road======== cop clocking traffic==========

That is just not fair! Really!

I didn’t get pulled over once on the trip… Kristal, though…. Sorry doll! My out of state tags did you in!

Any who…..

So, we left Dallas and drove up to Amirillo, TX. From there we went up through New Mexico to get to the mountains of southern Colorado.

We stayed a few nights in the Rockies, but had to give up the ghost… The ladies in tents got rained out, rained on, and cold to the bones in their tents. I camped under my truck camper shell, so I stayed dry, and mostly warm.

We were all ready to bail, though. It was a great time, and the mountains were beautiful, but it was just to bad a weather to stay..

We packed up, ( I say we, it was all Kristal packing up my stuff, thanks sweets!) and drove back to New Mexico and camped for the night in a Motel 6.

We all played some euchre, (yay! Kristal finally got to win a round! Sorry, Jenea… You will learn, Darlin’) and then took off the next morning for TX.

Kristal was able to get a flight to Utah, and I am glad she did. I took off for home, as I ain’t getting on a plane right now with prosthetic legs!

I didn’t get to meet Brian and Nancy, but I already think a lot of them for hooking Kristal up and getting her to the Best Friends shelter!

I did get to meet Meghan and Becca, and ladies, you are top notch! I am very glad to call you friends!

I know this is not near enough of an update, and I didn’t even think about getting out the camera, but I am wore out from my day today! So, sorry πŸ™‚ I will write a longer blog for ya later!

N

I’m the Outlaw Josey Wales!

Or, if you have read the book and know the title… I’m Gone to Texas….

Or I will be in a few short days! I am going with some friends out West, and will be gone for a few weeks… We are going to Colorado, Texas, Arizona and Utah.

Not in that order, of course πŸ˜‰

But, before I tell anymore about the trip, how about I give you some updates!

First off!

New sockets! As of yesterday, I have new sockets. These are a departure from the old sockets, fo sho… See, the old sockets were like a well fitting pair of work gloves. Big, thick, well padded, and great for the everyday chores.

The new sockets? They are like a set of hand made Italian leather driving gloves. Small, close fitting and curve hugging.. I only need to wear my liners and a thin sheer nylon sock over my liner for these to fit.

Wow, is all I can say. The downside? I have only a few days to learn to walk in these new sockets. Every major socket upgrade comes with a learning curve, and these have a real hairpin turn for a curve. :/

I couldn’t really walk in then much yesterday, as I over taxed myself walking the Louisville riverfront during a photo shoot.. Yea, a photo shoot. My prosthetics people asked me to do some photos with a professional photographer for their website, and of course, I agreed!

But, as I am apt to do, I overdid it. The photographer was named Andrew, and was a great dude to work with. If you read this, Drew, feel free to make a comment with your business info in it below, I don’t mind giving you a bit of free advertising space πŸ˜‰

So, anyway, I did the shoot on my old sockets, and was worn out by the time I was ready to try the new sockets.

Poor Tommy, one of my leg guys, spent like an hour or two working out the kinks or adjusting my new legs to a perfect fit. Anyone who knows how I get when I am frustrated will understand what poor Tommy went through. (Yea, Jenny Jenny, it was one of my cussing and grumbling fits lol)

So, I made it home, came in the house and crashed out… It was a long drive, and a long, yet productive, day.

I haven’t gotten back up on my legs yet this morning, but I will when I get done posting this blog…

So, back to the trip.. Umm, a good friend is having her birthday celebration as a trip this year. She doesn’t usually celebrate, but this year she is going overboard, and invited me along. The invite came in February, and it has been a shining star for me to gaze at, and a reason to push myself to get better! I want this trip!

I am going to forgo the wheelchair, and do this without. It is going to be a test to my stamina, and my will power. But I will do it! One of the places we will be going is the Grand Canyon, and I want to stand on the edge, raise my voice and say “Fuck You, World! I am still alive, and I am still standing!”

