"Best day ever!" is good. Here in Hawaii we say " No bad days!" Lost my leg due to sepsis. A few more hours and I would be dead. A good trade in my opinion. For that, I am very grateful for whatever "Best days ever" have been added to my life. Previous to this video, I watched your video of the fit of the socket is MOST IMPORTANT. How true. I am only a 4 month AKA but my socket fit is sloppy. Being 73 years old, I am a bit impatient to get on my foot again. Even though with the sloppy fit, when I am on the prosthesis, I can tell that I will pick up the skill of walking in no time if the socket didn't hurt. (That is not phantom pain) Thanks for the 5 Life consequences lesson. My overall attitude has been good but my new impatience and frustration has allowed/caused/overcome my best judgement/ to lash out at my loving wife a few times. A wife who has done for me more than I have asked. Thanks for the tips. I have apologized and we have talked it out and all is well. Thank you and best wishes. RonZ
Hi Ron, I hope you’re getting the socket sorted out. It’s imperative for quality of life and mobility without setbacks. Thanks for your reflection and comments, something very helpful in there for new amps.
Hi my friend, thank you for having the courage to post this message. I am wondering how you are doing after the operation, I remember very clearly what it was like 16 years now. The priority now is health, both emotionally and physically. Please keep in touch, I’m thinking of you and I hope and wish for you that you get through this ok 🙏
Hope your doing ok Dynacoh... I like your TF2 Demoman pic! He’s one of my favourite characters 😄 Like demo man I’m a cyclops lol I’m watchin this guys vid to understand some grief I have over losing my eye. Not as serious as a more important limb but still.
@@theampedlife I did not even expect you to write back. I'd not seen the notification. I got my leg cut off from the knee up. I'd be less bothered by this if it happened when I was older but I had it cut off at 17 which was literally when I wrote the comment. Well I'm still young. I'd be more fine with it if I wasn't dping chemotherapy at the same time. I would be back working out by now but instead I've gained 20 pounds since I've amputated my leg and I cant even begin to workout till my stuff is all over. But I can wait.
This is so beautiful and transparent. This is needed not just for someone that is an amputee but being the significant others in their lives. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Jeanette, thank you for your beautiful message. I appreciate the kind words, feedback like this inspires me to share the difficult experiences I often struggle to acknowledge to myself and others. I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment!
My daughter’s brother-in-law just had a tragic work accident which left him as a double amputee. This just happened and they have a two year old and a baby due early July. I am certain this journey will be difficult. They live out of town so they are not surrounded by a lot of family. The caregiver will be his wife that is pregnant and will have a newborn and a toddler. Hearing your words of wisdom is beautiful. I think if this little family constantly. Love to you.
@@jeanettedombroski3934 Im so sorry to hear about this sad thing happening. I wish you all the best, and would like to offer that despite these tragedies good things can still happen. I wish this for you too 🙏
@@theampedlife I believe this wholeheartedly. Thank you for your response. I wish you all the best and plan to continue to be inspired by you. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Ali, thanks for watching and for your message. I can't imagine how a loss like that under those circumstances must have impacted you. I went and took risk, made my choice, for which I had to pay with my leg. It strikes me that you were not taking dangerous risks, but living your life and became the victim of someone else's choice and cruelty. I can't imagine how that affects ones life. Yet here you are sharing your story with us - I have so much respect for you to be able to do this. Thank you, please keep on commenting, I imagine that what you experienced will encourage someone else to live in the present and find quality of life. All the best, love from Africa.
So on target.. As a nurse I helped so many over 35 yrs. Then my BK amputation occurred due to wrong diagnosis of a DVT. Now 2.5 yrs later..i am going thru the whole shebang..mostly anger and blame. I spent one solid year in hospital recovering and dealing with my Crohns that got worse and then pneumonia and a coma. I am glad to be alive and planned to do counseling with our military here in North Carolina, but now I'm even better suited due to my amputation..many soldiers are amputees due to bombs in the Mideast. I am trying to deal with my anger thru therapy and mindfulness but it does overwhelm me often. Thank you for your wise words.💕
Thank you for your comment - sorry I missed it when you posted it. Thanks for your willingness to assist those of us who are amputees, I hope you are doing the counselling you have planned, we really need amputees to help amputees with their trauma. I agree with you - much gratitude to be alive after such a close encounter with our mortality :-)
Thank you for these videos. Being 30 when crashing a vehicle and losing my left leg above knee as well as 6 other repair surgerys this shows me a fruitful life. I am just a year out from this accident am clean from meds and learning to walk on prosthesis.. thanks again.
Hi Niel, thanks for your message and for sharing what happened. I hope you're coping well with the new prosthesis and finding your mobility again? I was 34 when my accident happened - there is a whole lot of living to do despite this setback. Go for it mate, and all the best for '23!
Thank Chris for your transparency. You made me take a look at the issues I battle everyday and how I'm still trying to figure out how to prioritize them.
Hi Essie, thank you for commenting, and for your openness. I am doing another video on 5 more struggles I have identified, I hope you find that helpful too. All the best, please send any topic you would find useful for me to make a video on, I'll try my best to address your suggestions. Take care :-)
Further to your comment regarding opioid use. DO NOT TRY AND BE A HERO by quitting them "cold-turkey" post-discharge day. I made that mistake 5 days ago and holy shit was that a bad decision. Speak with your practitioner VERY carefully about your tapering protocol and how to safely ween off that stuff.
I cannot agree more on your advice. I did the cold turkey thing and it was hell for a week. A professionals guidance can prevent relapses and help to sustain a good pain management plan. GREAT feedback, thanks David.
Hello! I have a friend that lost both his legs from below the knees. I’m new with all this and trying to learn as much as possible so I understand as well as I can. I want to be there for him and I want him to know that our friendship is very important to me. I actually met him after his surgery for the last leg. He can walk now with what he calls his robo legs. Thank you for your videos.
Hi Ashley, thank you for the message. I have so much respect for you for wanting to be supportive of your friend after such a significant, life changing loss - thank you for being this person for him. There will be more video's to come, and I will make a video on how to best support someone who has lost a limb / leg, or both legs in his case. I hope this will be helpful to you and others in this situation. I have been doing live streams recently, one again this coming weekend. Please join us and ask any questions you might have, I think there will be a lot of support for you and him, it's such a valuable topic you've raised. Hope to see you there! Watch out for notification for the live stream details and time, if you've subbed and checked the notification bell on You Tube and your device you will get one. All the best to you both, and thank you for your care and kindness.
@@theampedlife I am inpnp I need help with both my legs are amped it been 2year and no one abel to help me hospital say can do because of the back lock I am n. Pension old man
Hi! Im so sorry to hear about your son's and your loss. As family, especially parents, we find the pain difficult experience and share with our kids. Our support is so valuable to them, and can make things more manageable over time. All the best for you both, I can only offer that my experience has ultimately made my life meaningful, and brought my family and I closer together. My heart goes out to you both.
Hi Chris, those things dont sound weird. I dont go through a amputation but i totally understand these struggles and emotions. Its a very heavy change in your life and i totally get that there have Some (temporairly) changes in your life. Its hard but i would say to you accept it for the moment, take your time and peace to work and used to it. I love to watch your video’s. Love sabrina
Sabrina Menten hi Sabrina, this such a kind and loving message 🙏 I really appreciate your thoughts and understanding of an emotional issue. Thanks also for supporting the channel- it motivates me to keep on creating and uploading ☀️Much love and care C.
There were a lot of things I didn’t expect after an “accident” that caused my amputation. Especially, after I was telling them, no. Don’t do it, but I have learned that I am a great problem solver during unexpected situations.. Thank you for sharing :)
Hi Cristie, thanks for your comment on our channel! I think that as amputees who have experienced such loss, trauma for some, and the many implications and complications which comes with limb loss, we have become resourceful, resilient over time, patient, and caring of the struggles of others. I'm so sorry you weren't heard in such a huge decision, it's feels unimaginable to be put in such a situation which you found yourself in. I hope we hear more from you in the future, especially considering your experience, if you can share some of the problems you've experienced in the past. I'm sure many can benefit from it. Much care :-)
Hi Riana, thank you for your message. I appreciate that you found this helpful, if there is anything you would like to know more about I’ll try to cover it in future videos. Take care, all the best ☀️
Thank you so much... Hearing you say that it properly hit you 6-8 years later made me fill right up. I lost both my legs in 2015 and I am struggling with it more than ever before. And the fact that many people assume you’ll be ‘over it’ by now makes it worse... I feel less alone now. Thanks again.
I hope you’re in a better mental space today 🙏 I haven’t experienced something as tragic as losing a limb, but I come across videos and comments like this and it makes me so sad to see people having to deal with these things. I get depressed easily and feel suicidal over embarrassingly small problems. And then I feel pathetic and ungrateful realizing there’s millions of people who are dealing with much bigger issues in life. Some people seem to handle these types of tragedies so well, at least on the outside. But you never really know what a person is dealing with internally. Could you share what happened to cause your accident?
Hi Ali, thanks for your kind comment! You're welcome, please let me know what other topics might be helpful for you or anyone else. Love from South Africa :-)
I have never got addicted to pain meds because the day they took my leg they only gave me a tylenol. I was in so much pain. I just went camping for the first time since I lost leg. And I got upset with my niece because she wasn't setting the tent up right. It was dark, uneven ground and only the lights of our phones. I'm so sorry I did that. I was exhausted getting everything ready like I usually do. And the frustration was thru the roof. We are going again in a few weeks and I will asking for help to get the stuff ready and load up the car. It is unbelievable the way we come up with different way to do things. Life goes on - thank goodness.
Hi Terrie, thanks for the message, and I completely can relate to your struggles. To feel like you're sitting on the sidelines and watch others do things, you used to do well, is very very frustrating. Everything takes longer, packing, carrying stuff, setting up, ugh!!! It can drive me crazy sometimes, even after 20 years. But you're out there camping, great stuff! Getting on with life which is awesome. I needed to learn to slow things down, and let others help me. I don't like it but it's how it is I guess. You don't have to apologise for these feelings, I think how we express them is important, but feeling this way is so understandable, especially if you were a very capable person before the loss. Ive learnt to slow things down, create more time and plan better, that helped a lot. All the best with everything, I hope we see you in our live streaming events!
