Patient Stories: Richard "Dick" Devers

Last month, October 2016, Richard “Dick” Devers, Sr. and his wife Lynn celebrated forty-one years of marriage – a pretty significant anniversary in anyone’s book.  This month, November 2016, Dick marks another milestone - the first anniversary of his amputation.  Somehow, that seems less celebratory, but Dick says, "I've come a long way, baby”, and he celebrates everything he has accomplished in the last year.

Looking back, Dick recalls how suddenly and unexpectedly he became an amputee.  An avid do-it-yourselfer (this guy built his own house!), he was doing some remodeling last November on his daughter’s home when he suddenly felt ill. He didn’t have any pain, but after a week of no improvement, went in to the doctor.  The next thing he knew, he was in the hospital diagnosed with diabetes and a serious infection in his leg, which rapidly became gangrenous.  The surgeon removed dead tissue, but despite all efforts, the situation deteriorated to the point where Dick had a decision to make.  

With his guardian angel Lynn by his side, Dick began his recovery as a below knee amputee.   He says it felt like he had been kicked in the stomach, and he had to figure out what he was going to do without a leg. The first thing was to get his diabetes under control and for his residual limb to heal.  During that four month period, he came to grips with his new state of health and while stuck between a bed and a wheelchair began to plan how he was going to get back to doing all the things he was doing before this happened.  And a very important priority was – how was he going to get back on his bike?

Bike - as in motorcycle.  While a self professed country boy, this West Virginia native is very well travelled – having visited a great many states all across the country on his travels over the years with Lynn on their motorcycles.  He had been riding since he was eleven years old, and he wasn’t going stop now.  He and Lynn had recently traded their two wheelers in for a “trike” – a three wheeler they could ride together, and they had great plans to continue their journeys as part of their retirement.  It was very important to figure out how he was going to make this work.  Even though he was still in a wheelchair and didn’t even have his first temporary prosthesis, he hopped onto his bike one legged, and that’s when he knew he would be able to do it.

Keeping this goal in mind, he started work with a physical therapist, and also visited Mark Treasure, Dankmeyer’s prosthetist in the La Vale, MD (Cumberland area) office. Dick had heard good things about Mark, and made arrangements with his insurance to make Dankmeyer his provider.  A retired Programmer/Analyst, Dick turned to the computer and became an avid researcher about amputation and prostheses, and says he pestered Mark with a million questions.  Dick made some cost cutting decisions when working with Mark for his first temporary prosthesis.  Now, he is getting used to a more advanced definitive prosthesis, with its multi-axis foot, and finds he is more mobile and balanced.

Everything is a process, with ongoing adjustments as he learns to do things using his prosthesis and figures out what works and what doesn’t.  He believes it is a challenge that he has to give his best shot.   Some of the anxiety he experienced when he first went out in public in shorts has gone away.  People will ask questions, particularly children, and he decided this was just part of him now – “I had to be me.”  He also notes that one gentleman thought that his leg was so well made, it simply looked like Dick was wearing a knee brace. Other amputees have been supportive and encouraging.

Now, with the Lord’s help, and that of his children, grandchildren, and friends, and with Lynn as his “enforcer”, his diabetes is well controlled, and he is back to some DIY projects. This fall, he is enjoying his West Virginia Mountaineers play well as part of NCAA football in the Big 12 conference.   More importantly, he has made some very simple modifications to the motorcycle to allow him to shift gears, and he is “back in the wind” again.  He says his beloved West Virginia is made for riding, and he and Lynn are looking forward to continuing roaming around the USA as he gets more settled with his prosthesis.  Though he is physically healed, he feels that telling his story on this first anniversary helps in his emotional healing.  He knows, without a doubt, he is headed “onward, and upward”.

For a slideshow of photographs of Dick and Lynn's travels, Dick's recovery, learning to use his temporary prosthesis and now his definitive prosthesis, then click here.

Patient Stories: William Mobberly

It is a lovely time of year to take a stroll up and down the street, or to the public park for a little people watching.  The trees are turning beautiful shades of yellow and red and the temperatures are cooler.  Your walking companion might also be interested in all the smells in the air – that is, if that companion is an eight year old Chihuahua named Butter.  Butter is William Mobberly’s constant companion these days, but it wasn’t always that way – nor could William walk at all for a long period of time.

A little over five years ago, pain in his leg sent him to the doctor where blood clots were found. The surgery to remove the clots left a wound that just would not heal.  Subsequent skin grafts didn’t resolve the problem either and he found himself in a nursing home fighting a persistent infection.  This eventually forced him to make a decision – let the infection claim his life, or amputate the leg.  He chose life, but the amputation itself was very slow to heal and he thought he would never walk again.