When I do that, I will probably get some complaints from other campers, but I give not two scheisse about it. I need to do that, for me πŸ˜€

Anyway, I will be leaving out very early on the 6th, or very late on the 5th, and am going to be driving to Texas.

I will have limited Internet access, but will try to throw up quick blogs when I can to document the trip. I will be avoiding facebook like the plague, and the only posts their you are likely to get while I am gone are the auto update of my blog.

Why no Facebook? For the same reason I won’t be answering my phone… This is me time, to the max. I will be hanging with good friends.. Camping, mudding in the truck, having a few choice beverages, helping out some animals in a shelter, and seeing the West in all it’s glory!

Josey Wales didn’t update his FB and stay on his phone during his trip, so why should I?

Wish me luck, this is going to be an awesome, scary, great time!

Neil

All right already! I’m posting a new blog!

So, yes, it has been a while… I have heard from quite a few people lately that I need to post some thing new…. Well, here it is!

I haven’t really posted anything because there has been nothing to report. That has changed in the past few days, though.

Let’s see, happenings…..happenings….

First, I got my fingers a while back. I had to send them back :/

Long story short, there was a goof somewhere, and I was shorted a few fingers. (pun intended) so, I sent them back, and they were adjusted and mailed back to me. I have an index finger, middle finger and thumb now.

The thumb didn’t really help me much, more if a problem with my hand than a prosthetic design problem, and I still didn’t have a ring finger.

So, off in the mail again they went this week. I am trading the thumb for a ring finger! I have a stationary thumb setup that works for me, and with four fingers to go with, I should be good to go!

Next up on the news list, I bought a truck! Yea, i know, i have one already, but the folks were apprehensive about me driving a stick shift, so I got an automatic. I also got a set of hand controls for it, to further ease minds, and I have been driving the hell out of it!

Oh, a quick picture of it…

20110811-125002.jpg

Also new on the news front… My leg has healed enough so I can start walking again!

It has only been a few days, bit I am already getting a feel for it once again. Being down so long, I lost some strength, and will have to work hard to gain it back, but I am no stranger to hard work and challenges!

I will say this…. One of my socket list items is driving my stick shift truck again… Well, mark that off the list! I drove it just fine, and really feel I wasted money buying an automatic just to make someone else happy, but oh well.

I still drove my little stick shift 4×4!

Next up on the list I think….

Motorcycle, baby!

Thank you to all my friends and loved ones, once again, for all your support! Without you pushing me forward, I don’t know I would have the courage to keep it up!

Oh, and by the way, RoC represent! (inside joke, if you understand it, great! If not, don’t worry πŸ˜‰ )

Stay off the sidewalks….. Guess who is driving again!

Happy Memorial Day

Well, today is memorial day. I am sure many of you are at the lake, fishing, BBQing, motorcycle riding or many of the other things associated with this day. This day that marks the beginning of summer!

This is also the day to remember those who have fallen. Don’t ever forget that.

This day is about remembering our soldiers who gave their lives defending freedom. Some in some far away sandbox, some closer to home. They were all our soldiers, though. I think we forget at times this is more than just a three day weekend, or reason to party. You can count me in as one who sometimes forgets. But today, I am remembering.

Perhaps it is because I have been on one long miserable three day weekend from work since i got sick. Holidays don’t mean as much when you don’t look forward to the time off to spend with family. That is what holidays are about, mostly. Family, friends and loved ones getting together to celebrate life.

Just don’t forget that someone might not to see their soldier on holidays ever again, and don’t let that sacrifice go unnoticed. As you are spending time today doing what you love, remember the soldiers, and their loved ones. This is their day of memorial.

Now, on to an update!

So, I got new, smaller sockets. They have mostly sat idle on my prosthetics, as my left leg still has a tiny spot on it. It is so close to being healed, but not quite yet. Every time I get on my legs I set my little bad spots back a day or so. The right leg is completely healed, and it gets old sitting around, but I have to be patient.

