RESEARCHING ARTIFICIAL LIMBS, PILONS, AND PROSTHETICS, AS MY REHABILITATION PROGRESSES TOWARDS THEM............

I have spent a fair amount of time today on the internet researching Artificial Limbs, and Prosthetics, as well as what Dr. Cookson meant yesterday by placing a Pilon on my leg in coming weeks with an artificial foot attached at the bottom, as I prepare for my right foot and leg prostheses.  A Pilon is a steel, titanium,  rod that is attached to the stump, according to my Amputee support visitor Cruz on Monday, his is attached by suction, which has a prosthetic foot at the bottom.  The pilon is transitional in my case to a fuller leg type prosthetic, that is far from the, "peg leg", of old.  The newest and emergingly popular one is called a C-Leg.  It is a sophiscated computerized prosthetic leg, and is particularly attuned to disabled persons like myself, who have a wayward gait or problems with maintaining balance.  Two of my major physical challenges from childhood to the present, have been exactly this, my inordinate gait to the left side of my body while walking, and my physical imbalance when confronted with uneven, or imperfect walking or standing surfaces.  So to my neophyte amputee mind, a C-Leg sounds ideally suited to my condition for maximum support and effectiveness of my movements post amputation, with a prostheses.  Just as this shrinker sock placed on my stump last Friday, is best made to help him successfully put it on properly with minimal exertion, and take off without frustrating effort, a C-Leg, or similiar prostheses, that is more than a rod pilon, is the more suitable fit for me.  So I will strongly advocate for such in the days and weeks ahead.  I am now doing only one physical therapy session each day, which today was more standing exercises.  The lower left leg pain is diminishing daily and the stretch of pain when I stand on my left foot and leg, is lessening, as it travels back up to the spinal area, from whence it came.  In addition to a early morning visit from Sister Kathleen; and an afternoon visit by the Patient Visitor Volunteer; the middle afternoon brought Roger and Karin Geach, for a delightful hour's conversation; then in the pre dinner hour from Sacred Heart parishioner, Karin Boston, in a buzzing bee yellow and black costume; and during the dinner hour and following, from Paul Friedrich, Deacon candidate from Presentation Parish, who will be doing his pastoral ministry internship with me, at OLOL.  As a part of our visit he and I went on a roll about the Hospital.  As I blog this column, and my night shift Nurse Mike gives me my meds and starts my second Vanco antibiotic treatment today, and gets me my before bed snack, I am celebrating TV Land 's 40th Anniversary of, "All In The Family", with classic episodes.  Special thanks to my fellow Lambda Chi Alpha alumnus, Scott McKenna, in Nevada, for his very profound Facebook message of support this morning...........With Prayers For All Of You In The Call To Continuing Conversion,   Fr.  Troy