Tony Dyer

On April 27, 1998 Tony Dyer was helping a friend build a barn when the scaffolding failed, and he fell approximately 18 feet and completely crushed his foot.  For the next four years, he was on and off crutches and endured five surgeries to put in metal plates, screws and everything imaginable in order to rebuild his foot. It wasn’t until a cable guy with a prosthetic leg came to his house that he decided that amputation might be the answer.

“I watched him go on my roof and install everything, and it got me thinking,” said Tony. “I decided to study prostheses by visiting prosthetic companies, talking to people and going to the library. In November 2002, I asked my doctor to amputate my leg.”

While Tony knew it was the right decision, he had complications with the first amputation. He developed a terrible bone spur and in October 2003, he underwent a second surgery to amputate 2 inches higher. Tony’s complications continued with a cyst that caused a blood clot in 2004, and he had yet another surgery to remove the cyst. This surgery also changed the shape of his residual limb.

“After the third surgery, I just felt like I had to start all over,” explained Tony. “I moved from Knoxville to Texas and changed prosthetic companies. They put me on the pin system, and I kept having complications. My leg stayed in continuous pain with bad sores. I felt like there was constantly something wrong.”

Tony’s difficulties went from bad to worse when he developed a split at the location of his amputation that required him to have plastic surgery in 2010. “My leg was so sore and raw. It was terribly painful,” he said.

At a regular eye appointment, the doctor noticed he had a terrible limp. He suggested Tony see a friend of his named Matt Bulow. “Immediately after my surgery, I went to Bulow BioTech Prosthetics,” said Tony. “After I told Matt about everything I had been through, he told me, ‘I can make you walk. You are not going to hurt like you have been.’”

Tony’s leg was still healing from his recent surgery when Matt took him out of the pin socket and fitted him for a suction socket with Ceterus® foot. “I went through a few fittings after that because my leg became smaller after surgery, but I have no sores on my leg for the first time ever.”

Matt kept to his promise. Tony is walking again and keeping active. His favorite activity is going hunting for raccoons with his coon dogs. “I raise and train coon dogs, and before I had to just sit in the truck when I turned them loose. Now, I can go wherever they go.”

Tony drives approximately 70 miles to get the care he needs from Bulow BioTech. “Between Matt and Scott and the entire staff, they are awesome,” said Tony. “They are the best prosthetic company I’ve been to, and I’ve been to several different ones in Knoxville, Dallas, Nashville and Columbia.”

The company also sends him the liners he needs to hold the suction for his prosthetic, so he can save on gas money. “It costs a pretty good chunk of gas to go there just for supplies,” he stated. “So I call when I need them, and they arrive in a day or two.”

“I can keep up with people with two legs,” said Tony proudly. “My leg does not have sores all over it for the first time since I’ve had my amputation. That’s just a great feeling to be able to get up and go wherever I want.”