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Post by mtrprts on Dec 30, 2016 16:29:32 GMT -7
Hi everyone, I am new to this forum. This is my first post. Three years ago I was in a farm tractor accident that crushed my left hip and gave me severe burns to the buttock and hamstring muscle to the point that I lost all use of my left leg below the knee, however I do have a working knee. Prior to this I was an avid runner and miss running more than anything. I am at the point that I feel as though if my limb doesn't work it needs to go. I have met many amputees that walk far better than I do. I guess my question would be, for those of you who have been in this type situation, and had your limb voluntarily amputated, are you glad you did it? Do you feel that you have a better quality of life? And I would be especially interested to hear from any runners. But I'm open for any feedback I can get at this point.
Thanks, and glad I found this forum.
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Post by stonecutter on Jan 3, 2017 7:46:01 GMT -7
Hi there,
Welcome to the forum. I'm not and wasn't a runner prior, although as life goes on, there are several examples I could give you where I wish I was, as this prosthetic is geared towards walking and not running.
Having lost the use of your left leg, does that mean you walk with the use of crutches or a cane?
T.
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Post by mtrprts on Jan 8, 2017 11:47:26 GMT -7
Thank you Trevor for your response. Only by the grace of God am I able to walk without the need for a cane or crutches. My problem is that I have no use of my foot or calf muscle. So I am unable to use my foot to push off on every step and I must Lock my knee on every step. It makes for a very awkward step. The bone in my foot and ankle have become very thin and brittle. Also, my ankle is bone on bone and causing considerable pain. Although I can walk unassisted, I have met many people with a prosthetic who seem to get around much better than I do. That is why I am considering amputation.
Greg
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Post by stonecutter on Jan 9, 2017 12:21:11 GMT -7
I can imagine that the effort you need to put into walking due to the deficits is taking a toll on the rest of your body. I can see why you're looking for an alternative as a result.
My amputation was a result of an industrial accident, so although I did have choices related to the treatment and ultimately the amputation, I think the choice I made was the only choice there was... But I can tell you - there has been zero instances of regret about the end result for me (well, other than being dumb enough to get myself into the accident in the first place!)
You have a working knee (for now - I wonder how long though when you describe how you have to walk) and that's a great advantage when it comes to leg amputees. Above the knee folks are in a whole other league in comparison. Most people I meet don't realize for quite some time that I have a prosthetic leg - jigs usually up on stairs where I usually get asked if I have a bad knee...
I'm not going to tell you that life will be perfect and better on day one after an amputation - you've been around the block and know that a major surgery like that comes with a long recovery time. For me, it took 1.5-2 yrs to feel "normal" and get used to the new 'some assembly required' life.
Post your questions - you can ask us anything!
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Post by mtrprts on Feb 13, 2017 17:54:33 GMT -7
Well... I've made my decision. Will have below knee amputation next Monday the 20th. Feeling a lot of anxiety. Also found a hands free crutch on amazon called an Iwalk. Has anyone used this device post amputation?
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Post by stonecutter on Feb 14, 2017 8:09:27 GMT -7
I have never used one, but my brother had to have his foot rebuilt (long story - one of those extreme flat-foot situations) and he couldn't bear weight for 6 weeks. He used something like this that had wheels. I gotta say - I was a bit envious that such a thing wasn't around way back in the day when I was crutching it around...
I think these things are a brilliant idea!
Good luck with your "trim" next week. It'll go fine, I'm sure, but please do keep us posted! Questions / Concerns / etc... we would like to share experience and hear about yours!
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Post by mtrprts on Feb 16, 2017 19:27:42 GMT -7
Well three days to go and getting nervous. I was just wondering what most people do at night when you shower or have to get up in the middle of the night for bathroom trip?
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Post by stonecutter on Feb 17, 2017 9:12:23 GMT -7
When you sleep: Prosthesis off, wrap stump (especially when a new amputee) with tensors or a shrinker sock.
If you have to get up in the middle of the night: Here's something important especially for new leg amps. You need to be able to see. Fumbling around in the dark with little to focus your vision on will cause you to lose your balance and fall. Do a little test now. Stand on one leg with your eyes open. Easy, huh? Now do the same with your eyes closed. How long did you last before you had to grab something or catch your balance, which you normally do by putting the other foot down...
Showering: Invest in a shower stool. Have a seat in the shower, gets you off your feet so you can wash all your bits!
