24.02.15
Hi all
well I survived the Prosthatist he wasn't even a bit angry apparently people 'tweak' their limbs all the time. so few!.
He did agree that about an inch needed to come off the rim and he lengthened the leg. There was still a bit of pain by my bum but I was able to walk with out any groin pain now.
But walking in the bars my leg kept swinging out and round when I walked and my leg kept locking. This is because I had relied on the belt to pull my hip in all this time and now I had to use my inner thigh muscle. So I had to learn to clench my muscle as I walked pulling the leg in straight under me.
This stopped the swinging out motion and the locking.
When I got home I got the Dremel out and cut off some more of the bum shelf part and bought some more Velcro and soft fluffy padding. I glued the padding to the bum rim so it was now comfortable to sit on. Then I put some Velcro on the inside of the socket (because they took it out when I went to see the Prosthatist!) and super glued the soft fluffy bit of the Velcro to my grey liner. This stopped the leg slowly turning in the socket as I walked.
I've now had a few days to practice walking and I can do it with one stick again but I have now found the leg to be too long. which is an easy adjustment I will see them about next week.
My leg/stump/residual limb, does hurt when I first put it on but its not pain caused by the socket but my nerves being squashed about and learning to take weight again. plus the end I had sawn off is only a couple of months old. In time this should ease.
So I have my leg back, lets see how long it lasts this time :) ho and I'm not planning on any more operations that's it!........
Monday 16 February 2015
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Pin lock review/ trouble
10.02.15
Hi all
well after getting my sandpaper and saw out of the garage and hacking of bits of my leg that stuck in me. (I wouldn't recommend this) It was still painful.
The whole problem with the pin lock system is that its a good idea. you push your grey liner with a pin on the end into a hole in the bottom of your socket and it sinks in until it wont go in anymore, and you cant pull it back out with out pressing a metal button on the inside of your knee. (which sticks out like a mini metal bar and you cant wear anything tight on your leg or it will press the button).
The problems come when the socket is too long, the pin pulls you in and at the same time the bum shelf at the back and your crotch slowly push into your skin until it becomes too painful to walk.
and you cant pull yourself out without pressing the button.
This is the problem I'm having at the moment, I hate the thing. I know when I finally get back into see my prosthatist and tell him look the socket is too long. He's not going to believe me because hes the qualified prosthatist and knows how these this should feel!!!!
So I found out that my old gel liner fits comfortably in the socket, so I got a load of Velcro and glued them to the inside of the leg and stuck my leg in, and hey presto my leg doesn't come off, and its comfortable. But they wont let me keep it like this :(
I will leave it on like this so I can get some practise walking again, and will let you know what happens next.
Hi all
well after getting my sandpaper and saw out of the garage and hacking of bits of my leg that stuck in me. (I wouldn't recommend this) It was still painful.
The whole problem with the pin lock system is that its a good idea. you push your grey liner with a pin on the end into a hole in the bottom of your socket and it sinks in until it wont go in anymore, and you cant pull it back out with out pressing a metal button on the inside of your knee. (which sticks out like a mini metal bar and you cant wear anything tight on your leg or it will press the button).
The problems come when the socket is too long, the pin pulls you in and at the same time the bum shelf at the back and your crotch slowly push into your skin until it becomes too painful to walk.
and you cant pull yourself out without pressing the button.
This is the problem I'm having at the moment, I hate the thing. I know when I finally get back into see my prosthatist and tell him look the socket is too long. He's not going to believe me because hes the qualified prosthatist and knows how these this should feel!!!!
So I found out that my old gel liner fits comfortably in the socket, so I got a load of Velcro and glued them to the inside of the leg and stuck my leg in, and hey presto my leg doesn't come off, and its comfortable. But they wont let me keep it like this :(
I will leave it on like this so I can get some practise walking again, and will let you know what happens next.
Sunday 8 February 2015
A pain in the leg.
8.2.15
Hi all
I got my leg back yesterday, its a pin lock this time meaning the grey liner has a metal pin sticking out of the end and you push it into a hole in the bottom of the socket and it locks.
But as with new sockets this one is horrible. it has a hard plastic outer coating and a softish white plastic lining. and its pushing on my pubic bone at the front and right around the inside of my crotch. when I walk its trying to both saw my in half and squeeze me so you can imagine its really painful to try and take any steps and I have a long red sore developing along my crotch line.
