|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
Cheri Cullen
In 1993, Cheri Cullen, a 28-year-old wife and mother of two young sons, made the difficult decision to amputate her right leg above the knee. Past treatment for bone cancer had left her with a painful and essentially useless leg. Cheri hoped that her quality of life would improve once the painful limb was removed and she was fitted with a modern prosthesis. “I desperately wanted to be able to keep up with my boys and all their activities, as well as help my husband, Chris, run the family business,” Cheri remembers.
Extensive radiation damage had left Cheri with just a 4-inch-long residual limb. She was initially fit with a suction socket, which proved unreliable. The socket simply would not stay on. Cheri never knew when a slight movement or everyday action such as driving or sitting down for a meal in a restaurant would create a loss of suction that would cause her leg to rotate or come off entirely. I always had to think about and plan for anywhere I’d go,” says Cheri. The daily anxiety and sheer danger associated with the possibility of her prosthesis coming off at random times took a toll on Cheri’s life. Unable to function confidently, Cheri first tried using a cane for more stability, and when that too proved ineffective she became quite the expert on crutches. At that point, Cheri considered giving up on prosthetics altogether. “I figured I could move faster using my crutches, and didn’t have to worry about what my leg might or might not do.”
Nevertheless, despite her ability to accomplish such amazing feats as carrying a cup of coffee across a room while on crutches, Cheri continued to search for a socket that would allow her to effectively wear a prosthetic limb. Over the years, she tried several sockets of different design including pin-liner and seal-in liner systems. Although there was some improvement in comfort, she would still lose suction due to the short length of her residual limb. Cheri’s frustration grew, she began to wear her prosthesis less and less, and she became more and more convinced that she would spend the rest of her life using crutches.
In December 2007, at the urging of a friend, Cheri flew from her home in California to POA in Florida and was fitted with an NPS socket. Within days she was walking without a cane and felt confident in her gait. More importantly, the socket felt comfortable and secure. It wouldn’t fall off! She puts her prosthesis on in the morning and doesn’t remove it until she goes to bed at night. “The team at POA was so helpful and encouraging,” says Cheri. “I walked out of their office and flew back to California in comfort and with confidence.”
Since then, Cheri has been living life to the fullest. She has taken some long motorcycle rides with her husband – something she would never try before for fear her leg would fall off. Cheri has also noticed she can walk farther with more stamina than before. “I’m definitely happy I made the decision to try the NPS socket despite my concern about the distance between POA and my home in California. The system is so simple; very little can go wrong.” |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prosthetics & Orthotics of Central Florida | (800) 745-2556 | (407) 245-7770 |
|
|