AMPUTEE Q&A LIVE Ep04 - Prosthetics / Sockets and OPEN Chat
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2024
- In this LIVE CHAT I will discuss prosthetics Ive used and take questions on any issue you'd like to raise.
This will also be another OPEN DISCUSSION on all matters relating to AMPUTEE LIFE and living, with REAL TIME interaction.
#amputee
⏰ For Reference, at 4PM SOUTH AFRICA TIME - your time will be:
USA PST 7am
USA MST 8am
USA CST 9am
USA EST10am
London GMT 2pm
Berlin CET 4pm
Dubai UAE 6pm
Mumbai IST 7.30pm
Singapore / Beijing CST 10pm
Tokyo JST 11pm
Perth AWST 10pm
Sydney AEDT Midnight
New Zealand 2am
My KIT:
My Leg: Ossur Rheo XC
My Foot: Ossur Proprio
My Other Foot: Ossur ProFlex LP Torsion
My Best Liner: Ossur Iceross Seal In Liner
My Best Prosthetist: Eugene Rossouw (Cape Town SA)
Music Out: Dyalla on SoundCloud. Please give her some support, she's an amazing and generous artist.
Hi guys!!
I have been an AMPUTEE since 2004.
In 2000 I had a paragliding accident, after which I struggled with complications of my left leg. Constant infections, and acute chronic pain, pushed me to the point where I considered amputation. Ultimately it was the right decision, which opened up a completely different life to me.
Today I am a happy amputee. In this channel I aim to share what it is that got me to this space. I hope that you find your own purpose and happiness, despite, and even because of, the struggles of becoming an amputee :-)
@jimbobailey thank you for sharing some of your thoughts during the live stream, and Im sorry for not paying more attention to what you said about getting the aka on May 11th - I really regret not seeing this message in particular. I would love to have talked some more about your decision, and your courage to go down this road, but for now all the best, please let us know how it went and how you're holding up.
I appreciate you joining us and really hope to see you again in the future live streams!!
Go well and heal well, hope to catch up soon Jimbo.
Hi Chris I'm currently in the hospital right now recovering surgery went well had a small fracture in my femur so I have to wait an extra couple wks for my prosthetic
Thanks for taking your time to help. I am 54 and lost my leg 3 years ago this month. Watching videos on you channel has been a part of my learning and recovery. Ii am amazed at where i am at this point, i think i walk pretty good and i am doing my best to be active. I meet with a local support group once a moth and have made some great friends. I love in Utah and there are several organizations that got me out cycling, mono skiing, sled hockey and water skiing. Life has changed, but i love the new life and new friends i now have. #AmpedLife
Hi Kurt, thank you for your message and for the kind words. We are of similar age (me 57) and I am also constant amazed at how much we can still do despite the loss. It's great to hear that you are active and getting so much out of life. I've been to Utah, as mentioned in the show, and love the Moab area. There are so many more places In Utah Id still love to visit, planning to go back there in a year or two.
Thanks for the positive message, I'm sure it will inspire other amputees to live well.
All the best, take care
Chris, sorry I missed this last Q&A yesterday, I got invited to participate on a trial test of a fairly new running blade,invented and manufactured by a Danish amputee, Lasse Madsen. Before you say anything, he is an above the knee amputee and he is running! The company he founded is called Levitate, and this blade, although not designed for professional runners, gives old geezers like me an opportunity to run with my dog or my grandchildren. The product's cost is far below what is charged by big prosthetic companies and is sold directly to the amputee, no middle men, and no prosthetist involved. Needless to say, insurances will not pay for this, it will have to come out of your own pocket. On the other hand, I was able to try it and I felt myself liberated from the constraints of a foot prosthesis that will not allow me to jog even a little bit. Check it out!
Hi Ruy, wow now Im really hyped to see what you've experienced with that blade, and to be honest just a little jealous too! I'll go and check it out, and would really appreciate it if you can mention this in the next live event.
I'm a bit of a geezer as well, maybe you've just convinced me to try this out - thank you. To run with my dog and kids is a dream ... who knows what can happen. When you say you felt liberated it really affected me positively.
Thanks for taking the time to share this info.
Enjoy the blade, be safe, and see you next time I hope?
Hi Chris, I missed the live stream but am watching the recording! Top class advice, thank you!
Hi Bryan, sorry we missed you, but hope you'll join is again live next time. I was not at my best, was so sick with flu, next time I'll bring more energy and focus!
Thanks for the feedback, really appreciated and motivating. All the best!
