amputation and pain

Treatments, Rehabilitation, and Recovery
Gayle Oz
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 3:17 am

Re: amputation and pain

Post by Gayle Oz »

Susie Kaye,
I'm sorry you feel saddened reading this board. I do know what you mean about envying others with more movement. Just remember there is always someone worse off. I have C5, C6, C7, C8 & T1 all avulsed on my left side and my right arm and shoulder torn off. I have the phantom pain on one side to deal with and the crippling neropathic pain on the other. I'm not sure what God's plan is for me, but he didn't want me competing on my deloved horses any more!
jennyb
Posts: 1183
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2001 5:24 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: January 1980 Yamaha RD200 vs 16 wheeler truck, result, 1 totally paralysed right arm. I was 21, now 54. I had no surgery, I don't regret this. Decided to totally ignore limitations (easily done aged 21) adapted very quickly to one handed life, got married, had 3 kids, worked- the effect of the injury on my life (once the pain stopped being constant) was minimal and now, aged 54, I very rarely even think of it, unless I bash it or it gets cold, then I wish I'd had it amputated :) Except for a steering knob on my car, I have no adaptations to help with life, mainly because I honestly don't think of myself as disabled and the only thing I can't do is peel potatoes, which is definitely a good thing.

Re: amputation and pain

Post by jennyb »

I am going thru the amputation process and altho I have biceps and can use my upper arm to hold things against my body (so could use a prosthetic) I don't think I would-I have lived perfectly well with one arm for more than half my life, frankly I wonder what people do with all those arms! :0)
Apparently a huge percentage of amputees don't use prosthetics even if they can-I read that it was in the 90's.
I'm just glad to be alive on this bright early spring day in NZ.....take care all.
admin
Site Admin
Posts: 19873
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm

Re: amputation and pain

Post by admin »

Jenny
Thanks for writing, I,m sorry it took so long to get back to you. Please keep me up to speed on your surgury-it takes a lot of guts to make that decision but anyone who has been playing this game for long gets used to those, unfortunately. I am very tired of this babysitting job though and have long since given up any hope of ever getting any use out of the dangling limb, but I am quite worried about increasing my pain level as sometimes it almost seems manageable, to loose this little fantasy would be extremely disheartening. I await your outcome with baited breath as I am, likely, not far behind.
Thanks for all the great work you do on this site, your like the great den-mother of tbpi. Strength
Onepaw
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