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Post by mtrprts on Mar 20, 2017 10:04:50 GMT -7
Today is 4 weeks since my bka. I have fallen 3 times and it is still bleeding. I'm very depressed and regretful at this point. Anybody got any good remedies for making a wound close faster. I'm using ice all day and drinking juven and eating a good high protein diet. Any advice would be appreciated. Also it is still extremely sore. Is that normal after 4 weeks?
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Post by cherylm on Mar 21, 2017 3:07:28 GMT -7
How big an injury? How much bleeding? And HAVE YOU SEEN A DOCTOR OR WOUND-CARE NURSE for advice on this injury? What were the circumstances of your falls and how severe were they?
By four weeks post-surgery you should not normally be feeling much in the way of pain, although that can vary. However, those three falls can easily have an impact on how you're healing.
PLEASE take this slow and easy and KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR MEDICAL TEAM throughout your healing. It can take a long time to get back to "normal" following an amputation...Trevor's experience is not unusual, and my own recovery time was similar. Better to keep yourself safe and able to heal without injury than to "push it" and keep creating setbacks. Considering what you've posted previously about the state of your leg, it does sound to me like you made a good decision to amputate, but you do need to keep yourself injury free in order to heal and move on. Good luck to you!
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Post by stonecutter on Mar 21, 2017 8:29:01 GMT -7
I agree with What cheryl said - you need to seek medical attention. You need to look into this and take care of yourself.
You may have an infection or whatever it could cause you to undergo further surgeries, further amputations or worse. If you have a fever, the area is swollen, red, hot or smelly, there is any sort of discharge, I would get myself to an emergency room PDQ (pretty damn quick).
I'm speaking from experience with that. In 2011, I had a fever when I got up at 5:30AM - thought I was getting the flu. By 10:00AM, my stump hurt. Bad. By noon, I took my leg off to find out what the heck was happening. Leg was off for less that 5 minutes. It ballooned up so I could barely get my leg back on. Hot, red, swollen. Went home from work. At home, took it off, was freezing cold from the fever, all the while not accepting / acknowledging that I had a bad infection. When you are in the situation it's easy to put your own mind in denial mode. "Oh... It's not that bad..." or my favorite "I think I'm getting better!"
By 5:00PM when my wife got home, there was no hope of getting my prosthetic back on - my stump was huge, and I was feeling sooooo cold but I was hot to the touch. My wife made me go to the ER after we called the local dial-a-nurse number and described my condition. The message was get to a hospital within the hour, and they offered to call an ambulance. We drove, but when I got to the triage, I was whisked past the waiting room - I was taken right in and had IVs put in and blood work taken. I was on IV antibiotics for a week. Long story short - the doctor told me that by the next morning I would have likely lost the rest of my leg and if I had waited a further 12 hours - I probably wouldn't have been here to tell you this story.
The end result was that I was told that an infection would have likely killed me one day, and that I should get a revision surgery to clean up some extra nerve damaged, atrophied flesh I was carrying. 11 months later I had my revision surgery and its been smooth sailing ever since.
The moral of the story is: don't mess around with possible infections. If you have the slightest inkling that you may have an infection, get it checked out.
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Post by mtrprts on Mar 21, 2017 9:31:13 GMT -7
Thanks you guys, for the replies and concern. I see my doctor Thursday. I don't think I have any infection. I'm not warm or running a fever. No smelly discharge and my wife said that it is definitely not infected. It just seems that I have this one little place that is bleeding and the blood is so thin and watery that it won't clot. I guess this is just from the the falls. When I see the dr Thursday, he is supposed to take out the staples and then I see the prosthetics guy on sight to get some sort of compression sleve. Can you guys tell me what comes next? One more thing, how long does it take for it to stop feeling like all the blood is rushing to the stump when I stand up? If feels likes it's gonna blow.
And I'm also wondering what type of leg should I expect to get for my first one?
Thanks again
Greg.
ps. I'm sitting my butt in this chair til Thursday.
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Post by stonecutter on Mar 21, 2017 11:27:05 GMT -7
Whew! No infection! Nice!
If you have some deep bruising from your falls - that might be your pain issue... Your doc should be able to advise.
What comes after a compression sleeve? Casting / scanning for a socket if the swelling is down and people are satisfied with the level of healing. If not - it'll be more sitting around trying to heal up some more.
When you get into your first socket it is absolutely crucial to do exactly what you're told. You'll be putting a lot of forces on parts of your stump that have never been pushed / pulled like they have before.
