Booth Duty

Yesterday was a long day in the booth. Standing on my feet, smiling and trying to be inviting and engaging can be exhausting! I returned to my room and couldn't wait to remove my leg and relax for an hour before returning downstairs for dinner. Confidentially, I did order six chocolate chip cookies from room service in order to help me through the days!

There are a slew of new products on the horizon, and I can't wait to share some of them in future blogs. Prosthetics are offering more power and options while the size and weight are becoming more manageable. I learned about a liner donned by arm amputees with embedded electrodes which communicate with the prosthetic to facilitate natural movements. The next twelve months will be an exciting time in the prosthetic field!

I met some fascinating people yesterday. I spoke with prosthetists from all over the world. Despite the language and cultural differences, they all voiced the same basic concerns: what can they do to restore function to their patients? I loved meeting a fan from Kansas and enjoyed getting my photo taken with her. I met a man from Taiwan who told me (with the corresponding hand motions) that I was "very very wide." Needless to say, it was not my favorite booth dialogue!

Today promises to be another tiring day as the booth is open for ten hours. I'm sure I'll return to my room worn out with my head swirling with ideas and information. The one benefit of being so busy is that it keeps feelings of homesickness and missing my little boy to a minimum. I know he is fine and will return home full of new tricks. I can hardly wait!