I apologize to our family who have been patiently waiting to see Reni's new legs! By the time I think about photographing Reni and his legs it's either time to make supper or the sun has gone down (way too early)! Tonight Nathan graciously set aside some time to splice a few short clips together, compress them for web and upload them to You Tube. I apologize for the terrible focus issue at times -- I was not shooting on a video camera! What you'll see in this video is the process of putting his legs on, then a few passes of him walking back and forth in them.
In reality, transitioning to these legs has been like learning to walk all over again. I'll try to get a side-by-side photo of these new legs and his old legs, but I think they are about 40% taller. He has major fear of falling in them and sometimes just cries to get them off as soon as we put them on. Nathan surmised this evening that the new design requires him to hold his left leg flexed down all the time (at what looks like the "knee" joint) and that's just really uncomfortable for him since it's not usually in that position. They also come up much higher on his legs so bending over is also uncomfortable (we think it pinches or pokes him at the waist). This is all discouraging, but part of the process. Having seen how well he took to his first legs, I think he will eventually get back up to his former speed in these. It will just take time for him to adjust to his new height and the new feel. They compress his leg tissue considerably more and we were warned that this would be a big adjustment, but the upside is they won't rotate like his old legs (which would result in feet pointed is strange directions). So far, though, that doesn't seem to be the source of his concern. Of course, because he's just 27 months, it's not like he can really articulate exactly what he doesn't like about them. We'll try to keep you posted as to his progress in them. Thanks for your interest!
Now the video! Nathan starts with a demonstration of putting on the legs and the many layers that go underneath (just in case you are interested)...
6 comments:
I can't believe how much he has progressed this year. He is so beautiful. He was doing great on those legs too! Thanks for the video, it was good to sit in your living room for a few moments and spend time with you guys.
Blessings,
Laurie
He is so handsome & so brave. He's really doing well with his new legs. I can't wait to watch him just get better & better. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
How precious and how exciting!!! What a boy!!! Knowing Reni, he will get better and better with the new legs. He is so handsome and so sweet at the same time!!! Reni, God has special plans for you. Only eternity will reveal all the lives and hearts Reni will touch!! It is so special to watch Ellie and Reni's interactions!! They are great siblings.
Thank you so much for sharing the video clip with us - it is awesome to see the progress he is making and how he is adapting to his new legs - it will take time but I know he has the resilience to master it in time - it was also great to hear how Ellie encourages him and also to hear how well he is speaking - May God continue to Bless you and your family
I love being one of your "bloggies"!!
Love this video!
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