Yesterday I went into the orthopedics office and got my test socket for my prosthetic leg fitted. Now I'm wearing it and walking on it, the latter not as much as the former, while we go through adjustments before the final version is made. This isn't quite the cybernetic future I was promised, but it will do for now. After spending weeks in a chair, actually being able to stand on two feet, even if one of them isn't real, is fantastic.
As I expected, I am learning how to walk again. It's not the total rebuild you see in the movies; it's about the finer elements, by comparison, having to do with making use of certain muscles when moving. These are things you do unconsciously if you're able, but have to relearn consciously when you're resorting to a prosthetic. For me, it means that I can never skip Leg Day because everyday is Leg Day; I need those muscles, in both legs, to be strong to be able to return to a more-or-less normal walking gate. We haven't even gotten to addressing stairs and curbs yet.
My orthopedics doctor told me that I can get the final version customized, if I can get it put on something in fabric like a t-shirt or a bandana. (Yes, it's consumed in the process.) So I settled on this subtle display saying "SIEG ZEON!" It's the unit badge for Zeon's Living Dead Division as seen in Thunderbolt, the one made up entirely of amputees. If I could get that in the next few weeks so I can have it transferred to the final socket, that would be great.
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