My worst enemy was my own parents and family when I became an above knee amputee. I was 20 and was told to " man up". And when I got compensation money was expected to use it to pay money to my siblings to help them get a start in life........ Today I'm struggling to even pay my bills. And my siblings went ahead and did quite well. I'm not bitter but wish I got professional help ptsd was a sign of weakness according to my father. It doesn't stop the vacume of the sense of loss I still have today
Hi Peter Thank you for sharing your struggle with us, and I'm really sorry to hear what happened with how your family handled your loss. That money you received was supposed to set you up for a different life, and even though what you did was a kind thing to do, which I respect, it looks like it cost you dearly in the recovery and growth process. Im thinking surely if you helped your siblings to create opportunity, it is now time for them to return the kindness? Asking for professional help is certainly not a weakness, in fact it is courageous to acknowledge that we struggle , and to get support from someone who can help with something that we cannot see in the moment. It took me almost 10 years to ask for help, and when I finally did my life changed for the better, by a big margin. I really hope you find someone to guide you to a better place, and I hope that your siblings are willing to provide the resources to do so. I think you've earned the favour you gave them all the years ago, when in fact you wrwe the one who needed help. Take care mate, please keep in touch. Hope we see you on the next live stream, maybe we can help you by listening, and giving some support.
Hi Chris it's Peter Chudleigh again. Thanks for inviting me to stay in touch I would like to keep in touch. And share experiences. My leg loss was in 1979 I was 20. Now I'm 65. My biggest challenge is working and earning something to take care of my family. When I was younger I took up painting house's and working for a builder. Other tradies couldn't understand me doing such a physical type of work for an above knee amputee. But I enjoyed the exercise and my disability only held me back minimally. But it's got harder now I'm 65. More in employers minds than mine. I'm finding it hard now because I've become dependent upon my wife and feel my independence is gone. It's painful and depressing getting past other people's phycological limitations. Even my own wife is affected more than she admits and a strain in our relationship results. I hope you keep going and keep reaching out.
Update: I'm 4 months post below knee amputation and up walking, chopping firewood and doing tractor work in the middle of a Caribou Maine winter. I'll be honest... it's not the big things because I can still manage them but the little things like the time it takes to get down on the floor safely to wrestle with my dogs. Thanks for the channel brother... good stuff!
Hi Pat, thanks for your message, I love your enthusiasm and sense of humour 😊 yeah it’s in the little things the frustration gets to me too. But easily overcome by seeing what IS possible and getting on w the good stuff. 4 months and walking, sooo awesome, and committed. Join us later today for a live stream q&a, 6pm SA time. I think if there’s time I’m going to comment on your comment if that’s ok. All the best mate!
i was in the hospital for 101 days after i lost my leg. i had a total of 6 visits, saddest part is my family lived 45 minutes away but they said they didn't have time to go all the way to the hospital, losing my leg was and is soo hard without support, you find out quick how much family and friends really care...i don't get invited camping or family outings because it would be too hard to take care of me or you didn't get invited because we thought going to the lake would be to difficult for you since you cant walk normal. i not angry, i skipped that stage and went strait to depressed.
Hi, thanks for your message and honest emotional reflection and share. I'm truly sorry to hear that you feel isolated at times, support and connection is such an important part of getting going again as an amputee. I learnt that anger is not a bad thing. It motivated me when I applied the energy which it brings, and this helped me to get to the point where I decided that I'll live my life regardless of who did or did not support me. My depression lifted when I got busy, and when I started feeling connected to myself and life again. I took on the attitude of "well I'm gonna live well - are you in or out?" I was not going to be anyone's hostage any more .... there is too much out there to do. I guess Im trying to say that don't be scared of anger, rather be curious about it. I was amazed at how powerful a motivation it was! All the best my friend, please keep on posting your thoughts - someone will learn from your experience, you will help them to make changes by sharing your experience.
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for sharing this. I hope you're doing OK and finding life manageable and enjoyable again as an amputee. All the best for 2023 - I hope good things are going to happen for you :-)
Chris! I love this. Thank you so much for sharing! I'm an amputee too and I've been thinking about making a RUclips channel about this. I just clicked on your video since it's along the lines of what I'm thinking of and I LOVE that I found a fellow South African amputee! I lost my leg in the St Elmo's bombing 20 years ago in Cape Town
Hi Liv, I'm sooooo sorry I only saw your message today, but glad I did. I'm really sorry to hear about how you lost your leg, but so inspired by how positive you sound. Have you started your channel?? I'l go and take a look right now, but if you have not please go for it! Perhaps we can do a collaboration some time ☀️ All the best Liv
@@theampedlife hey thanks for the support and positivity! I actually did start my amputee channel but I didn't love the response I got to it and the way it made me feel to make the content. It feels like a very vulnerable thing and it made my mind focus on my situation rather than just accepting it like I do. It was called Authentic Amputee
Yes many positive messages, there is physical amputation and then other forms as well, which makes the counsel applicable in many situations of loss that result in a permanent change in circumstances and new challenges.
Hi Fran, thanks for your comments and support - I saw that you have subscribed - thanks. Can you suggest any topics there might be a need for out there? Warm regards :-)
I'm a new subscriber, and I'm also a left foot/ankle amputee. You're helping me, I love your videos, I have the greatest respect for you. Thank you for what you do, for who you are.
Thank you for joining the channel Jacquie, I responded to another message you sent earlier today. Im sorry I missed the message at the time of posting. How are you coping? Please ket me know if you have a moment, and feel free to ask me anything. I'm happy to help and hope it can make a difference :-)
I lost my leg due to complications from bone cancer, so, not a catastrophic event. I avoided the drug addiction. As far as the emotional aspect, I just decided to be that guy that people talk about. I hope to get back to land speed racing my motorcycle, albeit, with a slight weight advantage:) Thanks for sharing.
For someone who’s used to walking winding up in a wheelchair feels like the end of the world, Thank god for prosthetic limbs the wheelchair is temporary! I can’t speak for people who have spent their whole lives in a wheelchair and never walked don’t know that feeling of loss. I wish the best for everyone!👍
Thank you Tony, I know its been a while since you posted this but I appreciate your kindness and empathetic words. You put some warmth into someones day ☀️All the best to you too!
Well I lost my leg almost 2 years ago I was surprise at the way I was treated. Like when I ask for help to go to the toilets and was told just crap in the bed we’ll clean it and you up that’s what we’re here for and I told them I didn’t want to sit in it and you shouldn’t want to have to clean it up. They were surprised to have anyone care about them ever I worked doing in home healthcare for several years taking people to there doctors visits and unlike I was told I didn’t leave them on there own to have to deal with everything alone like I told them I wouldn’t want to go through that alone. Although when my late wife had her liver drained I sat with her wile they drained 15 pints from her holding her hand she didn’t want me to see her go through that the next 3 times. Like I said I wouldn’t have wanted to go through that alone but I respected her wishes. As for the phantom pain I only had them while I was on the pain meds and they went away as soon as I quit taking them. As for your narcissistic attitude I think you are an A**Hole for treating people badly you have a bunch of friends and family trying to help you. You have no idea how they feel or care about you or what they can even do and your complaining because YOU LOST something and now feel insecure and inadequate well you always were that get up using your crutches or strapping on your prosthetic leg arm or whatever is missing and learn to use it. If those people didn’t care an awful lot about you they would have just walked off and left you to deal with your own crap. I got into a discussion with some people at the hospital a few months ago with a guy like you sitting in a wheelchair with no legs they were telling me that he was a cripple he can’t do anything so I pulled up my pants leg and they seen I didn’t have a leg either and none of them had even noticed because after walking with a prosthetic leg after a few week could walk normally but the guy in the wheelchair after the others had left admitted that he didn’t want to ware prostheses because he was a ass and wanted to milk it for all he could and make people wait on him as much as possible. Your complaining that you can’t pickup your boat as good as you use to well go exercise and build up some strength so you can don’t blame others because your an Ahole I think you always were but were to arrogant and self-centered to admit it life is full of challenges. I tried to do some of the thing that I seen people doing on line hopping around on one foot I got out of bed to go to the toilet and hopped I twisted my foot and got my toes bent over and standing on them bent an couldn’t get untangled years ago I use to practice doing this but with 2 feet you just shift your weight to the other foot and straighten it out it took almost half an hour to get untangle now I had bought a Icruch it’s a walking crutch it has a padded shelf you can stand on your knee or stump on and buckle around your leg and below your knee if you have one there’s a hand hold at the top you can use to hold it with your hand if you need to but with it you can walk just fine after I got my prosthetic leg I just keep it and the crutch next to the bed and whenever I get up I don’t hopp around just step into my leg or the crutch and I can walk or it least stand if I’m going to go more than a couple of steps I will put on my leg it only takes a few seconds another thing I started doing my prosthetic guy doesn’t like but I leave on my compression sock on and I put my silicone sock with the lock pin on it over my compression sock it stays on just as good as with bare skin most of the time even better and I ended up cutting it off just above my knee with the sock on my leg doesn’t sweat and it doesn’t pull off and my stump has shrunk a lot so it’s loose at the bottom and have to put on a extra sock or 2 at the bottom anyway but this makes putting it on and off a lot faster because without the sock under neath i sweat a lot and will get sometime 1/2 cup of water to dump out and mop up off the floor and is really a pain dealing with. I also had a bunch of side effects from the satins, baita-blockers, blood thinners and pain pills I was given all of these have bad side effects and I had around 10 of them several were very severe and I’m still being treated for some of the side effects like hemorrhaging in my eyeballs the shots for that are very expensive and not very pleasant to get injected in each eye every few weeks the neuropathy and the cold hands and feet, the night terrors and my blood pressure has all gone back to normal after going off of these and my memory has come back and being able to talk and think again a lot of these attitude problems you were talking about are also listed as side affects from these pain killers and the pills for phantom nerve pain which I only had when taking them most of these also stop you from using vitamins B1,B3, B6, B12 and a hand full of others but if your having some inferiority problems they’re going to get worse and like I said you need to try to get along with the others who are really trying to help you or they wouldn’t be there at all and if you run them off your really going to have some really hard times you can make it easier on others or you can do it all alone it’s up to you and your going to have to deal with a lot on your own anyway so don’t make it more miserable than you have to or you will be doing it ALL BY YOUR SELF. So be nice kind as much as you can and DON’T forget to thank all the nurses friends and family you have trying to help you because they don’t have to be there and if you run them off they will leave and not come back. Like I mentioned before I’ve been really surprised to here how thankful the nurses and doctors along with others how happy they are being around me because most of the others are being such a holes it ruins their whole day and they were trying to help
Thank you for posting this video. I had an amputation done in 2007. I was in a near fatal motorcycle accident in 1983 which left me with a drop foot I was able to get my life back and over on from that and I was an avid fly fisherman and upland hunter, then in 2004 I tripped and broke my ankle, I had a cast put on the ankle, ankle reconstruction surgery but I had the amputation done when I managed to break my heal. I interestingly never went through the loss of identity some people have gone through it was just me, but I had lived through my accident too. The Phantom limb pain is a big issue for me but I was fighting chronic pain in my back and left foot for years as it was and it hasn't gone away so I've had to accept that I am going to have that problem with me for life. I ended up getting divorced from my wife 2 years after my amputation. I had a difficult time after my divorce but then I've enjoyed my life like I had never done before, not to be mean towards her. Really an amputation is a life altering event for you and your spouse or significant other. But it's not the end either you have to improvise and adapt to the next thing in your life. Thanks for posting this video and all the best.
