May Newsletter Vol. 5 Issue 5
Fundraising Events for ASPIRE & Team A Step Ahead Dave Balsley, P.T. and Phil Kreuter, P.T. will each be participating in endurance events to raise funds for ASPIRE and Team A Step Ahead. Dave will be attempting for the second time, The Badwater Ultramarathon, from July 26-28 the toughest ultra-marathon in the world. Badwater is a 135 mile race that starts in Death Valley and finishes at the portal to Mount Whitney. The race traverses 3 mountain passes where temperatures can reach over 130 degrees. Dave will be accompanied by a crew to assist him during this 2 ½ day event which will include Erik Schaffer, Amy Palmiero-Winters, Phil Kreuter, and Sarah Reinersten.
Phil will be competing in Newton’s Revenge, a bike race up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire on July 12. The Mt. Washington bike race is considered one of the toughest up hill bike races in the world. It climbs to a summit of 6,288 feet over 7.6 miles with an average percent grade of 12%.
Donations for each of these events can be based on mileage or for the up hill bike race on elevation climbed. Donations can also be made to ASPIRE and Team A Step Ahead in any amount. Donations for ASPIRE and Team A Step Ahead should be sent to ASPIRE/Badwater Run or APSIRE/Bike race fundraiser c/o GLIRC 101-24 Dupont Street, Plainview New York 11803. For more information on these two fundraising races contact Phil Kreuter at 516-681-3484.
Amputee Support Groups The next ASPIRE support group meeting will be held on Wednesday May 28 at 6:15 pm at the Hospital for Special Surgery located at 535 East 70th Street, NY. For more information about the ASPIRE support group contact Charlie Steele at charlieatl@aol.com or (212) 877-7050. New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Amputee Education and Support Group
Every First Friday of the Month 9-11 AM Hoyt Board Room Children’s Hospital of New York in Room 121, 3959 Broadway New York, NY 10032. (Enter on West 167th and Broadway at the glass Energy Court).
For further information and to RSVP, please contact Annette Ward at 212-305-3964. The Long Island amputee support group meets the first Saturday of each month at South Side Hospital, 301 East Main Street in Bayshore. If you are interested in joining this group contact Jodi Adler at 631-968-3330.
A.B.C. Certification A Step Ahead Prosthetics received its official ABC (American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics) facility accreditation. The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics is the national certifying and accrediting body for the orthotic and prosthetic professions. Accreditation indicates that the facility has met established standards set by Medicare as well as indicating a high level of dedication and commitment to the profession. For more information on ABC facility accreditation go to: http://www.abcop.org/Facility_Accreditation.asp
From the Prosthetist
Spring & Summer As summer approaches and the temperature increases, several issues may develop with the fit of your prosthesis. Sweating is a major concern. If you wear a below knee prosthesis sweating can contribute to a sloppy fit with poor suspension. Throughout the course of the day you may have to take your prosthesis and silicone liner off and dry off both the liner and your skin. If you don’t, you will be subjecting your limb to a wet and sloppy fit that may potentially lead to skin breakdown and bone bruising. If drying off your limb does not help, there are anti-perspirants that can be applied to you limb. If over the counter antiperspirants don’t work you should seek advice from a dermatologist regarding stronger prescription anti-perspirants. If you wear an above knee prosthesis we advise the same care if you use a silicone liner with a seal or lanyard. If your prosthesis is suspended by total suction, taking off your prosthesis and drying you limb and applying a light coating of medicated powder would be a good first option. Another option would be to apply an anti-perspirant. Another concern in the warm summer weather is volume fluctuation. Your residual limb may increase in size due to the heat. If you wear a below the knee prosthesis, this issue can be resolved easily by reducing sock ply. For above the knee, an adjustment to your socket may be necessary. The heat may pose difficulty for donning an above knee prosthesis. Staying in a well air conditioned room for about 15- 20 minutes and then donning the prosthesis may make it easier. If you have more questions about how to manage with the changes in temperature and how it affects your residual limb call our office and speak to your prosthetist.
|
|
Skin Tones Waterproof A.K. Prosthesis |
Summer is the best time to consider making some changes and/or additions to your prosthesis. If you love the beach, the pool, or water sports, we can fabricate a customized waterproof prosthesis for you. If you have always had the desire to wear shorts and sandals in the summer, we can design and fabricate a custom silicone skin cover for you. Save your old prosthetics components and we can use them to make a waterproof prosthesis for all your warm weather activities. The Skin Tones System can even be designed to be used in the water as a fully waterproof prosthesis that can be submerged for swimming and other water sports. For more information about our Skin Tones System, visit our website and view our photo gallery or call to speak to one of our prosthetists.
