> To tell the truth, it's totally riveting indeed, from more than one perspective. First thing that crosses my mind, if I may ask the question, is this: If there is a sense of having 'three' legs, is your Mom experiencing her 'new' leg as a phantom limb -- or is that only when she wants to 'move' it with newfound mobility?

I'm not entirely sure. My mother had a hard time explaining it, but I did not get the impression that it was a phantom limb thing.

> What I really want to ask is this: What kind of remarkable verbal instructions can possibly communicate the concept of ACTIVELY USING A 'THIRD' LOWER LIMB to someone who was born with only two and spent an entire lifetime using only two?

I don't think the instructions specifically communicated this concept to her; the third limb perception sort of came as a byproduct, I think. I'll ask for more details later, because I don't really have a complete idea of how the therapists have been working with her, but she said they told her to try to move certain muscles in certain ways, and that helped her figure out how to move. I don't know. Hopefully I'll be able to sit in on a therapy session sometime and see first-hand. I'm as fascinated as you are, and I was anticipating that you would be interested even before I posted at all. I'll see what I can find out.