I like your honest observations and appreciate your insights. Many times we are learning things about ourselves. Becoming an amputee we are faced with adjustments both Physical and mental. Looking within and being honest with ourselves and those around us seems to be a big part of learning to live with limb loss. Thanks for sharing...we can all learn from each other!
+sole survivor thanks mate, by sharing I’m learning so much from everyone here and it motivates me to keep on posting. Please keep on commenting and would love to hear more of your experiences as an amputee ☀️👍 Any suggestions on future videos would be greatly appreciated!
Wow 5 months in the hospital?! I had a my leg amputated & spent 10 days in the hospital & 14 days in rehab! The ghost pains are surely killer, I was given 3 different types of painkillers, 2 orally & 1 intravenously every 2 hours, it definitely did the trick taking the pain away, thank god I didn’t get hooked on any of it! God bless you for your full recovery and your new outlook & outcome on life 👍
Hi Tony, thanks for your kind words, and sorry for the late reply, I missed the message back when you posted it 5 months ago. God bless and I hope your recovery and life is going well too!☀️
Hi Harland, thank you for the kind words, and for watching the video's. I hope there's something in them for you. Your comment inspires me to post more content on this topic.
I had my left leg amputated slightly above the knee1 mo the ago today and I'm having fantom pains out the butt. I know I've got a long road to hold. The doctors refused to give me pain medication. I'm hanging on and have a good attitude so let's see how it goes.
Hey man, thanks for your message and all the best with the next few months and the pain. If you can do without pain medication it's the best way to go, if not just be careful and work with a dr and a pain management plan. Awesome stuff with the good attitude you have, that is 80% of overcoming this right there! Please stay in touch and let us know how it is going, we can all learn from your approach to this.
Hi Randy, thanks for your message and kind words. I remember the biggest mistake I made during the first few months was to isolate myself, and not ask for or accept help from others. This held me back and hampered my recovery for longer than was needed. I wish you all the best for the next few months. Please keep in touch and let me know if you want to suggest a topic for a video. Cheers mate 🌞
Randy Erickson Ps just to reassure you that there is an amazing life to be had post amputation. It was my responsibility to explore the possibilities, and when I did so much started changing. I hope you find your way....it’s out there.
Hi Annande, yes Halla from Africa my friend!! Im sorry to hear that you lost your leg, but I hope that things are going OK for you. I can tell you that my life has only gotten better and better as an amputee. It was not always like that, it took some time and I made many mistakes, but I'm a grateful, happy amputee today. I hope the same for you, please keep in touch :-) Thanks for your message!
Thank you for posting.. My dad is currently in the hospital. Had a toe amputation on Thursday and went Septic on Friday. Now needs more surgery. Now making a decision of taking half his foot, or having BKA. I'm torn as to which surgery will be an easier recovery for him. Do we chase the infection and keep going back to cut more, or do we do the BKA and be done with it? He's never been one to be still. Always active. I'm thinking with BKA he'd be fitted for a prothesis eventually. With half the foot gone would recovery be harder? So many questions and what if's!
Hi Tina, thanks for sharing your story with us. Its such a tough question, one I too faced for 4 years. Fight the infection or end it by cutting above it? In the end I opted for the full amp, but in hindsight I waited to long for what turned out to be the best decision. I am very active as you see on my channel, and I'd rather have the added amputation than infection again any day. That is speaking for myself, we all have our own journey. All the best for your dad and you, I hope you get to live an active life as we all deserve :-)
I'm an amputee, left BKA, I've been struggling with my walking training. I still have a hard time getting used to the new foot I've been upgraded too, it's now an articulated ankle section. I was used to a more ridged foot and ankle and walked almost like I still had my leg, however now that I've graduated to my new leg and foot my balance is off and my hips are killing me. My physical therapist is great however I get frustrated with what she wants me to do at home because I seem to loose the muscle control and start dropping my hip on the left or my torso starts to sway and then I'm trying to over compensate with the right which again throws my balance off and my left hip drops. I've been watching some of your videos and I say thank you for you personal journey and how you learned all over again. Are there any specific things I could be doing at home and out in the world to help me walk like my prosthetic isn't even there? I just need advice from someone that actually understands what it is to loose a leg. Thank you and I'll keep watching. Have a wonderful day.
Dear Pamela, thanks so much for your message and taking time to connect with me. I really appreciate this. Sorry for the late response (4 months late!) but I must have missed the message first time around. How is the training and walking going? The new foot should be helping, not slowing you down, have you figured it out yet? Im curious to hear which foot you're using. I would love to help any way I can, if you have specific questions I can bring into a video please tell me, I'll try to cover it - and Im sure your questions will help others too. I have made 3 video's on walking tips, all on this channel, I hope they have helped you in some way. Ill also be doing live streaming soon so we can do real time problem solving and Q&A's - please join us when I go live and ask anything you might need suggestions on. Your feedback can also help someone struggling with similar issues - that is exactly what this channel is all about. In the words of the Cranberries - "hold onto our hands when you feel like you're sinking" :-)
very intresting when i lost my leg i didnt realise that i would get addicted mentaly and physicaly on opiates it was only a year ago my amputation i have never drunk smoke or taken drugs,i dont think it has sunk in yet, Plus im unable to use a prosthetic as i had my amputation at the hip, one day at a time good luck
+John devant Hi John, thanks for your comments. Absolutely one day at a time, it took me a long time to find my way again. I’m really sore to hear how high up your amputation is, I hope that in time you will discover a solution to improve your quality of life. Hang in there mate, I wish you all the best ☀️
The Amped Life with Chris thanks alot bud i always try to make something from a negative situation into a positive and ive met and spoken to alot of caring and thoughtful people
I'm suffering with chronic leg pain in my left leg, I'm a very active man in my early fifties. I've considered amputation, but needless to say, it's a daunting choice. But it's a choice I'm seriously considering if it at least gives me a modicum of pain relief. One last thing, Chris. I don't think your amputation is your main disability. I think it's that you're an Apple user. 😉 Seriously though, thanks for the video, it gives me some confidence back.
Hello Chris, Thank You Sir. RBKA amputee in 2016 due to diabetes. For years I always wondered why I am prone to motion/car sickness. I recently read article that tied leg amputation's and the body's equilibrium process. Curious do you ever get motion sickness? Fortunately since I have known many family/friends with addiction issues, I avoided the morphine drips while in hospital and the opioids prescribed, but put a cheeseburger in front of me and I am doomed.
Hi Pablo, thank you for watching and for your comment. I have never experienced motions sickness since amputation, but I'm curious to look into it. Well done for staying away from the opioids, its a curse when dependence set in, just more problems to potentially making life miserable for us. I had to laugh loudly when I read your cheeseburger comment though, I understand, I have the same doomsday experiences with chocolate.
Hi i am above knee amp going on 7 years now i was fitted all wrong for 5 years so now being fitted right and going for therapy to break bad habits . I am finding i run out of energy and get tired does or has this happened to you? I labor breathing at times.
Hi Stardust! Yes, it did in the beginning. When I finally got good prosthetics fitted I had to practice walking right, and retrain the muscles. Things got better fairly quickly, I started swimming and going on walks to help get stronger quicker. Swimming was a great way to heal and find balance again. Practice your gait, it makes a big difference. I posted 2 videos on this topic, it helped me a lot to implement these changes, I hope it helps you too.
hi chris .just seen your video. im about to have an amputation in about 3 months. and i an worried about the affect it will have on my family.can you tell me how your wife inparticuler coped with the pressure the worry and the stress of all the extra work that she had on her shoulders please .loking forward to your anwser .
Hi Raymond, thanks for your message. It's a good question and one that is mostly neglected by many people in our situation. I think it is great that you are looking into this so far ahead of your amputation, in order to figure out these practicalities. I suppose that in a way it's different for couples, depending on the roles that the partners play in the relationship. The most important for me was that my wife should not feel responsible for my healing or well being. She needed to be able to maintain her independence. This is hard, imagine the roles reversed - I would have wanted to "fix" everything for her, which is not possible. Secondly, I asked her straight up what her fears and concerns were. We listed the responsibilities I had managed and identified what would be hard for me to continue doing - and there were surprisingly few. Mostly they included physical issues. Some of these would be temporary, and as my healing speeded up I was able to resume most of them at some point again. Finally we learnt that we needed to communicate our frustrations, stressors, and fears. We saw that we could manage to work through the most of them, and on the rare occasion that we were unable to we needed to ask for help from others. Finding a willing support structure was important. Most of our fears and concerns never really materialised. We took things a day at a time and kinda got through it all OK. There were frustrations at times, but for as long as we communicated these immediately we managed just fine. I made a video with my wife and two of my children where we talk about some of these issues - you can check it out at: ruclips.net/video/4tOrB8FTuL0/видео.html I hope that this helps - please keep in touch, I'll be happy to help wherever I can. That is what this community is for :-) Hope you have a good 2020 - despite the challenges ahead. My life has improved in leaps and bounds since the amputation, I would never have imagined it before it all happened. Take care mate.
My Son just had an amputation last week due to bone cancer in his right leg. He is 13 years old and was a multitime state champion mountain bike racer. Now his life will be totally different. He won’t be able to get a prosthetic for about two more months. Any suggestions on how to help him cope with this new life?
