comments on comments, take two

I'm still frickin' lame and haven't figured out how best to address/reply to comments...
so here ya' go:

jodi said... :
This may be a stupid suggestion, but I'm a sewer and not an amputee. Until the new prosthesis is perfected, could you open up a section of the outer leg seam in some of your trousers and install a zipper (the blind kind that's covered up by the cloth)? Then you'd have easier access in case of public slippage. Of course, that would be a lot of hassle too
jodi~
I didn't know you sew, too. I supposed it shouldn't surprise me one bit, given all of the other amazing tactile arts you create, but dang.....you are SO my hero. Knitting, sewing, printmaking...shrinky-dinks!

SO. In response to your comment. I can sew a little bit, but sadly installing zippers is not in my repertoire.

Last year, when I had the 6 month run with the prosthesis, I did buy three colors of these zip off pants, though. They're great for easy access for some quick fixes (like when the leg started to spin around in the back of Costco). I was able to open the zipper, release the locking pin near the knee that helps hold on the leg, then I could rotate the leg a little bit so that I could hobble over to the bathroom.

Unfortunatley though, "slippage" usually requires taking off he prosthesis completely. Often the slippage is due to a build-up of sweat inside the socket. I know. Gross. Additionally, one of the added security measures I use with my prosthesis is a waist belt (and it sucks--it fits like a very unsexy corset). It's an ugly 4 inch wide velcro closure in the same tan/butt-brown color that the medical industry thinks matches everyone's skin tone. Anyhow, in order to take off the prosthesis, it pretty much requires my taking off the pants (or my new favorite thing, flinging up my skirt) to get the belt off.

But back to the zippered pants I bought... I do love them... but the ones I bought last year are now a size too small. I went up a size sitting on my ass for a year waiting for the new leg to be built. I hope that now that I'm moving a bit more I'll be back in them sometime soon.

I found they were REALLY helpful for:
1) Trips to the physical therapist. When cold or rainy, I wanted to wear long pants, but the therapist wants to be able to actually see the prosthesis in action. Rather than change into shorts in the office, I could just quickly zip off a pant leg.
2) Getting dressed in the morning. Unlesss someone has forgotten to teach me some tips for dressing, I was taught to kind of dress like a fireman. They take off their pants and shoes in one fell swoop and leave them there so they can jump right into them. Before I put my leg on, I literally dress it. I put the pants on it, the sock, the shoe, etc. Once it's all dolled up, I put the leg on, then I can pull up my pants and put the other shoe on. What was cool about the zip off pants, was I could dress the prosthesis in just a pant leg, sock, and shoe. That way I could basically be fully dressed (and not tripping over a dangling empty pant leg to boot) and then when I wanted to put the leg on I would only have to just pull up the pant leg and zip it onto the shorts I was already wearing. It was neato. And it also decreased the amount of time I spent around the house in my underpants hahaha.

3A Gurl said...
Hi Hi. (etc....)
Hi back! Goodluck on the rehab yourself, enjoy your multiple plumb lines, and thanks for the encouragement!

Sara said...
(lots of good stuff)
Sara, thanks, as always for being my biggest cheerleader...and more importantly, for all the information. Whether it applies or not (and it usually does), it always gets me thinking.