Chris!! Thank you so much for your channel on RUclips!! I took my Bible and tried to read it today but just started to cry today! My name is Andre, and I am from Jeffreysbay, South Africa. It is now four weeks since my left leg is amputated after a gruesome oreal in state hospitals!! I was given Tramadol in hospital, and that really made things bearable! I kept on taking it at home, but then then the side effects kicked in, constipation, respiratory problems, hard to urinate lake of appetite! So I stopped the Tramadol, but the phantom pains are killing me and bad reams and hallucinations! I am 61 years of age. If you do have advice or a video on advice, please direct me to that!! Im an ex policeman and soldier and a martial arts expert, not a softy by after the worst night of my life last night I just broke down and rather wished I died!!😪
Hi Johan, sorry for the late reply. Thank you for the kind words about the channel, I hope it has helped a little, if only to give some hope until life starts changing for you.
Four weeks is a very short time in this process. I remember abusing pain killers, alcohol, sleeping badly, crying, and feeling like it's not worth it to keep on trying. Today I can't believe I said all these things to myself, life slowly became so much better and worth living well.
I also lost my leg partially due to negligence, was angry about that but let go of what I could not change, and focussed on what I could do for myself. This included asking for help and support, which you have done here. I really respect that and want to encourage you to keep on connecting with people like us, and others who care.
Tramadol use/abuse is awful. It depressed me, disorientated me and lead to scary thoughts and a dark imagination. When I finally stopped taking it things first got worse, but then so much better.
I am 57, also ex SADF, and enjoyed martial arts when I was younger, but no expert. I used some of the martial arts discipline and mindfulness practice to help me in this process, please consider this possibility. Read up about it and use your experience. You must have been a disciplined and conscientious man while you were in service (thank you!) and there is no reason why we can't do this again later in our lives. It is so worth it to find all those reasons to look forward to the next day. Start small, make it achievable, and trust that you could once do it and can still do it. We are older now, but also much wiser and patient.
Phantom pains got better, yours will too. I made a video on depression, take a look on the channel, I hope it helps a little.
We're not going anywhere, we have a life to live, and to live it well. It's there, you just need to figure out where and how to get it back.
Please join us in the live chats and ask your questions real time, we will support you, there are some amazing people on this channel.
I hope to see you there, till then take care, value yourself, and care for yourself as you would for someone you love very much :-)
Good day Chris I am sorry I missed your live again, but loadshedding caught me as well, I just wanted to pop you a comment and let you know, I received my diagnostic test socket with a loaner knee and foot yesterday, until my components arrive from overseas, I am going to get and start with a capital knee, andthe foot will be a Ossúr Proflex ST one of the new feet on the market. I am super excited to get moving again and gain some of my mobility and independence back, love your channel and content.
Thanks so much for the good news that you're getting along nicely - exciting times ahead with your prosthetics coming together nicely! I have used the Capitol Knee occasionally, still have one as a backup. It's a really good all-rounder, but be aware that it can have the tendency to give way under load beyond a certain angle. Otherwise it's really good and solid for everyday use. The Ossur Proflex Range is the best out there in my experience, a great choice, I still use one when not on the Ossur Proprio.
Im so sorry that you missed the stream due to LS, but hope to see you on the next one. Im super curious to hear how things are going both your test setup, please let us know! And feel free to share some more during the next live stream, it will be so helpful to newer amputees to hear about your experience.
All the best, take care and be safe :-)
Hi Chris, don't know how I missed this live. I didn't seem to get a notice for some reason, even though I have (all) on the notification bell.....sorry! As always, your videos are so inspirational. You're doing great live! It's so good to see so many interacting in the messages. I've been having problems with my socket and alignment over the last few weeks, it's so important as you say to get the weight distribution even and level, mine had gone "out" for some reason, I was a little lob-sided and it's caused hip and back pain. I'm mentioning, so others can make sure, if you have a problem, go back asap to your prosthetist and get it fixed, "I didn't" so I've suffered the consequences! All good now though. Good to see your son Dan pop in with coffee! Get well soon. 🤧😘
Hi Wynn!! Aah Im so sorry you missed it!
Im sorry to hear you've been struggling with alignment, I hope this gets sorted soon, and the back pain subsides. Let us know in the next live event please, and please bring the message to the others, as some of the newer amputees can learn so much from you and other longer time amputees.
I was sooooo sick with flu in the show, I almost cancelled but did not want to break the commitment. Glad we went through with it in the end but definitely not at my best yesterday ... but so we learn right?
I was wondering at startup why there were so few long time viewers, and quite a few of you said afterwards that you did not get the notification. I'll look into that and see where things went wrong, as I really need and appreciate you in the shows. You keep things rolling and lively, and you're always so welcoming and kind with newcomers, with your advice and support for them.
