Q & A

First things first...Cindy's PT yesterday was a success. She walked with much less pain.

Now to your questions:

From Rus:

How does the leg know what to do? Are there sensors linked to muscles, which Cindy needs to use to communicate to the leg how to move?

The leg moves according to the muscle movements as Cindy walks. A computer programs the chip which is inserted into the artificial knee. The chip tells her knee when to bend. This is regulated by the movement of her artificial foot.

Question:

When will the Orioles win another game this year?

Memorial Day weekend (but only one of three game series)
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From Wendi:

My question is about the phantom leg pains...they say the pain can be pretty severe, and luckily it sounds like yours hasn't been too hateful. But I am wondering...is it pain like would be in the part of the missing leg, like your foot, or pain in the stump itself? I have heard people say it is a feeling like the leg is still there..hence the word "phantom", but why pain? Why not an itch you can't scratch, or a feeling like your foot is asleep when you have no foot?


It is not in the stump, but is actually in the amputated leg, as if the leg were still there. The pain is similar to pins and needles, or electical shock. Fortunately, the pain has subsided, but for awhile there was little to no sleep because of the pain.


Another ?

There doesn't seem to be anything that you both cannot do or achieve from what we are seeing up North here. Is there anything that you guys cannot do since the surgery? Or have you continued doing the same activities, vacations, and such but just modified them to your needs now? anything you absolutely cannot do that you really truly miss and cannot wait to do again?

We miss taking walks together and it is difficult to talk when Rob is pushing the wheelchair and we are not side by side. We can't go to ballgames like we used to because of all the stairs. Walking the beach is also off the list, but we will find a way to get back to that in time.

Other than that, we do not let anything interfere with our lives. We choose activities that we can do and we enjoy each other's company so it is easy for us to be content with whatever restrictions may exist.


The upside is I am still alive. Everything else is secondary...so the leg thing does not really bother us.

If anyone has more questions, we will be glad to answer them.