Hi, thank you for the message, and I'm so sorry to hear about your son's experience. I can't imagine what it must be like at such a young age, my heart truly goes out to him, and to you. Although his life will be different, aspects will remain the same. With support and love he can retain what makes him who he is, with that same determination and dedication he showed to become a state champ. An important change to consider with the loss of leg is how this will affect his identity, as he is an athlete with good mobility, balance, strength, and strong physique I imagine. This will be affected by being less mobile and losing some abilities. I can strongly suggest that he talks to someone who understands this change to give him guidance. This is something I had to cope with and it took me a long time to understand it. He can start working on it straight away and likely spare himself a lot of pain and frustration. Some good news - eMTB is a growing sport, with competitions and sponsorships. I started riding mountain bike again last year, and it's been an absolute life changing experience for me. I opted for an E mountain bike (Giant Trance X E+2) and been able to hit the trails quite hard, do some downhill riding, and a 120km cross country ride. It's very manageable and great exercise and distraction. I can only encourage him to try this later on when the leg has healed, and he has a good prosthetic fit. He can write me any time for more information or suggestions. My suggestions for now: Let the wound heal well, rather be safe than risk infection or skin damage. Stay as fit as possible at present. This will help to get going when the leg is ready. Using crutches is a really good workout, as is swimming. Watch some You Tube video's for guidance, the more he knows the better. Get a really good prosthetic leg. When I started using the Ossur Rheo my life improved drastically. I don't know where you live, but there are mobility clinics which provide amazing support, tips, guidance and where you can meet like minded people. Let me know if I can help you find one in your area. I wish you all the best with then journey, and if you need any help please let me know. I'll help the best I can with suggestions or tips. Life as an amputee can be incredibly rewarding, it is really important to get the right support from the start. Warmest regards, Chris
Thanks for your advice. I am a recent amputee. Can you tell me how long it took you to walk after you started your prosthetic process. Thanks again for allnyour insights. Greetings from Mexico
Hi Oscar, thanks for your message and kind words. My amputation was at the end of October 2004, by mid December I was walking on my prosthetic leg. I had many obstacles over the years, but over the past 3 years I have a wonderful setup and as you can see from the video's I am a very fortunate, mobile amputee. Also - I love your country! I travelled Mexico extensively as a young guy, 28 years old and seeing your country with its beauty and culture was a wonderful experience (on 2 legs still in 1994). I loved Chiapas and San Cristóbal de las Casas, but everywhere was a great experience. Oaxaca, Guadalajara .... Puerto Angel, many more. The Mayan ruins, the people, the kindness and generosity was amazing. I hope to return some day. It was the time of Subcomandante Marcos, a very interesting experience but I always felt safe thanks to the kind people in Chiapas. I wish you all the best in your journey - please keep in touch!
Hi Troy, thanks for watching and commenting. Im about to do a You Tube video / discussion on how difficult life as an amputee can be at times, something Ive been experiencing the past two months due to repeatedly having a bad infection. The result has been a depressive experience, which has really slowed down my life. I hope there is something in the content you can identify with. All the best, I hope you're managing OK.
How do I get a prosthetic that is good fit for me I have a carbon fiber one but it's huge and it's heavy and it goes above my knee and I cannot walk properly I'm a below the knee amputee and I need help I've been like this a year and a half My husband just passed away and I'm in a wheelchair and I have four children and I need to be able to walk on my own I need help and I don't know where to go or what to do
Hi, good question on something that many amputees struggle with. My simplest answer is ti find a good prosthetist. A below knee amputee should not struggle to walk, with the right fit and foot and training you should be able to live a full life as parent and otherwise. Im sorry to hear about all your losses, it's a lot to deal with, and `I wish you all the best with all these challenges. Please join us when I go live streaming to ask any questions you might have :-)
Support is key, so please keep on finding the right people to help you find the life you want. Maybe join us on the live streams and see if you can connect with a few of the other viewers? I found that a combination of family, professionals, on-line help, and other amputees really helped me through dificult times.
Hi, this is a good question. Initially no, in fact my good leg got stronger as a result of carrying more load from walking, stairs, etc. However as I get older I can feel some issues coming up, like possibly cartilage degradation and ligament fatigue. I think one needs to be mindful and careful of how we use the leg, and avoid excess load bearing and exertion. All in all the good leg is holding up really well after 23 years after losing use of the compromised side. But who knows how the future goes, I am optimistic fistic though 🙂
Chris, my problem is that my stump still is painful after2 years. All the drs do is prescribe gabapentin. Does your stump ever bother you? Mine hurts to where I find it difficult to walk.
Chris, I’ve tried Lyrica and it didn’t help much. I was finally given a fentynol patch. It helped, but that was 2 years ago. I had a very bad amputation. The stump always feels like it’s going to blow up. Ugh.
I don't agree to nr 5. After I lost y right leg my life lost its meaning. I lost my hobby, I lost my loving girlfriends, my will to go swim or even to do anything. Deeply depressed I got medication to keep the depression at bay but there is always a shadow sadness and even anger. I lost the leg after a botched knee operation that got infected June 30 2016. I will never enjoy life again I feel. I tried suicide but woke up in the care of some girlfriend who I always accuse of not loving me to stop my departure by my own will. This life with one leg in the grave is shit. I am 75 years old.
Alexander Baldal hi Alexander, I’m so sorry to hear how things have worked out for you. I can identify with many of your losses - my leg, my hobbies, the sport I loved doing and some point I came close to losing my will to live, and even due to infectious, losing my life. I am not minimizing your pain and hurt. I would however like to share with you that I never thought I would come back from that dark place. It took time and the belief throughout that there must be a way, but that it was not going to happen and I felt too drained to pursue it. When I realized that I could not look myself in the mirror for not trying I decided to start a process which over a long time got me to where I am a happy amputee. I can only hope that this happens for you. I hope from my heart that you find your way. Please keep in touch. Much care.
Hi Linda, I drive an automatic car. I can do a stick shift (manual) but it's definitely easier to do auto. I know that most right leg amps use the left foot to do gas and brake in an auto car. What do you do? Please share with us, thanks!
Another good question, you seem to be asking all the right ones! Almost every day yes. I take a rest day when needed, but otherwise I wear it as much as is healthy, which is basically every day. When I put the leg on it stays on all day, from out of bed to back into bed, only take it off to sleep. A rest day is good when needed, but taking the leg off for too long can cause swelling, which makes it hard to get going again.
Thank you very much for responding so quickly. I am seriously considering an elective amputation of my left foot. Three years ago, a podiatrist destroyed my ankle during a routine procedure. Since then it’s been fused, and later all the hardware was removed. But no matter what we do, the pain just gets worse and worse. It’s crippling me. as a self-employed, single person, I must be able to work. I’m hoping elective amputation is the right thing to do. We’ve tried everything else, including an IDEO brace. I’ve watched hundreds of hours of amputee videos, and have read several amputee books. Amputation seems so drastic, yet I don’t see another way. There doesn’t seem to be any hope from my foot. In a way, I lost it three years ago. It just never came back. I hope and pray this is the right thing to do.
@@s.r.3266 You're welcome, if it can help to understand the situation better Im happy to share my thoughts. I am an elective amputee, as you have likely seen in my video's. It was the right decision, after 4 years of doubt. The biggest single factor that made me decide is that I wanted to be certain of what my abilities would be. With a fused knee, ankle, and the pain, everything always fluctuated and remained uncertain. The relief of going for amputation, and wearing a good prosthetic, brought certainty into my life, which gave me my life back. I could plan again, I knew what the future would look like, and it was hugely preferable to the constant health and mobility insecurity. The pain of uncertainty started outweighing the pain of the loss, which made things clear for me. I have never, not for a second, regretted the decision. Since that day of surgery my life has been on an upward trajectory, not without struggles at times, but steadily improving. Life as an amputee is not as scary as one imagines, if informed and approached with intent. This has been my experience. We are all different, and need to find our own solutions, I wish you the best and hope you are at peace with whichever way you go.
Hi there, I just want to wish you well with the decision, I hope for you that it'll works out in the best possible way. I had big worries too at the time, but never looked back after my decision. Take care, it's a big call to make, my thoughts are with you.
Hi Ed, I am actually quite flexible with life’s realities, changes and loss. This one caught me out though, but I learned a lot about myself and dealing with difficulties. It was a big shift in my world and lifestyle which I underestimated.
Check out my video on 13 MUST KNOWS for amputees, listed on this channel.
Thanks for watching!
"Best day ever!" is good. Here in Hawaii we say " No bad days!" Lost my leg due to sepsis. A few more hours and I would be dead. A good trade in my opinion. For that, I am very grateful for whatever "Best days ever" have been added to my life.
Previous to this video, I watched your video of the fit of the socket is MOST IMPORTANT. How true. I am only a 4 month AKA but my socket fit is sloppy. Being 73 years old, I am a bit impatient to get on my foot again. Even though with the sloppy fit, when I am on the prosthesis, I can tell that I will pick up the skill of walking in no time if the socket didn't hurt. (That is not phantom pain)
Thanks for the 5 Life consequences lesson. My overall attitude has been good but my new impatience and frustration has allowed/caused/overcome my best judgement/ to lash out at my loving wife a few times. A wife who has done for me more than I have asked. Thanks for the tips. I have apologized and we have talked it out and all is well.
Thank you and best wishes.
RonZ
Hi Ron, I hope you’re getting the socket sorted out. It’s imperative for quality of life and mobility without setbacks. Thanks for your reflection and comments, something very helpful in there for new amps.
I’m just watching this because I have to go through this tommorow...
Hi my friend, thank you for having the courage to post this message. I am wondering how you are doing after the operation, I remember very clearly what it was like 16 years now. The priority now is health, both emotionally and physically. Please keep in touch, I’m thinking of you and I hope and wish for you that you get through this ok 🙏
I hope you are doing well
Hi there, I was wondering how you are after we last messaged? I hope you’re coping ok and recovering well. All the best!
Hope your doing ok Dynacoh...
I like your TF2 Demoman pic! He’s one of my favourite characters 😄
Like demo man I’m a cyclops lol I’m watchin this guys vid to understand some grief I have over losing my eye. Not as serious as a more important limb but still.
@@theampedlife I did not even expect you to write back. I'd not seen the notification. I got my leg cut off from the knee up. I'd be less bothered by this if it happened when I was older but I had it cut off at 17 which was literally when I wrote the comment. Well I'm still young. I'd be more fine with it if I wasn't dping chemotherapy at the same time. I would be back working out by now but instead I've gained 20 pounds since I've amputated my leg and I cant even begin to workout till my stuff is all over. But I can wait.
