Months went by and Edie was ready for artificial limbs. She had to go to Philadelphia. Because of the distance she would have to stay there until the limbs were made. This would take some time with fitting and making so she stayed at the rehab. She didn't like being away from Susan for a month but she was learning a little bit about walking. With her stump being so short, she being little and the limbs being heavy, it would take a long time for her to walk upright and not stiff but she has the will to walk. The lamb wool stump socks that she had to wear were very hot. She doused herself with powder to absorb the perspiration and the heavy belt around her waist with the steel hinges on the hips made Edie very uncomfortable. Limbs were made more or less for men. Even the shape of the legs were more manly. As years went by, Edie had three different kinds of limbs. The first were made of steel and painted flesh color. The second ones were made with a steel bar down the middle with foam rubber shaped around the bar or pole to look like and feel like a limb. These were much lighter and did not need such a large belt around the waist. The third artificial limbs came out after the Korean War. So many soldiers came home missing limbs. The limbs were made of pine. Pine is a light wood. The top half of the leg was hollow with a hole on the side. The amputee would put the stump sock on, slide the stump into the top of the leg, pull the sock out through the hole and put a cap on the hole. This would form a suction around the stump and inside hollow of the artificial leg or arm. With more women being in the services, the legs were made more shapely, too. Edie liked these limbs, but she still had to wear a belt.
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