The P.A.M Aid (Rubber leg)

After living for a few weeks without a leg, and slowly building up my strength in my right leg I was given the P.A.M Aid leg to practise on.

This is basically an inflatable leg, your stump, thigh or residual limb as the experts like to call it sits inside. Its then pumped up around you and a strap goes over your shoulder taking most of the weight.

Not me, borrowed photo

It takes a few goes to get used to, the trick is not to lean on it. Its not a leg and will burst. You need to do a kind of hop walk whilst putting most of your weight through your hands on the bars.

This does make your arms ache, but your strength will build up.

My mum was allowed to come and see me walk up and down, and at first I had my back to her and when I turned she was crying holding her mouth. Bless.

It does feel good to be upright again and to have two legs (technically) Then when you have mastered walking up and down the bars, you then walk out side the bars with one quad stick, then on two quad sticks.

By then you will have mastered distributing your weight as you walk.

Don’t rush that’s the key just do what I did chant in your head. 'Left stick, right stick, foot, foot, left stick, right stick, foot, foot.' Then after a couple of weeks you will be swinging the sticks and your fake leg out together and striding through with your good leg with out even thinking about it.