This is so beautiful and transparent. This is needed not just for someone that is an amputee but being the significant others in their lives. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Jeanette, thank you for your beautiful message. I appreciate the kind words, feedback like this inspires me to share the difficult experiences I often struggle to acknowledge to myself and others.
I appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment!
My daughter’s brother-in-law just had a tragic work accident which left him as a double amputee. This just happened and they have a two year old and a baby due early July. I am certain this journey will be difficult. They live out of town so they are not surrounded by a lot of family. The caregiver will be his wife that is pregnant and will have a newborn and a toddler. Hearing your words of wisdom is beautiful. I think if this little family constantly. Love to you.
@@jeanettedombroski3934 Im so sorry to hear about this sad thing happening.
I wish you all the best, and would like to offer that despite these tragedies good things can still happen.
I wish this for you too 🙏
@@theampedlife I believe this wholeheartedly. Thank you for your response. I wish you all the best and plan to continue to be inspired by you. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I am myself a suicide bomb blast survivor and totally agree with you,,, went through all of these issues,,, love from Pakistan
Hi Ali, thanks for watching and for your message.
I can't imagine how a loss like that under those circumstances must have impacted you. I went and took risk, made my choice, for which I had to pay with my leg. It strikes me that you were not taking dangerous risks, but living your life and became the victim of someone else's choice and cruelty.
I can't imagine how that affects ones life. Yet here you are sharing your story with us - I have so much respect for you to be able to do this.
Thank you, please keep on commenting, I imagine that what you experienced will encourage someone else to live in the present and find quality of life.
All the best, love from Africa.
So on target.. As a nurse I helped so many over 35 yrs. Then my BK amputation occurred due to wrong diagnosis of a DVT.
Now 2.5 yrs later..i am going thru the whole shebang..mostly anger and blame. I spent one solid year in hospital recovering and dealing with my Crohns that got worse and then pneumonia and a coma. I am glad to be alive and planned to do counseling with our military here in North Carolina, but now I'm even better suited due to my amputation..many soldiers are amputees due to bombs in the Mideast.
I am trying to deal with my anger thru therapy and mindfulness but it does overwhelm me often.
Thank you for your wise words.💕
Thank you for your comment - sorry I missed it when you posted it. Thanks for your willingness to assist those of us who are amputees, I hope you are doing the counselling you have planned, we really need amputees to help amputees with their trauma. I agree with you - much gratitude to be alive after such a close encounter with our mortality :-)
Thank you for these videos. Being 30 when crashing a vehicle and losing my left leg above knee as well as 6 other repair surgerys this shows me a fruitful life. I am just a year out from this accident am clean from meds and learning to walk on prosthesis.. thanks again.
Hi Niel, thanks for your message and for sharing what happened. I hope you're coping well with the new prosthesis and finding your mobility again?
I was 34 when my accident happened - there is a whole lot of living to do despite this setback.
Go for it mate, and all the best for '23!
Thank Chris for your transparency. You made me take a look at the issues I battle everyday and how I'm still trying to figure out how to prioritize them.
Hi Essie, thank you for commenting, and for your openness. I am doing another video on 5 more struggles I have identified, I hope you find that helpful too. All the best, please send any topic you would find useful for me to make a video on, I'll try my best to address your suggestions. Take care :-)
Further to your comment regarding opioid use. DO NOT TRY AND BE A HERO by quitting them "cold-turkey" post-discharge day. I made that mistake 5 days ago and holy shit was that a bad decision. Speak with your practitioner VERY carefully about your tapering protocol and how to safely ween off that stuff.
I cannot agree more on your advice. I did the cold turkey thing and it was hell for a week. A professionals guidance can prevent relapses and help to sustain a good pain management plan. GREAT feedback, thanks David.
Hello! I have a friend that lost both his legs from below the knees. I’m new with all this and trying to learn as much as possible so I understand as well as I can. I want to be there for him and I want him to know that our friendship is very important to me. I actually met him after his surgery for the last leg. He can walk now with what he calls his robo legs. Thank you for your videos.
Hi Ashley, thank you for the message.
I have so much respect for you for wanting to be supportive of your friend after such a significant, life changing loss - thank you for being this person for him.
There will be more video's to come, and I will make a video on how to best support someone who has lost a limb / leg, or both legs in his case. I hope this will be helpful to you and others in this situation.
I have been doing live streams recently, one again this coming weekend. Please join us and ask any questions you might have, I think there will be a lot of support for you and him, it's such a valuable topic you've raised. Hope to see you there! Watch out for notification for the live stream details and time, if you've subbed and checked the notification bell on You Tube and your device you will get one.
All the best to you both, and thank you for your care and kindness.
@@theampedlife Thank you 😊
Hi I am Paul roets I have the same both of us have leg amputation below the nee I need help
@@paulroets5542 Hi Paul, where do you live? Maybe I can help you to find some help and support.
@@theampedlife I am inpnp I need help with both my legs are amped it been 2year and no one abel to help me hospital say can do because of the back lock I am n. Pension old man
My son just lost his leg 4 days ago, and this video is so helpful thank u…
Hi! Im so sorry to hear about your son's and your loss. As family, especially parents, we find the pain difficult experience and share with our kids. Our support is so valuable to them, and can make things more manageable over time.
All the best for you both, I can only offer that my experience has ultimately made my life meaningful, and brought my family and I closer together. My heart goes out to you both.
Hi Chris, those things dont sound weird. I dont go through a amputation but i totally understand these struggles and emotions. Its a very heavy change in your life and i totally get that there have Some (temporairly) changes in your life. Its hard but i would say to you accept it for the moment, take your time and peace to work and used to it. I love to watch your video’s. Love sabrina
Sabrina Menten hi Sabrina, this such a kind and loving message 🙏 I really appreciate your thoughts and understanding of an emotional issue. Thanks also for supporting the channel- it motivates me to keep on creating and uploading ☀️Much love and care C.
There were a lot of things I didn’t expect after an “accident” that caused my amputation. Especially, after I was telling them, no. Don’t do it, but I have learned that I am a great problem solver during unexpected situations.. Thank you for sharing :)
Hi Cristie, thanks for your comment on our channel! I think that as amputees who have experienced such loss, trauma for some, and the many implications and complications which comes with limb loss, we have become resourceful, resilient over time, patient, and caring of the struggles of others. I'm so sorry you weren't heard in such a huge decision, it's feels unimaginable to be put in such a situation which you found yourself in.
I hope we hear more from you in the future, especially considering your experience, if you can share some of the problems you've experienced in the past. I'm sure many can benefit from it.
Much care :-)
Thank you for this, Chris. There are other life issues that I also now understand better.
Hi Riana, thank you for your message. I appreciate that you found this helpful, if there is anything you would like to know more about I’ll try to cover it in future videos.
Take care, all the best ☀️
Always a good presenteation. Useful insights. Thanks.
+Amputee_Basics Thanks for the comments and for watching! Any suggestions on topics will be appreciated...
Thank you so much...
Hearing you say that it properly hit you 6-8 years later made me fill right up. I lost both my legs in 2015 and I am struggling with it more than ever before. And the fact that many people assume you’ll be ‘over it’ by now makes it worse...
I feel less alone now. Thanks again.
I hope you’re in a better mental space today 🙏 I haven’t experienced something as tragic as losing a limb, but I come across videos and comments like this and it makes me so sad to see people having to deal with these things. I get depressed easily and feel suicidal over embarrassingly small problems. And then I feel pathetic and ungrateful realizing there’s millions of people who are dealing with much bigger issues in life. Some people seem to handle these types of tragedies so well, at least on the outside. But you never really know what a person is dealing with internally. Could you share what happened to cause your accident?
I thank you for this video,,,,love from pakistan
Hi Ali, thanks for your kind comment! You're welcome, please let me know what other topics might be helpful for you or anyone else.
Love from South Africa :-)
I have never got addicted to pain meds because the day they took my leg they only gave me a tylenol. I was in so much pain. I just went camping for the first time since I lost leg. And I got upset with my niece because she wasn't setting the tent up right. It was dark, uneven ground and only the lights of our phones. I'm so sorry I did that. I was exhausted getting everything ready like I usually do. And the frustration was thru the roof. We are going again in a few weeks and I will asking for help to get the stuff ready and load up the car. It is unbelievable the way we come up with different way to do things. Life goes on - thank goodness.
Hi Terrie, thanks for the message, and I completely can relate to your struggles. To feel like you're sitting on the sidelines and watch others do things, you used to do well, is very very frustrating. Everything takes longer, packing, carrying stuff, setting up, ugh!!! It can drive me crazy sometimes, even after 20 years.
But you're out there camping, great stuff! Getting on with life which is awesome.
I needed to learn to slow things down, and let others help me. I don't like it but it's how it is I guess.
You don't have to apologise for these feelings, I think how we express them is important, but feeling this way is so understandable, especially if you were a very capable person before the loss.
Ive learnt to slow things down, create more time and plan better, that helped a lot.
All the best with everything, I hope we see you in our live streaming events!
My worst enemy was my own parents and family when I became an above knee amputee. I was 20 and was told to " man up". And when I got compensation money was expected to use it to pay money to my siblings to help them get a start in life........ Today I'm struggling to even pay my bills. And my siblings went ahead and did quite well. I'm not bitter but wish I got professional help ptsd was a sign of weakness according to my father. It doesn't stop the vacume of the sense of loss I still have today
Hi Peter
Thank you for sharing your struggle with us, and I'm really sorry to hear what happened with how your family handled your loss.
That money you received was supposed to set you up for a different life, and even though what you did was a kind thing to do, which I respect, it looks like it cost you dearly in the recovery and growth process.
Im thinking surely if you helped your siblings to create opportunity, it is now time for them to return the kindness?
Asking for professional help is certainly not a weakness, in fact it is courageous to acknowledge that we struggle , and to get support from someone who can help with something that we cannot see in the moment.
It took me almost 10 years to ask for help, and when I finally did my life changed for the better, by a big margin. I really hope you find someone to guide you to a better place, and I hope that your siblings are willing to provide the resources to do so. I think you've earned the favour you gave them all the years ago, when in fact you wrwe the one who needed help.
Take care mate, please keep in touch. Hope we see you on the next live stream, maybe we can help you by listening, and giving some support.
