How to Live Post-amputation

You should have a referral for home physical and occupational therapy. The OT will assess his home setup and recommend equipment and ways for him to complete his self-cares independently. The OT will also setup a upper body exercise program so he maintains or increases his strength in order to complete daily activities. The physical therapist will teach an exercise program for strenthing his leg/stump so someday he can be fit for a prostheses. Both the OT/PT will work on teaching him how to safely transfer from bed<>wheelchair, wheelchair<>toilet/commode. Good Luck to both of you.

K.,

My brother broke his neck at 19 years old. He is a quadriplegic. My parents had a Van that he had everything on the wheel. Brakes, gas, blinkers you name it. He had one muscle on each arm that was working. He was never home he had his independence. After he healed we made sure not to let him stay in 24/7. We had ramps, electric wheel chairs....our family was a very supportive one. He is now 53 years old, lived on his own since he was 22. I do not know how long it takes to heal an amputation or what rehabilitation he may need .....but I would start talking about positive things you will do together when he is able. He has his arms and hands, there is really nothing he cant do except walk on his own unless Have you looked into prosthetic s for his legs, not sure if that is a option. There must be program out there to help you. Find out about them. Before you leave the Hospital get as many supplies as you can to go!!! Check into medicare , social security.......Knowledge is power! I do not know how old he is but grants for College are out there. There are so many programs that can help you and your husband deal with this. Live life to its fullest. You have some great advice from some good people here. Take it and run!!

D.

You have gotten many good ideas. Remember in the midst of all of this to take care of yourself and do not loose who you are. There are going to be times when you will have to call on God to give you the extra strength that you need to keep going but it can be done. My husband has been dealing with several medical issues for the last two years and has been hospitalized off and on for major surgeries. Too, have a full time job. Some of the roles that you had will be changed and you must have extra patience. Do not lash out in anger as it does no one any good. Be supportive of him in a positive way and just live each day together as a couple. Build a new joy and happiness together. As one person said, it could be worse. The other S.

Not sure from your question whether your husband's amputations are above or below knee, but there are some really excellent prosthetics out there so that he can remain active. In thie Chicago area, Scheck and Siress does some really great work in this area and your insurance may cover this. If he has at least one of his own knees, there's no reason he can't be on his feet most of the time. If both amputations are above knee he will likely be in a manual wheelchair. Rehab institute of Chicago has a great adaptive fitness center that has accessible equipment and only costs $30/year for membership. I would speak to a physiotrist or other physical rehab person and look into these types of options. There is no reason he needs to feel immobile or confined to bed with so many good options out there. I would also have him see someone about depression, which is not uncommon in this situation. Feel free to contact me if you need some names and phone numbers - I do some research in this area so I can point you in the right direction.

My husband is a left leg amputee - military injury. I was reading your previous posts and want to ask you if you got the dog? Our dogs are a huge blessing to my husband especially when I am at work. The dogs offer companionship, (keeps his mind off the demons that torment him), and they also won't allow him to wallow in bed. The dogs make him get up to play, to be let outside, to be fed, he adores those dogs. We have actually discussed getting the little one certified as a therapy dog, my husband hates to do anything alone because of people ridiculing him for using handicap parking spaces, kids pointing and screaming, etc. Ask him to do little tasks around the house, when he does do something, praise, lots of praise. I also agree with the other posters about the necessity of a support group! They can offer emotional support as well as let you know of organizations that can help with resources. My husbands buddies at the VA have been such a blessing before and after the amputation and he belongs to the Amputee Support Group in Dallas. Prayer and reading God's promises in the Bible works wonders, the joy of the Lord is our strength. Try to get your husband involved as a volunteer, my husband is a Certified Peer Mediation Counselor and Mental Health Advocate for Veterans, this helps him remember he is not alone and prevents him from wallowing in his own misery (he has many other injury issues as well as the loss of the left leg). The VA is 50 miles away so he often does his volunteering over the phone or by email.

I agree defintely get Ot And PT evals.I had a stroke at 15.get involved with support groups and your local center for independent living.A good peer supporter dealing with similar disabilities can really helpThe center fr independent living can also help you apply for an aide to come in the home daily.a google search will locate your closest center for Independent living(cil) or PM me.My late dh and my oldest child both have disabilities too.

