Okay, I'm Venting

I have several amputee friends who are preparing to undergo revision surgeries on their residual limbs in the coming weeks. Since I became an amputee seven years ago, I have had four revision procedures. Unfortunately, the need for surgical repairs is a nasty reality for many of us.

Perhaps I was naive, but I never anticipated the constant monitoring and occasional surgical intervention required because of my amputation. Every night I inspect my limb, checking for blisters, cuts and sores. I am vigilant about keeping my stump as healthy as possible to avoid a potentially serious infection.

Yesterday I spent much of my time on the couch with my leg off. I wish that my relaxation was from choice but, truth be told, it was from necessity. I hurt my leg and was beginning to have some skin breakdown. I knew that, although inconvenient, keeping my leg off as much as possible would avert the need to keep it off for an even longer period of time if the skin condition worsened.

I hate that my friends have to undergo more surgeries. I agree with them when they lament that it just isn't fair! I realize the saying that "life isn't fair" has merit, but sometimes it is little consolation especially when dealing with pain and discomfort.

There is a misconception that once a prosthesis is received and fit, the ramifications of the limb loss evaporate. I wish that simply using a prosthetic would eliminate all of the issues, but that is not the reality. The truth is, that while being an amputee is not the worse thing in the world and I fully acknowledge that others are in a more dire situation than I, being an amputee is not easy!