Monday, February 1, 2010

Things All Amputees Should Know

1. Every amputation is different. You can have totally different reactions with different ones. 

2. Go into the procedure expecting the worst pain of your life. If it is, then you were counting on it, and if it isn't that, you'll be surprised and happy. I was surprised and happy. :)

3. When they take off the cast, you'll probably be shocked. I was. Both times. Expect to cry. I didn't but I'm used to seeing nasty medical stuff.

4. It takes about 2 months for the incision on a BK to heal completely. 

5. It takes about 2-3 months after amputation to start walking with your new prosthesis.

6. If you think you can't afford a prosthesis, you might be right, but that doesn't mean you can't get one. Most states have vocational rehabilitation offices that will aid you in your quest for one as long as you are, or are planning to become a working member of society. 

7. Your residual limb is very sensitive. This is a good and bad thing. 

8. You should be aware of 2 communities out there. Devotees and Pretenders/Wannabees. Devotees are people sexually interested in people with amputations and sometimes other "handicaps". People often come of the opinion that the devotees are perverts, but in reality they can't help their attraction. Most are actually very nice normal people, but the community itself has a bad reputation because of the few idiots among them that treat others disrespectfully. Pretenders/Wannabees are people that pretend to be have a medical handicap, and sometimes they go through with trying to attain it. For instance, I spoke with one who managed to fuse his own knee by wearing a brace for 5 years. Serious pretenders/wannabees can have BIID which stands for Body Integrity Identity Disorder. 

9. As an amputee you can do just about anything that an able bodied person can do, you just need to find out what kind of compensation is needed. They make every type of arm and leg device you can think of now a days. You just need to ask your prosthetisis what will work for you.

10. Don't let amputation get you down. Look at whats happened and tell lady luck to fuck off cause you can take whatever shit she throws at you. Just to prove it, you're going to take your new prosthetic and do everything she said you wouldn't be able to. 


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