Amputees Support Group

I'm new to this side of the "coin" but I would most certainly *HOPE* that the lady's prosthesist would have more caring and concern for her comfort and mobility than to just hand her a couple of pads and wish her good luck. I dare say that folks who have been amputees for years will pipe up and say their experiences has been the person providing their services tend to be in it and are genuinely compassionate and at some points empathetic with their patients, or at a bare minimum genuinely concerned with easing the patient's suffering or increasing thei mobility or resorting some level of functionality.

Way back when I was interested in robotics, the thought crossed my mind to study engineering and design humanoid functioning devices, which naturally led to "Hey, if I do this, maybe I can help people who have lost parts, not just make machines that function like people's hands, fingers, arms", etc..

However, the technology back then was too bulky, cumbersome, and energy inefficient to do anything really useful for a human being. Most things would be very limited, very heavy, very ineffective for many taske, and consume batteries like crazy.

So I settled for designing a few clunky and outrageously pricey devices to mimic some human anatomical functions. (Well, sorked on design teams...)

But, now that I am on the amputee / patient side of the coin and see that the engineering and technology have increased the potential, maybe it's time I started looking around for someplace to take my ideas, pitch 'em, and see if they think I'd be a useful addition to their design teams.

The thing is, most of the people I ever met and talked to back then largely seemed to view what they did as humanitarian work they got paid for, and more than one of them had taken on a patient for the challenge of their medical needs and the satisfaction of being able to say *I* figured out how to fix that!" was, on occasion, the only price they ever charged.

Maybe things have changed since the mid 80's and people have gotten more greedy than compassionate; I hope not.

I'm not sure exactly who, but it seems that I've read posts on here from folks who had fitting problems or needed modifications for their unique circumstances and found their practitioners quite willing to go the extra mile for their comfort and quality of life needs

If "Good luck" and some new padding is all the present providers will offer her, my personal feeling is she should find someone who cares more about their patients than that, and there are quite a few organizations that exist to get patients and good caring providers together. The names "Amputee Coalition" and Limbs for Life" spring to mind although those may not be 100% accurate names of the organizations.

I hope she finds help from caring providers. And if the folks on here don't fill this thread with good and useful advice, I'll be shocked. They always have come through in the past 10 months I've been on DS.ORG 'cause they care or they wouldn't be here...

I have been an amputee for a year and a half.During this time I have had five sockets and am now using my third prosthetist. Part of the problem is that the residual limb shrinks and the socket needs altering. Several times I have had "pads" added and I have had to wear "socks" over the liner for a tighter fit. None of these was satisfactory but can provide temporary
help. Now my leg seems to be stabilized and the socket is fitting!
Don't give up- it can be done!
Good luck!

Iceross® Silicone Prosthetic Liners
For both new amputees and more experienced prosthetic users, the prosthetic liner (the interface between the skin and the socket) forms the basis of comfort and performance.

However good the other prosthetic components may be, a poor choice of liner will mean inferior comfort and less stability.

Iceross silicone prosthetic liners
Widely accepted as a superior suspension system, Iceross silicone prosthetic liners from Ossur mean you don't have to compromise. Iceross liners stabilize soft tissues, minimize pistoning (stretching), help to improve circulation and add comfort.

Ongoing care and maintenance
Following a prosthetic fitting, a visit for follow-up care may be necessary to recheck fit, function and range of motion. If you have any problems with the fit or function of your prosthesis, please call us immediately as waiting may make the situation more difficult to resolve.

It is recommend you visually check your prosthesis daily for proper function and check your limb for redness or rash. Gaining or losing weight can affect how well your prosthesis fits and may require an evaluation by your prosthetist. It is important to us that your prosthesis fits properly and comfortably so you wear it throughout the day.

A service appointment is scheduled approximately every six months and can extend the life of your prosthesis and preserve your investment