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Prostheses Appointment 1002

I'm probably underestimating how many appointments I've had for my prostheses but we got to start somewhere. I went in today to pick up my second pair of silicone liners that I have been waiting on for a couple months. These liners were being replaced because they put in a chemical to keep my skin smooth but it ended up turning the liners a blackish/red color. My prosthestist fought them about their warranty and said she never ordered them with that chemical to begin with. They finally agreed to replace them. Turns out however they didn't read the order right and made them too thin. You wouldn't think that is too much of a problem but it throws off the entire fit of my prostheses. They are also made in Salt Lake City, UT. I'll be waiting again and hopefully they will be made how they're supposed to.

I then asked if I could have my knee hinge fixed as it seemed to be sticking. I thought we'd just put some lubricant on it and I'd be out the door. I was wrong, don't ask me why I thought that? I've spent hundreds of hours waiting during these appointments. I think why I was thinking that is how it would be fixed because at my last prostheses company that's all they ever did. Just putting a band-aid over the issue but never fixing the underlying problem. My prosthetist, Amy, actually took the hinge apart and realized that the ball-bearings inside the hinge were dirty. She came in to show me what was going on and I truly appreciate being in the know about things like that. She said it's like my legs needed "an oil change" so if I notice them sticking again to just come in to get that taken care of. Problem solved. I think my knee had actually been sticking since about mid-summer but I didn't think much of it as per past experience. Just another reminder that I can in fact speak up about something that isn't working quite right and get it taken care of in 30 minutes. As soon as I got in my car to drive to work I noticed the difference immediately. So much smoother to transition from gas to break and back again.

Even though the appointment didn't go as planned I wasn't disappointed. We talked about how the silicone liners needed to be fixed and about how excited we both were about the Prosthetic Labs calendar that will be coming out in a few weeks. And now my right knee is moving freely - it took me a second to adjust to that, I won't need to use so much of my strength to bend. I wish it wouldn't have been ingrained in me to not speak up because of my last prostheses company. It really pisses me off now that I think about what I put up with. I was never satisfied after leaving an appointment there, which is why I would rarely speak up about anything. The only thing they were concerned with was getting their co-pay or my out-of-pocket expenses as soon as possible. Even if they didn't provide me with proper service. I wish I could go back in time and refuse to pay until they fixed what was wrong. Since I can not do that I am moving forward with my new and amazing prosthetics company. This is ability!

#bilateral amputee #prostheses #prostheses appointments #dirty hinge #silicone liners #2014 calendar #moving forward #this is ability!

I Wouldn't Trust Me Either

Last week, I had a somewhat unsuccessful trip to the prosthetist. I didn't need anything worked on but agreed to stop by because a specialist was there from Rochester, MN. I got there on time for my appointment and proceeded to wait another 35 minutes until I was called back to the room. What's frustrating is that I only work 5 minutes away and could have been told they were running behind so I didn't have to waste my personal time (PT) at work. But in reality I've always had to waste a lot of time at prostheses appointments because I can't really go anywhere without them.

After finally getting called back, I found out my amazing prosthetist wasn't going to be joining us for the appointment. While waiting in the waiting room I noticed a man who came out and barked orders at the receptionist while she was working on faxing a large document. He was listing off items a client needed to be charged for and to schedule the next appointment. The receptionist was like, well I'm not a multitasker and you're going to have to wait until I'm back at my computer. The man got upset and made a snide remark about how she should be able to do both things at once. I rolled my eyes (because it's what I do in tense situations). Back to my own personal hell, yes it was that terrible. The man from the waiting room story was in fact the specialist who was here to "help" me out.

He asked me what my problem/issue was and I told him I was there because he was a specialist. We were making sure my right corset was tight enough and it had gotten a bit loose since last month. I just needed him to add some additional padding to the left side of the corset and a thin layer of padding to the socket itself. I think I've mentioned before that I'll have to have my right prosthesis remade or at least parts of it. My muscles are finally working as they should and my leg is shrinking. Considering I had a suspension belt system my entire life it was no wonder my legs began to shrink and tone up with these new prostheses. I'm getting side-tracked so easily here. He wanted for me to insert a piece of padding inside my corset just before velcroing it each day. I told him sternly that wouldn't work and it would add too much time to getting ready each time I put them on. Also, that freely placed padding wouldn't stay in place for an entire day. I noticed him starting to peel back some velcro that keeps my corset tight and supports my body weight. I thought perhaps he would be gluing it into place for me but when he came back to the room 25 minutes later he had ripped out half of my velcro. I was livid. I started expressing my concern how that wouldn't work for me and he had already glued in the padding incorrectly. He told me to, "just try it on and see" and I told him with my 27 years as an amputee I know what works for me instantly. After struggling back into my prosthesis I stood up and said the corset was entirely too loose and that it needed to be fixed immediately to what it was previously.

I'm sure with his years of experience I was making him second-guess his career choice. I found out after the velcro was ripped out that he worked with children! Children!!!! I was a child at one point but I have since turned into an adult. I'm sure he's not used to someone who speaks her mind and knows what needs to be done in regards to prostheses. As he was leaving the room to do the fixes I told him needed to be done he said, "You know, I wouldn't trust me either. I only just met you five minutes ago and I tried to change everything." I just laughed and looked at my phone. I have no time for pleasantries when you royally mess up a crucial aspect of my prosthesis. I thought the uncomfortable appointment would end there but after he made the changes I told him had to be made, he kept saying he hates to make changes on a Friday because if something goes wrong it can't be fixed immediately. I rolled my eyes and said what had been done will work for me and if anything goes wrong I know how to schedule an appointment. He repeatedly told me to call my prosthetist on Monday and I kept saying I knew what to do (I'm not a child). Needless to say I never want to work with that specialist again. I'm not sure what he specialized in because he never called himself a specialist and he caused more issues than necessary.

Trust is important when working with someone in an intimate medical setting. Without a trusting, working relationship things will go awry. This appointment was a reminder of why I left the last prostheses company - every appointment played out like this. I dreaded going there and when I did I was treated like a child or uneducated individual when in reality I know a great deal about my prostheses and how they should fit me. Anyone else experience scenarios like this? This is ability!