Page 1 of 2
1
2
LastLast
  1. #1

    Need to make a choice

    First off a disclaimer, this is a medical related thread but I’m not asking for medical advice. I’m just looking for opinions on what others would do in my situation.

    Not long ago I was in a wreck on a motorcycle. I took the brunt of the collision with my left leg. Broke several bones in my foot, crushed my ankle and bottom of my tibia and fibula, and tore ligaments and Achilles tendon. They were able to save my foot, however I’ve hit a place in my recovery where I need to make a choice.

    Choice one is go down my current path. I’m looking at multiple operations over the next several years. After everything is done I will more than likely need some form of assistance to walk for the rest of my life.

    Choice two is amputation. If I go this route I can theoretically be up and moving with a prosthesis in a couple months.

    Now a little about my background, I’m pretty active. I’m up around twenty hours every day. I have to stay busy because I can get a bit self-destructive when I’m idle. I work out at least once if not twice a day. I rock climb, participate in Tough Mudder races, I love hiking, paddle boarding, things like that.
    On the other hand, I’m a shit magnet. I’ve been blown up, shot, stabbed, strangled, I’ve been in a helicopter crash, an airplane crash, and multiple vehicle accidents. Even though I’ve had a double digit number of surgeries I’ve been able to stay relatively whole. So, the thought of having an amputation due to a pretty mundane parking lot motorcycle wreck is bothersome. I know that sounds silly, but it is.

    So, now I’m here on MMOC. What would y’all do in my situation?
    I'm the root of all that is evil, yeah, but you can call me cookie.

  2. #2
    Deleted
    Fuck the prosthesis, get something useful like a pogo stick or some kind of Swiss army knife arrangement.

  3. #3
    Titan Lenonis's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    14,394
    Seems to me the question is:

    Do you want to have to rely on assistance to walk the rest of your life?

    Or

    Do you want to have an artificial leg/foot?

    Seems like the rest is just fluff honestly.

    PS -- It's pretty understood psychology to be averse to the idea of amputation. But if the result is essentially being crippled...not exactly ideal, especially with a desire to have an active lifestyle. But no one can make this decision for ya.

  4. #4
    I wonder if doctors are too quick to suggest amputation nowadays. :/ I remember watching a documentary on Boston Marathon victims and amputation seemed to be the default medical advice for most of the victims in that documentary. I have really no medical basis to make such a claim regarding physician's recommendation to amputate, having zero medical background of my own, but that documentary really did make me wonder.

    One thing I remember from the documentary and might be worthwhile to mention here is that many victims of trauma consider amputation as a way to end the pain from the limb in question, then find that amputation didn't really do much to address that because of the "phantom" pain left behind after the surgery. Whether phantom pain is comparable to the pain they were experiencing, I don't know. You didn't mention pain, so I'm not sure if that is an issue for you.

    If you're active, my suggestion would be to fight hard to keep it. But even with amputation you can live a highly active life.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by tommypilgrim View Post
    Fuck the prosthesis, get something useful like a pogo stick or some kind of Swiss army knife arrangement.
    I'm a Texan, it'll be a gun.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lenonis View Post
    Seems to me the question is:

    Do you want to have to rely on assistance to walk the rest of your life?

    Or

    Do you want to have an artificial leg/foot?

    Seems like the rest is just fluff honestly.

    PS -- It's pretty understood psychology to be averse to the idea of amputation. But if the result is essentially being crippled...not exactly ideal, especially with a desire to have an active lifestyle. But no one can make this decision for ya.
    It's more along the lines of I have to make a choice of either giving up my leg, or giving up the things I enjoy doing. I've given up things I liked in the past, but it was when the choice was made for me. This is what is making this hard is the choice is mine.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Celista View Post
    I wonder if doctors are too quick to suggest amputation nowadays. :/ I remember watching a documentary on Boston Marathon victims and amputation seemed to be the default medical advice for most of the victims in that documentary. I have really no medical basis to make such a claim regarding physician's recommendation to amputate, having zero medical background of my own, but that documentary really did make me wonder.

