Pageviews

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Two More Vids

I was able to get a couple of more videos posted.(See instructional video section).


One about 'Putting On Your Pants', of all things. Many new amputees have often expressed difficulty about getting ready to me, especially with long pants. I recently showed an amputee that thought he might need to purchase new jeans the technique I use. I remember having some difficulty with long trousers myself when I first became an amputee. I decided to make a video about it. I certainly would want someone to show me an easier and less time consuming way to get dressed. BTW - The same method is great for shorts, except I pull them up over my residual limb first and then step into the leg.


The other video is about cycling, one of my favorite endeavors. I think riding a bike has been one of the most therapeutic things for me since I became an amputee. It was an activity I was able to do even before I had my prosthesis. I used to go to the gym and just strap my one leg to the pedal and ride, while I was healing and recovering. Once I got my leg I was off and running (or should I say riding). It was the one exercise that came pretty easy to me. Cycling was a great confidence builder. I could ride as well as many people who had two legs. The hills of Austin, TX (where I went through my recovery) were a thrill to go down and a great form of aggression therapy to climb.
The cycling video is the 1st installment of a 3 part series. This first video is about 'getting started' and features stationary bike techniques. The next two vids will focus on riding a regular bike and then a road bicycle.

Have a great Thanksgiving! Ty

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Holiday Blues

Well everyone it is quickly becoming that time of year.

I know for many of us...even though it is a joyous time of celebration, it can be depressing. I myself, in past years, have used booze among other substances to try and cope with the 'holidays'. Once you get on that ride it can become even worse.

The reasons for holiday melancholy can be many. Financial, due to the pressure and commercialization of the Holidays and feelings of being lonely are just a couple of possible factors. Being disabled on top of it all can just be another weight added to the load.

There is no silver bullet to cure being down sometimes, but there are things you can do to get some relief. In combination, a few things can be very helpful

I honestly have found one of the best cures for the 'blues' is to keep yourself occupied.

Keep working out! There is really no excuse not to exercise. If you are travelling just about every hotel has a fitness center. Motels have stairs (ten times up and down those puppies and you have a pretty good workout in). I have even been know to stop my car during a trip, change and jump out onto the access road for a quick three miles. Calisthenics in your living room can be done by anyone. You can exercise no matter what stage you are as an amputee. I am pretty sure most of us were shown some type of exercises to do by a therapist or nurse one time or another? The point is to be creative and not settle for being miserable.

Another great thing to do is surround yourself with people. If you are away from family, you still are not alone. There are several amputee support groups in the Texas area, actually all over the country. I will post some national and Texas links below. I have attended all of the Texas groups I'm posting a time or two and they are great people. In fact I may try to make it to the Austin,TX group party, if I can.

I know it can be tough. In the end your personal happiness is up to you. Happiness, like so many other things in life, is a state of mind. I wish everyone the best over the Holidays.

I am going to try and post a video about Amputee Cycling Techniques before Christmas.

Cheers!



Illustrated Amputee Exercise Sites:


Lower Extremity Amputee Exercises

Balance Exercises

Low Level Exercises


Amputee Support Groups:

Round Rock/Austin TX Amputee Support Group Frieda Borth.

Austin, TX Amputee Support Group - Laura Grulke email: lhgrulke@yahoo.com

San Antonio TX Amputee Support Group - Mona Patel email: anayapatel2002@hotmail.com

Houston, TX VA Amputee Support Group - Betty Baer, (713) 794-7793 or Stacy Flynn at (713) 791-1414, ext. 4441

ACA National/Internation Support group Listing

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Starting Off Right

I hope everyone had a Happy and Safe Halloween.

First off; Wow on the swimming video! I got a lot of email responses from people and hits on the YouTube site. I was quite surprised by the amount of interest that seemed to be generated. My main hope is that that it was useful to someone in some way.


I have starting training for a triathlon. I have been hitting the gym twice a day. AM for swimming and PM for cardio/weights.

It has been a lifestyle adjustment, but it feels great to be up super early. I can feel myself slowly getting back into shape and it feels good.

The cool thing is that I should be able to post videos with more varied activities. The gym I attend has some excellent equipment that can be used for great demo purposes.


The next clip is on equipment care
...ie care for my prosthesis, prosthetic liner care, prosthetic sleeve care, and so fourth. I know this subject matter is probably pretty boring to most, but it is very important.

Your prosthesis needs to be in top form for optimal mobility, especially if you are about to engage in physical activity. Even a properly fitting leg can become loose due to many different factors. A sweaty residual limb, a sleeve or liner that has become loose, a sleeve or liner that has not been donned properly, not enough socks and many other factors can cause your prosthetic leg to become unstable.
I know there are a lot of us that ignore that needed adjustment or that get into a rush when trying to get out the door. I am often guilty of this myself and have paid the price quite a few times. I have taken more than a few falls due to my own negligence.
I ate it on a treadmill not to long ago. I was trying to beat the clock when I could feel my running leg coming loose.
I have taken spills telling myself 'I will wait until I get to the car or until I get inside to take care of it' when I needed to pull up my liner or add socks.
I even fell down once in the middle of Central Market wearing my cycling shoes. There I was red faced with smoothie all over myself and the floor. I told myself I could readjust my leg when I got back outside. (BTW the staff in that store are incredible. They replaced my smoothie and everything.)
Luckily the only thing hurt in most instances was my ego, but I have hurt myself a time or two.

As a leg amputee it is a given that you are going to fall sooner or later, it just happens sometimes. There is no reason to stack the odds against yourself though. If something feels different, if there is an unusual sound or if your leg seems loose you need to stop and check it out. Common sense, but sometimes we get into a hurry or become distracted.

In all cases when you are unsure you should check with your prosthetic provider. That being said there are things that you as a patient need to be aware of and responsible for as well. Proper care of your leg and its accessories can help you avoid needless injury among other things

The subjects I cover in my videos are cleaning your liners and cleaning your outer sleeve. You liner should be cleaned every day and the sleeve at least weekly. I made a second video (originally thought I'd get all of this in one...took way longer than I thought) covering methods I use for transferring in/out of the shower and getting in/out of bed. I think the tips are informative no matter what your activity level is. After all the most important activity is living life.
Take Care - Ty.

Blog Archive