April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month

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I had a VA appointment yesterday with the amputation clinic for my yearly/18 month check up. It was good to be able to talk to them and just check in and to know from the medical side that everything is going as it should. But then while I was there waiting to go in I ran into one of the research coordinators from the CLIMB center (Center for Limb Loss & Mobility) who was there to talk to people to see if they were interested in volunteering for some studies.

So while talking with her and then waiting for a little bit as they were trying to get things setup (the internet/intranet for the whole hospital was down) I started talking with a few other people who walked by and got asked to participate in 3 other studies.

1) Interview being videoed to use for a information site for new or soon to be amputees.

2) Doing a video showing & explaining the steps to put on and take off your prosthetic to include the liner & socks.

3) Assist in the development of 3D computer models & simulations of limb loss. So they are going to apply sensors all over my body and then using IR map how my body moves while walking as a slow/normal/fast pace. Once this is all done they can then use the simulator to change things on the computer generated model to see how it affects the simulated amputee.

And I ran into the researchers who I had worked with on the last study I was involved with and she told me that there were 2 studies coming up that they would be contacting me to volunteer in if interested. So it sounds like I will have a busy summer with all these studies. The NICE part for me is that I earn a little extra spending money while also helping advance research for amputees.
 
I worked at a factory where there were lots of missing fingers. Those were pre OSHA people.

One guy had a thumb pulled off roping a bull.

The best one was an old 80 year old guy who did consulting for us decommissioning power plants he helped build. He was missing a finger and I asked him how he lost it. Motorcycle accident .... a couple years ago. 😳 He had started riding again at 75 after his wife died. He would work 6 months and travel a country or continent for 6 months.

That was in 2001. It would not surprise me if he's still out riding around in some foreign country.
 
I worked at a factory where there were lots of missing fingers. Those were pre OSHA people.

One guy had a thumb pulled off roping a bull.

The best one was an old 80 year old guy who did consulting for us decommissioning power plants he helped build. He was missing a finger and I asked him how he lost it. Motorcycle accident .... a couple years ago. 😳 He had started riding again at 75 after his wife died. He would work 6 months and travel a country or continent for 6 months.

That was in 2001. It would not surprise me if he's still out riding around in some foreign country.
I worked with a guy that had a patent for an electronic rope release for bull riding. He either had a masters or PHD in mechanical engineering.

His prior life, before engineering school, he was a roughneck in Alaska, great stories about the people he encountered there. But, he was missing several fingers on one hand. Multiple run ins with a V-belt on the rigs.