YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz. - After a five year ordeal, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) ammunition plant worker Robert "Smokee" Trujillo has finally caught a break.
Seriously injured in a highway accident on his way to work in 2009, Trujillo captivated YPG's attention with his valiant effort to save his shattered left leg.
Through surgeries, rehabilitation efforts and multiple infections, he returned to work and seemingly beat the odds. Unfortunately, a particularly serious infection made further attempts to save his leg futile. Giving in to the inevitable, doctors amputated Trujillo's leg last October. He consented to the procedure in part thanks to advances in prosthetic limbs that made continuing in his physically demanding job feasible.
"It took five years for technology to catch up so I could have a new leg and come back to work and do my job," said Trujillo.
Waterproof and dustproof, the prosthetic is built tough, with a carbon fiber shield covering everything except a titanium piston. The foot is of a composite material used in helicopter blades, and utilizes four electronic sensors to help mimic the natural movement of a human foot. Everyone agreed that it was the most suitable prosthetic available for Trujillo's needs, but there was still much to be done.
"After the surgery, all the muscles in my leg became like pudding. They were soft and there was no controlling the leg muscle."
Though back at work on light duty since January, Trujillo still has a great deal of physical therapy in front of him.
"Learning how to walk again is one of the hardest things I've ever done. You don't use the same set of muscles you did before. All the muscles have to re-train to do something different."
Yet he has made significant progress in a short time. More importantly, he hurts far less than he did prior to the amputation, though he still has phantom twinges of pain that he hopes will eventually subside.
"Now I can walk fairly well, but I have to be careful stepping down from a curb. If I'm not paying attention, I'll lose my balance since this leg doesn't support my weight like before."
Trujillo credits a positive attitude with sustaining him through the grueling saga.
"A positive attitude means a lot. If you think you're not going to be able to do it, give it a shot anyway: you may be able to pull it off. If you fail, oh well, pick yourself up and try again a different way."
He is also grateful for the scores of hours of leave that fellow workers donated throughout his recovery by way of the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program. Without this help, he said, he would have been ruined financially.
"YPG people came through like gangbusters and saved the day. They're the ones I'm proud of."
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