This is his Prosthetist, Phil. Phil is the shit! Apparently he is THE guy to go to for prosthetics. He trains many of the other prosthetists in Southern California, and he is the premier choice for other prosthetists who are amputees themselves. We learned yesterday that he works with the world champion surfer girl who lost her arm; the one they made a movie about. He makes her arm. He also made an arm for the Def Leopard dude.
We love Phil. He spends quality time evaluating and getting to know you. He is thorough and helpful and very personable. We have never felt rushed by him. He always makes sure all of our questions are answered, and if possible, that we can see and feel examples of what he is talking about. The only down side of all this amazing customer service is that he is always running late. Both times we have seen him we waited forty five minutes past our appointment time to see him, as did the patient scheduled after us. But unlike most doctors and dentist offices, we feel the trade off is worth it because of his attentiveness to us when we are in there with him and his dedication to our satisfaction. It really is quite unique.
So, the good news is that the initial clear test socket will be ready in a week and a half. We will go back then and Nick will stand up for the first time. While he is standing and hopefully walking within the parallel bars, Phil will be assessing the fit of the socket. And since this first one is clear, he can get a good view of any unnecessary pressure points and do away with them on the final carbon fiber molding. After this test run, it will be about three or four more days until his real legs are ready to pick up, take home and use. That’s when the real rehab will begin.
Nick Fener 