My First Steps In Over Three Months

                                             

   Good evening and welcome back to my blog. If your just checking in I have been writing about my journey from walking around on two good legs to having my lower right leg amputated because of infection. 

    Last time I talked about getting around on my walker, but for the most part I have been confined to a wheelchair that is up and until I finally got my first practice leg. Here is a picture of it without the protective cast on it. Also because they didn't have the foot in that they ordered for me yet so I actually had two left feet when I took my first steps. I guess it was a good thing I didn't try and dance with Gayla. 

 

   It was a weird feeling being tall again. Remember I had been in a wheelchair for about three months and so I had a slightly shorter perspective. I had a cousin tell me that walking again wouldn't be easy and I couldn't understand what he was saying, I mean I have been walking for over 60 years. I thought it would be like riding a bike, you know that it would just come natural after a few steps. Surprise, surprise - I looked like I was stepping over logs or something, I mean I was really "High Steppin" it looked pretty funny. 

   Also with the cast material over the plastic my first leg weighed about 8 pounds. That may not sound like a lot but when your not use to weight below your stump, it feels like a ton. The great news was I didn't fall and that was a big blessing. 

   I wasn't suppose to wear the practice leg but about two or three hours at a time. We over did it the first night by about four or five hours. Boy was I hurting when I got home. It was definitely going to be a learning process and a strengthening process for both legs. And the whole sock thing, well I'll talk about that next week. 

   I wanted to write real quick about something else I have had to get use to. At night before I go to bed I have to take my leg off and put my shrinkers back on so that in bed I am back down to a leg and a half. I don't know about any other amputees but I have found that I can't turn onto my side as easy as I use to. I have to grab a hold of the bed frame and do a kind of pull/roll thing to get up on my side. I'm not sure why the lost of my lower leg has effected me that way but it sure has. 

   In my sermon this last week I asked do you feel you’re fresh out of options this morning; if you feel that you’ve been dealt a crumby hand in life, then I have a message for you: It doesn't matter what you life is like or has been like, just bring your case to the Almighty. It may be a dog eat dog world out there, but God's grace is a grace that is for all who will call on Jesus' name. John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. May the Lord bless and keep you.