Swimming and an Explanation

Swimming? Yes, you can. I have always had some sort of swimming leg. And over the years, they have evolved. My first swim leg was simply my every-day prosthesis with a rubber sleeve covering, then taped at the top with water-proof tape to keep out the water. A previous post explains how that was a fail (see "A Few Vignettes"). After that, a special "swim leg" was made for me and was solely for swimming. That worked great and had a "Kingsley Beachcomber" foot molded right onto the end.

Aunt Alice...............Bertha.............Christy...............Destiny
The kids insisted on giving them names.

In the photo at right, that swim leg (Aunt Alice) is shown on the far left. You can see the "P-Lite" liner that went on first, then slipped inside the exoskeleton. I don't recall exactly, but I think that swim leg was made for me in about 1988 (update: after talking to Duane, we determined that it was probably more like 1991). It has been rather uncomfortable to wear for about the last 10 years, so I have not really enjoyed swimming or, especially, the beach. The fit is no longer good, which is the source of the discomfort, but at the beach add to that the sand that enters the prosthesis from the top when one wades into the surf and then grinds into one's skin when walking.... well, I go to the beach for the kids not for myself. The prosthesis to the right of that, Bertha, is my old every-day, exoskeletal prosthesis with the Seattle foot.

 Next, Christy is my new swim leg.When we were discussing with Dennis what I could use for a swim leg to replace the old one, there were a couple of options, but then when he had to go back to re-fabricate a lighter socket, we decided to use the first final socket (now Christy) as the new swim leg. It fits exactly like my lighter final socket (Destiny) and has the Venture foot, it is just heavier. Perfect for use every now and then for swimming. Swim-Christy is pictured at right after I took her out for a swim yesterday at a local swim center. This was so superior to old Aunt Alice.
1) It was completely comfortable.
2) I could wear it to walk in and swim in, so I did not have to bring an extra leg in my swim bag.
3) The knee sleeve kept the water from entering the gel liner, so my leg inside the prosthesis stayed dry. This will be awesome at the beach for keeping out the sand!
4) I was able to towel-dry the knee sleeve after our swim, and change into my jeans without getting wet.

The only downside that I have to figure out is that the foot cover holds water and it was awkward trying to get the water out without taking off my socket. I may have to decide between awkwardness and the inconvenience of removing and replacing the socket. Also, the foot cover is very hard to remove to allow the whole thing to dry properly at home. This is very important to keep the parts from rusting and getting moldy. I need to find a tool. Note to self: ask Dennis about a foot-cover-removal tool.