This was a very grim time for William.  He is very forthright when he says that he lost hope during this time.  After spending most of his life taking care of his parents, and working for the same company for 48 years, and “doing what needed to be done to get by”, at this point he didn’t know what to do.  He was at a loss – with limited resources and a limited support system.  He was frustrated with his medical care, and he was not prepared for the physical and emotional toll he was experiencing.  When he was first fitted for a temporary prosthesis, he had been in a wheelchair for some time, and had no faith that the device would allow him to become active again.  

He credits his prosthetists for getting him moving again with their quiet support and encouragement.  He doesn’t know what he would have done without Magdalena DiZebba and Sheryl Nathanson.  They encouraged him to use his prosthesis and never give up.  First - get out of the wheelchair and use a walker as an assistive device.  Next, progress to using only a cane.  When he got a definitive prosthesis to replace the temp, he put the temp in the bedroom closet to force himself to get used to the new leg.   He was living with friends, and their dog Butter became a best buddy, who slept with him at night.  William loves dogs, and fondly recalls the therapy dogs that would visit in the hospital.  One day, William decided that he could do without the cane and walked around the bedroom, with Butter on the lookout.  Every day he pushed himself to walk farther without the cane.  His steady plan paid off.  Now, he walks anywhere he wants to walk – usually taking Butter along for company.  Shopping at Walmart used to involve a scooter – but no more! And after a summer of watching friends swim, when he gets his next new prosthesis, he is going to use the old one to swim with because he doesn’t want to be left out of the fun.

It is important to William that he share his story to let other people know life is not over when bad things happen.  After a difficult medical struggle and his despair of regaining his mobility, he persevered through focus and hard work, some help from others, and Butter, of course .  Now, in his retirement, he goes out with friends. In the mornings he gets his coffee, and walks around the neighborhood, or to the park with Butter for a little people watching.  He really likes talking to people and with obvious emotion tells them about his conviction that God has a hand in all things.

Patient Stories: Donald Greenfield

Left Turn. Right Turn. About-Turn. Halt.

Military commands? While Donald Greenfield experienced similar commands after enlisting in the Army fifty years ago, in this story, these particular words, accompanied by “Sit”, “Down”, “Stay”, “Stand” and some form of Recall, are more appropriate for competing his dogs in American Kennel Club (AKC) Obedience Trials.  These commands form part of a dog’s “basic training”, so to speak – and Donald undertook obedience training his dog Star after an accident left him a below knee amputee twenty years ago. After twenty-six years as a brakeman and conductor for the CSXT railroad, he retired following his accident, but wanted to stay active. His wife Robin suggested that training their Golden Retriever would allow him to do just that in a new way. He thought that would be fun, so Donald signed Star up for a class at Catoctin Kennel Club of Point Of Rocks, MD. She was a natural, and they did very well by earning a Utility Title.

Long before training Star, Donald had been an active sportsman since growing up in Brunswick, Maryland near the Potomac River. This is where he grew to love the outdoors and wildlife and learned to hunt and fish.  It wasn’t long after graduating from Brunswick High School that he left the Potomac behind.  U.S. involvement in Vietnam had escalated following the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident, and in December 1965, Donald enlisted in the U.S. Army. After Paratrooper School at Fort Benning, GA, he was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Ben Hoi, Vietnam. November of 1967 saw some of the heaviest fighting in the Central Highlands, about 280 miles north of Saigon near the Cambodian border. He was on Hill 875, Dak To, first serving as a radio operator for the Company Commander. Both sides in this battle sustained heavy casualties, with the 173rd particularly hard hit. After 28 months of service in Vietnam, he is the recipient of two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He was a Sargent E-5 when he left the army. 

The railroad and family followed his military service. After his retirement and Star’s success, Robin and Donald brought two Shetland Sheep Dogs (Shelties) into the pack – Chase, a Blue Merle and Lucy Lu, a Bi-black.  Robin thought Donald should try his hand at something new - agility training. Agility was originally designed to resemble equestrian jumping sports - to demonstrate dogs' natural speed and agility.  Some say that this was a natural extension of military and police dog training – for dogs to make their way through a sort of obstacle course, by running, jumping, climbing and scaling objects. “Sit” and “Stay” commands were expanded by “Jump”, “Tunnel”, “A-Frame”, “Teeter”, “Tire” and “Weave” (among others) – the handler all the while running with the dog around a complicated course.  Because of the running, he wasn't sure this was something he could do with his prosthesis. Robin’s good friend Carol Guth at Breakaway Action Dog Club (BAD) in Frederick, MD assured Donald he could do it. Within a few years of beginner’s classes, Chase and Lucy Lu began to earn agility titles.  Donald and the dogs were having lots of fun.  Donald became a member and eventually an officer of the club. It wasn’t long after that when he became an agility instructor at BAD.

