Catching Up

[Wayne Renardson]

One fine day Candy Hammond caught up:

CH> Just got out of the hospital. folks.  

Not good Candy---welcome back but do wish circumstances were better 
for you. Read your traffic---you said nothing about amateur radio--
except 73s----you still active on 2 mtrs? I gave up CW after 12 years 
of running that wonderful language. Never thot it would happen, but 
it did. Here's hopin' no more amputation--- but BKs are not too bad 
and if you have to join that club, well, you're welcome here always. 

And Kristi Davis mentioned:

KD> Recently I underwent a Chopart Amputation (Less than half of my   
       foot gone, not a Symes) due to a blood clot. I am wondering if 
       there is anyone out there who has the same amputation level.  

Assume by now you have found Karl's site (think he is in Sweden) for 
partial-foot?  How goes it?

Andrew Nichols has recently joined us...new amp who wants to chat. 

And Chris Sandford mentioned his 86 year-old father who is going to 
have his amputation soon. Sorry I do not know of anything in or near 
London but certain there is quite a bit. There are web sites out 
there that list support groups tho you tell us he has : 

CS> ...plenty of determination so being a bit ambitious for him to 
regain a good quality of life is what I am aiming at.  

'Tis the goal of all of us, and attitude counts big time. I was a 
trained monkey for a class of PT students at a local university last 
week and I met an AK who was three years into it. He used the word 
"annoying" and that about summed it up. Not for all of us, mind you, 
but for many, that sums it up. Annoying, indeed. 

One day Velid Imamovic,  the Bosnian, said:   

V> I came back from hospital (stump revision) where I stayed longer   
     then I have expected (I caught post-surgery infection). How      
   are you doing, was there something really interesting here in      
    previous month.  

Nothing at all Velid....tho what is interesting depends upon your 
interests :)

And Michael B sent us another article:  

>Researchers have moved a step closer to creating workable neural     
 prostheses, following the identification, in monkeys, of the brain   
 signals the lead to motion. They have also been able to use those    
 signals to trigger the same movement in a robot in real time.  

Myself, I want a robot that will behave like a trained monkey--- so I 
will not have to behave like one. 

And Guenter Bruckmann asked about info for his mother:  

GB> Her left leg had to be amputated below the knee because of        
        chronically poor circulation and recurring blood clots. She 
is         in her mid-80's, and recovery has been minimal. She has a  
           prosthesis, but has not had much succuss with learning to  
            walk.Part of the problem is that she says the stump hurts 
too         much, and she can't stand to wear the leg, much less walk 
on          it. She recently saw an article about Charles Holder, a   
            triple amputee in Fayetteville, North Carolina  (I 
believe),         who has designed a "socket-less" version of 
prosthesis.   

Be careful Guenter...very careful. Honesty is our most important 
asset and you will not always find it in our world.  I am sorry there 
was not much forthcoming for your mother. God knows it is tough 
enough at 20 let alone 80. I am sorry I have nothing to offer you.  

I notice someone offered you a phone number for CH and hope you will 
keep all of us informed about what he offers. And what actually helps 
her. 

And Susan Eleoff also mentioned:  

SE>On the subject of trends..I would like to note that in the latest  
      edition of In-Motion magazine, there is a very interesting      
      article about the state of Colorado and a new bill that was     
      passed in that state...mandating all insurance companies cover  
      prosthetics..I was thrilled to read this, and hope other states 
      follow...I believe the insurance companies have to follow the   
      Medicare guidelines...Anyway, there are some good statistics in 
      this article about the benefits and costs of paying for         
     prosthetics..   

I also saw the tiny blurb and found it to be one of the more 
interesting notes in the magazine. Has there been any follow-up?
My HMO still limits prosthetics coverage to $1000/ year. Haha. 

And Lindsay Neilsen said:

LN> In the past I have used this list as a place to sort through      
       feelings and thoughts related to being an amputee. Many of you 
       have been incredibly generous with your ideas, your feedback   
       and your support. I have been vulnerable about "disability" on 
       this list in a way that I wasn't many other places. I still    
    hold that very dear. Thank you. 

Thank you for sharing your feelings. As an avid reader, well.....

Where are the snows of yesteryear?  Gone?

LN> What follows is a long (of course) account of my experience at    
       the Paralympics. I wrote it in Sydney but am sending it from   
     home as time got away from me :)   

Appreciate the human input....congratulations on your achievement.

LN> When you aim high, the rewards are reaped as much in the process  
      of "aiming" as they are in reaching the target.  

Bravo....

LN> I appreciated that one of the German athletes told me that she    
       thought they had made a mistake with my birth year on the heat 
       sheet because if it was true, I was older than her mother and  
       I consistently beat her at meets. She wanted to know how I was 
       able to run this way and look like I did because that's how    
      she wants to be when she gets to be her Mom's age.  

A wee diversion. A few years back I was playing g'tar in an acoustic 
band. We lost our bass player, so I was looking for an upright 
player. In Nashville, the good ones are occupied haha. Now there are 
two high-school bass programs here, and I dropped a note on both HS 
bulletin boards to gauge interest. Mentioned this to a friend who 
asked, "Weird Wayne. Why in hell would you want some high-school kid" 

I suggested to this fellow that I did not want a high-school 'kid' 
but I wanted an attitude. If the player was 16 and had an attitude 
that said, 'let's do it', that was fine. If he/she was sixty and had 
it, that was also fine. But if this hypothetical player was a full 
blown adult with no attitude, please stay away. I don't need nor want 
your maturity. 

LN> Every amputee woman that I have talked to here, has told me that  
       they were embarrassed to wear shorts until they started        
       competing and now wouldn't think of "hiding" their legs. I     
       think that statement demonstrates a very deep process of       
       healing.  

Indeed. 

Not totally caught up, but then, I am never 100%. 


Wayne Renardson