Look Ma - NO HANDS!

So sorry it has been two and a half weeks since the last post.   I think I left off with Jeremy heading to Brazil for work.  That was a pretty busy week but all in all productive and successful. Samantha had her first physical therapy session with Tony and was doing great!  

The week flew by as I worked on Isabella's festival skirts and Samantha finished off her homework.  She had 2 more PT appointments during the week and was feeling so great that she decided she would head back to school on Monday.  Sunday evening she discovered that she could walk without crutches!  

Sam was so happy she could walk and it didn't hurt!  Tony wanted her to take crutches to school for a while longer. Her hip strength needs to improve before she will be able to walk for longer periods without getting too tired or limping.  However, Samantha decided to push her limits and she went to school on Monday with no crutches...

She made it thru two classes and really over did it.  We did learn some really good lessons.  Sam knows she pushed it too hard but also realized that her limb had shrunk a bit more which is very common.  When this happens she needs to add a sock - this will keep her from slipping too far into the socket.  Unfortunately - Sam learned this after her Monday classes.  She ended up pulling her hamstring and the side of her leg was really sore.  She didn't have school on Tuesday but she was able to present her Capstone (senior project) Tuesday evening.  Her emotions were all over the place.  She was upset about pushing herself and a bit nervous about her presentation, but she did a wonderful job.  I was really proud of her.  

She was still too sore to make it to school the rest of the week.  PT helped her feel so much better on Wednesday.  Tony taught her some really good stretches for her hamstring and Samantha was back to using crutches.  She decided to baby the leg so she would be ready for Prom.  

We met with Dr. Heare on Thursday - he did an x-ray to make sure the prosthetic is aligned correctly with her hip and knee.  He was so happy to see Samantha happy.  The last time he saw her she wouldn't look at her limb and she cried and cried.  He is loving the progress!  

Friday was another PT session and Tony did more strength exercises, some stretching and she rode the bike!  Samantha is really looking forward to riding more this summer - maybe even doing the family ride during the Courage Classic!

Samantha at PT first time on Bike  

Friday was also Isabella's very important day - Spanish Festival time at GVA!  I had finished the skirts last week and the girls loved them.  I have one short video of Isabella leading the class in a Spanish poem about school time.  You can see the girls wearing their skirts.  We have videos of her dancing and singing as well, but I will have to post the links once we upload them to YouTube - they are just too big  for the blog.  She had such a great time and we learned so much about the different Spanish speaking countries.  

Here you see Isabella's teacher in traditional Panamanian dress and looking so beautiful!

Ms. Troetsche

Then Saturday arrived - finally!  Samantha had the whole day planned out.  We had one minor moment of crisis.  She had ordered her Prom dress online and it didn't show up in time.  Friday night, Sam and I did a last minute run to Macy's and found a beautiful substitute.  She and her friend Falyn got their hair and makeup done.


Hugo - Samantha's date - arrived right on time looking so handsome!


You can see all the pictures below.  Samantha had a wonderful time.  She ended up taking both crutches to be on the safe side but only had to use one for the most of the time.  I also believe she may have set that one aside while she danced the night away!   

The corsage

When she got home last night - extremely tired - she said she had a wonderful time.  It was exactly what she wanted.

Mom's favorite

Samantha and Hugo 2012

Last minute dress - beautiful

WOW!

This next week will be pretty busy as well.  Sam will be going to school (with crutches!) on Monday.  Then after school, we have to give her leg back to BioDesign.  They will review the alignment x-ray, make the necessary adjustments and incorporate them into her permanent socket.  This next leg will be around for 6 to 9 months.  It won't be finished off yet so as her gait changes - the leg can be tweaked.  We will get it back on Wed - so she will make it back to school in time for finals!

Jeremy is off to Moab with the boys for a weekend of Mountain Biking.  The weather is so nice that I may just have to plant the vegetable garden a bit early.   We will see - I am sure I will be busy with work, running Isabella around, Samantha's PT and planning for Sam's graduation party.   Always something to do!

And She's Off

Alright - today was the big day!  We met with Kim - our prosthetist - and Samantha got her leg.


This first picture is what it looks like.  Kim starts with a clear socket so she can see how the limb looks when she is wearing the leg.  It is malleable with heat and so adjustments can be made easily.


You can see the pretty shoes Sam picked out.  They have a specific heal and the leg will be adjusted for this height of shoe.  If she decides she wants to wear a flat shoe, wedges will be used until the rod portion is vertical again. 


The video is of Samantha's first steps - I am so proud and happy...

 This next picture is with just the 'skin'.  When Samantha was cast for the socket, she was wearing this layer.  It will always be the first thing that goes on her leg.  It has the mineral oil on the gel side that goes next to her skin.  As her leg shrinks, Sam will have to add socks over this until the socket fits snug again.  Kim gave us nylon socks, half mil thick socks all the way up to 3 mil socks.


Sam will be able to do any combination depending on how small or big her limb is on different days.

Here you see Sam just before she is starting to walk.  There is a lighter colored sleeve over the socket up to her thigh.  This creates a vacuum seal holding the prosthetic onto her leg.  This is a common first option for prosthetics because the work is distributed up to her thigh and it protects the bottom part of the limb while the incision heals.  Later she can chose a pin option.


Samantha said it felt pretty weird - no real words to describe - but she said she could feel her foot going into the socket...


She still has a lot of work to get her hip strength back and she tends to keep all the weight on her right leg.  It makes sense since she has been protecting her left leg for four years now.  When she started walking she didn't put too much weight on the prosthetic; however, by the end of the appointment she was trusting it a bit more and working on getting her weight evenly distributed over both legs.