During this time, Mystic joined the family as a rescue dog.  Now eighteen, Donald says she is a nice dog who had clearly had some training before they got her and despite being deaf, she doesn’t want to be left out of the action.  (She is in the foreground of this picture.) The newest members of the family are two year old River and six month old Breeze - English Cream Golden Retrievers. While their family pedigree includes Master Hunters, Donald does not plan to hunt these two or do fieldwork, as Goldens often do.  Instead, he will continue to do agility for fun, and obedience trials – like their predecessor Star.  They are very smart and quick to learn, but their training is on a brief hold until Donald gets a new prosthesis.  Sadly, Robin and Donald recently said farewell to their Lucy Lu.

Along with all this agility action running about, Donald continues to enjoy hunting and fishing with his son Brian, and grandsons Adam and Joshua.  He says, “I thought I was done for after losing my foot in the accident. Thanks to my lovely wife, friends, prosthetists Mark (Hopkins) and Mary (Reedy) at Dankmeyer, I've been able to stay an active person to enjoy life to its fullest.”  A number of new awards and ribbons await River and Breeze, and their handler, Donald Greenfield.  Today, the only use of “Halt” in this decorated Army veteran’s vocabulary is for his four legged trainees.

“Obedience trials are a sport and all participants should be guided by the principles of good sportsmanship both in and out of the ring. Obedience trials demonstrate the dog’s ability to follow specified routines in the obedience ring and emphasize the usefulness of the dog as a companion to man. All contestants in a class are required to perform the same exercises in substantially the same way so that the relative quality of the various performances may be compared and scored. The basic objective of obedience trials, however, is to recognize dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places and in the presence of other dogs in a manner that will reflect credit on the sport of obedience at all times and under all conditions. The performance of dog and handler in the ring must be accurate and correct according to these regulations. It is also essential that the dog demonstrate willingness and enjoyment while it is working and that a smooth and natural handler be given precedence over a handler moving with military precision and using harsh commands.”  From the American Kennel Club Obediance Regulations.  For more information about Obedience Trials click here,  and Agility Trials, click here.

 

Patient Stories: Tod*

(This story is courtesy of the parents of a minor patient, who happens to be three years old.)

Our little boy was born prematurely via emergency c-section with a very rare in-utero phenomenon that damaged the bottom of his right leg and his right foot. The injury was becoming life threatening, so at 3 days old, he had a below-the-knee amputation. It was a long, nerve-wracking day for us as new parents, still recovering from birth, still acclimating to the NICU. However, he came through it all safely, was off of the morphine in just two days, and came home a week before his original due date.

The next year flew by with all of the usual baby milestones. Our boy was a super fast crawler and a busy explorer. Just after he learned to pull himself up, a few weeks before his 1st birthday, he got his proto-type prosthetic to learn to toddle properly. His first leg did not have bendable joints because the first lesson little kids have to learn in standing and walking is balance.

Today, our little boy is an active, happy 3-year old. He has a bendable knee now, which acts as a great shock absorber as he runs, climbs and slides. He is fearless in trying new things and going to new places. He is always the last child to come in from the playground when his preschool teachers call the class to line up. He is learning to swim and loves to meet animals, anytime and anywhere. His normal is our normal, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

(*We, as parents, have chosen to keep our son’s real name and face private. However, we are happy to share some of our parenting story if it helps others.)

Patient Stories: Jenny Windsor

When most of us get on an airplane, we don’t think much about it.  We maybe put something in the overhead, sit down, shove something under the seat in front of us, and then buckle in.  Jenny Windsor has spent a lot of time flying and her routine is somewhat different.  She says it can be hard for an amputee to sit for as little as three to four hours on a plane – your limb goes to sleep, you can get pressure sores, so she finally decided not to be embarrassed, and pull the residual limb out of the socket and let it rest, or she takes the leg off and puts it next to her.  Now, that could be a conversation starter!

Jenny is a very active forty nine year old, who, as a nineteen year old college student, was in a motor vehicle accident and spent four months in the Baltimore shock trauma facility.  After many surgeries, she made a difficult decision to have an amputation.  A lot of pain, swelling, and exhaustion were part of her rehabilitation, and she feels like her youth and good health gave her an advantage in her recovery.  She also credits her prosthetist and Dankmeyer for her leg and its fit – finding the right prosthetist being critical to recovery and success.  

