I have been practicing walking more as my stamina improves from the pneumonia. Yesterday I visited my friend at his comic book store for the first time in about a year. I used crutches because they are more maneuverable than the walker. My prosthesis unlocked from my leg after half a block. It attaches to my body with a pin-system: on my little leg, I wear a liner which has a pin on the end that locks into a mechanism on my prosthesis. It is supposed to stay locked unless I specifically release it. When it unlocks, I cannot walk because it isn't attached to my body. If I took a step, my little leg would come right out of the prosthesis. It feels like my shoe is falling off, but more so.
I felt so frustrated and oddly embarrassed when I had to stop walking to fix my prosthesis. I shifted my weight back and forth to wiggle the pin back into the locking system. I almost fell while getting the pin system to re-lock. I walked another 10 feet and it unlocked again. This time I pulled out my ever-present screwdriver and yanked the pin into the lock with it. I walked another few feet and it unlocked again as I was crossing the street. I held the leg with my left hand and hobbled to the curb before re-locking it.
I sat on a bench and rested. I felt furious. I had Prosthetist Jeff fix the pin before and it seemed to be better for a while. I fumed that it put me in danger of falling. After resting, I walked the 2 blocks home, stopping to adjust my leg every 10 feet or so. I told Jeff what happened.
Today as I had lunch with my friend Elizabeth, Prosthetist Jeff texted me that he was heading over to see me. Before we left the restaurant, I used my screwdriver to ensure that my prosthesis was locked. Elizabeth and I stopped at the bike shop because I thought that bike gloves would ease the pressure on my palms from my crutches. The bike shop owner was very helpful and I cheerfully wore my new gloves out of the store. I haven't taken them off since. I recommend bike gloves to anyone using crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair. When we got back to my place, Jeff arrived perfectly timed.
He looked at my prosthesis and my liners. He seemed shocked at how easily the prosthesis unlocked. Jeff explained that the lock needed to be replaced and that it was the first instance of the lock on one of his prostheses to have a problem like that. I helped video it for his records. He also measured my little leg. Apparently, it has gotten a little bigger at the end, but my range of motion is even greater than it was. Jeff took my leg with him. He didn't think it was safe for me to walk on it at all. I am super lucky that I haven't fallen on my face. Hopefully, he will have it fixed tomorrow morning. I already miss it.
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