When we finally got home, Samantha was a bit worn out - she will sleep well tonight!  


Monday she will start her physical therapy with Tony.  This first appointment will be at the same place as today's - at the prosthetic office.  That way if Kim needs to make adjustments - she can do it right there.   


Next week is going to be fun - tomorrow night we are going to dinner at Carmines.  We do this every year to celebrate our anniversary.  Then on Saturday, Jeremy flies out to Brazil for work and the girls and I have a birthday party to attend.  Daniel and Jennie are coming home for the weekend to help Samantha with her Senior Capstone project.


I will be a single mom for a few days - getting Isabella to her after school activities and Sam to her PT.  I will miss Monday's PT appointment but Sam is OK with it so that is all that matters.


It was wonderful watching Samantha walk today.  No limp and she is so tall!  For the next few days she will wear the leg one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening.  She can walk with the leg but she will still need to use her crutches.  Five weeks ago we were adjusting and grieving but today we are celebrating! 


Love to everyone!

Casting for her prosthetic

 So we had a really nice weekend.  It started on Friday with Samantha getting her leg cast.  


This first picture is the 'skin' that will always go on first.  You can see from the shiny side that it has mineral oil infused.  They will trim it to the correct length, even with her prosthetic.


She will wear a sock over this layer and then put her leg into the socket.

 This next step shows a white wet sock over her first layer.  The prosthetist, Kim is marking with a special blue pencil all Sam's bones and the different characteristics of her leg.


She spent about 15 or 20 minutes just inching her way all over her limb and marking it all up.  This is an important step because the socket needs to be cast in a specific way so the majority of the work happens by the upper part of the limb - just below her knee.  They do not want a lot of  pressure on the bottom.   


Sam has additional considerations because at just the bottom of her leg the skin does not have any feeling.  It is part of the skin flap taken from her upper thigh from an earlier surgery.  Since she can't feel it - she has to check more often to make sure the socket works for that portion.
        
Kim then casted a special splint on the front of her shin.  This part - she carefully molded to capture all the contours of her leg.  She kept molding and smoothing - she is like an artist.


Below is the last step - she uses the same material as if you had to cast a broken arm or leg.  Kim moved along very deliberately - she has been doing this for 20 some years.   


Every time Samantha gets a new leg - she will go thru this process.  They warned that the limb changes a lot this first year.  She will probably cast again in about 9 months.

So here is the end product.  She just pulled it right off her leg.  You can see the blue markings on the inside.  


From here - Kim will make a negative casting and then heat a special white plastic for the first socket.  This first socket is thinner and can be molded easily in the office.  


She can see Samantha's leg and will make note of the areas that may be getting too much pressure. 


They took Samantha's height and weight and asked her what sort of activity level she wants to have.  Then they ordered her foot and the rod part of the leg.


We go back on Thursday for Sam to try on the socket and walk for the first time.  After a week of walking in the test socket - Kim will make a permanent one - pretty much indestructible they tell us.  She will start PT the following Monday.   She needs to work up to wearing the prosthetic all day - at first it will just be for an hour or so at a time.


Needless to say Samantha has been pretty happy all weekend.  Saturday she went out to get her nails done with a friend and Sunday she spent the day with her Dad.


Saturday morning, Isabella ran in her second 5K and bested her last time by 5 minutes.  She ran the 5k in 37 minutes and came in 5th for her age group (12 and under).  After the race they had an Easter egg hunt and potato sack race.  

Daniel surprised us by showing up Saturday afternoon and stayed overnight.  It was wonderful to hang out with my boy for a while.  He seems to be doing great - he is getting ready for gardening season and looking for a place for Jennie and himself that is close to work and school.

He had to go back to Fort Collins Sunday afternoon but he will be back next weekend.  Isabella loved spending some time with him - last time he didn't get to stay long and she was disappointed.

It is getting late and so I will be signing off.  Another day another dollar - until next time  - love to everyone!

Sun, Snow and Sun again

 Isabella was on spring break last week so we headed up to Leadville for a couple of days and while it was in the 80's down in Denver - it was perfect weather in Leadville -  high 60s.  Samantha worked on homework all day on Friday, Jeremy worked on house projects and I just did my work...


Isabella also read her books a bit and on Saturday, she and Jeremy hit the last day at Cooper.   She crashed and had a beauty mark near her eye to show for it.  Jeremy said she hit face first and popped up laughing.


The picture is of Isabella posing on our front porch.  You can see a bit of snow still hanging around on the North side of the house.


We came home on Saturday evening so I could have Sunday to do my chores.

I took a beautiful picture of Samantha sunbathing and doing her nails.  It is a great picture of her limb - it has the compression sock on it.


Sunday it was 85 degrees.  Sam could only stay out for 20 minutes or so.  She was bragging that she had a tan line when she came in.


Tuesday we met with the prosthetist and got a smaller compression sock.  Samantha's limb is looking great!


On Wednesday she had her stitches out and we got the OK to cast her socket.  She is in 7th Heaven! 


She is down to only having to take her nerve medicine (helps with the phantom pain) and her antibiotics.  She no longer needs Advil or any other pain medicine.  I think this is the first time in over 4 years that Samantha has been able to wake up and not need pain medicine.  How fantastic is that!!


I will see if I can get some pictures of the casting process.  Then next week we go back in and she will see her new leg.


If she is healed up and her scabs (she has a couple still hanging on after her surgery) fall off then she can start walking on April 16th.  At first she will wear the prosthetic only a couple hours a day and work up to wearing it all day.


The Sun is back after a bit of snow on Wednesday and it matches the atmosphere in our home.  Everyone is happy.  


I will continue to post and include as many pictures as I can.
Love to everyone!