Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} New Legs New Year by Sean Michael New Legs New Year by Sean Michael. Assign to Google Classroom. The 600-pound English Charolais calf was hot and tired. It had traveled three hours inside a trailer behind a pickup truck. The calf was content to lie on the grass behind a building. A team of technicians worked on its hind legs. When the calf known as Hero heard its name called, the 15-month-old gingerly got up. Unsteadily, it waddled away. It headed across a patch of concrete toward an snack of green shrubbery. Hero became what may be the nation's only double-amputee calf with prosthetics. It was fitted for a new pair of high-tech devices attached to its back legs. "I'm so proud," Hero's caretaker, Kitty Martin, exclaimed. "Look at you!" It's the latest step in an effort that has taken Martin and the animal from Virginia. That's where she rescued it last year from an Augusta County farm where it succumbed to frostbite that claimed its hooves, to Texas. Animal surgeons at Texas A&M University treated Hero for several months and affixed the initial prosthetics that the calf now had outgrown. Erin O'Brien is an orthotist and prosthetist for Hanger Inc., a firm that makes prosthetic limbs. She was among a team of about eight people working on the project for about two weeks. "We did a lot of study of photos and video of cows just regular walking to see what it looks like and see if we can mimic that biomechanically," O'Brien said. "It's unusual, yes, but an opportunity." Surgeons at Texas A&M removed about two inches of bone to enable them to create a pad of tissue that would allow for prosthetics. "Until I worked on him, I hadn't ever done it before. And I'd not heard of (prosthetics) before in a bovine," said Ashlee Watts, an equine orthopedic surgeon. Martin figures she has spent nearly $40,000 to save the calf. "I don't know how to explain it," she said. "I'm an animal rescuer. And he had everything against him." Hero's hooves are custom made of urethane and titanium, the connecting components are titanium and carbon fiber and the sockets that attach to his legs are carbon fiber and acrylic resin. Martin and O'Brien declined to discuss the cost, but estimated that similar devices for humans go for between $4,000 and $8,000 apiece. Hero's sockets are painted with black and white cow spots. "Holstein legs," O'Brien laughed. "We like to customize legs to the person's personality," she said. Martin, 53, a former veterinary technician and retired truck driver, hopes Hero will grow to 1,500 pounds. Hero can be a therapy animal for wounded veterans and special needs children. "He's got a very bright future right now," Martin said. Critical thinking challenge: The benefit to Hero is obvious, but what is the benefit to the people who performed this procedure? New Legs New Year by Sean Michael. Assign to Google Classroom. Hot and tired from a three-hour drive inside a trailer behind a pickup truck, the 600-pound English Charolais calf was content to lay on the grass behind a south Houston building while a team of technicians worked on its hind legs. When the calf known as Hero heard its name called, the 15-month-old gingerly got up, unsteadily rocked a bit, then waddled away, tail wagging, eyes wide and tongue licking. It headed across a patch of concrete toward an appetizing snack of green shrubbery a few yards away. Hero became what may be the nation's only double-amputee calf with prosthetics on Wednesday when fitted for a new pair of high-tech devices attached to its back legs. "I'm so proud," Hero's caretaker, Kitty Martin, exclaimed. "Look at you!" It's the latest step in a year-long effort that has taken Martin and the animal from Virginia, where she rescued it last year from an Augusta County farm where it succumbed to frostbite that claimed its hooves, to Texas. Animal surgeons at Texas A&M University treated Hero for several months and affixed the initial prosthetics that the calf now had outgrown. "This is our first cow," Erin O'Brien, an orthotist and prosthetist for Hanger Inc., an Austin-based national firm that makes prosthetic limbs. She was among a team of about eight people working on the project for about two weeks. "We did a lot of study of photos and video of cows just regular walking to see what it looks like and see if we can mimic that biomechanically," O'Brien said. "It's unusual, yes, but an opportunity." Surgeons at Texas A&M accepted Martin's initial pleas for help, removing about two inches of bone to enable them to create a pad of tissue that would allow for prosthetics. "Until I worked on him, I