Prosthesis Keeps Captain at the Helm

The direction of Diane Pollock’s life took a turn in 2002 when she had a transfemoral amputation of her left leg due to a bone infection from a previous knee surgery. Pollock, who was 32 at the time, had been referred to Duke University for salvage surgery, but infection had damaged the knee joint beyond repair. She was given two options: a straight leg fusion or amputation. “I chose amputation because I didn’t want to be stuck with a straight leg and the risk of the infection returning,” says Pollock, a Georgia native who lives in Folkston. [caption id="attachment_237379" align="alignright" width="300"] Staying physically active has always been important to Pollock, who is also an accomplished fisherman. Photographs courtesy of Diane Pollock.[/caption] Prosthetic Patience Within the first 12 months after her amputation, Pollock was fitted with an Ottobock C-Leg. She was one of the first C-Leg users after its US-debut in the late 1990s. One of Pollock’s biggest challenges after her amputation came with having patience with prosthetic fittings. “The first year is the hardest due to your stump constantly changing its volume and shape along with the pain and soreness that’s involved,” she says. There was little Pollock could do during that period but wait and remain diligent. “You have to stay on top of it and roll with the punches during the process,” she says. In addition, the amount of extra physical and mental expenditure was surprising to Pollock. “Especially when I was told that an above-knee amputee uses 60 percent more oxygen and energy than someone with two legs,” she says. Pollock also had to learn a new sense of balance while pacing herself with her new prosthesis so she didn’t burn out or experience extreme fatigue. Ahead of Its Time Following her amputation, Pollock did all her rehabilitation and physical therapy at Duke University, where she was impressed with the holistic approach to the recovery and rehabilitation protocol the school had, which also included a support group specifically for those with amputations. “They had a full-time physical therapist and that was all she did: work with amputees. Period. Pretty unique for 2002-2003,” Pollock says. Saltwater Sturdy Because of her lifestyle, which includes living and working in and around fresh and salt water, Pollock can’t have just any type of prosthesis. Chris Lemonis, CPO/LP, Orthotics and Prosthetic Centers (OPC), Charlotte, North Carolina, has worked with Pollock for almost five years, stepping in when her previous prosthetist retired after working with her for more than a dozen years. [caption id="attachment_237380" align="alignright" width="250"] Pollock says she tells other amputees physical fitness is one of the most important things they need to pursue as an amputee.[/caption] Pollock’s current prosthesis is a sub-ischial socket with an elevated vacuum suspension, a Genium X3 knee (Ottobock), and an Xtend foot (Lindhe). “The Lindhe Xtend foot was chosen for its increased lateral mobility, fiberglass composition, and low weight,” Lemonis says. “Because Diane spends most of her time on boats in the ocean, her foot has to be saltwater-proof.” While there are other saltwater-proof, fiberglass feet on the market, the Lindhe Xtend offers 17 degrees of lateral flexibility, Lemonis says. “This allows Diane to maintain standing balance on a boat that is pitching in rough seas,” he says. In addition, Pollock says working in salt water she is often in contact with many corrosive elements. “The Genium X3 knee was chosen for Diane due to its corrosion resistance and waterproof status. The X3 also provides maximal stability on constantly shifting terrain and encourages a natural gait and reduces the impact on the sound limb,” says Lemonis, who started work as a prosthetic technician as a teenager in 1994 and has been a licensed prosthetist for 13 years. Knowledgeable Patient Spend a little time talking to Pollock and you will quickly learn she knows plenty about prosthetics and her care. How valuable are those attributes in a patient under a prosthetist’s care? “Knowledgeable patients are a double-edged sword,” Lemonis says. “At the beginning of prosthetic rehabilitation, a wealth of information is thrown at our patients, education that barely scratches the surface.” “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing is especially true in O&P,” Lemonis says, and can often lead to dangerous situations through overconfidence. “One of my goals with patients is to provide them with as much information as possible so that they can understand the prosthetic rehabilitation and safely advocate for their needs,” he says. As OPC patients go