I’m really looking forward to getting together with friends this weekend. On Saturday, a group from Westcoast Brace & Limb is participating in the “I Will Inspire” 5K or 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk/Wheel. Team Westcoast is a mixture of people at all athletic abilities: we will have staff members as well as many patients. I think this event will be a blast, because we will all represent many different challenges. But what brings us all together is our determination to not let those challenges interfere with our adventures, athleticism, activities and social events.

The “I Will Inspire” event is organized by the New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club, partnering with the I WILL Foundation and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. It starts at 8:00 a.m., February 18th, at Telecom Park in Tampa and is hosted by Florida Orthopaedic Institute. The 5K chip-timed race is designed for athletes of all abilities, whether running, walking or wheeling! Beneficiaries of the event include Operation Helping Hand and the I Will Foundation.

The number of people participating on Team Westcoast promises that there will be someone finishing their run, walk or wheelchair race at the same pace and time as you will. This is one of the only events where wheelchairs, walkers and hand cycles all participate together. Come out and enjoy fresh air, friendships, sunlight and the great feeling you get when you know you are making a difference for others. For more information and to register, look for “I WILL Inspire” on www.active.com. Hope to see you there!

In this issue of the Westcoast Wire: 
• New Westcoast Ability Clinics Offer Options, Expertise and Fun
• A Note From Westcoast Brace & Limb Case Management: Insurance 101
• Neuro-Stimulation Clinic Opens To Evaluate Adults and Children Full Range of FES Devices Offered Only at Westcoast

After surgery involving lymph nodes, some women may experience a condition known as lymphedema, or a swelling of one or both arms. Westcoast offers a range of compression garment styles including elastic two-way stretch sleeves worn under clothing during the day and padded, custom-fitted garments with stitching to guide the flow of lymph. Other styles have features that soften fibrotic tissues and all are available in stock sizes or can be custom-ordered.
]]> http://www.wcbl.com/uncategorized/lymphedema-sleeves/feed/ 0 http://www.wcbl.com/wcbl-news/for-patients-who-may-be-fes-candidates/ http://www.wcbl.com/wcbl-news/for-patients-who-may-be-fes-candidates/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:58:12 +0000 andres http://www.wcbl.com/?p=2554 MORE >]]>

Only Westcoast Brace & Limb Offers Free Screenings and the Full Range of Functional Electrical Stimulation devices — including the newly released Pediatric WalkAide and Bioness L300 Plus — for adult and pediatric patients in the Tampa Bay area with neurological disorders affecting upper and lower extremities.

Kristin Cummins, MS OTR/L, has joined Westcoast as our Clinical Specialist in Functional Electrical Stimulation. Kristin is a frequent guest speaker and leads courses for medical professionals on FES. She also is a licensed Occupational Therapist. Kristin is available to schedule demonstrations of products that will help maximize the independence of adult and pediatric patients.

If you’re a physician or therapist and would like a product demonstration, information on our Continuing Education courses or to schedule free screenings for your patients at our offices in North and West Tampa, St. Pete, Brandon and Palm Harbor, please contact Kristin at 813-985-5000 or kristin.cummins@wcbl.com.

A couple of years after becoming an amputee I realized I was gaining a lot of weight and had developed some pretty bad habits. I got a membership at the local gym and started trying to get into better shape. But, in order to lose weight you have to get your heart rate up for an extended period of time. So I started riding the stationary bike at the gym to get my heart rate up. They had TVs in front of all of the bikes so I could easily get lost in a show and have been riding for 30 minutes before I realized it. This was great exercise. But unfortunately, the skin on the front of my legs is very fragile, and I started to develop sores from the friction. I became very discouraged and thought I was doomed to a life of being over weight and unhealthy.

Soon afterwards, I was introduced to an organization called TAASC (The Adaptive Adventure and Sports Coalition). They had lots of different adaptive sports equipment they would let members use. I asked to borrow one of their bikes and began riding with them on the weekends. Before I knew it I was getting into better shape and feeling more confident in myself. I had also made some really good friendships during these rides. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to join some of the group in a marathon.

The closer the date for the marathon got the more excited I became. I had not been this anxious about anything in a long time. The morning of the race there were so many of my friends there. We were all excited and ready to show that all of our training was not in vain. We were not amputees, paraplegics, or anything else. We were cyclists. Our goal was to complete this race the best we could, regardless of our personal challenges. During the race we were all competitors, as well as friends, inspiring and motivating each other. Along the course there were thousands of cheering spectators. It seemed like they were cheering especially hard for us. We were not only overcoming the physical demands of completing a marathon on a hand cycle, we were also pushing our bodies to struggle pass whatever physical challenges we have. At the end of the race there was a celebration like you could not believe, all of us had accomplished one of the greatest physical challenges we had ever attempted, 26.2 miles non stop!

