By Zara Nicholson
Lifeguard Achmat Hassiem's thoughts of sharks seemed to have slipped his mind on Thursday as he tried on his new preparatory prosthesis.
"It's so weird. It feels like there's a leg - it's very confusing," said Hassiem, 24, who lost his right foot in a shark attack at Sunrise Beach near Muizenberg two weeks ago.
Achmat and his family looked nervous yet excited on Thursday as he met with prosthetic consultant Clive McCrae and the team of physiotherapists and biokinetists involved in his rehabilitation process.
Stabilise and protect the stump McCrae measured Achmat's leg stump and fitted an air-limb that will allow him to gradually put some weight on it, but is not meant for walking.
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It will also stabilise and protect the stump and control swelling.
Achmat joked but listened closely to the team from Dick Williamson Medical Centre as the preparatory prosthesis was fitted.
When he was asked to stand on it, he said he could not help but "feel as though I should just walk".
He was advised to take it slowly since he was only allowed to wear the air-limb for two hours a day.
'We are moving forward' "My mind is telling me there's a leg," he said.
Jayson Chin, owner of the company Progressive Orthopaedics, which is doing all the consultation and manufacturing of the prosthesis, said they wanted to get Achmat walking as soon as possible but did not want to promise him a definite date.
McCrae, who will be working on Achmat's prosthesis, said: "Within four to five weeks, if the wound is nicely healed, we will start with the prosthesis."
Achmat's father Moegseen said: "We are moving forward and it's a relief to see that we are getting somewhere."
Med-Active, the company which supplies Progressive Orthopaedics, is sponsoring Achmat's prosthesis. Med-Active director Craig Homan said they got involved to "bring awareness around the prosthetic industry, because it is neglected".
Achmat is positive about his future and is serious about competing in the South African paralympics.
He is good friends with swimmer Natalie du Toit and has also been visited by JP Andrew, who lost a leg to a Great White shark at Surfer's Corner near Muizenberg two years ago.
"JP's a cool guy.
"We crack jokes together and people call us the two most unlucky people in the water," Achmat said.
zaran@incape.co.za
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This article was originally published on page 5 of Cape Argus on August 25, 2006
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