Yesterday we had Parker's first fitting for his prothesis. Two weeks ago he had his nub casted so they would know what size to make his leg. Casting is exactly what it sounds like, they put a cast on his nub, waited for it to dry and then took it back off. They used that mold to make this first socket. The socket was clear plastic so they could see how his nub fit in the socket and if there were any parts that were too tight or that were rubbing in uncomfortable spots. They took notes on the socket with a sharpee marker and then had him "stand" on phone books so they would know how tall to make his leg.
Parker was not a fan of the process at all, which is why the picture is from the back :-) He was not a fan of the casting process so now when he sees this doctor he immediately starts to cry. I told her not to take it personally, that she would probably end up being one of his favorite people since she could make him cool legs. He has no idea that in a few weeks he'll be able to stand up tall and move around with a lot less effort.
We go back to the Scottish Rite in about two weeks to try on one more test socket. On the next fitting they will also add a leg and foot so they can work on getting the correct foot size and placement. After that the next step will be to have a week of physical therapy at the hospital with Parker's new leg. At the end of the week they will keep the leg for a couple of days to make any necessary adjustments and then Parker will get his leg!
