I suppose I'm still relatively new to this world, it's just 2 1/2 years since my leg was amputated just below the hip. I was 17. The head of the trochanter is still there and a very short section of the femoral shaft: in other words in prosthetic terms my stump isn't "viable", effectively I'm a hip dis.
In hospital after the initial shock the thought that kept me going was getting a "new" leg, hi tech, one that would make me look "normal" and which would enable me to live a normal life.
After initial rehab I was duly fitted with a prosthetic. It was uncomfortable, it was tiring and I walked badly and slowly. I persisted, I had modifications, two new legs, but still it wasn't satisfactory. I gradually wore a leg less and less and relied more on crutches, which were easy to use, more comfortable and enabled me to "walk" much more quickly. Friends no longer had to hang back for me.
I mentioned to my family that I was thinking of abandoning my leg altogether. They were horrified. It made me "look" disabled - I pointed out that I was. It would make it harder for me to get a partner, a job. I suggested it might be better if a potential lover knew straight off that I had a large piece missing; and that I wasn't proposing to be a coal miner. The reaction of friends was similar, only one said "Go for it, be what you are".
Which sets me wondering: how many are there amongst us who wear a prosthetic either as a disguise, or because it's what others expect? If I had my knee or even a longer stump of course it would be different, but for me and others like me there's a choice. I've decided to accept my loss and its implications. I wear shorts when it's hot, I've cut off and sewn up the legs of my jeans. I'm told I risk spine problems when I'm older, but I want to live the next 20 or 30 years as I am. And who's to say that wearing a prosthesis doesn't have a cost?
A last thought. A wheelchair is final. Someone in a wheelchair isn't going to walk again. Ironically crutches have a provisional feel to them. You use crutches if you've broken a bone, if you've sprained your ankle. But here's no cure for an amputated leg!
I totally agree that you should do what works for you, rather than what other people "expect." Your situation is your problem, not theirs.
CharlesI am fortunate to have a long AK stump, and I walk well with a prosthesis; but that's a functional advantage, not a cosmetic goal. I live in a warm climate and wear shorts about 9 months of the year. I have no interest in a "cosmetic" cover, because they are a nuissance. In fact, I find other people to be much more polite when they can see that I have a prosthesis. I don't mind crutches either, but I usually accomplish more using the leg, with my hands free.
I have little patience with people who presume to know what's "best" for me. They should deal with their own problems.
Chas.
11:16 AM CST