One Step Ahead

Grade-A, Gold-Plated Trouble

April 11, 11:20 AM

      "All right, let's try it out, and see if we got it right," the prosthetist said. "We need to be sure that the weight distribution is correct to ensure a proper fit."

      "Well, if I'm supposed to be able to walk with this thing, do you really think I need these handrails?" Briar queried.

      "Oh, most definitely," the physical therapist chimed in. "You've been stationary and bound up in plaster for nearly two months, so it's a given that you've lost muscle tone and strength. Plus, the weight and unfamiliarity of the prosthetic causes balance issues for most patients until they learn how to compensate for the differences, so this is mostly for your safety. I'm sure you don't want to rebreak something and go back to square one, do you?"

      "Not even a little bit," she retorted. "But why do I get the feeling that this is totally going to suck?"

      "Because it is," the therapist calmly stated. "You're going to be sore, and frustrated, and you're probably going to end up calling me every nasty name you can think of." Gesturing to the group of people behind him, he added, "But God knows you'll have to work pretty hard to come up with anything he hasn't already thought up."

      Ashley flushed slightly at this statement, and muttered, "Yeah, sorry about that, man."

      "It's nothing I haven't heard before," the other man said. "But the point is that you're going to hate your therapy, and probably me, but it's the only way you're going to get any semblance of your independence back. So the question is, do you want it, and how badly?"

      "And the question is stupid," she shot back. "If this is what I have to do to get my life back, then let's do it. Hit me with your best shot, rehab dude."

      Ashley moved to help her from the wheelchair, but she put up her hand to stop him, "No, let me try to do it myself, I have to get there sometime. If I need help, I'll tell you, okay?"

      "That's fine, Tink," he replied. "You're right, you need to do this on your own. But there is one thing I am gonna do." He bent forward and gave her a peck on the forehead, and then dropped a soft kiss on her lips. "For luck," he offered, as he stepped back to join Wiley and Nora Sanger near the wall to observe her efforts.

      After several weeks of recovery, doctors had finally declared her injuries to be healed sufficiently to begin physical rehabilitation. The large plaster cast on her right leg had been replaced with a walking cast, and she had been fitted for a temporary prosthesis earlier in the week. This would be her first attempt at standing, and hopefully walking in the device, so everyone was somewhat anxious.

      Positioning the chair at the ends of the handrails, she grasped them and carefully pulled herself to a standing position. This lasted for less than a minute before she dropped back into the chair, saying, "This thing feels like it's trying to cut the rest of my leg off, there's no way I'm gonna be able to walk in it!"

      Kanesha, the prosthetist, hurried forward, kneeling to look at the mechanism. After a moment, she rose, and turned to the others. "Gentlemen," she said crisply, "could you please come here and support her while she stands again, so I can see what the problem is?"

      Ashley and Wiley moved to stand on either side of the chair, and as she lifted herself up again, they each took hold of one of her arms and draped it over their shoulders. She winced as her weight settled into the socket, and after a few questions, the Kanesha announced, "All right, Briar, you can sit down. I think I know what the problem is, so give me a few minutes to make a couple of adjustments, and you can try again."