It was a TUAK reader quite a few years ago who turned me on to gelsocks. The prosthesis I had before my current one, I got so long ago that there was no such thing then, and when it no longer fit very well I frequently walked in – I don’t think it’s too theatrical to call it extreme pain. Gelsocks fill the gaps and cushion the pressure and they’re so ubiquitous now that my current prosthesis really wouldn’t work without them.
Alas, they’re very expensive, like $42+ each, and not particularly durable. Even before they get all rotten and tattered, they pretty much lose their squishiness and you end up doubling and tripling them to fit in your socket at all. As such, ever since I discovered them they have been both the salvation and the bane of my life.
So naturally when I got on social security last month, I planned to remedy the sad state of the socks in my nightstand drawer. A little at a time, of course, because $42+ each. I bought two earlier just to make sure I was getting the right thing, since I hate buying important things online but really have no choice*, and then I just took delivery of five more. And! Two Generous Readers heard about this and pledged more which I’m informed are inbound. So I’m gonna be set for a while.
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* The big noise in prosthetic and orthotic devices is Hanger Clinic, which demands you get a doctor’s prescription before they’ll sell you any. Apparently there’s a scourge of orthopedic textile abuse of which I was previously unaware. The online companies like Amputee Supply never heard about it – they just sell them.
That was quick shipping, if it is the order I did.
These still the correct ones?
https://www.amputeesupply.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=114
It isn’t. The ones you sent are still en route. These are the ones I bought before that.
Yeah.
Sorry I was too slow for this round!
Sounds like the people at Hanger Clinic are real bean heads.
Be glad you don’t need a gel seat cushion as those are $1,000. Ridiculous!
Not surprising with Hanger wanting a dr script, if you have to get a dr. script then its medical supplies and the price goes up 3-4 times. Much like CPAP supplies. buy on your own dime and it reasonable. Pay thru insurance and your copay is probably higher than just buying the dam things outright.
So, out of curiosity, what are some of the options that are now open with the additional revenue of social security? I mean, I know there’s always stuff that is “When I get some extra money….”, Jeep hinges? Dog treats? Propane upgrades?
CZ: There are lots of little quotidian plans that can now be advanced. There’s propane plumbing damage I can now afford to repair. Fix the bedroom heater, if possible. New stump socks to replace my drawer full of rags. Instead of eking out a paint budget for the exterior project over months I just walked into the hardware and bought enough to do it (I hope.) I’ll be less likely to agonize over the price of a box of practice ammo. Like that.
I may replace the vestigial chicken yard behind the Lair with a small greenhouse, I’ve been mulling that for a plan. Right now that space is largely wasted, and I could probably do that now where before it was out of the question. Other than that there are no grand plans noodling around.
Cool, man. Glad you finally got a little breathing room.