Bad Leg Weekend

It has been a long time since my limb has hurt so severely that I haven't been able to walk. I can push through a good deal of pain, but this weekend I wasn't able to wear my leg without wincing. Walking with pain and a severe limp always discourages and frustrates me. Nothing makes me feel more disabled than being limited because of pain!

My purse is overflowing with a variety of socks, each with a different thickness, in the hopes of padding my stump to create a comfortable fit. Despite my efforts, nothing helped. I finally gave up on my prosthetic, resigned to the fact that I am dealing with a nerve issue in my limb and not simple shrinkage.

Since the pain started on Thursday during my session with my trainer, it became progressively more intense with each step. Saturday I was hobbling around with a gait akin to Quasimodo. By Sunday I couldn't wear my leg at all and was confined to the couch for much of the day.

To my frustration, removing my prosthetic only alleviated some of the discomfort. My leg continued to hurt and created a pain radiating from my phantom ankle up to my hip. I have never experienced anything like this before, and I was beginning to worry! It has kept me from sleeping and enjoying life.


Out of desperation I pulled out my massage pillow, looking for some relief but not overly optimistic that it would be found. I had reconciled that the issue was somehow nerve related. Lacking anything else to do, I decided to give massage a try.


Almost instantly I felt jolting electric shocks as I positioned my stump between the shiatsu balls on the pillow. I quickly realized that I needed to ease into the massage, slowly relaxing my leg on the pillow without adding pressure.  After about five minutes I was able to tolerate the full massage pressure, and I began to feel pressure release from the outside of my leg.


I continued with the massage for about 30 minutes before I decided to give my prosthetic a try. Gingerly I pulled on my liner and cautiously stepped into my leg. I was expecting the stabbing pain that had become common place. Instead I felt nothing except the wonderful absence of discomfort. My leg felt completely normal!


I am kicking myself for spending so many days suffering before trying the massage pillow. If I had given my standby treatment for limb pain a chance, I might have avoided days of agony and missed sleep. Right now I'm just grateful to feel normal again.


I am not sure what caused my angry limb. I can only guess that an exercise caused the muscle to tighten around a nerve. Whatever the cause, I'm just happy to walk without pain!