    One thing I remember from the documentary and might be worthwhile to mention here is that many victims of trauma consider amputation as a way to end the pain from the limb in question, then find that amputation didn't really do much to address that because of the "phantom" pain left behind after the surgery. Whether phantom pain is comparable to the pain they were experiencing, I don't know. You didn't mention pain, so I'm not sure if that is an issue for you.

    If you're active, my suggestion would be to fight hard to keep it. But even with amputation you can live a highly active life.
    Actually, the amputation was my idea. My surgeon wants me to have the surgeries. It's that the likely hood of me having much use out of my ankle is not very high. They will have to fuse the joint. I won't have any bend at all there.
    I'm the root of all that is evil, yeah, but you can call me cookie.

  6. #6
    Sounds like you're used to taking beatings, a few operations won't matter much. Did they say you'd regain full use of your leg?
    .

    "This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."

    -- Capt. Copeland

  7. #7
    Id go with amputate, seems less trouble, money and a similar result in the end.
    Also since you will not have a leg it will give you ability to talk a lot of shit, because who wants to fight or get their ass kicked by a 1 legged man

  8. #8
    Moderator chazus's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    17,222
    Keep the leg. You'll be able to pick up an augmented exo-skeleton assisted system in a matter of years. A decade at most.
    Gaming: Dual Intel Pentium III Coppermine @ 1400mhz + Blue Orb | Asus CUV266-D | GeForce 2 Ti + ZF700-Cu | 1024mb Crucial PC-133 | Whistler Build 2267
    Media: Dual Intel Drake Xeon @ 600mhz | Intel Marlinspike MS440GX | Matrox G440 | 1024mb Crucial PC-133 @ 166mhz | Windows 2000 Pro

    IT'S ALWAYS BEEN WANKERSHIM | Did you mean: Fhqwhgads
    "Three days on a tree. Hardly enough time for a prelude. When it came to visiting agony, the Romans were hobbyists." -Mab

  9. #9
    My choice is always get rid of something that's dragging me down and adapt to the new life style, shit happens but hey you are still alive... so I myself in your situation would choose amputation without second thought if they cant repair your nerves to the extent that at least you can move, cybernetics is improving and in maybe even near future who knows what can come as new invention.

  10. #10
    Merely a Setback Reeve's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Houston, TX USA
    Posts
    28,800
    Quote Originally Posted by SogPig View Post
    I'm a Texan, it'll be a gun.



    It's more along the lines of I have to make a choice of either giving up my leg, or giving up the things I enjoy doing. I've given up things I liked in the past, but it was when the choice was made for me. This is what is making this hard is the choice is mine.

    - - - Updated - - -



    Actually, the amputation was my idea. My surgeon wants me to have the surgeries. It's that the likely hood of me having much use out of my ankle is not very high. They will have to fuse the joint. I won't have any bend at all there.
    They told my mother they'd have to fuse her ankle too. She said screw you and went to another doctor who fought the insurance company for 6 more years until they agreed to give her an artificial ankle.

    I don't know how old you are, though which may impact if an artificial ankle is a good choice for you or not. It has to be better than amputation though.

    P.S. I've been struggling with whether or not to stop life support for my father, but haven't wanted to make a thread. When I saw your thread title I immediately saw this and was surprised to see this was medical too. I'm sorry about your accident and wish you luck with the ankle.

    Also, one more reason not to ride motorcycles.
    Last edited by Reeve; 2015-04-14 at 11:14 PM.
    'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
    Or a yawing hole in a battered head
    And the scuppers clogged with rotting red
    And there they lay I damn me eyes
    All lookouts clapped on Paradise
    All souls bound just contrarywise, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by chazus View Post
    Keep the leg. You'll be able to pick up an augmented exo-skeleton assisted system in a matter of years. A decade at most.
    The thing is I could wait now, get the work done and see how it goes. If it's not any good have the amputation later. My problem with that is is that I'm no spring chicken, in another decade I'll almost be 50. It would be hard for me to justify giving up a big chunk of my remaining active days for a maybe.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Frostweaver View Post
    My choice is always get rid of something that's dragging me down and adapt to the new life style, shit happens but hey you are still alive... so I myself in your situation would choose amputation without second thought if they cant repair your nerves to the extent that at least you can move, cybernetics is improving and in maybe even near future who knows what can come as new invention.
    They make a pretty decent assisted one now, it's just I'm really hard things and it would be tough dropping 20 or 30 grand on something I more than likely would break in a month.
    I'm the root of all that is evil, yeah, but you can call me cookie.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by SogPig View Post
    I'm a Texan, it'll be a gun.
    Sounds like you got it all figured out. Just get a gun foot /thread.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Reeve View Post
    They told my mother they'd have to fuse her ankle too. She said screw you and went to another doctor who fought the insurance company for 6 more years until they agreed to give her an artificial ankle.