Taking the Fight for Parity to Congress
The Amputee Coalition of America is the national organization that represents people with limb loss and limb deficiency. The ACA has been working to advance prosthetic parity legislation at the state and federal level. Prosthetic parity simply means that health insurance companies must cover prosthetic care on par with other essential medical care.
Ten states now have prosthetic parity laws in place. Vermont is the most recent state to pass prosthetic parity legislation. The Green Mountain state joins CO, ME, NH, CA, MA, RI, OR, NJ, and IN in taking a stand for amputees' access to care. Another 29 states are working to advance legislation.
The Prosthetic Parity Act, HR 5615, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March. The bill was authored by Representative Robert Andrews (D-NJ). Representatives George Miller (D-CA), Todd Platts (R-PA), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) signed on as original sponsors. This bill will make certain that insured working people, can continue supporting their families. It will ensure that the tragedy of children living without a limb is not compounded by forcing them to spend the rest of their childhood in a wheelchair when help is readily available. To raise awareness about the need, create excitement about the effort, and to build support for federal legislation, the ACA is holding the National Week of Action. The National Week of Action is being held from Saturday, April 26 through Friday, May 2. The ACA is working with supporters to plan house parties, gather postcards, and hold meetings in the district offices of local members of Congress. More than thirty states are holding events during the week of action. The American people deserve health care coverage for catastrophic illness or injury, the very reason they purchase health insurance. This bill is restorative. It will return people to work and will help them to reclaim their lives and do so at no additional cost to the American taxpayers. HR 5615 is aimed at making sure that amputees have access to medically necessary care. It's not only the right thing to do, it's also a sound policy decision. The ACA needs your help to ensure the passage of this important legislation! Write to your member of Congress. Send a letter to your local paper. Tell your family, friends & neighbors about HR 5615. Get involved and help protect meaningful coverage for amputee care! For more information about how to get involved, contact the ACA National Advocacy Office at 202/742-1886 or federal@amputee-coalition.org. ACA Youth Camp The 2008 Amputee Coalition of America Youth Camp will be held July 20-24, 2008, at Joy Outdoor Education Center in Clarksville, Ohio. For more information on the ACA youth camp go to: http://www.amputee-coalition.org/youth_camp.html ACA Annual Conference The annual conference of Amputee Coalition of America will be held from June 18-21 in Atlanta Georgia. For more information and to register for this informative conference go to the following website: http://www.amputee-coalition.org/annual_meeting_about.html
Mobility Clinic Join Dave Balsley, P.T. and Phil Kreuter, P.T. at the Jericho High School track on Long Island for their monthly mobility clinic at 10 am on Sunday May 18. They will provide instruction in gait training and running techniques as well as advanced mobility skills. Dave and Phil have extensive experience working with amputees of all ages and activity levels.
Come work out with world class athletes and learn from experienced coaches and physical therapists. The setting is relaxed and enjoyable. There is no pressure, come learn and see what you can do to improve yourself or just watch. For more information and directions to the mobility clinic, please call the office at 516-681-3484.
Lynn & Jamie Parks at the Boston Marathon Lynn & Jamie Parks competed in their first marathon with the customized racing chair donated by A Step Ahead Prosthetics at the Boston Marathon. They finished in a time of 3 hours and 25 minutes and 46 seconds, a 7:51 per mile pace. Jamie and Lynn reported that the chair was flawless, “Realistically, I probably could have gone faster but I was so worried about blowing up on the Newton Hills that I kept a more conservative pace. Then after I went over Heartbreak Hill, I had to make sure I'd make the finish. Doing the last 1/2 mile with my 8-year old daughter probably cost me 60-90 seconds but that was a dream come true crossing the finish line as a family.” A Step Ahead looks forward to following Jamie and Lynn’s road racing career as well to the Discovery Channel documentary on their story entitled “Marathon Love” that will be aired later this year.