A little over fifteen years ago, in order to remain active Jenny adopted a yellow lab puppy, Lilly.  As an 8 week old puppy, Lilly forced Jenny to stay active.   When her leg would hurt, or she would develop blisters from too much activity, her dear four-legged companion was there for her.  

Jenny, who also liked to hike and ski, eventually started looking for something far more strenuous, maybe an obstacle course-type event.  Last year, she participated in a couple of fitness boot camps at RAW Fitness VA, where the class dragged tires around, did burpees, pushups, kettle bell swings - basically two hours of various strenuous activities. This prompted her to want to try a Rugged Maniac obstacle course race scheduled for October. An injury caused by improper over training forced her to reschedule her competition for June of this year. At the same time she needed to see Lilly through her final illness.  

This past winter she and her husband Jack (and team member) started back in training at Baydog CrossFit in Severna Park, MD.  While she would like to work out every day, due to the physical requirements of CrossFit and a demanding work schedule she is currently limited to three days a week.  The goal is to be strong enough to work out six days a week and participate in the CrossFit Open as an “Adaptive Athlete” in 2017. (#TeamSomeAssemblyRequired) The vigorous workouts include jumping rope, push-ups, sit-ups, a variety of weight training exercises (squats, clean and jerk, snatch), rowing and other cardio work.  

Jenny has an enormous amount of support from the coaches and classmates at Baydog CrossFit.  For a couple of months, no one there knew she was an amputee.  She didn’t reveal her prosthetic leg and kept it covered by wearing long sweat pants.  She didn’t want “special” attention or to be limited with her workout due to the perception of being “handicapped”. She came to realize that in order to meet her goals as an adaptive athlete, she needed to reveal the prosthesis and place her trust in the coaches to not see her any differently than anyone else in the class.  While she does have some limitations because of her amputation, Jenny works together with her coaches to figure out the best course of action if she can’t perform an exercise the traditional way.

CrossFit teaches functional movement patterns – movements you use every day.  Jenny sees it as preparation that will help make her become strong enough to compete in and finish the Rugged Maniac 5K race.  The Maniac event requires participants to make their way through a number of difficult obstacles – some of which include mud, ropes and heights.  She was initially concerned about losing her leg in the mud! After researching the event and planning with her prosthetist Mary Reedy, after the event, when the leg is covered in mud, she will simply hose it off. Then, she will take it in to get the foot cover removed and cleaned out.  Problem solved!  

Recently, when she and her husband took a break and went on a vacation to the Grand Caymans Jenny took along her “back-up” leg to use for swimming. She could not risk damaging her every day leg by swimming with it, insurance does not cover more than one leg at a time for most amputees. #NotaLuxury. For a long time, she avoided swimming, because she was self-conscious about her leg and scars.  This time, when she was out on the boat, she simply sat down and switched out legs – she decided she didn’t care what people might think.  So, she swam with the rays, strolled on the beach, and snorkeled for a week, and after that experience has decided she wants to learn to dive.

As if that isn’t enough, part of the fun thing to know about Jenny is that she is a genuine award winning CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) chili cook when she is not being a corporate controller and an athlete!  In January, she and her husband were members of the winning “High Sierra Cooking Team” at the US National Open Championships in Terlingua, TX. In fact, it was while she was competing with her brother at a chili cook-off that she met her husband-to-be over ten years ago.  And if chili doesn’t do it for you, she is also a member of the Kansas City BBQ Society and is the head cook for Black Cat BBQ, one of a small, growing number of woman lead BBQ teams.  While it has its rewards, being a winning BBQ/chili chef is a lot of hard work.  She has been cooking at competitions for more than ten years. Being a pit master means she is on her feet long hours moving heavy bags of charcoal and equipment around.

Jenny credits her mom as being an awesome cook who has given her many of the great family recipes.  Would she share any of her award winning chili recipes? Maybe, but she really does want to share some of her experiences as an amputee.  Jenny says that you can do whatever you want to do.  It doesn’t cross her mind that she cannot do something.   She feels it is important to stay fit and healthy.  Staying active means using that leg as long as possible – giving in to occasional pain and exhaustion comes with being an amputee but giving up is not an option.  And, she wants to share this philosophy and her experiences with others.  She recently discovered all of the resources available through the Amputee Coalition, and will be training with them to be a Certified Peer Visitor.   Chili, BBQ and mud – a winning combination that is sure to entertain, and inspire others.