Also the part your suppose to sit on at the back was poking upwards into my bum and making me tilt forward rather than sitting on it.
I did mention this all the prosthatist but during the 4hrs I was there, for tweaks it wasn't getting any better. 'He then said go home and try walk on it for a bit'. 'I know its just because you haven't had a leg for a while, and you need to get the strength back in your hips to walk correctly, and your leg is naturally tilting upwards.'
First off, no my leg wasn't tilting upwards, that happens if you don't do your stretches and the muscle at the front of your thigh becomes tight and pulls your leg up. I know to keep doing my stretches and once I have the weight of the limb it naturally pulls your leg straight.
So that wasn't the problem, and I know I'm a bit wobbly after not walking for 2 months but I quickly get back into it. its the damn socket that's not fitted right!
So he booked me in to see him in 2 weeks telling me to try walking.
As it was a Friday I wore the leg home and I was in my chair, and I really did try to walk at home with the aid of two sticks but it was just too painful. I tried stuffing sponge down my crotch and on my bum seat. That sort of stopped the pain but I couldn't put my full weight on it. so I did something your not advised to do. I went into my garage and got out my dremel and started hacking away at the bits that were bothering me.
First I cut back the bum shelf, just the hard plastic outer lair so the softer rubber could fold over better. That solved that problem. Then I started cutting and filing bits of my crotch.
It stopped it sticking into my pubic bone, but the whole thing around that area was just too tight. So I stuffed loads of foam down my crotch, and a sponge plaster over my pubic bone area.
I can now take a step without it hurting but its still not right, and I was just so frustrated and I knew when I went back the prosthatist wouldn't believe me when I say its too small at the top its digging in. He won't do another cast, and then he will see the hacking I've done to it and god knows what he'll say. So I had a really good cry. I'm still upset and frustrated as I write this, I just want it to be sorted, I want my leg back, and I want it to be comfortable is that too much to ask!
I'm going to call them on Monday see if I can get an earlier appointment and get this sorted.
Hi all
I got my leg back yesterday, its a pin lock this time meaning the grey liner has a metal pin sticking out of the end and you push it into a hole in the bottom of the socket and it locks.
But as with new sockets this one is horrible. it has a hard plastic outer coating and a softish white plastic lining. and its pushing on my pubic bone at the front and right around the inside of my crotch. when I walk its trying to both saw my in half and squeeze me so you can imagine its really painful to try and take any steps and I have a long red sore developing along my crotch line.
Also the part your suppose to sit on at the back was poking upwards into my bum and making me tilt forward rather than sitting on it.
I did mention this all the prosthatist but during the 4hrs I was there, for tweaks it wasn't getting any better. 'He then said go home and try walk on it for a bit'. 'I know its just because you haven't had a leg for a while, and you need to get the strength back in your hips to walk correctly, and your leg is naturally tilting upwards.'
First off, no my leg wasn't tilting upwards, that happens if you don't do your stretches and the muscle at the front of your thigh becomes tight and pulls your leg up. I know to keep doing my stretches and once I have the weight of the limb it naturally pulls your leg straight.
So that wasn't the problem, and I know I'm a bit wobbly after not walking for 2 months but I quickly get back into it. its the damn socket that's not fitted right!
So he booked me in to see him in 2 weeks telling me to try walking.
As it was a Friday I wore the leg home and I was in my chair, and I really did try to walk at home with the aid of two sticks but it was just too painful. I tried stuffing sponge down my crotch and on my bum seat. That sort of stopped the pain but I couldn't put my full weight on it. so I did something your not advised to do. I went into my garage and got out my dremel and started hacking away at the bits that were bothering me.
First I cut back the bum shelf, just the hard plastic outer lair so the softer rubber could fold over better. That solved that problem. Then I started cutting and filing bits of my crotch.
It stopped it sticking into my pubic bone, but the whole thing around that area was just too tight. So I stuffed loads of foam down my crotch, and a sponge plaster over my pubic bone area.
I can now take a step without it hurting but its still not right, and I was just so frustrated and I knew when I went back the prosthatist wouldn't believe me when I say its too small at the top its digging in. He won't do another cast, and then he will see the hacking I've done to it and god knows what he'll say. So I had a really good cry. I'm still upset and frustrated as I write this, I just want it to be sorted, I want my leg back, and I want it to be comfortable is that too much to ask!
I'm going to call them on Monday see if I can get an earlier appointment and get this sorted.
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