RECOVERY SERVICES FOR AMPUTEES
How I Can Help You Move Forward
I will help you complete your recovery plan and find a way to regain your autonomy and independence.
We are at a significant transformation in our use of prostheses. According to Dr. Herr, we are no longer disabled. On the forefront is amputation which results in producing an augmented limb stronger and more sensitive than your previous human limb.
We aren’t there yet, but I will continue to help you adjust and evolve through this process. Anyone who has tried a microprocessor-augmented prosthesis knows what I am talking about.
Being a fellow amputee, I know what you are facing, which is how I can help you move forward.
Maintaining a Normal Life Expectancy
Amputation is often viewed as a last resort for individuals suffering from severe medical conditions or accidents. Statistically, amputation shortens your life by five years, but for those that take appropriate measures, that reduction in life-expectancy does not hold.
With proper medical care and adaptive techniques, amputees can live full, healthy, and active lives, participating in sports and even extreme sports.
Although the process of adjusting to life with a limb disability can be challenging, it is possible to thrive and lead a fulfilling life.
I help my clients obtain the necessary resources and make the appropriate adjustments to maintain the same life-expectancy they would have prior to their amputation.
Getting Out of Your Wheelchair and On Your Feet
It’s important to understand that facing fears and making significant changes in your life can be a difficult and gradual process.
Your amputee coach will help define your fears break them down into smaller steps. As you achieve smaller goals, you’ll build momentum and get back to walking in no time.
At the same time, the negative self-talk will dissipate and you’ll be back to doing what you love.
Your coach will also help you surround yourself with more active people who can challenge you.
I will guide through the process of getting out of your wheelchair.
Setting Up a Treatment Team And Getting the Help You Need
In a world where hospitals are short-staffed and insurance is reluctant to pay, you need to be sure you have the right team together: Vascular Surgeon, Physical Therapist, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, and Amputee Coach.
An amputation coach will help coordinate the care you need holistically.
Recovery from an amputation is different than an operation, and your amputee coach is there to guide you through those difficulties that persist after you are discharged from the hospital.
I will help you get your treatment team organized.
Getting the Right Prosthesis
Do you know that half of the amputees I polled did not know they had a choice when their old prosthesis needed to be replaced? I will show you the different types of prostheses and how your insurance company must be convinced of their medical necessity. There are new advances in their design. We are getting closer to a limb that will be stronger and more sensitive than your human one. The prospect of a leg you can swim in is a recent reality.
Every amputee should have a choice in the matter. I will give you the reason Medicare has levels of activity. Some insurance companies consider microprocessors as experimental.
You need to be aware of the psychological effect of waiting for such a major decision may have on an amputee so you can prevent yourself from getting discouraged.
I will help you identify and obtain the right prosthesis.
Reframing Your Situation: Not “Disabled” –> “Augmented
“Amputation is not a disability, it is an augmentation” emphasizes the potential for advanced prosthetics to not only replace lost limb function but to enhance it. As a leading researcher in the field of biomechatronics and an amputee himself, Dr. Hugh Herr has worked on developing prosthetics that can mimic or even surpass the capabilities of natural limbs.
With advanced prosthetic technology, amputees can regain or even surpass their previous abilities. This optimistic outlook helps to break down the stigma surrounding amputation and inspires further innovation in the field of prosthetics.
On a personal level and as an amputee myself, I will help you reframe your approach to this life-changing event. If you have ever had the opportunity to try out a microprocessor prosthesis, you will know what I am talking about.
I will help you developed the “augmented” mindset.