Hi Chris it's Peter Chudleigh again. Thanks for inviting me to stay in touch I would like to keep in touch. And share experiences. My leg loss was in 1979 I was 20. Now I'm 65. My biggest challenge is working and earning something to take care of my family. When I was younger I took up painting house's and working for a builder. Other tradies couldn't understand me doing such a physical type of work for an above knee amputee. But I enjoyed the exercise and my disability only held me back minimally. But it's got harder now I'm 65. More in employers minds than mine. I'm finding it hard now because I've become dependent upon my wife and feel my independence is gone. It's painful and depressing getting past other people's phycological limitations. Even my own wife is affected more than she admits and a strain in our relationship results. I hope you keep going and keep reaching out.
Update: I'm 4 months post below knee amputation and up walking, chopping firewood and doing tractor work in the middle of a Caribou Maine winter. I'll be honest... it's not the big things because I can still manage them but the little things like the time it takes to get down on the floor safely to wrestle with my dogs.
Thanks for the channel brother... good stuff!
Hi Pat, thanks for your message, I love your enthusiasm and sense of humour 😊 yeah it’s in the little things the frustration gets to me too. But easily overcome by seeing what IS possible and getting on w the good stuff.
4 months and walking, sooo awesome, and committed. Join us later today for a live stream q&a, 6pm SA time. I think if there’s time I’m going to comment on your comment if that’s ok. All the best mate!
i was in the hospital for 101 days after i lost my leg. i had a total of 6 visits, saddest part is my family lived 45 minutes away but they said they didn't have time to go all the way to the hospital, losing my leg was and is soo hard without support, you find out quick how much family and friends really care...i don't get invited camping or family outings because it would be too hard to take care of me or you didn't get invited because we thought going to the lake would be to difficult for you since you cant walk normal. i not angry, i skipped that stage and went strait to depressed.
Hi, thanks for your message and honest emotional reflection and share.
I'm truly sorry to hear that you feel isolated at times, support and connection is such an important part of getting going again as an amputee.
I learnt that anger is not a bad thing. It motivated me when I applied the energy which it brings, and this helped me to get to the point where I decided that I'll live my life regardless of who did or did not support me.
My depression lifted when I got busy, and when I started feeling connected to myself and life again. I took on the attitude of "well I'm gonna live well - are you in or out?" I was not going to be anyone's hostage any more .... there is too much out there to do.
I guess Im trying to say that don't be scared of anger, rather be curious about it. I was amazed at how powerful a motivation it was!
All the best my friend, please keep on posting your thoughts - someone will learn from your experience, you will help them to make changes by sharing your experience.
Thank you so much for sharing what you've experienced. I had an above the knee amputation
Hi Sarah, thank you so much for sharing this. I hope you're doing OK and finding life manageable and enjoyable again as an amputee.
All the best for 2023 - I hope good things are going to happen for you :-)
As an amputee I realize I must focus on the things I can do and not the things I cannot do.
Hi Adrian, I completely agree. It’s what for me mobile again and out into nature. No looking back.
Chris! I love this. Thank you so much for sharing! I'm an amputee too and I've been thinking about making a RUclips channel about this. I just clicked on your video since it's along the lines of what I'm thinking of and I LOVE that I found a fellow South African amputee! I lost my leg in the St Elmo's bombing 20 years ago in Cape Town
Hi Liv, I'm sooooo sorry I only saw your message today, but glad I did. I'm really sorry to hear about how you lost your leg, but so inspired by how positive you sound. Have you started your channel?? I'l go and take a look right now, but if you have not please go for it! Perhaps we can do a collaboration some time ☀️ All the best Liv
@@theampedlife hey thanks for the support and positivity! I actually did start my amputee channel but I didn't love the response I got to it and the way it made me feel to make the content. It feels like a very vulnerable thing and it made my mind focus on my situation rather than just accepting it like I do. It was called Authentic Amputee
Lovely post! There are more than 5 positive mesages in this post.Thank you for sharing.
Yes many positive messages, there is physical amputation and then other forms as well, which makes the counsel applicable in many situations of loss that result in a permanent change in circumstances and new challenges.
Hi Fran, thanks for your comments and support - I saw that you have subscribed - thanks. Can you suggest any topics there might be a need for out there? Warm regards :-)
I'm a new subscriber, and I'm also a left foot/ankle amputee. You're helping me, I love your videos, I have the greatest respect for you. Thank you for what you do, for who you are.
Thank you for joining the channel Jacquie, I responded to another message you sent earlier today. Im sorry I missed the message at the time of posting.
How are you coping? Please ket me know if you have a moment, and feel free to ask me anything. I'm happy to help and hope it can make a difference :-)
I lost my leg due to complications from bone cancer, so, not a catastrophic event. I avoided the drug addiction. As far as the emotional aspect, I just decided to be that guy that people talk about.
I hope to get back to land speed racing my motorcycle, albeit, with a slight weight advantage:)
Thanks for sharing.
For someone who’s used to walking winding up in a wheelchair feels like the end of the world, Thank god for prosthetic limbs the wheelchair is temporary! I can’t speak for people who have spent their whole lives in a wheelchair and never walked don’t know that feeling of loss. I wish the best for everyone!👍
Thank you Tony, I know its been a while since you posted this but I appreciate your kindness and empathetic words. You put some warmth into someones day ☀️All the best to you too!
Thank you Chris for sharing!
Hi Gregory, you are most welcome. Thanks for watching the video, and for your message.
Well I lost my leg almost 2 years ago I was surprise at the way I was treated. Like when I ask for help to go to the toilets and was told just crap in the bed we’ll clean it and you up that’s what we’re here for and I told them I didn’t want to sit in it and you shouldn’t want to have to clean it up. They were surprised to have anyone care about them ever I worked doing in home healthcare for several years taking people to there doctors visits and unlike I was told I didn’t leave them on there own to have to deal with everything alone like I told them I wouldn’t want to go through that alone. Although when my late wife had her liver drained I sat with her wile they drained 15 pints from her holding her hand she didn’t want me to see her go through that the next 3 times. Like I said I wouldn’t have wanted to go through that alone but I respected her wishes. As for the phantom pain I only had them while I was on the pain meds and they went away as soon as I quit taking them. As for your narcissistic attitude I think you are an A**Hole for treating people badly you have a bunch of friends and family trying to help you. You have no idea how they feel or care about you or what they can even do and your complaining because YOU LOST something and now feel insecure and inadequate well you always were that get up using your crutches or strapping on your prosthetic leg arm or whatever is missing and learn to use it. If those people didn’t care an awful lot about you they would have just walked off and left you to deal with your own crap. I got into a discussion with some people at the hospital a few months ago with a guy like you sitting in a wheelchair with no legs they were telling me that he was a cripple he can’t do anything so I pulled up my pants leg and they seen I didn’t have a leg either and none of them had even noticed because after walking with a prosthetic leg after a few week could walk normally but the guy in the wheelchair after the others had left admitted that he didn’t want to ware prostheses because he was a ass and wanted to milk it for all he could and make people wait on him as much as possible. Your complaining that you can’t pickup your boat as good as you use to well go exercise and build up some strength so you can don’t blame others because your an Ahole I think you always were but were to arrogant and self-centered to admit it life is full of challenges. I tried to do some of the thing that I seen people doing on line hopping around on one foot I got out of bed to go to the toilet and hopped I twisted my foot and got my toes bent over and standing on them bent an couldn’t get untangled years ago I use to practice doing this but with 2 feet you just shift your weight to the other foot and straighten it out it took almost half an hour to get untangle now I had bought a Icruch it’s a walking crutch it has a padded shelf you can stand on your knee or stump on and buckle around your leg and below your knee if you have one there’s a hand hold at the top you can use to hold it with your hand if you need to but with it you can walk just fine after I got my prosthetic leg I just keep it and the crutch next to the bed and whenever I get up I don’t hopp around just step into my leg or the crutch and I can walk or it least stand if I’m going to go more than a couple of steps I will put on my leg it only takes a few seconds another thing I started doing my prosthetic guy doesn’t like but I leave on my compression sock on and I put my silicone sock with the lock pin on it over my compression sock it stays on just as good as with bare skin most of the time even better and I ended up cutting it off just above my knee with the sock on my leg doesn’t sweat and it doesn’t pull off and my stump has shrunk a lot so it’s loose at the bottom and have to put on a extra sock or 2 at the bottom anyway but this makes putting it on and off a lot faster because without the sock under neath i sweat a lot and will get sometime 1/2 cup of water to dump out and mop up off the floor and is really a pain dealing with. I also had a bunch of side effects from the satins, baita-blockers, blood thinners and pain pills I was given all of these have bad side effects and I had around 10 of them several were very severe and I’m still being treated for some of the side effects like hemorrhaging in my eyeballs the shots for that are very expensive and not very pleasant to get injected in each eye every few weeks the neuropathy and the cold hands and feet, the night terrors and my blood pressure has all gone back to normal after going off of these and my memory has come back and being able to talk and think again a lot of these attitude problems you were talking about are also listed as side affects from these pain killers and the pills for phantom nerve pain which I only had when taking them most of these also stop you from using vitamins B1,B3, B6, B12 and a hand full of others but if your having some inferiority problems they’re going to get worse and like I said you need to try to get along with the others who are really trying to help you or they wouldn’t be there at all and if you run them off your really going to have some really hard times you can make it easier on others or you can do it all alone it’s up to you and your going to have to deal with a lot on your own anyway so don’t make it more miserable than you have to or you will be doing it ALL BY YOUR SELF. So be nice kind as much as you can and DON’T forget to thank all the nurses friends and family you have trying to help you because they don’t have to be there and if you run them off they will leave and not come back. Like I mentioned before I’ve been really surprised to here how thankful the nurses and doctors along with others how happy they are being around me because most of the others are being such a holes it ruins their whole day and they were trying to help
Thank you for posting this video. I had an amputation done in 2007. I was in a near fatal motorcycle accident in 1983 which left me with a drop foot I was able to get my life back and over on from that and I was an avid fly fisherman and upland hunter, then in 2004 I tripped and broke my ankle, I had a cast put on the ankle, ankle reconstruction surgery but I had the amputation done when I managed to break my heal. I interestingly never went through the loss of identity some people have gone through it was just me, but I had lived through my accident too. The Phantom limb pain is a big issue for me but I was fighting chronic pain in my back and left foot for years as it was and it hasn't gone away so I've had to accept that I am going to have that problem with me for life. I ended up getting divorced from my wife 2 years after my amputation. I had a difficult time after my divorce but then I've enjoyed my life like I had never done before, not to be mean towards her. Really an amputation is a life altering event for you and your spouse or significant other. But it's not the end either you have to improvise and adapt to the next thing in your life. Thanks for posting this video and all the best.