through the rehab process, their knowledge increases, Lemonis says. “Diane is an intelligent, hardworking woman who doesn’t let anything stand in the way of her goals. In her case, she is very educated on prosthetic componentry and can understand the mechanics at play,” he says. “Because of this, Diane can articulate her needs well, making modifications and adjustments easy for me. Prosthetic rehabilitation takes a team. Outcomes are improved when our patient is the quarterback.” Pollock has a degree in education, has spent years running a logging business with her husband, and at one time studied to become a physical therapist. She also completed the Amputee Coalition’s peer mentoring program, which allows her to visit and mentor those with new amputations. She says of the X3 knee, Xtend foot, and Lindhe Xtend quick connector: “This set up is totally saltwater proof, which is still rare today even with all the prosthetic advancements.” Pollock particularly likes the quick connector. “Perhaps [it is] the most simplistic component since this allows me to remove the weight of the knee and lower components when driving, getting dressed, changing knees, or sitting at restaurants in chairs that are the wrong height for me to get comfortable.” She says it also helps with comfort on long plane rides or road trips. “Sometimes it’s the smallest, simplest components that can make a huge difference over the course of a day for an amputee,” says Pollock, who also has a lightweight, waterproof knee that locks out straight in the surf, a running blade, and a rowing knee. “The connector allows me to utilize the same socket for all the different knees.” Donning and Tattoos Speaking of getting dressed, one of Pollock’s two tattoos helps when it comes to donning her prosthesis. An anchor with a captain’s wheel in the center and a fouled anchor line hanging off begins on her left hip and continues down her residual limb. “I use this tattoo to put my prosthesis on correctly,” she says. “There are marks on my prosthetic socket that line up with marks on the water drips of the anchor. This ensures that I get it oriented properly every time I put it on rather than donning and doffing it until I get it oriented properly.” Tip-top Shape After Pollock became settled in her life as an amputee, she started to push the limits. In 2008, she became involved with an adaptive sports program in Jacksonville, Florida, and relearned to water ski. In 2009, she joined the program’s adaptive rowing program, which involved on-the-water and indoor rowing. For the next three years, Pollock competed in world and nationally sanctioned rowing competitions. During this time, she was rowing between 20,000 and 25,000 meters per week. “This easily made me the fittest I had ever been in my life,” she says. [caption id="attachment_237381" align="alignright" width="260"] Pollock earned her merchant mariner license.[/caption] Staying physically active has always been important to Pollock, who is also an accomplished fisherman. “I always tell amputees that physical fitness is one of the most important things you need to pursue as an amputee,” she says. “It makes ordinary, everyday activities so much easier.” At the Helm In the best shape of her life, Pollock says she decided to get her captain’s license, or merchant mariner license, to operate her own charter boat. “The biggest obstacle to getting my license as an amputee was clearing the US Coast Guard’s physical, as all licensed merchant mariners have to be proven fit enough to operate a boat safely and be responsible for all guests on board,” says Pollock, who owns a 26-foot boat named Reel Pirate II and runs sightseeing and nature boat tours. After four months of medical review by the Coast Guard, Pollock says she was deemed fit for duty as a charter boat captain. She completed all coursework and became a licensed boat captain in 2011. In 2012, she joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary and became crew certified in 2013. In 2015, she became a certified coxswain in the Auxiliary, which makes her responsible for marine patrols on board her boat. Since then, whenever Pollock is on marine patrols, her boat is considered active-duty Coast Guard and the vessel is considered federal property until the patrol is finished. “We perform all the missions as the active-duty Coast Guard with the exception of law enforcement,” she says. “For me, choosing a career as a charter boat captain sort of forces me to stay physically fit to maintain my license and participate in surface operations with the Coast Guard Auxiliary.” Betta Ferrendelli can be contacted at betta@opedge.com .

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