Can ANYONE HELP!!?????

[Stacey Asby]

Folks;
As many of you who know me have heard, I have been battling to get my new
leg aligned for almost exactly a year now, unfortunately the difference from
the last two legs that look a similar amount of time to nail, by different
prosthetists, is this one seems to be making no headway any longer and
myself and the two prosthetists who have worked on it are as equally
frustrated and confused about where to go from here.
    I understand the difficulty in trying to make suggestions on here
without the person in front of you, but in this case any SUGGESTIONS would
be very welcomed, whether on the forum, where this may find you, or in
private where I can answer any other questions that may help you to
understand the situation!
    Here is the deal in the best description I can lend you.  Here I am, RBK
, RL is 6 inches in length.  At 5'4 +" and about 110 lbs., I have a total
contact socket, with a  semi-supracondular support to minimize movement.
The socket is snug to within 1 ply of sock now, and an Alpha liner (6mm)
with pin, and finally a silipos sleeve to also minimize movement.  The
movement I can feel in the socket and in all planes of alignment is
immeasurable, and closest increment has been less than 1/10 mm.  These
increments off aren't tolerable because of a gap in the hips or arthritis
and some additional back  problems in the L4-5 region.  (We are talking
percosets after an hours or two of misaligned walking because the back goes
out!)  been there done that, and AM NOT doing it again if at all possible!
:o)
    To start with the foot we are trying to get working is the Vari-flex for
reasons, of flexibility, low maintenance and cosmetic covering issues.  So
far the socket is aligned ,according to my CP, about 1-1/2 inches anterior
(forward) than normal, and is also about an inch inset more than normal.
This, apparently and seemingly contrary to the laws of physics and
prosthetics, has me still feeling that I am sitting sloped back on my heel
and that I am having to fight somewhat to push UP TO the ball of the foot
and then at which point I receive the response of the foot that I should,
and then fall over the toe.  The foot is comprised of a cat. 4 with thinnest
wedge in the heel and cat. 2 in the toe.  we started at cat 1 all the way
around according to FF specs, and progresses to this because of my very hard
heel strike.  We also tried increasing the wedges in the heel, but totally
lost all responsiveness to the foot at all.
    Now hopefully trying to visualize this in all your heads, I will add
these comments to consider.  so far according to most every CP which has
worked on this little problem to date (all very competent and respected in
their field), I respond opposite to most normal adjustments for some reason.
I can feel the slightest changes as I mentioned, and we have tried other
feet in all this process which included College Park (no response, too soft
a  heel), Genesis 2 (same inflexibility to inclines that my current set up
has, which is a Seattle Lite foot with Endolite ankle), and the Chiles
Campbell; safe foot
(  very similar to the college park).  All of these feet found me falling
forward to the outside or tilted back as i am here on the Vari-flex, when
attempting to align them.
    Oh yes, and not that I think it has much relevancy in this issue, other
than the fact the lack of a good working prosthesis for a year is putting
additional stress on my sound foot which is in the beginning stages of the
Charcot joint disease (diabetes complication) which took the right foot, and
the now too large socket of my current leg has caused an open area on the
RL, but I do have a life time of diabetes to contend with, which also causes
a bit of fluid retention in the limb.  So how many of you brave souls would
like to have a crack at this now, cause n the words of Popeye, "I's about
had alls I can take!!"  Oh yes, and I am poor and have two small children,
so the possible suggestions can not include a  requirement of large sums of
money or travel. :o)  So this means ask your amputee friends, coleagues,
technicians, prosthetists, and pets if you think it's a possible solution or
you've resolved a similar problem yourself, please!! :o(
Sincerely AND desperately, Stacey Asby