Hi there. I was looking for some people who have experience with working with below knee amputees.
I was involved in a severe accident as a child that left me with a crushed left leg. I went through about 5 years of antibiotics, external and internal fixation, muscle grafts, bone grafts, skin grafts, central lines, 50+ surgeries....it was hell. I was left with a left leg that was 1.5" shorter than the right and decreased function. I am unable to walk without a brace.
Anyways that all cleared up in 2001 when I was 19 and since then I have gone on to get married, run a few marathons and most importantly graduate nursing school. Since 2005 I have worked in the Emergency Department. I did my first few years in a busy level one and never let my bum leg get me down or stop me. And now, within the past 6 months I have been having intense pain in that foot.
After seeing a couple of specialists and discussing quality of life and long term solutions we decided a below the knee amputation was the only real permanent solution. I have come to accept this. It hurts and I'm pretty scared about the whole thing but what I am most scared of is returning to work. What is that going to be like?? As supportive as my coworkers are, how will they act when I come back? Will I be able to keep up??
Any insight would be appreciated. My surgery is scheduled August 20.