I have to spend most of my time lying back, as sitting in the wheelchair too much makes my back not want to be straight. I have mentioned before that too much of a seated position shapes your back that way, and that really bites the big banana, ya know? But, I do what I must. I still do my leg excersises, but that only goes so far without a real workout.

Oh well, I have gotten used to playing the waiting game.

My prosthetic hand should be ready any time now. It has been a month or more since i had the hand casting done and my contact at Didrick Medical tells me it should take four to six weeks to make. I am hoping for the former, as I want a freaking opposable thumb again!

When my left leg heals, I am going to be working very hard to get on my feet again. Later in the month of June there is going to be my high school twenty year reunion. I may be missing some body parts, but I still have all my hair!

I would really like to go to this on my feet, and not in a wheelchair. We shall see.

Speaking of my hair… Since I got sick, the sides of my head have started going salt and pepper on me. More pepper than salt, but it is noticable! ACK! Oh well, at least I know someone who can fix that, if it gets too bad πŸ˜‰

Well, that is all for my blog today. Have a great holiday, just remember why we have it, ok?

A tad bit of everything….

So, it has a been a bit. I know, I am being lazy, but hey, what else is new?
I have decided that I will post at least every two weeks to my blog, be it video or written. First off, a bit of housekeeping….

My computer is in the process as we speak of splitting the video I made. Youtube says they take up to 20 minute videos, and that one was only 18 minutes, who knows!

A big thank you goes out to all the people that made the benefit happen for me. The auction was a big success! The karaoke afterwards was the bomb-diggidy! It was great to see everyone! The poker run was rained out, but will be rescheduled for this summer. I am seriously considering splitting the money that comes in from the poker run between myself and the Wounded Warrior project. Randy Nalley over at Rooster Run does hunts for Wounded Warriors, perhaps I can get with him and see what donations might do to help him in his efforts for our soldiers.

If not for the soldiers, I would not have the great prosthetics that I have. Their sacrifice for our country has really raised the bar in the prosthetic world. I hate that they have been hurt, but without them, I might be walking on a wooden leg. Of course, our soldiers suffer from many things, not just amputations. You know or meet one of our armed services members, you better tell them thank you for their service.

If you don’t, I will take a leg off and beat you with it!

I went this past monday to KY Prosthetics to get a hand cast done for my x-fingers. I am stoked! In a little over a month I will have most of the use of my left hand back. I am not certain, but I think I might be the first person in KY to use this particular prosthetic. When I get them I will be doing plenty of video documentation for both myself and my prosthetics company I work with. I cant wait!

The cast itself was neat. They used a silicon material that was in the freezer for a couple of weeks! It was cold! It looked like hot wax going on my hand. It covered my hand top to bottom and up past my wrist, and when it set we pulled it off, it got stuck on my pinkie finger. I cried like a little girl,(or so my prosthetist Matt says. Thanks dude, now I have to turn in my man card) but we got it off.

The mould copied my hand right down to my palm prints. It also took the hair off the top of my hand. O_o

I am also getting a new set of sockets done for my legs. The ones I have now are getting way big. I have to use ten or eleven socks to get a decent fit. Imagine having to wear eleven pairs of socks to get your shoes to fit. Sounds uncomfortable, doesn’t it?

I am still fighting sore spots on my resi-limbs, so I have not been able to do much walking. This is driving me nuts! Spending all your time in a chair really sucks. Something a bit funny I have noticed, since spending so much time in a cushioned wheelchair, is that when I sit in a regular chair it hurts! We have hardwood chairs in the kitchen at the table, and my poor posterior can hardly handle it. LOL

Well, I guess this is it for the moment. I am going to get back to finishing up the video and see if I can get it up today.

I hope all the mothers out there have a Happy Mothers Day!

Prosthesis Video

Part one

[youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKMGWn8Qzlg]

Part two

[youtube //www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvLfy1QNasI]