Newsletters

A Step Ahead patient Isaac Feliciano (Below Knee) was fitted with a custom-designed prosthesis specifically made for his work with the Paterson, New Jersey Fire Department. Isaac, a full-time firefighter, needed a prosthesis able to withstand the extreme temperatures of firefighting. The prosthetics staff at A Step Ahead designed and fabricated a prosthesis of Kevlar and finished it off with a custom paint job designed and hand-painted by A Step Ahead's Skin Tones Department. Isaac reports, “The leg looks great, it is sturdy, very responsive and very comfortable, and everyone at the firehouse loves it.”

A Step Ahead's Facebook group is now over 500 members, and in order to provide more pictures, videos, and news, we have started a new official Facebook page! The new page is located at http://www.facebook.com/astepaheadprosthetics - when you visit, make sure you click the "Like" button in order to keep up with all the latest news from A Step Ahead. A Step Ahead's regular home on the web, http://www.astepaheadonline.com , has also recently been updated with greater Facebook integration in order to provide a truly interactive experience with our large and amazing group of fans. Hope to see you there!

On November 7, Nick Roumonada (Below Knee) ran his first marathon. Nick only started running with a custom running prosthesis a little more then a year ago. The following is his report from his first marathon experience:

"I finished, never walked a step and I feel good, healthy, with no aches and pains to report. I'm keeping my fingers crossed because honestly I'm waiting for them to hit me. Happy to report that I finished my first marathon with a time of 3:45:25. I learned a lot in those last six miles, a lot of demons came out but they didn't stick around long. I guess I let them out by yelling at the crowds in Central Park that ‘I am working my $#% off here, give it up for the one legged marathon man!!’ My buddy Rick Trojanowski gladly joined in and that led to us storming our last mile in less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds.”

“All in all, a good year, a good day and a great hour for all in attendance at this year's NYC Marathon. I'm looking forward to more, going faster and going further. I plan to keep taking what I have and running with it. I hope you can all do the same and achieve some of the same successes with your own goals. Thanks to everyone at A Step Ahead Prosthetics, you truly make it possible for me to live life without limitations.”

On November 14, Kelly Bruno (Below Knee) ran the Outer Banks Marathon in North Carolina. Kelly’s finishing time of 3:41:36 just missed the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon by 1:36.

Jeff Glasbrenner (Below Knee) completed three Ironman Triathlons within three weeks in November. On November 6 at Ironman Florida, Jeff finished in 11:49. At Ironman Arizona on November 21, Jeff finished in 12:19. Finally, on November 28 at Ironman Cozumel, Jeff finished in 13:44:17. He seems well on his way to completing his amazing goal of finishing eight Ironman triathlons in eight months. The final race will be in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Jeff Glasbrenner

Jeff’s story of his goal to complete eight Ironman triathlons in eight months was featured in the triathlon magazine Lava:
http://lavamagazine.com/features/from-the-court-to-the-course - axzz16D9nc8Sy

Skiing, snow boarding, and ice skating are fun winter sports. At A Step Ahead, we can custom align your prosthesis so you can enjoy these activities safely. In addition to alignment, we custom fabricate knee orthoses and stump helmets to protect your residual limb. Knee braces are essential for below the knee amputees who ski. While skiing, your knee will be subjected to side to side forces that will place excessive strain on your knee joint. A custom brace can be fabricated to attach to your prosthesis and will provide improved side to side stability reducing the risk of injury to your knee.

Sandy Dukat (Above Knee, PFFD)

If you are an above the knee amputee, skiing without your prosthesis is common. A stump helmet is a device that will encompass and protect your residual limb if you fall. They are designed to reduce the risk of bruising and possible fractures of the bone in your residual limb.

Some above knee amputees are beginning to ski with a prosthesis using a specialized prosthetic knee called the XT9. The XT9 Energy Storing Prosthetic Knee, made by Symbiotechs USA, LLC for high activity AK amputees, is the first prosthesis designed to enable AK amputees to enjoy extreme sports and an active life at the top level. Thanks to an aerospace-grade, lightweight knee frame and other space-age materials and components, the XT9 prosthetic knee can withstand the forces generated in extreme sports by even the most active amputees. For more information on the XT9 knee, call our office or go to the Symbiotechs website: http://xt-9.com/ If you are gearing up for winter sports or are interested in a custom prosthesis for any sport, call our office to speak to one of our prosthetists.

We all know what is like to eat and drink more during the holiday time. It is hard to resist all the parties and the extra food that comes with them. Be aware that with this extra intake of food and drink, you may develop significant weight gain. When your body weight changes or fluctuates, you will notice that your prosthetic socket may not feel right or fit correctly. You may notice pressure areas and discomfort in specific locations on your residual limb.