Cycling has been a huge part of my rehabilitation. It has dramatically improved my physical and mental health. By gradually challenging myself to do a little better or go a little further each time, I have gained lots of confidence and self esteem. But most of all, it has allowed me to meet great people who have become my friends, heroes, and support network. If I hadn’t been introduced to hand cycling, my life would not be the same. Today I am happy and healthy and I owe most of it to cycling.

Last week I was honored to participate in the great American teach in. For those of you who are not familiar with this, it is an event where the professionals are asked to come in and speak to school children about their profession. Lee Greenburg, licensed orthotist/prosthetist, who works at Westcoast Brace & Limb in Saint Petersburg, asked if I would like to help him with his presentation for this event. Lee explained that usually he goes each year and tells the children about what it is like to be a prosthetist. During his presentation, he likes to show the children a couple of different types of prosthetics. This year he had something different in mind.
For this year’s presentation Lee had decided he wanted to first tell the children why he had decided to become a prosthetist, the type of education required to enter this profession, and what a prosthetist does on a daily basis. Next, he introduced me and I briefly told my story about how I became an amputee. Then I talked about overcoming the challenges and how significant sports and exercise played in my recovery. Lee asked me to bring my handcycle, and running prosthetics. After I spoke about my road to recovery, took a couple fast laps around the track on my hancycle. Then I transitioned to my running prosthetics and jogged a couple laps. As I returned to the children their eyes were wide open with curiosity. So we opened it up to a question. All of the children asked great questions and it was great to see them excited about prosthetics.

While we were there, the teachers found our presentation so interesting that they asked if we would speak to a couple of the other classes. All together, we spoke to one 3rd grade class and four 6th grade classes.

I really enjoyed this event with Lee and his children’s classes. I felt it was great opportunity for the children to learn about the interesting profession of prosthetics/orthotics. Often times parents tell their children not to stare, pulling them away before they can ask any question that may be embarrassing, so it was also a great time to stare and ask any question they wanted to ask without their parents holding them back.

The one lesson that I wanted the kids to go home with was, it’s OK to ask questions and be curious, as long as they are sincere and not making fun of someone who is different.

I hope the class enjoyed the presentation as much as I did. I can’t wait to go back next year!

I have flown often since I became an amputee 11 years ago. I noticed on a couple of my trips the volume of my legs changed. This trip involved not only the change in altitude of flying but also the difference elevation change from Florida to New Jersey and back again within 3 days. On this weekend trip to New Jersey I had an issue with my left leg. For several months before I went on this trip I had remained in a one ply sock on both legs, with a great fit. When we arrived in New Jersey our hotel room was not ready so we headed to the golf course to get in some practice. That night I noticed my leg was not fitting well. The next morning my left leg had some swelling, and my right was just fine. We played in the golf tournament and flew home the next day. By the time I got back to Florida, the volume of my left leg had increased to the point where I had difficulty wearing my prosthesis.

Another factor that plays a role in the volume change while traveling is the change in climate. When I left Florida the temperature was around 85 and the humidity was about 85%. In New Jersey there was an obvious difference, it was Fall weather. It was a crisp 60 degrees with very low humidity. This may have not been what changed the size of my leg but it is definitely a factor you should take into consideration when traveling.

A commonly overlooked culprit that affects the fit of a prosthetic is weight and fluid retention. When you change your typical diet it can have huge effects on your volume of your residual limb. Every meal during these three days was from a restaurant. One night on this trip everyone socialized in the hotel lounge. This is very different from my normal diet. I don’t think I gain much weight in such a short period of time. However, I’m sure the difference in the amount of sodium intake could have made a significant difference in my fluid retention.

Since becoming an amputee, I have done my best to continue all of the things in life I enjoy. Most things in life I still enjoy but I have realized sometimes I have to adapt to changes from my normal daily routine. The motto of amputees should be: “prepare and adapt”.

“My early experience with silicone restoration was not satisfying at all. It was a long process of failed appointments trying to achieve a comfortable fit and obtain a color match that was close to natural.
After paying thousands of dollars and being disappointed I found Westcoast Brace & Limb who included me in every part of the process from start to finish. Not only is the staff very talented and friendly, but the prosthesis is so natural and realistic that many people can’t even tell that it’s artificial. This is important in order to try and get through each day without being reminded of my accident and reliving it every time someone questions it. I am very grateful for the work they do because without my prosthesis I don’t feel “complete.”