Swim legs/DryPro Covering

[Wayne Renardson]

One day Theresa asked:

T> The website is drypro.com. If anyone has used this product I would 
like to learn more before I purchase  

A number of years ago (the mind clouds) I was asked to review the 
DryPro. No doubt things have changed since but for what they're 
worth, my pithy comments from that time frame:  

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 
The DryPro arrived yesterday and last night I gave it the electric 
kool-aid acid test (apologies to Tom Wolfe and Ken Kesey)  

First, the DryPro. It is a waterproof covering for BK amputees to 
wear over their prosthesis while swimming, bathing, engaging in water 
sports, (yeah) whatever, that is supposed to keep everything, 
including the stump sock, dry. It is form fitting, reusable, and 
nicely constructed.  

It is made of a durable latex (my sample is cream colored) 30 mils 
thick (the mils refers to a millimeter, which is 0.001 of a meter. A 
meter is 39.37 inches so for the metrically challenged, hey...enjoy) 
and uses a sealed top to prevent water from getting into the device.  

It also has a rubber non-slip coating on the sole of the foot to 
prevent slipping on a wet surface.  

While useful only for BK amputees, there are four sizes available:
            
              Size        Length        Thigh Circumference
              ----        ------        -------------------

               C/S         19-26"            13-10"
               C/M        24-29"            15-13"
               A/M        26-32"            18-15"
               A/L         31-36"            20-17"

The C refers to a child (small and medium) and the A to an adult size 
(medium and large). All sizes cost $59.95. No discrimination here.   

I am told that James Haggerty, a BK amputee, had a hand in designing 
the DryPro.   

How did it work: The acid test...   

Donning the devil: 
---------------- 
They recommend using talc to allow it to slide over the prosthesis 
more easily but I did not have any so I did not use it. I went naked, 
without greasin' the skids...    

The literature recommends sitting with the ankle of the prosthetic 
leg resting on the knee of the other leg and working the cover over 
the foot until the toes enter the foot of the Drypro.   

I found this convoluted, so I removed my prosthesis and suspension 
and slipped the DryPro on, which required only a small amount of 
effort---minor tugging.   

However, the heel of the DryPro did not slip over my prosthetic heel, 
in spite of tugging and pulling with considerable (well, my limited) 
strength. It was as if the bottom part of the DryPro was too short to 
fit over the heel. The heel portion almost came over, but it simply 
did not make it. In the last analysis this was not a major problem 
since I just walked on the small bunched up part that did not slip 
over the heel. It served as a good replacement for my J.S. Smith 
suspension, which was not needed since the DryPro served to hold my 
prosthesis on quite nicely.   

I finally said to hell with it, stood up, and pulled the DryPro up 
over my thigh, which came up about midway.   

The Aesthetic 
------------- 

I asked my wife what she thought about the aesthetic of it all. A 
most interesting comment, which I preface with some history:   

My wife's father had polio. As a young man he dropped out of medical 
school when he developed it since it affected his right arm and he 
was planning to become a surgeon. His arm was akin to Robert Dole's---
there, but not terribly useful. He was not an amputee, but...  

My wife knew me a year before she realized I was an amputee. It 
simply never came up in our daily conversations (I once worked with 
and for her). She seemed amazed when, one fine day, I mentioned I 
lost my leg in a motorcycle accident. And amputation is not something 
today we discuss often. No reason to, I suppose.   

Tonight, when I asked her what she thought about the aesthetic 
aspect, (strictly for her highly valued opinion) she said she liked 
it very much---it was "much better." "Much better than what" I asked. 
"Looking at a stump?"   

She said: Well, yes. It is better for people who have to look.  

He said:  What do you mean? Does it make you uncomfortable to look at 
an amputee or an amputated part?   

She said: Well, people don't know what to say. Yes, it makes them 
uncomfortable. They don't know how to deal with it.  

Anyhoo, she really liked the aesthetic aspect.   

The DryPro felt good, and held my prosthesis snugly. I walked on it 
with ease, and got into the bathtub. I do not have a shower.   

The first thing I noticed was it was buoyant. My right leg had a 
strong tendency to float. Nice.  

I remained in the water with my legs totally submerged for about 20 
minutes. I stood up in the tub and the bottom, in spite of the heel 
not fitting properly, felt quite secure. No slip. And I moved the 
foot along the bottom of the tub with vigor...  

When I got out I stood on a quarry tile floor, which at best is 
extremely slippery when wet. I moved the right leg around and yes, it 
was slippery, but so are my rubber soled shoes on this tile. I then 
moved onto a hardwood floor and that surface seemed to grip it much 
better. The non-slip bottom of the DryPro is nice.   

Doffing the thang: 
----------------- 
Doffing was simple. Pull the thigh portion down, slip it over the 
foot, and voila, there you have it. And the good news is that my wool 
stump sock was bone-dry. If it kept my sock dry, it surely did not 
permit any water to get into the prosthesis, so it passed the acid 
test for waterproofing.    

I am happy to send this product (am not a water-boy---swimming is not 
my thing) to the first BK who is active swimming or whatever. Drop me 
a note and I will send it to you for your appraisal and comment to 
the list. Two opinions are better than one in this case...   

The DryPro is also available from:  

               Medical Industries America, Inc.
               2879 R Avenue
               Adel, Iowa USA 50003-8055

               1-800-759-3038
               (515) 993-5001 (phone)
               (515) 993-4172 (fax)

Dean Safris is the national sales manager. And the good news is you 
can go direct without intervention from a third-party. They offer a 
color brochure featuring a handsome young woman stepping in or out of 
a bathtub, a swimming pool, and a sauna. Is she an amputee? I have no 
idea. The aesthetic does not reveal if she is or not. It would 
probably make my wife, uhhhh, comfortable.   

I also spoke with Joelle Peterson in customer service and she is 
willing to take comments or answer questions about the product.   

Russell Bird is the president if you wish to go to the top of the 
pile...  

They can be e-mailed via: EDSafris at AOL.COM  

Wayne Renardson