With minor and gradual changes in weight (maximum 3-5 lbs), your prosthetist can make changes to the prosthetic socket to accommodate for these changes. If your body weight changes drastically or quickly either up or down, your prosthetist may need to completely fabricate an entirely new prosthetic socket. If you notice that you are not fitting properly in your prosthesis, or there are discomfort and areas of pressure, contact your prosthetist.

If you wait too long to address the issue of weight changes with a prosthetic socket that is not fitting well, you will potentially have to have major changes made which could be time- consuming and costly. The keys to maintaining a healthy body weight are a well-balanced diet and an active lifestyle. The level of exercise and activity will vary greatly for each person. Whatever level of activity you choose, it is essential that you remain active and closely monitor any body weight changes and report them to your prosthetist.

Please contact our office at 516-681-3484 if you have any questions regarding your prosthetic fit or if you have questions regarding appropriate physical activity to help maintain your prosthetic fit.

The ASPIRE Support Group meetings are on the last Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm at the Hospital for Special Surgery located at 535 East 70th Street, NY. For more information about the ASPIRE support group meetings, 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 10:00-12:00 PM. Milstein Hospital 8 Garden North Dayroom (8th floor rehab unit) Milstein Hospital Building 177 Fort Washington Ave. For more information, contact Sharon Clark at 212-305-3964

Rusk Rehab Amputee Support Group (34th Street/1st avenue) meets the last Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM. For more information about the Rusk Rehab Support Group, contact Dr. Jeff Heckman at 631-873-6223 or by email at: jtheckman@yahoo.com

The Long Island Amputee Support Group meets the first Saturday of each month at South Side Hospital, 301 East Main Street in Bayshore. Contact Jodi Adler at 631-968-3330.   

Amputee Action Network Graduates First Group of Lead Advocates
by Melanie Staten

During the first session of the 112th Congress, the Amputee Coalition of America will advocate for strategies that promote sound public policy aimed at supporting the health and well-being of people living with limb loss and limb difference; providing fair access to prosthetic and orthotic devices; and reducing limb loss – every day, 500 Americans lose a limb.

2011 Priorities;

Fund the National Limb Loss Information Center – Through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that began in 1997, the ACA developed and continues to manage the National Limb Loss Information Center (NLLIC). The ACA advocates for a robust funding increase for the NLLIC to grow the resource center and increase outreach that positively impacts the quality of life of amputees and promotes limb loss prevention.   

Advance Arms & Legs Are Not Luxuries: Prosthetic & Orthotic Parity – The need continues to grow for fair access to prosthetic and orthotic care through employer-based and private insurance companies. At the federal level, the ACA will continue to collaborate with the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association and others in the coalition to advance parity reintroduction in the House and Senate. At the state level, the ACA is working closely with our Amputee Advocacy Network (AAN). Currently, 19 states have passed parity laws. States introducing legislation when their legislatures convene are Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin. States that are likely to introduce bills are Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Nebraska, North Carolina and North Dakota. Several others states are showing interest and beginning to organize.

Pass the Limb Loss Awareness Month Resolution on the Federal and State Levels – The Amputee Coalition of America advocates congressional passage of a resolution designating April as Limb Loss Awareness Month. April will be a specific time to:

• Raise public awareness about limb loss prevention
• Celebrate amputees living life to the fullest.

At the federal level, the ACA will work with Rep. John Duncan to reintroduce and advance the Limb Loss Awareness Month Resolution at the start of the 2011 session. At the state level, the ACA will provide ACA volunteers support to attain gubernatorial proclamations for state recognition of April as Limb Loss Awareness Month.

Make Parking Permits Practical – In 2011, the ACA will chart parking permit status in each state and identify issues that the ACA may tackle in 2012.

End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare Benefits – The ACA will research the impact of the two-year waiting period on amputees while also continuing to participate in the national Coalition to End the Two-Year Wait for Medicare.

Support State P&O Licensure Efforts for Consumer Protection – In keeping with state requirements imposed on similar health disciplines, licensure of O&P professionals will help ensure the health and safety of consumers as well as ensure a consistent and expected level of care provided to patients. The ACA will support active state licensure bills.

Inaugural Class of the First Amputee Action Network Completes Training
Our Lead 11 advocates for 2011 completed the ACA Amputee Action Network (AAN) certificate program on October 20. The lead 11 advocates learned about lobbying tactics, managing grass roots involvement, hiring a lobbyist, setting up advocacy funds and working with the media.
Visit the ACA Web site (amputee-coalition.org) to learn more about the 2011 legislative agenda and learn how to become involved with the ACA.