    I don't know how old you are, though which may impact if an artificial ankle is a good choice for you or not. It has to be better than amputation though.

    P.S. I've been struggling with whether or not to stop life support for my father, but haven't wanted to make a thread. When I saw your thread title I immediately saw this and was surprised to see this was medical too. I'm sorry about your accident and wish you luck with the ankle.

    Also, one more reason not to ride motorcycles.
    There's more damage than just the ankle, that just happens to be the worst of it. I'm 38, so it would be tough for me to get an ankle. I have a shot knee, and no one has wanted to replace it because of my age.

    My condolences on your choice. I went through that about ten years ago. It isn't easy.
    I'm the root of all that is evil, yeah, but you can call me cookie.

  14. #14
    I am Murloc! crakerjack's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Ptwn, Oregon
    Posts
    5,014
    That's one of my biggest fears. If I had to lose a limb, I'd feel like life isn't worth living. Then again, I don't ride motorcycles for this exact reason because there are idiot drivers out there that merge over without any signal or even bothering to check.
    Most likely the wisest Enhancement Shaman.

  15. #15
    Honestly? I'd want to keep my leg. It's part of my body.

    But logically (and I do follow logic) the crushed leg is just going to continue keeping you in pain. Have you ever watched House? There are amputees who get a nice fake leg and after just a bit of physical therapy they're walking and they're happy.

    Just ask yourself if you'd rather be miserable in pain, but keep your leg, or lose your leg and deal with the prosthetic but still be active and okay.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by crakerjack View Post
    That's one of my biggest fears. If I had to lose a limb, I'd feel like life isn't worth living. Then again, I don't ride motorcycles for this exact reason because there are idiot drivers out there that merge over without any signal or even bothering to check.
    I think it'd be inconvenient to lose a limb but I think the biggest thing would be how weird it is to not have that limb there and have random people notice.

    You know how people roll their sleeves up if they lost an arm or stuff like that? I'd like wear long sleeves and give the illusion my arm is still there. That's me personally and that's what I would feel comfortable doing. (That's not to say I judge people with nubs. That's just what I'd do.)

    Anyway, losing a limb isn't that bad. Being blind or being paralyzed, that's a fucking game changer.

  16. #16
    Chop some more off, and go full Planet Terror!

    Seriously tho, I wouldnt know.

  17. #17
    Scarab Lord Nachturnal's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    East Coast
    Posts
    4,130
    Amputate. Opt in to get a robotic Optimus Prime leg. Bitches love robotic legs.

  18. #18
    The Lightbringer Conspicuous Cultist's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Texasland
    Posts
    3,735
    Quote Originally Posted by SogPig View Post
    Now a little about my background, I’m pretty active. I’m up around twenty hours every day. I have to stay busy because I can get a bit self-destructive when I’m idle. I work out at least once if not twice a day. I rock climb, participate in Tough Mudder races, I love hiking, paddle boarding, things like that.
    On the other hand, I’m a shit magnet. I’ve been blown up, shot, stabbed, strangled, I’ve been in a helicopter crash, an airplane crash, and multiple vehicle accidents. Even though I’ve had a double digit number of surgeries I’ve been able to stay relatively whole. So, the thought of having an amputation due to a pretty mundane parking lot motorcycle wreck is bothersome. I know that sounds silly, but it is.

    So, now I’m here on MMOC. What would y’all do in my situation?
    Christ dude, do you live your life in a die hard movie or something?

  19. #19
    Surgery. If I hated life after, I'd go prosthetic.

    If money is an issue is do the cheaper option. If I can get disability for one I'd do that. You can't re grow a leg, but you can always sack it later

  20. #20
    Chop it off and get a peg leg.

    Seriously though, I have no idea, best of luck in whatever route you pick.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •