AK amputee facing rotator cuff surgery

[twint]

Hello to everyone on this board.  I am new to this board, but not new to being an amputee.  I lost my right limb (AK) over 34 years due to trauma of a car accident.  While it's been a unique journey presenting many challenges, it has also been educational and insightful for me through the years.  I have had quite a few "legs" created over the years, but am now facing the challenge of changing from an exoskeleton to endoskeleton model.  I feel I have a good prosthetist to work with--I think my brain is the one who feels challenged with having to learn new movement through space.  While in the process of creating this new limb---and not due to "it", I tripped and fell (hopping is not a good thing to do---think I'd learned that through time, right?) and have torn my right rotator cuff which will require surgery soon to repair the front tendon.  This is going to create a new challenge for me as my right arm will be out of motion for 4-6 weeks in a sling and my right leg (using the old one till I can get through this) is a suction socket.  

Has anyone else faced this prospective situation?  Please enlighten me if you can.  I have many concerns about how I will be able to function (dress, eat, use the restroom, bathe, etc.), but my biggest concern is going to be how I get that suction socket on and off without the use of my right arm.  My husband tried helping me release the suction last night, but we were unsuccessful and I don't want to lose mobility or muscle usage after the surgery takes place.  Looking forward to hearing from any and all--even if it is only to point me in a direction.

 

[cherylm]

Well hi, twint, and welcome...I wish I had ideas for that particular situation, but all your post made me do was think about my own situation and wonder what I'd do in your place! My own leg is a vacuum assisted elevated suction socket, and it's powered by a lovely little electronic pump. I can establish and release suction with the push of a button, so that's OK...but getting all the various components on and situated so that I could push that button would be quite a challenge with one arm.

How do you establish and release the suction on your leg? And what do you see as the biggest problems in using the leg? Do you need to use a hand pump and/or manually open a valve to release suction? Is your liner difficult to don? With some additional details, maybe someone here (maybe even I) could come up with some ideas for you!

[twint]

Thanks for responding so quickly. Wish I had thought of finding forum boards before now. I have an exoskeleton model -suction socket with a hydraulic pump. My stump is rather long as I am tall and they were able to save most of the top of the thigh. So I wrap it with an ace bandage and pull it down through a hole on the bottom left part of the upper socket. This creates the vacuum and then I "seal" it with a screw in valve, that has a button to release air, should some get into the socket when sitting, etc. I am in the process of switching to an endoskeleton suction socket model that will have a gel liner--still hydraulic pump since I have pretty good upper muscle control to move it. If anyone out there has some thoughts, I look forward to hearing them.