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Post by mhensel on Oct 11, 2015 14:17:07 GMT -7
I am currently discussing the amputation of my left leg below the knee. After 4 years of medications and treatments to remedy the pain from poor blood circulation due to vehicle accident, my surgeons are not recommending additional treatment and I refuse to be on any opiate based medication or any other medication that weakens my mental state. I will be going to Mayo Clinic for an MRI to evaluate the nerves in my leg vs the lack of blood circulation. Local surgeons have stated that this will likely be a decision that I will have to make on my own.
I wanted to talk to those who have personal experience, especially those who have both nerve damage and vascular damage.
Has anyone chosen to amputate their own limb? Were the results positive, negative, or both? If so, how?
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Post by cherylm on Oct 12, 2015 12:02:21 GMT -7
Hi, mhensel, and welcome to our little group! I didn't have circulation problems or nerve damage, but I did choose an elective amputation due to pain and ongoing orthopedic issues nearly 11 years ago. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made...it gave me relief from years of pain, and it let me get back to living a "normal" life again.
A single below-knee amputation is, as disabilities go, generally quite easy to live with. There's a learning curve to getting on with life one-legged, and there are adaptations to be made in how you do things, but I'd say that within a year of surgery you get to feeling pretty confident and capable.
It's not a decision to be made lightly, and if the folks at the Mayo Clinic can offer you some productive alternatives I'd certainly consider them...but if you're looking at continued pain and heavy-duty medications, amputation can be a good solution.
Check out some of the threads here and ask any and all questions that come to mind!
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Post by stonecutter on Oct 13, 2015 7:26:40 GMT -7
Hi there. Welcome aboard. My below-the-knee amputation was due to an industrial crushing incident and involved full thickness burns during an extrication from the machine I was caught in. (You can read about it here). From my experience, one has to evaluate what the expected quality of life would be after attempts to save your limb are complete. In my case, I would have a fused ankle and no feeling in my foot whatsoever. They indicated that infection could set in without me even realizing it which could cause me to lose the foot anyway at a minimum or even kill me. I would've always had pain, and always require the assistance of a crutch or cane. All that compared with amputation, where I would walk with a prosthesis and, with the exception of a few things live a life doing all the things I did prior. I hunt, fish, drive, bicycle, have had kids, work as a Project Manager in construction and renovation projects all the while living a relatively pain-free life. Don't get me wrong, some days being an amputee aren't the best days you'll ever have. When you first have the amputation, life isn't the easiest, but in the long run it returns to some sense of normal. In the end it's a choice that only you need can make, and it sounds like you are doing your best to make an informed decision. I think once you have a chance to ask and have all your questions answers by the professionals who best know your case, you will make the best choice for you. For me it was important that once the decision was made that the best course of action was amputation, I wouldn't let myself dwell on the past. I made myself take the changes head-on and try to make my life as full to a normal as it could be. Let us know if there are any questions we can answer, we have a small group of active users who are the core of a great little family here. I hope you're having a good day. |
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Post by mhensel on Oct 28, 2015 22:42:49 GMT -7
Thanks to both of you. I just got back from a few days at Mayo Clinic's vascular department. Dr. McPhail ordered several test to discover if there was a possibility that venus surgery in my hip could improve circulation. It's a long shot, but admittedly one that excites me. I am going back November 1st to discuss the test results.
Do you know what department/doctor you should work with as your advocate for this decision process? I'm trying to understand who makes the decision to order an amputation.
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Post by stonecutter on Oct 29, 2015 6:57:55 GMT -7
In my case it was a team-effort between my plastic surgeon (due to the burn and fasciotomy) and the orthopaedic surgeon.
For yourself it sounds like you have a good start with your vascular guy. It would be best to see if you can be present for as they consult each other so you can hear their thought processes because sometimes one specialist doesn't see the case the same way as the other. My plastics guy didn't agree (at first) with my ortho that amputation might be the best option. There was a couple days with the situation in limbo.
Keep us posted. I hope nothing but the best for you.
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