Suzanne's stay at the NRH lasted a few days longer than we all expected. She was released on Wednesday afternoon, with a promise to her doctors to continue her therapy on her own and as an outpatient. The NRH therapists had her using parallel bars and stair climbers to advance her balance and leg strength. And on Tuesday, Gabrielle, joined her for mother-child independence therapy. Friday she again visited with her prosthetist for further adjustments to her limb sockets. The sturdy fiberglass does not mould to her legs and needs constant tweaking while she is adjusting to the fit.
Next on the agenda will be further revisions to Suzanne's right leg, to remove granular scar tissue and to improve the fit and comfort on that side. Her hands and arms will be addressed as well, in the near future, to remove scar tissue and release some scar-muscle tissue adhesions. However, with that said, things are moving forward and Suzanne has found a new confidence in her ability to walk unassisted with and without a walker. She just needs to build up her tolerance to be able to wear the legs for more than an hour or two at a time, due to the pain and discomfort she is currently dealing with.
Side note: Last night, 60 Minutes aired a segment about DARPA spending $100M+ on technological advancements to artificial extremities. It is posted below.
Monday, April 13, 2009
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