Strings & Yarn

I got a new toy! Actually, it’s not just a toy, it’s a tool to use as gas prices rise this summer and in an effort to be more eco-friendly.

Here are a few pics of me riding it.

I’ve used it several times in the last few days. Actually I just got it yesterday afternoon. Of course I took it out right away for some time by the river. Then I had two bike rides today, which means I have a very tired thigh. It’ll probably be a little sore tomorrow.

I have wanted a bike for a long time, but now that I live in a neighborhood, I feel like I can have a safe place to get more comfortable riding. How do I do it? Well, my super awesome C-leg has two modes. I have my second mode (three taps on the toe changes it over) set to free swing, which is perfect for biking.

I am so excited to get to know my bike better and how I’ll handle biking. The last thing I need is an awesome milk crate to carry my knitting in.

As everyone is getting ready for holiday traveling, I decided it may be helpful to put up a little travel guide.  See, I am a fairly high maintanence traveler.  Between the knitting, the instrument and the prosthetic leg I always want to be careful about my rights as a traveler as well as what is allowed.

If you are an amputee, I highly recommend checking out the TSA website on prosthetics.  I often take a print out of what to expect, just in case the tsa worker doesn’t know, or it’s their first day.  That way, even if they don’t know what’s going on, I do.

They do allow knitting items on the plane, so all the knitters can make good use of airport time.  For more information on what is allowed, and what isn’t see the article on
transporting knitting items.

I also often travel with my instrument.  I’m lucky because I can take my violin oon the plane and in the overhead bins, but not instrument is small.  If you do have to check your instrument, make sure to include handleing instructions on the inside of the case.  This way if they search it, the handler knows what to do.  TSA has also published an article on transporting musical instruments.

Hope this helps, and safe travels to you all.

I saw this today and had to show it to you. It’s an excellent guide to descending stairs with a prosthetic leg including obstacles that may be in your way. If you have a C-leg going down stairs is very different, but I do remember those days of smaking that knee safely into position.

Moving Right Along; Mini Stair Descent Tutorial, Illustrated

Black Sheep Festival starts today! I get to go today. I actually have reserved the whole day just to go, but now I can’t. I’m waiting for my leg to get here before I can head off to fibery goodness. It’s only 8 o’clock! I can feel the little kid part of me not wanting to be very patient. Hopefully it gets here soon.

I had to send my C-leg away again. My precious C-leg! Although, I think I’m in better shape than last time because walking around on ‘ol foamy’ seems easier. What’s ‘ol foamy’? It’s my backup leg. I am lucky enough that I have a leg to use as a back up when I have to send in my fancy shmancy C-leg. My backup is simply the leg I had before ‘C’ came into my life with a better socket, and what used to be a very cool cover. I wasn’t always as comfortable with showing off the very spiffy silver and blue leg. When I got the C-leg covering it was more complicated since it needed to be charged every night and I liked how it looked. Now when I have my foam cover on it feels huge, and I actually kind of feel…fat. Isn’t that weird? So now the cover is no longer cool because I’ve fallen one it and their are multiple holes, and because it makes me feel wider in some way. My dear C-leg will be back soon (hopefully) and I’ll be able to frolic with the best of ‘em.

Just in case you needed a little inspiration today. Cameron Clapp is a triple amputee and is working hard at being a golfer, a swimmer, a runner, and who knows what else. I personally hate to run (didn’t even like it when I had two legs) but I finally got my swim in this morning. It ended up being a 20 minute walk and a 15 minute swim, and it kicked my arse. Baby steps, baby steps. It felt great, and I’m more motivated than ever now.

C-leg boy

I tried to go swimming today. I say try because anything physical takes a great deal of planning for me. This is something that I’ve been wanting to do for awhile now. It’s not because I want to loose weight, it’s just because I want to be healthier. I’ve finally gotten tired of walking along with friends and loosing my breath because my heart and lungs are just that out of shape.

I guess you could call it a New Years resolution, but I think it’s more because I miss being outdoors. I finally have someone I can drag out to go on Kayaking or Hiking trips with me and I don’t want to be afraid of going because I can hardly keep up.

The reason I decided to swimming was because it is an easy way for me to get a good cardio and muscle work out. I don’t end up tearing up my skin in the process and I can really get my heart and lungs going as well as get my arms and leg muscles really working. The reason it takes more planning is because I have a leg to deal with as well as transportation issues. The pool is about two blocks from my apartment, so I don’t it isn’t necessary to drive, but once I get there I need a place to put my leg as well as some sticks or some wheels to get me to the pool. Since the C-leg cannot get wet and is worth 50k I want to make sure its in a safe place.

So today, I walked over, but being my slightly late self, got there in time to maybe get 20 mins of swimming in if things went smoothly. The girl at the front desk was very nice, but also overly concerned with what I was comfortable with. Of course there is no locker big enough for my leg, so I need someone to get it from the locker room to the back desk so it’s safe. They do have crutches for me (which is sweet because carrying a pair around not only gets a lot of weird looks but is a big pain since they are almost as tall as I am) so once I get everything worked out I should be fine. Today took me much longer to get everything settled, so by the time I was ready to get wet lap swim was ending.

The day was not wasted though, I got a very good walk back and forth (even the short walk got me, that’s how out of shape I am) and now I know better what to expect. Tomorrow I will try again.

When I got my C-leg I had to fight my insurance company for six months before they would pay for it. The fight was well worth it, because the C-leg has been so amazing. Part of what I did was compile articles, and testimonies to prove that the C-leg wasn’t deluxe in any way. In that process I had found an article about a man in the World Trade Center on 9/11. He was on the 70th floor, and was able to get down because of the C-leg. I couldn’t find the same article, but I found a different one that not only explains the C-leg, but also talks about some new things that may be coming out in future years. Not only in lower limbs, but with hand and arm prosthetics as well. I think it will still be a while before we see anything better than the C-leg, but they are working on it, and that is promising.

Smart Parts

I get a ton of people searching for “One Legged Girl” and landing at my site. I was just wondering what people are searching for. I’ve found that there are a few songs called with lyrics about a “One Legged Girl”, but somehow I doubt that’s what is being searched for. If you feel like enlightening me on this mystery please do.

It’s been 10 years since I was diagnosed with cancer. It was Oct of 1995, and recent events here in Eugene have got me thinking back. Between newly diagnosed patients and people loosing the battle, cancer seems to be on the tip of everyones tongue and in everyone’s thoughts.

As soon as someone hears about a friend or colleague being diagnosed the first reaction is usually what can I do to help, even if you don’t know the person well. As I was going through my experience there were several things that helped me through that initial shock.
First, people let me know they were thinking of me. I got numerous cards, and journals filled with classmates signatures. I still have these today, and even though they consist of the maturity of a thirteen year old, they are cool to look back on. At the time they really made me feel like people were routing for me and I had a chance.
Second, many families cooked meals for us. When you are hit with something tough, the last thing on anyones mind are daily chores and especially one that come as often as cooking. We got so many meals that were easy to freeze and warm up later. This helped my parents so much, and they could focus there attention on more important things.
I know that eating preferences, allergies, and such make it complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. There is nothing wrong with asking the person about what they can or cannot eat.

It is so important to remember that huge events like this effect the whole family, not just the person diagnosed. While I loved the flowers and stuffed animals I received, some of the help my family received meant a lot too. Whatever it is, if you feel compelled to do something, do it. No matter how little you know the person, your gesture will be appreciated.