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.