The whole blood rush thing. I know exactly what you're referring to. Some other amputees don't know what that means (I guess it doesn't happen to all of us) but I sure as heck do. It gets better slowly over time. Once you have a prosthesis and there's a constant pressure on all exterior sides of the stump it happens a lot less.. Over time the intensity of these occurrences will diminish too. I found these to be most intense when using the toilet and ... um... being intimate with my then girlfriend. By the time I was with the woman who would become my wife - 1.5 years post surgery they were pretty tame (but so was I)...
Hey look at the time...
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Post by mtrprts on Mar 21, 2017 15:54:42 GMT -7
Thanks Trevor, nice to know that the blood rushing will stop over time. It's really bad first thing in the morning, but then eases through the day. I'm not sure I follow on the socket. I don't pretend to know how this works, but my Dr. said there will be no pressure on my stump when I get the prosthetist. He said the area just below and to the sides on my knee will bare the weight. Is that right?
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Post by stonecutter on Mar 22, 2017 12:38:19 GMT -7
That is true - there's spots that bear your weight, but you don't want the rest of your stump just wiggling around in the socket like a pendulum. You'll have serious sore spots and a poor fit if that happens. So they make the rest of the fit snug - accomplished with a silicone liner and socks. So you will have a snug fitting socket on all sides of your stump. I found that support on the skin was what helps to make these blood rushes subside.
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Post by cherylm on Mar 23, 2017 3:23:53 GMT -7
mtrprts, there's a difference between "pressure" and "pain" when talking about prosthetic limbs. Many amputees truly LIKE having a fair amount of pressure on their stump (I'm one of those), but no-one likes or wants pain. When you get to the point of actually starting to stand/walk in your new leg, remember that A PROPERLY FITTED PROSTHETIC SHOULD NOT HURT. If you DO feel any pain at that point, let your prosthetist know immediately...they will be able to make adjustments to fix the situation. And keep at it until you have a leg you feel truly comfortable with.
With regard to the "blood rushes": have you been keeping your stump elevated most of the time? Even after getting your compression sleeve (commonly known as a "shrinker"), it's best to keep your stump elevated when you're not doing actual physical therapy exercises. If you just let it hang down, gravity will automatically increase the amount of blood that pools in the stump, and you're right--it's a very uncomfortable feeling!
You're going to find you have a LOT of little things to learn during this new phase in your life, so just keep asking questions...........
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Post by mtrprts on Mar 23, 2017 11:51:29 GMT -7
Well, I did not get my Shrinker today. Dr said everything looked good. Still bleeding because of the fall and come back in two weeks. So, two week setback on getting leg.
He did take out every other staple and give me antibiotic, just in case.
Thanks for the replies. I'm sure I will have many more questions.
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Post by mtrprts on Apr 16, 2017 18:24:48 GMT -7
Is there any such thing as a stump protector? I can't find anything and I'm desperate, even if someone has done a homemade thing. I'm on fall number 4 and it was a bad one. Something has to exist out there. I'll take any suggestions. I cannot fall again.
Thanks
Greg
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Post by cherylm on Apr 17, 2017 12:34:59 GMT -7
Greg, what are you trying to do when you fall? Normally, the thing that will help protect your stump is your prosthetic socket...but that requires not falling long enough to heal and get into a prosthetic socket. I've never had (or known of) a specific firm "stump protector," but I have sometimes used a leftover liner (or worn an old socket even if I couldn't walk in it) to just "hold things together." But again, that requires having leftover prosthetic equipment.
What are you using to get around now? Are you on crutches or in a wheelchair? Do you fall when you're up and moving around, or when you're trying to stand from a sitting position? Or do you fall from bed either while asleep or when you first wake up. If we knew how the falls were happening, it might suggest a clue to a way to prevent them.
One other possibility MIGHT be if you could convince your prosthetist to make a temporary "check socket" that you could at least wear during the day, held on by a suspension sleeve. I've not heard of such a thing being done, but it's an idea.
I really hope you can figure out a way to deal with this...it sounds like a bad situation all around.
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Post by mtrprts on Apr 17, 2017 12:48:54 GMT -7
I have fallen out of bed once. This last time (yesterday) I was getting out of my truck and honestly I don't know what happened. It was just so fast. One min I'm in the truck and the next I'm on the ground. I have an appt with the prosthetics dr. Thursday. I'm gonna see if he can make me something. And, yes, I do have crutches that I use 90% of the time. I have been using the Iwalk just a little. I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't even drink.
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Post by stonecutter on Apr 17, 2017 17:47:36 GMT -7
When you undergo an amputation, it's a serious thing. You have severed a part of your body that you have hardwired in your brain. There are moments when your brain will that your missing limb is missing. Sometimes - you might put your foot down to take a step only to find yourself landing on the end of your stump and them on the ground. Usually there are bruises/ cuts / scrapes / damaged pride that goes along with that.
