Tight fit for the Robo-Leg on the drive home from the prosthetic clinic.
They will add an additional joint to the leg on the next visit so that I can rotate it out of the way.
Was able to able to walk up and down the 15-step flight of stairs when I got home, but not as smoothly as I’ve been doing it on one leg. That should improve with a day or two of practice. My balance was better than expected – no doubt a testament to the $89,000 computer-controlled leg (Medicare reimbursement was $60k).
Congratulations! Wishing you a smooth recovery of full function. (Lots of exercise, naturally.) Be patient. My recovery took over half a year but the effort eventually pays off.
Wendy
On Wednesday, my prosthetist installed a 360 degree swivel joint at the knee that allows me to rotate the lower limb like a windmill. I can now get the knee well out of the way of the steering wheel.
Had my first visit with the above knee amputee (AKA) rehab team at the OHSU campus in downtown Portland on Thursday. Seeing that I was highly motivated, they’ve set me up with weekly physical therapy visits and believe that I could regain my balance and walk “naturally” on the new leg as soon as mid-April.
Here’s a video of me on the stairs.
(Note: You need the $120,000 “Genium C Leg” with the motorized knee to walk up the stairs “foot over foot”.) {{ LOL }}
I have not really tuned into the Motley Fool forums in a long time. Just today I’m reading about Intercst’s leg surgery. I was sorry to read the original posts and still am sorry you have to go through this, but I’m glad you are doing what can be done to get on with your life as well as possible. I wish you many more healthy years, even as you navigate this speed bump.
One other thing: One of your posts was about how the fee for electric cars was more than you spend on gas. But now I see you’re driving a Tesla. When did that happen?
