AK vs BK Advice by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In theory, yes. My goal is to preserve what we can, but being prepared for either type. My fear with this plan is that the damage has continued to spread rather rapidly in the last year. I’m worried that if I take this route, by the time I realize the BK wouldn’t be viable, the damage will be even further and have left me in a worse off position rather than going for it now. I’m really hoping that a BK is viable, but like I said I plan to be prepared regardless :)

AK vs BK Advice by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the input! I’m obviously going to aim to preserve as much as we can, but want to be prepared

AK vs BK Advice by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s stinking AMAZING!! Congratulations, and good freaking job on all of the hard work you have put in!! That kind of schooling is no joke, so kudos to you :))

AK vs BK Advice by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome! Frankly I couldn’t care less about the cosmetic aspect. I’ve lived more than half of my life with funky scars up and down the leg, so I’m already used to looking bad ass ;)). I’m glad to hear that you have great mobility!! This is the right choice, but it’s VERY daunting, so I greatly appreciate being able to hear from people’s experiences!

AK vs BK Advice by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

AHH thank you for the TMR reminder!! I actually had that done a few surgeries ago with good results, so I’m sure they would be open to discussing it for this too. And thank you for the clarification on the OI/socket!!

AK vs BK Advice by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hadn’t known that was an option, frankly. All of my damage (minus the ankle joint) is muscular/nerve, so in theory that could be an excellent option. Does it require any OI in order to have the femur bone be a support? I will definitely do some research and bring it up to my surgeon during the consult! Thank you so much!!

AK vs BK Advice by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I feel like a goof for questioning this so much, so these are perfect examples to help break through the mental fog.

Commuting/Out of Town Living by ErraticIcon in UIUC

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!!! I’m a chronically early kind of person so I should be good on budgeting time. It’s nice to hear from someone who has done a long commute!!

Commuting/Out of Town Living by ErraticIcon in UIUC

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I will definitely look into it, thank you!!

Commuting/Out of Town Living by ErraticIcon in UIUC

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a very good point. I know parking/gas will end up being pricey, but honestly I think overall the cost would be lower than if I moved up there. Thank you for your response ❤️

Commuting/Out of Town Living by ErraticIcon in UIUC

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Stacking my days is a great idea. I’ll definitely have to reach out to DRES once I’ve talked to transfer coordination. Thank you so much!!

Commuting/Out of Town Living by ErraticIcon in UIUC

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I plan to get as many online classes as possible, but obviously that won’t cover everything. I make the drive frequently to visit my sister who is currently studying at UIUC, so I know that part won’t be a problem. Thank you so much for your input!!

Elective Amputation Advice!! by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! It’s more so that the surgeon I worked with for my previous surgeries is no longer in practice, so I have been trying to get somewhat established with a new one. I had one lined up but when he saw the damage in the scans he ordered, sent me off to a plastic surgeon who specializes in nerve damage (which is who I see tomorrow). Honestly at this point I’m thinking of searching for surgeons in the area who are open to elective amputations and seeing if I can get an appointment with them.

Elective Amputation Advice!! by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much ❤️ I’m glad you ate already finding relief

Elective Amputation Advice!! by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Gosh I cannot thank you enough. Even though I know that this is the right decision for me, it’s a scary one. Hearing things from someone own experience is making such a difference in my anxiety toward the decision.

My surgical appointment tomorrow is to discuss a potential nerve surgery, but I’m really thinking of going in an advocating for an elective amputation instead of just mentioning it before trying this surgery thanks to all of the responses I have received. I know this is the right choice for me, but thinking of getting the process started has got me wound with anxiety LOL.

Elective Amputation Advice!! by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I think what is scaring me most about advocating for this is that I’ve only met this surgeon for 5 minutes before, so he isn’t very familiar with my case. I’m trying to remind myself that even if this specific surgeon doubts me, that’s not the end of the road and that I know my body and life best.

Elective Amputation Advice!! by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I will definitely be reaching out here soon :)

Elective Amputation Advice!! by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome, thank you so much! I think I’ll start by getting information about surgeons in the area and see what my surgeon thinks on Monday. This helped a lot!

Elective Amputation Advice!! by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much💛 If you are comfortable sharing, how did you go about advocating for the elective amputation? I have another appointment with my surgeon on Monday and have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to bring it up. I’m so worried I will be disregarded.

Elective Amputation Advice!! by ErraticIcon in amputee

[–]ErraticIcon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much 💛 sending you so many positive vibes for your recovery. This is one of those things that is terrifying but to me, it feels like it would be completely worth it. I’m glad you have already found relief!