MCOP Blog
Insights from our prosthetists about new technology, advances in prosthetics, & more
Boston Client Spotlight: Meet Nate Tellen
January 26, 2022Nate Tellen: Embodying the #MoveForward Mentality
Nate Tellen lost his leg over six years ago. Even so, he’s been able to maintain a consistently positive outlook on life over the past decade – an outlook that matches quite well with his jovial personality.
In addition, Nate is extremely motivated. In fact, he’s currently a strength and conditioning coach who recently finished nursing school. Now, he has plans to take his nursing exam so he can get into the ICU ASAP.
Needless to say, Nate’s commitment to #MovingForwardand helping others is admirable. But just like any other road-to-recovery story, Nate faced his own fair share of challenges. These challenges eventually led him to meet and work with John Warren and the rest of the industry-leading team at our Boston prosthetics office.
Nate’s Path to MCOP
Before coming to MCOP, Nate spent several years at another prosthetic and orthotic group. While he was generally pleased with the service, he felt that they weren’t quite capable of fulfilling his desire for more rigorous, high-activity solutions.
A resident of East Bridgewater, Nate decided to do a quick Google search of other Massachusetts prosthetic and orthotic clinics. That’s where he found out about MCOP.
Understanding Nate’s Prosthetic Issues & Concerns
After recognizing Nate’s need for higher-performance prosthetic solutions, John and the MCOP Boston team began with an assessment of Nate’s biggest restrictions. These issues included struggles in finding the right fit for his devices, leading to issues with mobility and skin breaking down behind his knee.
Nate also voiced concerns about his future in the fast-paced nursing industry, particularly whether or not he could find a device that would help him stay on his feet comfortably for regular 12-hour shifts.
Taking these concerns into consideration, our team worked to find him the right devices, technologies, and treatment plans to help Nate feel confident in himself and his future career.
Delivering the Perfect Prosthetic Solutions
Today, Nate has three separate prosthetic legs: one prosthetic leg for moderate-level activities, one prosthetic leg for higher-activity levels, and one K4-level prosthetic leg specifically designed for high-impact running.
All three devices are posterior mounted, which provide a comfortable rollover and natural-feeling gait while also feeling lightweight and natural. Since all three of these devices were customized for a strength and conditioning coach with a future in the nursing industry, both the client and our staff considered the aforementioned features to be essential.
Now, thanks to the relationship he was able to build with John and the Boston staff, Nate feels more confident and capable than ever. “I felt really disabled before I came here,” Nate says. “I really felt like I had a disability, whereas now that’s not even close to the case most of the time.”
He adds, “I like that you guys are patient. Overall, I’ve asked a lot of you and your team and you’ve been there every step of the way. You’ve definitely been someone who’s supported me and tried to keep me active, not discouraging me from doing what I want to do.” And we never will!