Back when my amputation was complete and I was finally mobile again, I heard that the Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVHN) had an amputee support group that met every month. I went there for what I thought was one of their meetings, only to find that no one showed up. It turned out that LVHN and Jefferson Hospital had just announced that they were merging and one of the things they needed to do was synchronize their volunteer support processes. It would be several months before they again started meeting again – earlier this month.
It
was a good meeting, and I was able to interact with several other amputees –
the oldest being about my age and the youngest being only around 19. Some had
arm amputations, some had legs amputated above the knee, others below the knee,
and a few with other amputations such as multiple fingers, or, like me, a
partial foot. The oldest amputation dated from 1977, and the newest from last
year (like myself).
Besides
monthly meetings, with some kind of speaker, one of the things that this group
provides is signing up to be a hospital volunteer so they can visit those in
the hospital who have had a recent amputation. I signed up for this and will be
going through an interview process later this week. During the hospital’s
merger, this was another activity that got set aside, so there was only one
person there who is still qualified to do this.
There
are two principal aspects of dealing with an amputation – the physical adaptation
and the related mental adaptation.
Physical
Adaptation
Most
amputations happen suddenly, through things like automobile accidents, or, like
myself, who went into the hospital with an infection from a long-term diabetic
foot ulcer and found myself 48 hours later in the first of three OR visits,
terminating in the removal of half of my right foot. Unlike things like a
broken limb where the individual may have a cast for 4-6 weeks, or a joint (like
hip or knee replacement) which these days are just an overnight (for a hip
replacement) or of a few days (for a knee), an operation involving an
amputation is permanent. Recovery may lead to the use of a prosthesis, but even
this requires a period of healing and adjustment before the individual is “normal”
again.
This
period of healing/adjustment may have several stages. In my case it went from (1)
being flat on my back and “NWB” non-weight-bearing, to (2) being able to get up
with all the weight on my left leg, then swiveling to sit on a potty chair, to
(3) swiveling into a wheel chair, to (4) using a knee scooter to go down the
hall, to (5) using crutches for mobility, to (6) using a cane. I was in stage 4
when I was released from the rehab facility, in stage 5 when I was learning how
to (cautiously) drive again, and I expect to stay in stage 6 indefinitely. It’s
a long process!
While
the stages may take an extended period and will differ depending on the type of
amputation, the person who has just experienced the event that caused the
amputation usually not prepared for it. This is where the amputation support
volunteer can add some value. The doctor can relate the things which he/she has
done and a therapist can help the individual with the exercises and activities
needed to aid the recovery process, but this is only part of the process. Being
able to talk to someone who “has gone through it” is helpful. I hope to be able
to use my experiences to let the patient see “the light at the end of the tunnel”.
Mental
Adjustment
The
physical adjustment should not be ignored. But neither should the accompanying mental
adjustment be ignored. Remember that the individual has lost a limb, even if
just a finger. And, unlike something like a hip replacement, the limb loss is
permanent. It will not grow back. Thus, the individual needs to adjust to not
only all the series of changes during the initial hospital stay, but must be
prepared for whatever changes there will be in the rest of their life. Being
able to interact with a support person who has gone through what the patient is
experiencing and who can still present a positive attitude can be very helpful.
I was told just this morning by someone with whom I interact most Sunday
mornings that they didn’t even know that I had a foot amputation (the reason
why I was sitting by one of the primary entrances to church where I could
interact with him and others).
Thus,
I believe that I have the proper mental attitude that can help others going
through an amputation. I certainly want to try!
I’ve
submitted my hospital volunteer application. I still have to go through an
interview, supply references, get a child abuse clearance, and a TB test. But I
am looking forward to being able to interact with other new amputees and pass along
my experiences and positive attitude. If all goes well, I’ll post again on this
topic in the future.
