Marathon Bombing Survivor Takes 'Next Step' In Recovery
BOSTON (CBS) ---- A survivor of the Boston Marathon bombings soon hopes to return to her active lifestyle, not to mention, slip on some 4-inch heels.
It has been four and a half months since the bombing on Boylston Street claimed Heather Abbott's left leg and patience with prosthetics has not come easy, despite her positive attitude.
"You almost don't realize you're not going to get there right away," she said.
Last week, Abbott tested out her waterproof leg with some paddle boarding.
She's also got a leg for flat shoes and now one for her favorite heels - which brought her into Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics Thursday for the first phase of a process that will make it look almost like her biological leg, right down to the wrinkles.
The company says the process is painstakingly detailed but once done, it will be almost impossible to know which leg is the prosthesis.
The high-definition silicone cover technology comes from Dorset, a Great Britain-based company that is a worldwide provider of cosmetic restoration for amputees.
It's about peace of mind for Abbott, who just returned to work part-time for Raytheon and wouldn't mind wearing some skirts and blending in for a while.
"I feel more comfortable with something that's not so recognizable," Abbott said.
Of course, her face is among the most recognizable among Marathon survivors - the kind of fame that makes even this brave woman a bit uncomfortable.
"It's a little bit strange to have people recognize me that I don't know," she said.
But Abbott says she is chugging ahead and reclaiming her life even if those heels spell trouble in her quaint hometown of Newport, Rhode Island.
"I'll probably leave the town that I live in which is all cobblestone," Abbott said.