Team A Step Ahead There are many events for the athletes of Team A Step Ahead in the next few months. The Empire State Games for the Physically Challenged at Mitchell Field for 9 Junior Team A Step Ahead athletes. The games take palce from Thursday 5/29 (Opening ceremonies) through Saturday 5/31. Come down and cheer on the athletes of Junior Team A Step Ahead as they compete in track & field and swimming. Representing Junior Team A Step Ahead at the Empire State Games will be Jake Lillis, Robert Berger, Alexandra Capellini, Victoria Cutrone-Foley, James Lozano, Julia Brietenbach, Sofia Castillo, Catherine Hughes and Hailey Capone. Amy Palmiero-Winters will be competing in her first Ironman competition at Ironman Brazil on May 25. The race takes place in Florianopolis (an island) just an hour flight from Rio de Janeiro. The Ironman competition is a 2.4 mile open water swim 112 mile bike ride followed by a 26.2 mile marathon.
Tommy Koehler, Kelly Bruno, Sandy Dukat and Amy Palmiero-Winters will represent Team A Step Ahead at the International Triathlon Union World championships in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 7. The athletes will be competing in the Olympic distance event which consists of a 1,500 meter open water swim, 40 kilometer (25 miles) bike ride and 10 kilometer (6.2 miles) run. Michael Foresto will be competing at the United States Paralympic Cycling trials in Colorado Springs on June 2. Michael will be competing in his specialty event, the one kilometer race on the Velodrome track with the goal of securing a spot on the 2008 Paralympic team that will compete in Beijing, China. Paul Martin will also be competing at the U.S. Paralympic Cycling trials, with the goal of making his 3rd Paralympic cycling team. Kelly Bruno will be competing in the White Lake Half Ironman competition on Saturday May 3 in White Lake , North Carolina. The race consists of a 1.2 mile swim in White Lake a 56.2 mile bike ride and a 13.1 mile half marathon. This years triathlon season follows her two Ironman finishes in 2007 in Arizona and at the Ironman World championships in Hawaii. On July 13 John Tartaglio will be competing in his first long distance triathlon at the Ironman 70.3 in Providence, R.I. The 70.s series is a ½ Ironman competition consisting of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run. John will be competing using his handcycle and racing wheelchair customized by A Step Ahead. On July 20, seven Team A Step Ahead triathletes will be competing in the Nautica New York City Triathlon. The N.Y.C triathlon is the second largest triathlon in the United States consisting of a 1,500 meter swim in the Hudson River, a 40 kilometer bike ride on the Henry Hudson Parkway, and a 10 kilometer through the streets of New York city, finishing in Central Park. Representing Team A Step Ahead will be Michael LaForgia, Kelly Bruno, Amy Palmiero-Winters, Shlomo Nimrodi, Marcos Corti-Maderna, Sandy Dukat and Kati Rooney. On the same day of the N.Y.C. triathlon, Tommy Koehler will be in Lake Placid, New York competing in the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon.
New Technology for Upper Extremity Amputees A Step Ahead Prosthetics is now an official provider of the Touch Bionics i-limb System.  The i-LIMB Hand is the first prosthetic device with five individually powered digits.
The i-LIMB Hand was developed using leading edge mechanical engineering techniques and is manufactured using high strength plastics. The i-Limb is a next generation prosthetic device that is lightweight and highly appealing to both patients and healthcare professionals. The i-LIMB Hand is controlled by a unique, highly intuitive control system that uses a traditional two-input myoelectric (muscle signal) to open and close the hands life-like fingers. Myoelectric controls utilize the electrical signal generated by the muscles in the remaining portion of the patient’s limb. This signal is picked up by electrodes that sit on the surface of the skin. Existing users of myoelectric prosthetic hands are able to quickly adapt to the system and can master the i-LIMB functionality within minutes.  In addition to the i-LIMB hand, Touch Bionics has developed the Pro Digit Finger to replace individual digits in a patient’s hand. For more information on this exciting new technology for upper extremity amputees contact our office to speak to one of our prosthetists. You can also find more information about the i-LIMB hand and pro digit finger at Touch Bionics website including videos of patients using the i-LIMB. http://www.touchbionics.com/professionals.php?PHPSESSID=faea529ab09f28cb2e9520f6cbc4aeab http://www.touchbionics.com/professionals.php?pageid=44§ion=5
| 
