New legs...part 2

So that same day we got his new legs we started our new routine of working with Israel and his prostheses. They want us putting them on him once a day for one hour at a time, of which 10 minutes of that needs to be standing. To you, this may not seem like a big deal. But to us and to Israel, it is a very big deal! Just learning how to properly put the prostheses on is a challenge in and of itself. Making sure they are on at the correct angle and not pinching or rubbing. And then also making sure they are on tight enough so they don't fall on when he kicks his legs. As you can see from the pictures one is different than the other. Israel's left leg is so short and chubby that as soon as we put it on and he kicks his leg and it flies off! So that leg gets a special sleeve to help hold it on :-) It's made out of the same material as wet suit material so it is tight, but breathable. The right prosthetic leg is held on by pressure...it's pretty cool how these things work! Israel didn't mind wearing them all that much, so long as he was sitting :-) Standing though...now that is work! If you think about it, any child who is born "normal" starts learning to stand at a very young age. You bounce them on your lap, their legs buckle from the pressure after about 2 seconds, you stand them up on the floor while being supported as they slowly get stronger and such things for a very long time before they ever stand on their own. So when the time finally comes and they are able to stand up, it is only after months of training that neither you nor they realized they were even doing. So basically that is where we are starting with Israel right now. He has never been able to ever stand before, ever! So we are starting from square one. And it's hard work! It take a lot from both him and I to get him to stand for any amount of time. But just as when you practice anything, I know in time he will get stronger and eventually be able to stand better and better. It is just going to be a very long road!