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Monday, July 30, 2012

Mister Blister starts outpatient therapy


'Get to work!'

Just an update for Plainfield Today readers on the prosthesis situation. 

I started outpatient rehab at JFK Rehab in Edison on Friday -- at last. There have been several start dates set up which had to be cancelled owing to the development of blisters from walking on the prosthesis.

But Friday we finally got under way, with an assessment by my rehab specialist, Sue, who has nicknamed me 'Mister Blister'.

'Everyone has a challenge,' Sue said, 'and yours is neither your attitude nor your ability, but your tender skin'.

So, at last I'm up and on it, picking up where I left off with the inpatient stint early in July. We will spend time improving my gait and the amount of weight I can put on the prosthesis (which will allow me eventually to abandon the crutches), as well as the strengthening of leg, lower back and abdominal muscles that enable that 'natural' looking walk.

I am looking forward to the computerized treadmill that watches your gait from several perspectives and 'talks back' to you in real time to correct your execution. Talk about feedback loops!

For now, though you'll see me scooting around town in my new (old) Mercury Mystique, which I am calling Big Ruby after her color and the fact that she's larger than Little Sir Echo, the stick-shift Toyota Echo I can no longer drive.

Ad astra!


-- Dan Damon [follow]

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope you pace yourself, slow down the determination switch!! Glad to see things are back on track..so to speak..J. Bandomer

Bill said...

Wishing you the best as you resume rehab and I hope that you make good progress on the prosthesis. Unfortunately, that photo attached to the story is now too recognizable to me as well.

Bill

Anonymous said...

See Dan, we never believed it when those people said you were such a callused person! :-)