Do lots of prayers, let him decide what he wants to do and DO NOT tell him how sorry you fill for him. Instead make him feel that he's important and you need him. Always think positive, by the way...you still have each other. I used to work for family where wife was 90 percent disable and couple had 3 small children, he also had fulltime job...remember there is worst situations outthere.

i cant tell you how to live post amputation, but i can tell you
about living with a deformed left arm that looks like it got put back on backwards or sideways at best. first thing to do, is distance yourself from people who just want to give you pity. second thing to do, apply for medicaid for him or, if he is a combat veteran, talk to his commanding officer, and they can help him.next thing to do, is realize that you are now his advocate, whether you want to be or not.
next thing to do is check out THE BOB APPRECIATION SOCIETY, no, its not a joke. it is a actual group for people with deformed or missing limbs, who dont want pre packaged pity. they just want people to look at them first and not the deformed or missing limb.
long story, short. my sister and i started the group. you can call me
at ###-###-#### i live right in midlothian, i will be happy to introduce him to THE BOB APPRECIATION SOCIETY
K. h. my email is ____@____.com

http://www.lifeandlimb.org/

My father in law had one leg amputated 10 years ago. My heart goes out to you. Do you hae a church that could maybe help out with home care and or donations? I hope you get lots of answers.

Make sure when he's in bed that you use wedges or pillows to keep him moving from side to side while he's in bed. Turning him every few hours or at, every 3-4 hours will help prevent bed sores which is a really common problem for folks that are not used to being on their backs in bed all day. Watch for warm red spots that don't disappear within a few minutes of being off that spot. those are the beginning signs. Good Luck and keep seeking support!! It's out there.

Your husband should be going to an acute rehab inpatient unit and not straight home. He will need to learn to transfer, how to exercise to build up his upper body and care for himself and will need the 3 hours a day they work will with him. The rehab units has therapists that will work with him to determine what he needs after they make their final evaluations. Your hospital should have discharge planners that will meet with you about transfer to acute inpatient rehab. They are usually either case managers or social workers. Be sure to talk to them if they have not contacted you. Also, contact the Department of Human Services, Rehab division in the state of IL. I am not sure where they ae located in Berwyn (I am not even sure where Berwyn is for that matter :)) but the number for the office in Waukegan in ###-###-#### and I am sure they can give you the number for the office nearest you. They can provide help at home-such as a personal care aide or homemaker services and help with adaptive equipment and job retraining. They charge on basis to pay and income. Most people get lots of help at no charge. God Bless you and your hubby. This is truly a challenging situation. I am a case manager/discharge planner in an acute care hospital so if there is anything I can do feel free to send me a private message.

Call the Social workers at the hospital, the financial aid department at the hospital. They should be sending you home with some of the tools it will take to help him. Depending on your income level there should be some financial aid as well as social support that could help you. I understand that if he has already lost 2 legs to diabetes other complications of his disease process are likely and you will need help to cope with everything. If possible for him to get past the depression and do the therapies to deal with this he may be able to be fitted and taught walking, if not he should be trained for upper body strength to do his own transfers from bed to wheelchair to toilet to chairs for sitting and back again. Ask for help from friends, family, church and area organizations. Some towns will come in and do some modifications and help you with cost. Remember in all of this to take care of yourself as you will need your strength both physically and mentally to get through, so don't lose what you need in this process.

Great advice posted here. Your hospital's social worker, PTs, OTs, etc should be working as a team for your husband's discharge needs. They will probably suggest durable medical equipment for your home. if they are not covered by the insurance you have, there are durable medical supply lending closets out there. Oftentimes they lend out things like wheelchairs, shower chairs, reachers, bedside commodes, etc. It's also not a bad idea to look at Goodwill Stores, Salvation Army stores. I've often seen plenty of these kinds of items at the bigger stores. Call around. Here is a link for some lending closets. Best of luck.

http://www.ppld.alibrary.com/lendingcloset.pdf

You should be able to get an occupational therapist to come to your home and help you evaluate these needs. That's what they do! You can speak to the inpatient OT care professionals, and see what you can get help with. Your insurance may be an issue, and that is understandable, but I think a professional could help you with this.
Maybe there are associations affiliated with your husband's condition (Diabetes Foundation? not sure) or Access Living that could also provide information.
all the best to you and your family.

Anyone who sees this post and your friends, you need a fund raiser to help. you guys,You need help big time. I hope your friends who know you get together and help. I have a feeling people will help you guys. So sorry for your troubles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!