It's early days, but my aim is to make this increasingly interactive, get some subscriber callers in, bring in a video feed via a link I email to the person, and really involve amputees in the most informative and exciting way possible. I have a few interviewees lined up from the prosthetics and support industry, for information sharing and tips/suggestions to our problems.
As we go along with the live shows we'll find our way, and make this a really lively, interactive and enjoyable for all. I am also encouraging a lively discussion amongst amputees during the stream in the live comments, which will bring more topics to the discussion as I spot them.
Hopefully these streaming events will mature into a regular get-together for amputees to connect, and also have some fun as we share our experiences.
Take care, see you in the next one 😊
@@theampedlife Glad to hear you're on the mend! Sounds like you've got some exciting content lined up for us in the future. You've certainly made a huge effort and investment to make these lives possible, that's for sure. Noticed on Mike's message reply you say you'll give us a weeks notice next time, great idea. Take care, see you next time.
@@wynncarter6783 👌🙏tnx Wynn
PS I know very little about your amputee journey, maybe one day you can come on air live with me and share it? Im busy working on bringing in remote streams for shared screen interviews and chats. Is this a consideration for you?
@@theampedlife More than happy to share my story, the ups and downs. Anything that may help others on the same journey. x
Feel better, stay strong.
Thanks Jack, Im already a little better. Man, that flu hit me hard yesterday! I appreciate the well wishes, all the best to you as well.
Hi Chris sorry I missed the last live stream I didn't get a notification either although set to all on
Thanks for your effort I will keep checking in to try and catch you
Hope you are well
Karen
Hi Karen, thanks for checking in, I'll be live again soon, quite a few streams lined up. I look forward to seeing you there :-)
PS be sure to allow the notifications on you phone notification settings as well, not just YT.
Hey Chris - Sorry I missed the live broadcast but I certainly appreciate your effort and advice. I'm currently using an Otto Bock X3 while my Genium is in for service. I'll need to make a knee replacement decision in two years time. My prothestist's recommendations at this point are another Genium, the X3, the Rheo (Power?) knee or the Quattro. They have a range of capabilities and price. Is it fair for me to ask which one you'd recommend? Thanks. Taras from Canada.
Hi Taras, yeah sorry we missed you, but hoping you join the next one and share some of your advice and experience with us.
WRT your question, I've used the OB CLec, Ossur Rheo Knee XC, and Ossur Power Knee. Never tried the Genium but been promised a loaner to give it a shot. Having said that, my next permanent knee is definitely going to be the Power Knee. For me that is the best solution to my lifestyle, but until Ive used the Genium I can't say with fairness which is best. I hear a lot of users in the USA are opting for the Power Knee now, switching out from other brands. I think it's a matter of personal needs as well as user experience. Hopefully I'll have a Power Knee in the next stream to talk about and show the viewers.
All the best out there in Canada, and catch you on the next show!
Hi Chris - trust you are well. When is the next LIVE CHAT session?
Hi Michelle, I am well, and hope you are too. I am planning one for around 26 or 27 August, I will post early notifications. Im excited about going live again, we will make it a good one and go for as long as there are questions being asked. I will also answer some questions from subscribers posted in the comments.
Take care
Hi Chris, I live in Johannesburg and I've recently (a month ago now) become an amputee. I have some questions and was hoping that there might be a way for me to DM you as I'm seeking guidance for being an amputee in SA
Hi Juanita, you’re welcome to contact me by email chris@theampedlife.co.za and I’ll be happy to help any way I can. Hope you’re doing OK, it’s so recent, but for what it’s worth life has turned out to be very rewarding as an amputee. Made some mistakes in the first few years and happy to give guidance to avoid these.
@@theampedlife Thanks for the quick response Chris. Really appreciate it. I'm so blessed to have a good support network and realise that it could have been worse for me, it was my leg or my life and I was and is surrounded by good care and love.
Thank you for your channel and the amazing content you put out there. I've been working my way through your videos while lying in hospital and it has seriously given me hope for what the future might hold. See you on email.
Only way through this is love and self care ☀️you sound really motivated, happy the content helps and really motivates me to post more often. Thank you!
I’m totally bummed I missed this live stream! Watching through now!🦾💯
Hi Mike, yeah Im so sorry we missed you live ... next time please join us, I need your positivity and energy in the conversation ☀️ I'll post notification at least a week in advance next time, with a follow up reminder. I was so sick in the stream yesterday, had a bad flu so was not at my best, but Im learning and will continue to work hard to make this an informative, enjoyable, interactive regular event.
All the best, and see you on the next one!