You have to concentrate until you get used to having this imbalance that comes along with missing a leg. What I suggest is getting a walker / set of crutches and keeping it handy when getting into and out of bed. Put a light on so you have something to focus on when getting out of bed. If you are falling out of bed while sleeping, get extra pillows and put them between you and the edge of the bed where you all off. If the pillows are easy to come off, put them under the sheet or figure out a way to secure them. It'll be a natural berm to keep you inside. The only other thing I'd suggest if that doesn't work for you is seeing if there's some kind of attachment you can get for existing beds that will provide you with an adjustable bed rail - as seen on hospital beds but as an attachment. (I think these are actual things and not figments of my imaginations).
As far as your truck is concerned. When you are ready to get out (I assume you are driving) ((Seems to me you're a left leg BK)) Concentrate on what you're doing... Turn your body in your seat until you are perpendicular to the drive direction of the parked truck. Slide out, holding onto whatever you can to steady your decent/keep your balance as you get your right foot under you. Only when you are ready to transition to your walking aids (crutches / walker / iWalker) do you take your hands off your handles, and onto the aid.
When you are getting out - expect to have to support your weight with your hands by the handles / door, etc... If your right foot twists, doesn't land right, you should be ready to arrest your fall. It may be a good idea to practice with the help of family / friends until you get your confidence up. And when you DO have your confidence - go slow - don't get cocky! You might end up on your ass again!
Falls are a very bad thing - I fully agree. Each one sets you back a bit and if it causes damage to your incision - could be a huge set back...
Keep us posted. Hopefully there are some suggestions here for you.
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Post by mtrprts on Jun 16, 2017 7:55:30 GMT -7
Well, just a few days short of 4 months, I finally got my prosthetic yesterday. I managed to wear it for four hours. It was very sore and bruised at the end of the shin bone, but today I was able to put on a thicker liner and it feels much better. I have a question. It took me about thirty mins to get it on this morning because I can't get my pant leg up high enough. Any suggestions? I can't wear shorts in my line of work. I have a suction liner.
Thanks
greg
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Post by cherylm on Jun 19, 2017 0:34:33 GMT -7
Hi, Greg! There are a number of ways to address the "dressing" question. The most common one that I've heard of for fellows is to "dress the prosthesis first." With your prosthesis off, put your slacks on over the open end of the socket and let them bunch up around your ankle. Then don your leg. Once it's on and your suction is established, then pull your slacks the rest of the way up. This works well for anyone who is trying to wear reasonably tailored slacks or jeans. Another option (one I often use) is to wear slacks with wider legs, knit slacks, or boot-cut jeans. I can then put my leg on first and then pull my slacks on in the "usual" manner. The extra give in the pants legs makes it easier to pull then on over a prosthetic foot.
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Post by stonecutter on Jun 19, 2017 11:16:42 GMT -7
Similar to what Cherylm is suggesting: I dress the prosthesis first. I put my prosthetic foot into the pant leg foot first and then worry about the right leg. I don the prosthesis first, and then put the pants on normally. I don't put pants on first and then dry to roll the pant leg down. I've never been able to pull that off. My socket has always been large and a problem in that regard.
Pants for me are always relaxed fit. Skinny jeans or anything like that - If I was skinny to start with - wouldn't work as every contour of your prosthesis would be visible and the tightness would be restricting to your natural movement of your leg. It's not always easy to find a well fitting pair of pants so when I find a pair of pants that I like - I buy multiple pairs. I have three pairs of the pants I'm wearing right now. If they had more of the same size, I'd have bought more too...
How'd you do with your vehicle? Things okay? Did you stop falling out of it?
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Post by mtrprts on Jun 20, 2017 19:54:09 GMT -7
Thanks guys, your advice is working. And I have stopped falling once I got a stump protector, wish I had it from the start. After the second day of wearing my prosthetic, I had a huge blood blister on my stump. I was told not to put it back on til Thursday. My prosthesis, who has been so good to me, says it's from bottoming out, but I'm not so sure it didn't come from suction. If I was bottoming out, it should have been painful right? This whole process of the exstream sweating and the use of many different thickness socks is very complicated. I wasn't expecting this. He told me in the beginning , I should take it off every hour and wipe the sweat and check the fit. I was thinking about ordering some alcohol wipes for cleaning? What have you guys found to be the best and quickest way for cleaning the liners?
Thank again
Greg
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