hadn't ever done it before. And I'd not heard of (prosthetics) before in a bovine," said Ashlee Watts, an equine orthopedic surgeon at the school. Martin figures she has spent nearly $40,000 to save the calf. "I don't know how to explain it," she said. "I'm an animal rescuer. And he had everything against him." Hero's hooves are custom made of urethane and titanium, the connecting components are titanium and carbon fiber and the sockets that attach to his legs are carbon fiber and acrylic resin. Martin and O'Brien declined to discuss the cost, but estimated that similar devices for humans go for between $4,000 and $8,000 apiece. Hero's sockets are painted with black and white cow spots. "Holstein legs," O'Brien laughed. "We like to customize legs to the person's personality," she said. Martin, 53, a former veterinary technician and retired truck driver originally from Dalhart, in the Texas Panhandle, is moving with her husband from Greenville, Virginia, to Cameron in Central Texas. She's hoping Hero, who could grow to 1,500 pounds, can be a therapy animal for wounded veterans and special needs children. "It makes my day," Martin said. "He's got a very bright future right now." New Year, New Legs. Bulging, unsightly veins in your legs are something no one wants to experience – but more than just being embarrassing, varicose veins can signal a more serious health condition. For the 50% of Americans over 50 suffering from varicose veins, new treatment therapies are available. Understanding Varicose Veins. Common in teachers, nurses, hairdressers, and especially people with a family history who spend the majority of their day standing, varicose veins often result in pain, itching, discomfort and are unsightly. Caused by weak or damaged valves, varicose veins typically appear enlarged and twisted, and can be red, blue, or flesh colored. In healthy veins, valves serve as one-way flaps to deliver blood from the extremities to the heart. If the valve becomes weak, blood can seep backward and collect in the veins, which causes varicose veins and swelling. "If left untreated, varicose veins can progress to CVI (chronic venous insufficiency), which can cause pain, swelling and fatigue of the legs, as well as skin damage and ulcers in more severe cases," says Michael Greer, MD, vascular surgeon at the Vein Center at University Surgical Associates. "With varicose veins, the valves that push blood from the legs back to the heart no longer function, causing blood to pool in the legs." New Solutions. Weakened or damaged valves can't be repaired, so the only alternative is to reroute blood to healthy veins. Fortunately, advancements in medicine have made it possible to treat varicose veins using non-surgical techniques and the Vein Center at USA offers a variety of treatment options. Standard treatment involves radio waves and laser with vein removal through tiny incisions. Some patients can benefit from newer treatment options as well. Dr. Michael Greer Vascular Surgeon, University Surgical Associates. One new treatment option uses a "vein superglue," known as VenaSeal, to completely close and harden damaged veins so the blood can reroute. This procedure tends to work better for more straightforward cases that don't involve large and difficult-to-manage veins. Another approach, called foam sclerotherapy, involves injecting a foam solution into the damaged vein to encourage clotting and redirect the blood. Eventually, the treated vein will be absorbed into the surrounding tissue. This therapy typically is performed on patients with more advanced vein issues. A Comfortable, Confident Experience. At the Vein Center at USA, procedures are performed by highly trained and experienced vascular specialists. "I chose the Vein Center at USA to treat my varicose veins because of their in-depth experience and knowledge of vascular issues," says patient Jessica M. "Knowing I had trained surgeons taking care of me made me feel more confident." Most vein procedures take 60 minutes or less and are generally offered with the option of conscious sedation, designed to help patients relax and sleep through the procedure without later feeling groggy. Many patients experience a quick return to normal activities following a vein procedure, typically within a few days. Benefits to Patients. Varicose veins can be more than just painful – they can affect an individual's quality of life. Vein therapies offered at the Vein Center help restore function and appearance and allow patients to return to the joys of life with less inactive time. We know that every person is unique, and so is every treatment plan.