This morning when you went to the prosthetist’s office you were feeling a bit fussy and discouraged. Because for the past six months things just haven’t been right. Either your leg has been too long, or too short, or the knee hasn’t been taking a charge or the socket has been leaving pressure sores. And you feel like every little adjustment just spawns more problems ‘to be taken care of.’ And you are oh-so tired of walking with a “loaner knee” while yours is in the shop. Ugh.
If this is you, then you unloaded it all when you got to the prosthetist’s. Venting your various frustrations and concerns about possible changes. And then you surrendered your leg to be worked on again, to get the loaner knee out & the pylon changed out for a shorter one. You also suggested some alignment changes–to point your toe out and to bring down the heel a bit.
And then, as you were putting the leg back on, your prosthetist mentioned that your ankle rotator was back. You’d forgotten that it was even missing. But when you put your leg back on and stepped down on it, you remembered. That little bit of give in the ankle feeling so natural and smooth. And then you walked back and forth and back and forth in the office, to see what felt right and what didn’t. And then you realized that sometimes when something is missing (a little twist in the ankle, perhaps), you don’t even realize that it’s gone, but you know that something just doesn’t feel right. And when it’s back, you can’t imagine how you lived for weeks without it.
Fortunately, I’m nearly all put back together now. Just one more change in store next week and then (fingers crossed), I’ll be back to my normal bionic self again…