Surgery Update - At Last!
Thank you for those who have been patiently waiting for my surgery news - I certainly feel as though I have been waiting a while myself.
Yesterday, I had an appointment with a top plastic surgeon at Sailsbury Hospital and surprisingly, it went well. The surgeon was extremely friendly and she gave a detailed explanation of why my stump is in it's current position and the steps that can be taken to overcome this. I have been put on the waiting list for surgery and the plan is to be admitted into hospital for two weeks and have two separate procedures to both unravel the muscle and then stitch my stump back up. It is looking like a longer recovery but it is necessary if I ever want to walk. I should find out in the next month a date for surgery - which is estimated to be in either June or July.
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Stumpdate
Now 10 weeks post-op, I would have liked to be recovered by now and be on the track with my new prosthetic - unfortunately, that isn't the case.
In week 8 of amputee rehabilitation, I was discharged with a view to continue attending the clinic as an outpatient for wound-checks. Unfortunately after only a week, I wasn't able to use my prosthetic as my pain levels increased and a large bruise appeared on the bottom of my stump. I was strongly advised to go to A&E as I may have osteomyelitis (a bone infection). The A&E department were fantastic and I was visited by an orthopaedic surgeon who informed me that I needed more scans investigations. After an x-ray, something was picked up on the bone but they couldn't tell exactly what so I have been booked in for an MRI, which will be happening tomorrow.
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Seven Weeks Post-Amputation
The time has flown by! It’s strange to think that only 7 weeks ago, I was in agonising pain but looking forward to a new start with a new prosthetic leg. As I start my 6th week of physical rehabilitation, I can’t help but reflect on the previous weeks and share my excitement for the months and years to come.
The first few days after my amputation were pure bliss! As I still had lots of anaesthetic in my system, my pain levels had gone from 10/10 to 0. Even from day 1, I knew I had made the right decision. On day 2, I started to get up and start the physio exercises and learning how to walk on crutches, given my balance difference. On day 3, I was discharged from the hospital and went home to continue my rehabilitation before going to an amputation-specific inpatient facility. I had agreed with the rehab team that I would be an inpatient to ensure that I recovered and was up on a prosthetic as quick as possible.
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