Tight socket = Increasing Weight!

May was a busy month full of celebrations. Like most families, our celebrations always involve food. Between Mother's Day, traveling and my birthday, I am afraid I fell off the "healthy living" wagon. Disappointed but not discouraged, I am determined to regain control over my waistline.

I am hesitant to call my lifestyle change a diet. After all, I didn't embark on my weight loss journey purely to lose pounds. I wanted to improve the quality of my health and to be the kind of Mom my son deserves and one that will make him proud. This is a lot more than vanity.

I don't need to step onto a scale to let me know that I've gained a little weight. No, my pants aren't tighter and my shirts aren't tugging. I can tell that I've gained weight because my socket is becoming tight.

A tight socket leads to an uncomfortable fitting prosthetic. My residual limb feels like it is being contorted and squished. It causes me to have increased phantom pain at night and a more severe "cricket leg." I never realized how much a 5 pound weight fluctuation would affect the fit of my leg! I cannot blame my tight socket on "shrinking in the dryer," so I can only assume that I am getting bigger.

I am at a crossroads in my journey. I can either recommit myself to a healthy lifestyle. Or, I can switch out my socket with one that is larger. I am choosing the brown rice and bicycle.

When I was pregnant I went through 3 check sockets and 2 permanent sockets. That is a lot of fluctuation in just 9 months! I was surprised that the swelling in my residual limb was present for up to 8 weeks after Robby was born.

I continued to require new sockets as my weight loss increased. I estimate I needed a new socket for every 30 pounds I lost. It is wonderful to be able to go to my prosthetist because my socket is too big. It is humiliating to go when the socket is too tight. I refuse to allow this to happen again.

So, I am going to attack the widening stump before it gets out of control. According to the scale, I gained 5 pounds in May. Not a lot, but enough for me to become proactive. Through eating correctly and increased exercise, I know that I will shed those few extra pounds. I am doing it for my son and myself. Becoming unhealthy is just not an option. Wish me luck!