crosemeyer

Wrote a blog post about my joyous experience with Kaiser. http://hrtw.blogspot.com/2011/12/prosthetic-parity-in-california-has.html Enjoy.

Thanks for the input and kind words, Neal, upped the font size.

Hi all. Starting a food/drink/travel blog, will be highlighting travel as an amp. hrtw.blogspot.com

Honestly, I haven't noticed any disadvantage, just seems easier to me than getting in a fiery wreck on my morning commute is SoCal traffic!

Hi and welcome, Sarah! I am RBK as well, and when I drive a automatic, I use my left foot for braking. The wider brake pedal causes me to catch my foot underneath occasionally when switching, not a good thing. I do drive a manual in the normal fashion; the narrower pedal seems to give me less of an issue. Not sure why anyone would tell you you can't drive two-footed. Heck, lots of "normal" folks do it too! edit: Guess the welcome was unnecessary ;)

Neal, I'm wearing Alpha liners, I would be seriously interested in trying those out, I've often felt that the volume just needs to be managed on site.

cherylm's suggestion of sutting down socks reminded me of these (http://www.willowwoodco.com/products-and-services/suspension/suspension-aids/volume-management-pads) volume management pads from OWW. Anyone have any experience with these?

That sounds like an idea.

Well, more surgery is what I definitely don't want just yet. Took about an eighth of an inch off the back, seems to be helping, I can bend my knee without pulling my stump out. Still get the pain when I need to sock up, though.

Hi Neal! The setup I have is like a vacuum system, but no pump, just a one-way valve. I think the "phantom" increase I am experiencing seems similar to what you describe--pulling too much. I add socks, this seems to help with the "lump," but seems to increase the constant pain. Also, contrary to what I was led to believe, I seem to be getting more volume change through the day than with my pin leg! Thanks for the advice.

Hi Chris, I am up and down from a chair, in and out of the car, and up and down from the floor (I work with special needs kids in the school system as a Physical Therapist) and my leg doesn't loose suction. I did have the prosthetist cut down the space behind the knee to allow greater movement. My liner has five rings or gaskets going around it. I know there are some liners with only one gasket. Which one do you have? The socket needs to be in close contact to your entire stump for the system to work. My husband could not wear this system (6 trial sockets). He just could not tolerate total contact due to increased pain along his tibia. Only you can say if this socket is the one for you. All the sockets have positives and negatives so what works best for you is the right one. Kathryn Hi Kat. My liner has no gasket, just a regular alpha liner. I wear a sleeve over top to keep air out.

Hi all. So I finally got my new suction socket about three weeks ago, and it just seems to be not working out. I am not sure if there is any way I can wear it. Basically, it had put my phantom pain back up to an 11. In addition, there seems to be something off about my stump shape or something--if I walk up stairs, bend down, or do anything that might cause my stump to lengthen, my next several steps are extremely painful. It feels like a "lump" in the muscle--could this be a neuroma? It also seems like to suction works great for walking a long distance, but I am up and down all day, and it always comes loose when I sit, so I have to walk a while before I go back in. I've never had any of these problems with pin legs. Is this socket type just wrong for me? Anyone have ideas? Thanks, Chris

SoCal here too, live in Oceanside (North San Diego County), work in Tustin (north of Irvine in OC).

Sounds to me like too much work in an ill-fitting leg. I get the skin problems and comfort issues when I'm wearing a leg with too much padding, makes it so it isn't tight with every step.