I like your honest observations and appreciate your insights. Many times we are learning things about ourselves. Becoming an amputee we are faced with adjustments both Physical and mental. Looking within and being honest with ourselves and those around us seems to be a big part of learning to live with limb loss. Thanks for sharing...we can all learn from each other!
+sole survivor thanks mate, by sharing I’m learning so much from everyone here and it motivates me to keep on posting. Please keep on commenting and would love to hear more of your experiences as an amputee ☀️👍 Any suggestions on future videos would be greatly appreciated!
Wow 5 months in the hospital?! I had a my leg amputated & spent 10 days in the hospital & 14 days in rehab! The ghost pains are surely killer, I was given 3 different types of painkillers, 2 orally & 1 intravenously every 2 hours, it definitely did the trick taking the pain away, thank god I didn’t get hooked on any of it! God bless you for your full recovery and your new outlook & outcome on life 👍
Hi Tony, thanks for your kind words, and sorry for the late reply, I missed the message back when you posted it 5 months ago. God bless and I hope your recovery and life is going well too!☀️
Thank you for posting. You are a true inspiration.
Hi Harland, thank you for the kind words, and for watching the video's. I hope there's something in them for you. Your comment inspires me to post more content on this topic.
Please post more content. I am a fan.
@@1elkhills Will do!! Thank you :-)
Thank you from Portland Oregon
You’re welcome Linda, thank you for watching and for your kind words.
I had my left leg amputated slightly above the knee1 mo the ago today and I'm having fantom pains out the butt. I know I've got a long road to hold. The doctors refused to give me pain medication.
I'm hanging on and have a good attitude so let's see how it goes.
Hey man, thanks for your message and all the best with the next few months and the pain. If you can do without pain medication it's the best way to go, if not just be careful and work with a dr and a pain management plan.
Awesome stuff with the good attitude you have, that is 80% of overcoming this right there! Please stay in touch and let us know how it is going, we can all learn from your approach to this.
Thanks. Now a month after the BK amputation I find inspiration in the videos.
Hi Randy, thanks for your message and kind words. I remember the biggest mistake I made during the first few months was to isolate myself, and not ask for or accept help from others. This held me back and hampered my recovery for longer than was needed.
I wish you all the best for the next few months. Please keep in touch and let me know if you want to suggest a topic for a video.
Cheers mate 🌞
Randy Erickson Ps just to reassure you that there is an amazing life to be had post amputation.
It was my responsibility to explore the possibilities, and when I did so much started changing.
I hope you find your way....it’s out there.
Wow am encouraged through your words one year now since I lost my leg... Halla from Africa😘
Hi Annande, yes Halla from Africa my friend!!
Im sorry to hear that you lost your leg, but I hope that things are going OK for you. I can tell you that my life has only gotten better and better as an amputee. It was not always like that, it took some time and I made many mistakes, but I'm a grateful, happy amputee today.
I hope the same for you, please keep in touch :-)
Thanks for your message!
@@theampedlife thanks Chris
Amazing video. amputee for just over a year now bike accident AK amputee, very easy to relate!
Stay blessed
👍😎good points, thanks❤️
Hi Angella, thanks for your comment. Nice to hear you could identify with the points :-)
Loss of identity is huge! Addiction to Demerol is bad too
As an amp for 8 years I’m just searching to see what I can relate too
Hi, thanks for the message. I hope you've found some helpful info. I think that research, information, and support can make the world of a difference.
Thank you for posting.. My dad is currently in the hospital. Had a toe amputation on Thursday and went Septic on Friday. Now needs more surgery. Now making a decision of taking half his foot, or having BKA. I'm torn as to which surgery will be an easier recovery for him. Do we chase the infection and keep going back to cut more, or do we do the BKA and be done with it? He's never been one to be still. Always active. I'm thinking with BKA he'd be fitted for a prothesis eventually. With half the foot gone would recovery be harder? So many questions and what if's!
Hi Tina, thanks for sharing your story with us. Its such a tough question, one I too faced for 4 years. Fight the infection or end it by cutting above it? In the end I opted for the full amp, but in hindsight I waited to long for what turned out to be the best decision. I am very active as you see on my channel, and I'd rather have the added amputation than infection again any day. That is speaking for myself, we all have our own journey. All the best for your dad and you, I hope you get to live an active life as we all deserve :-)
I'm an amputee, left BKA, I've been struggling with my walking training. I still have a hard time getting used to the new foot I've been upgraded too, it's now an articulated ankle section. I was used to a more ridged foot and ankle and walked almost like I still had my leg, however now that I've graduated to my new leg and foot my balance is off and my hips are killing me. My physical therapist is great however I get frustrated with what she wants me to do at home because I seem to loose the muscle control and start dropping my hip on the left or my torso starts to sway and then I'm trying to over compensate with the right which again throws my balance off and my left hip drops. I've been watching some of your videos and I say thank you for you personal journey and how you learned all over again. Are there any specific things I could be doing at home and out in the world to help me walk like my prosthetic isn't even there? I just need advice from someone that actually understands what it is to loose a leg. Thank you and I'll keep watching. Have a wonderful day.
Dear Pamela, thanks so much for your message and taking time to connect with me. I really appreciate this. Sorry for the late response (4 months late!) but I must have missed the message first time around.
How is the training and walking going? The new foot should be helping, not slowing you down, have you figured it out yet? Im curious to hear which foot you're using.
I would love to help any way I can, if you have specific questions I can bring into a video please tell me, I'll try to cover it - and Im sure your questions will help others too. I have made 3 video's on walking tips, all on this channel, I hope they have helped you in some way. Ill also be doing live streaming soon so we can do real time problem solving and Q&A's - please join us when I go live and ask anything you might need suggestions on. Your feedback can also help someone struggling with similar issues - that is exactly what this channel is all about. In the words of the Cranberries - "hold onto our hands when you feel like you're sinking" :-)
very intresting when i lost my leg i didnt realise that i would get addicted mentaly and physicaly on opiates it was only a year ago my amputation i have never drunk smoke or taken drugs,i dont think it has sunk in yet, Plus im unable to use a prosthetic as i had my amputation at the hip, one day at a time good luck
+John devant Hi John, thanks for your comments. Absolutely one day at a time, it took me a long time to find my way again. I’m really sore to hear how high up your amputation is, I hope that in time you will discover a solution to improve your quality of life. Hang in there mate, I wish you all the best ☀️
The Amped Life with Chris thanks alot bud i always try to make something from a negative situation into a positive and ive met and spoken to alot of caring and thoughtful people
I'm suffering with chronic leg pain in my left leg, I'm a very active man in my early fifties. I've considered amputation, but needless to say, it's a daunting choice. But it's a choice I'm seriously considering if it at least gives me a modicum of pain relief.
One last thing, Chris. I don't think your amputation is your main disability. I think it's that you're an Apple user. 😉
Seriously though, thanks for the video, it gives me some confidence back.
Hello Chris, Thank You Sir. RBKA amputee in 2016 due to diabetes. For years I always wondered why I am prone to motion/car sickness. I recently read article that tied leg amputation's and the body's equilibrium process. Curious do you ever get motion sickness? Fortunately since I have known many family/friends with addiction issues, I avoided the morphine drips while in hospital and the opioids prescribed, but put a cheeseburger in front of me and I am doomed.
Hi Pablo, thank you for watching and for your comment.
I have never experienced motions sickness since amputation, but I'm curious to look into it. Well done for staying away from the opioids, its a curse when dependence set in, just more problems to potentially making life miserable for us.
I had to laugh loudly when I read your cheeseburger comment though, I understand, I have the same doomsday experiences with chocolate.
Hi i am above knee amp going on 7 years now i was fitted all wrong for 5 years so now being fitted right and going for therapy to break bad habits . I am finding i run out of energy and get tired does or has this happened to you? I labor breathing at times.
Hi Stardust! Yes, it did in the beginning. When I finally got good prosthetics fitted I had to practice walking right, and retrain the muscles. Things got better fairly quickly, I started swimming and going on walks to help get stronger quicker. Swimming was a great way to heal and find balance again.
Practice your gait, it makes a big difference. I posted 2 videos on this topic, it helped me a lot to implement these changes, I hope it helps you too.
hi chris .just seen your video. im about to have an amputation in about 3 months. and i an worried about the affect it will have on my family.can you tell me how your wife inparticuler coped with the pressure the worry and the stress of all the extra work that she had on her shoulders please .loking forward to your anwser .
Hi Raymond, thanks for your message. It's a good question and one that is mostly neglected by many people in our situation. I think it is great that you are looking into this so far ahead of your amputation, in order to figure out these practicalities.
I suppose that in a way it's different for couples, depending on the roles that the partners play in the relationship.
The most important for me was that my wife should not feel responsible for my healing or well being. She needed to be able to maintain her independence. This is hard, imagine the roles reversed - I would have wanted to "fix" everything for her, which is not possible.
Secondly, I asked her straight up what her fears and concerns were. We listed the responsibilities I had managed and identified what would be hard for me to continue doing - and there were surprisingly few. Mostly they included physical issues. Some of these would be temporary, and as my healing speeded up I was able to resume most of them at some point again.
Finally we learnt that we needed to communicate our frustrations, stressors, and fears. We saw that we could manage to work through the most of them, and on the rare occasion that we were unable to we needed to ask for help from others. Finding a willing support structure was important.
Most of our fears and concerns never really materialised. We took things a day at a time and kinda got through it all OK. There were frustrations at times, but for as long as we communicated these immediately we managed just fine.
I made a video with my wife and two of my children where we talk about some of these issues - you can check it out at:
ruclips.net/video/4tOrB8FTuL0/видео.html
I hope that this helps - please keep in touch, I'll be happy to help wherever I can. That is what this community is for :-)
Hope you have a good 2020 - despite the challenges ahead. My life has improved in leaps and bounds since the amputation, I would never have imagined it before it all happened.
Take care mate.
