Garrison

My sister-in-law's sister goes to church with a boy in Colorado who had a rotationplasty six years ago. I talked to his mom at length the other day about their experience with cancer. Garrison was six years old when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. It was very nice to talk to someone who has been in our shoes, and is having such success down the road a little. He is doing great. He plays soccer, basketball, is on his school's jump rope team, does the slip-and-slide and has no problem telling people about his amputation. Here is a picture I found of him on the internet. I love the look on the girl's face.



I don't know if I have the time or you have the interest for me to recount the entire conversation, but here are a few things she told me in no particular order:

We need to install a hand held shower head and get a bench for the shower (I bought one today, we're good)

On wet surfaces, it is easy to slip with a prosthetic foot

Getting a good prosthesist is essential

Garrison needs to get a new leg about every year

Garrison was fit for a prosthetic about four weeks or so after his surgery and a leg a month or two after that

The foot fits into the prosthestic leg in a ballerina point

Wearing the leg as often as possible is important to keep his body used to walking this way

Garrison still uses his crutches sometimes when his leg is off. At first, he crawled a lot, now he kind of walks with his other knee off the ground, bearing weight on both feet. Crawling might be easier, but they want him to preserve his other joint

Seeing his leg after the surgery was really hard for him. The foot on backwards bothered him less than the staples and swelling

His foot still grows

Clipping toenails is essential

He is considered an AKA (above the knee amputee) as far as the paralympics is concerned

This family has no regrets about the rotationplasty and would do it again if he had cancer in his other leg. The whole cancer and amputation experience has taught them a lot and has given him opportunities to do things he never would have otherwise. Talking to her was really inspirational, to see how they have turned such a hard thing into something so positive.