Tuesday, April 2, 2013

New Foots! And yes, New Flames!

I received today the new fake foots, after wearing and approving the test sockets for about three weeks, and they seem to work very well.  These are a new design of socket, done by computer, and not by the old-school plaster casting.  I put a sock of a particular kind on each socket, and each was scanned by who knows what technology, with lasers and computers and stuff, and they were apparently kinda sorta 3D printed, but in epoxy and carbon fibre.  These sockets are probably half the weight of the previous sockets,and combined with the new foot design, the shoes that I wear on the prostheses are probably heavier than the prostheses themselves!
This important to me because a) the progressive arthritis in my hips and knees make lightweight hardware less painful to lift and move, and b) my battered heart, which works at an "Ejection Fraction" [function] of less than 30%, with a leaky mitral valve to boot, gives me about 20% of my optimum blood supply, so walking at all is a strenuous activity, and the less weight I am required to move with activity, the better.  These new sockets also seem to fit very well and comfortably, which cuts down possibility for pressure sores, etc.
One thing that did remain the same from the last set was the ability for the finisher to cover the sockets with a cotton material to provide whatever pattern I would like, and could find.  I have connections for this [a daughter who works for Hobby Lobby] so I was easily able to obtain a flame design fabic, and the finisher glued in onto the outside of sockets, and finished them with clear gel instead of the usual white.  I am proud of the finished product:

Hey, somebody has to have a sense of humor about this, and it may as well be me!