My Son just had an amputation last week due to bone cancer in his right leg. He is 13 years old and was a multitime state champion mountain bike racer. Now his life will be totally different. He won’t be able to get a prosthetic for about two more months. Any suggestions on how to help him cope with this new life?
Hi, thank you for the message, and I'm so sorry to hear about your son's experience. I can't imagine what it must be like at such a young age, my heart truly goes out to him, and to you.
Although his life will be different, aspects will remain the same. With support and love he can retain what makes him who he is, with that same determination and dedication he showed to become a state champ.
An important change to consider with the loss of leg is how this will affect his identity, as he is an athlete with good mobility, balance, strength, and strong physique I imagine. This will be affected by being less mobile and losing some abilities. I can strongly suggest that he talks to someone who understands this change to give him guidance. This is something I had to cope with and it took me a long time to understand it. He can start working on it straight away and likely spare himself a lot of pain and frustration.
Some good news - eMTB is a growing sport, with competitions and sponsorships. I started riding mountain bike again last year, and it's been an absolute life changing experience for me. I opted for an E mountain bike (Giant Trance X E+2) and been able to hit the trails quite hard, do some downhill riding, and a 120km cross country ride. It's very manageable and great exercise and distraction. I can only encourage him to try this later on when the leg has healed, and he has a good prosthetic fit. He can write me any time for more information or suggestions.
My suggestions for now:
Let the wound heal well, rather be safe than risk infection or skin damage.
Stay as fit as possible at present. This will help to get going when the leg is ready. Using crutches is a really good workout, as is swimming.
Watch some You Tube video's for guidance, the more he knows the better.
Get a really good prosthetic leg. When I started using the Ossur Rheo my life improved drastically.
I don't know where you live, but there are mobility clinics which provide amazing support, tips, guidance and where you can meet like minded people. Let me know if I can help you find one in your area.
I wish you all the best with then journey, and if you need any help please let me know. I'll help the best I can with suggestions or tips. Life as an amputee can be incredibly rewarding, it is really important to get the right support from the start.
Warmest regards, Chris
Thanks for your advice. I am a recent amputee. Can you tell me how long it took you to walk after you started your prosthetic process. Thanks again for allnyour insights. Greetings from Mexico
Hi Oscar, thanks for your message and kind words.
My amputation was at the end of October 2004, by mid December I was walking on my prosthetic leg. I had many obstacles over the years, but over the past 3 years I have a wonderful setup and as you can see from the video's I am a very fortunate, mobile amputee.
Also - I love your country! I travelled Mexico extensively as a young guy, 28 years old and seeing your country with its beauty and culture was a wonderful experience (on 2 legs still in 1994). I loved Chiapas and San Cristóbal de las Casas, but everywhere was a great experience. Oaxaca, Guadalajara .... Puerto Angel, many more. The Mayan ruins, the people, the kindness and generosity was amazing. I hope to return some day. It was the time of Subcomandante Marcos, a very interesting experience but I always felt safe thanks to the kind people in Chiapas.
I wish you all the best in your journey - please keep in touch!
I had PAD my right leg been amputated above the knee 2 years ago I'm still trying to make it still little depressed sometimes
Hi Troy, thanks for watching and commenting. Im about to do a You Tube video / discussion on how difficult life as an amputee can be at times, something Ive been experiencing the past two months due to repeatedly having a bad infection. The result has been a depressive experience, which has really slowed down my life. I hope there is something in the content you can identify with.
All the best, I hope you're managing OK.
How do I get a prosthetic that is good fit for me I have a carbon fiber one but it's huge and it's heavy and it goes above my knee and I cannot walk properly I'm a below the knee amputee and I need help I've been like this a year and a half My husband just passed away and I'm in a wheelchair and I have four children and I need to be able to walk on my own I need help and I don't know where to go or what to do
Hi, good question on something that many amputees struggle with. My simplest answer is ti find a good prosthetist. A below knee amputee should not struggle to walk, with the right fit and foot and training you should be able to live a full life as parent and otherwise.
Im sorry to hear about all your losses, it's a lot to deal with, and `I wish you all the best with all these challenges. Please join us when I go live streaming to ask any questions you might have :-)
I’m still struggling with alot of this lack of support etc..
Support is key, so please keep on finding the right people to help you find the life you want. Maybe join us on the live streams and see if you can connect with a few of the other viewers?
I found that a combination of family, professionals, on-line help, and other amputees really helped me through dificult times.
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Thank so much for doing doing this, and for putting the info out there. I hope it helps someone :-)
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing the video. I hope it helps someone to identify with their own struggle :-)
Do you experience frequent pain in your remaining knee and ankle from overuse?
Hi, this is a good question. Initially no, in fact my good leg got stronger as a result of carrying more load from walking, stairs, etc.
However as I get older I can feel some issues coming up, like possibly cartilage degradation and ligament fatigue. I think one needs to be mindful and careful of how we use the leg, and avoid excess load bearing and exertion.
All in all the good leg is holding up really well after 23 years after losing use of the compromised side. But who knows how the future goes, I am optimistic fistic though 🙂
I know a girl who just lost hole leg she has cancer leg got infected after a surgery
Its so sad to hear about these cases. Thank you for commenting David.
Chris, my problem is that my stump still is painful after2 years. All the drs do is prescribe gabapentin. Does your stump ever bother you? Mine hurts to where I find it difficult to walk.
Gary Miller try lyrica instead of gabapentin the switched helped with nerve and phantom pain
Chris, I’ve tried Lyrica and it didn’t help much. I was finally given a fentynol patch. It helped, but that was 2 years ago. I had a very bad amputation. The stump always feels like it’s going to blow up. Ugh.
Maybe you have crps as a result of nerve damage
sally smitgeddes-What is cprs? Even after 2 years, my stump still hurts.
Its chronic regional pain syndrome read the symptoms and vonsult a doctor if you have the symptoms
I don't agree to nr 5. After I lost y right leg my life lost its meaning. I lost my hobby, I lost my loving girlfriends, my will to go swim or even to do anything. Deeply depressed I got medication to keep the depression at bay but there is always a shadow sadness and even anger. I lost the leg after a botched knee operation that got infected June 30 2016. I will never enjoy life again I feel. I tried suicide but woke up in the care of some girlfriend who I always accuse of not loving me to stop my departure by my own will. This life with one leg in the grave is shit. I am 75 years old.
Alexander Baldal hi Alexander, I’m so sorry to hear how things have worked out for you.
I can identify with many of your losses - my leg, my hobbies, the sport I loved doing and some point I came close to losing my will to live, and even due to infectious, losing my life.
I am not minimizing your pain and hurt.
I would however like to share with you that I never thought I would come back from that dark place. It took time and the belief throughout that there must be a way, but that it was not going to happen and I felt too drained to pursue it. When I realized that I could not look myself in the mirror for not trying I decided to start a process which over a long time got me to where I am a happy amputee.
I can only hope that this happens for you. I hope from my heart that you find your way. Please keep in touch.
Much care.
Alexander Baldal Please hang in there!! Time heals all wounds!! You will Overcome Day by day!! 🙏🏼 You are Brave!!
My right leg been amputated above the it's been 2 years still trying to figure out how to walk
Hi Troy, Ive responded to one of your comments on depression, thanks for raising this issue. Ill be making my next video about this.
How do you drive being an amputee,I noticed yours is left leg, mine is the right leg.
Hi Linda, I drive an automatic car. I can do a stick shift (manual) but it's definitely easier to do auto. I know that most right leg amps use the left foot to do gas and brake in an auto car. What do you do? Please share with us, thanks!
Also, can you wear your prosthesis all day, every day?
Another good question, you seem to be asking all the right ones!
Almost every day yes. I take a rest day when needed, but otherwise I wear it as much as is healthy, which is basically every day.
When I put the leg on it stays on all day, from out of bed to back into bed, only take it off to sleep.
A rest day is good when needed, but taking the leg off for too long can cause swelling, which makes it hard to get going again.
Thank you very much for responding so quickly. I am seriously considering an elective amputation of my left foot. Three years ago, a podiatrist destroyed my ankle during a routine procedure. Since then it’s been fused, and later all the hardware was removed. But no matter what we do, the pain just gets worse and worse. It’s crippling me. as a self-employed, single person, I must be able to work. I’m hoping elective amputation is the right thing to do. We’ve tried everything else, including an IDEO brace. I’ve watched hundreds of hours of amputee videos, and have read several amputee books. Amputation seems so drastic, yet I don’t see another way. There doesn’t seem to be any hope from my foot. In a way, I lost it three years ago. It just never came back. I hope and pray this is the right thing to do.
@@s.r.3266 You're welcome, if it can help to understand the situation better Im happy to share my thoughts.
I am an elective amputee, as you have likely seen in my video's. It was the right decision, after 4 years of doubt.
The biggest single factor that made me decide is that I wanted to be certain of what my abilities would be. With a fused knee, ankle, and the pain, everything always fluctuated and remained uncertain. The relief of going for amputation, and wearing a good prosthetic, brought certainty into my life, which gave me my life back. I could plan again, I knew what the future would look like, and it was hugely preferable to the constant health and mobility insecurity.
The pain of uncertainty started outweighing the pain of the loss, which made things clear for me. I have never, not for a second, regretted the decision. Since that day of surgery my life has been on an upward trajectory, not without struggles at times, but steadily improving.
Life as an amputee is not as scary as one imagines, if informed and approached with intent. This has been my experience.
We are all different, and need to find our own solutions, I wish you the best and hope you are at peace with whichever way you go.
How do you apologize when you lash out
Hi, I've learnt that saying sorry followed by changed behaviour is usually what it takes. Its in the doing that we fulfil our promises, right? :-)
Are you in twitter?
Hi Rafael, not actively no. Do you think I should be? Its something I've considered.
Nothings going on , I’m having a lazy day .
I didn't expect such poor, contradictory, and dishonest medical care.
It sounds like you had a bad experience too? Thanks for your comment.
I am here because I have to make a decision about a Rbka and I’m so worried
Hi there, I just want to wish you well with the decision, I hope for you that it'll works out in the best possible way. I had big worries too at the time, but never looked back after my decision.
Take care, it's a big call to make, my thoughts are with you.
Sounds like your not good with life changes
Hi Ed, I am actually quite flexible with life’s realities, changes and loss. This one caught me out though, but I learned a lot about myself and dealing with difficulties. It was a big shift in my world and lifestyle which I underestimated.
I’m just watching this because I have to go through this tommorow...