Greg Hewlett passed away on January 17th after nearly eight years of battling colon cancer. While we grieve his loss, we are comforted to know that he is with his Lord.
If you would like to leave your thoughts on Greg, please see this thread.
If you would like to make a charitable donation in Greg's honor, please see this thread.
The Struggle Has Ended
Thursday, October 18, 2007
A Week at Sabolich - Thursday
Things really started coming together Thursday. The changes Bill made to the socket yesterday made for a really comfortable, solid fit. Close enough from which to cast the actual socket.
We spent some time evaluating the foot. I had been using one with an adjustable heel height to accommodate work shoes vs tennis shoes. This is a problem that I have always had. Once you establish the heel height, all shoes you buy must be close to that height. This is a particularly difficult problem with women. Nevertheless, I decided that while this amounts to awhat I call a "neat-o" feature. Sounds good in the showroom, but doesn't pan out to be solid in the long run. The adjustable foot just didn't compare with the solid performance of the energy restoring flex-foot.
Early Thursday afternoon , we were reasonably happy with the alignment, fit, and foot, and decided to go for it. Time to make it permanent. We may pull this off in a week, after all. Bill took the test socket back to the lab and they worked all afternoon on the permanent prosthesis. Tomorrow is the big day. If it fits well, I go home with a new prosthesis.
One new fad among us amputees is to get stylish laminate to protect the socket shell. We're Americans after all, so why not express ourselves instead of just going with the ho-hum flesh tone socket. It is interesting how prosthetics have developed in the past 20 years. When I first lost my leg, the emphasis was on making it "look real". The emphasis now is make it as functional as possible, and while you're at it, just make it look cool. Don't try to mimic God's design, which no one was able to very well in the first place. Instead, just be creative and go with what you have with some style.
Below is the box of sleeves from which I could choose. They were all snowboard and skull-n-crossbones and Harley styles. You can also bring a T-Shirt of your choosing to use as the sleeve. Since we had an afternoon to kill, Mike and I went to Hancock fabrics to see what we could find. I think the last time I was there was with my grandmother when I was about 12! Incidentally, my brother-in-law Mike is accompanying me here Thursday and Friday and will drive me back to Dallas. I don't think he expected to find himself in a fabric store.
Cool Prosthetics
Prosthetic Lab
Technician with my pylon/foot unit:
Technician painting laminate over my socket:
Sleeve patterns from which to choose:
Michael browses fabric at Hancock:
We spent some time evaluating the foot. I had been using one with an adjustable heel height to accommodate work shoes vs tennis shoes. This is a problem that I have always had. Once you establish the heel height, all shoes you buy must be close to that height. This is a particularly difficult problem with women. Nevertheless, I decided that while this amounts to awhat I call a "neat-o" feature. Sounds good in the showroom, but doesn't pan out to be solid in the long run. The adjustable foot just didn't compare with the solid performance of the energy restoring flex-foot.
Early Thursday afternoon , we were reasonably happy with the alignment, fit, and foot, and decided to go for it. Time to make it permanent. We may pull this off in a week, after all. Bill took the test socket back to the lab and they worked all afternoon on the permanent prosthesis. Tomorrow is the big day. If it fits well, I go home with a new prosthesis.
One new fad among us amputees is to get stylish laminate to protect the socket shell. We're Americans after all, so why not express ourselves instead of just going with the ho-hum flesh tone socket. It is interesting how prosthetics have developed in the past 20 years. When I first lost my leg, the emphasis was on making it "look real". The emphasis now is make it as functional as possible, and while you're at it, just make it look cool. Don't try to mimic God's design, which no one was able to very well in the first place. Instead, just be creative and go with what you have with some style.
Below is the box of sleeves from which I could choose. They were all snowboard and skull-n-crossbones and Harley styles. You can also bring a T-Shirt of your choosing to use as the sleeve. Since we had an afternoon to kill, Mike and I went to Hancock fabrics to see what we could find. I think the last time I was there was with my grandmother when I was about 12! Incidentally, my brother-in-law Mike is accompanying me here Thursday and Friday and will drive me back to Dallas. I don't think he expected to find himself in a fabric store.
Cool Prosthetics
Prosthetic Lab
Technician with my pylon/foot unit:
Technician painting laminate over my socket:
Sleeve patterns from which to choose:
Michael browses fabric at Hancock:
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2 comments:
Greg,
Great to see that you are finally getting that new c-leg. I trust you found a suitable sleave design!
best regards,
John
Greg and Christina,
Thanks for all the updates. I just read thru all of them like a movie sequal(sp??). At first I was sligthly uncomfortable, but it did not take long for the interest in wanting to know your progress completely absorbed me.
May all go well with your treatments. May the one Who was, Who is,and Who ever will be grant you peace, strength, and grace. As I read thru Ch1. of Revelation today, I cannot help but noticed how John introduced himself. " I John your brother and companion, in the suffering, in the kingdom, and in the patient endurance of our Lord Jesus Christ.........".
Though for a different reason, ultimately all the suffering of the saints have meanings, sometimes not so much to edify ourselves, but through our afflictions, that many others are blessed. Your trials and tribulations have difinitely been a constant source of inspiration to this brother. God is consuming us for the good of others.
Today, our pastor preached about the widow with the two penny. She was poor and lowly, yet Jesus honored her, and even today, she still encouraged us. Your journey has been such an inspiration to many, though there is every reason for us to protest and plead, don't choose me for this or don't use us in this capacity. But in times like these, may the Jesus inside in our mental faculty speak to our soul, and remind us that He is inside us and will see us thru. He suffers along with us, till His good and perfect will is done.
Humbly in Jesus, Henry
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