Hi Iam going and am SOO excited! Being my 1st year as an amputee, it is very needed and can't wait to meet some great people! Are you going? It would be nice to meet if you are....

Yes, I am going. I would love to meet up with you and the many others I have met on this site who also may be gong.

Lorri

Sounds great, we'll firm it up more thoward the date!

Come on Hopalong fill us all in on how the conference went. From the pictures I've seen it looked more like an drunken AARP event then an amputee conference. hehe

i wish it was in illinois. if it was i'd be there

OK OK...I finally have some time to respond...

The conference was quite interesting. Meeting other amputees and seeing their conquests and hearing their stories was amazing. There's something to be said when you are around hundreds of other amputees. The four leggers (as I like to call them), were in the minority.

There were several interesting seminars presented. There were courses in gait analysis. Bob Gately held an all day event, where amputees worked with PT's and learned how to run, and participate in other sports events...There was a swim and tennis clinic...There was information on legal issues...travel... and phantom pain among other things. There were day long sessions for Support Group Leaders and for peer visitor training.

Representatives from several prosthetic companies were there to demonstrate and talk about their products. Many prosthetist were on hand as well.

The hotel was really wonderful...the food was great...and I met so many wonderful and inspiring people. There were some rather famous amputees...Sarah Richardson and George Valesquez...(He can dance better on one leg than most on two).

All ages and all types of amputee's were represented. There were two men that that had prostetics on all four limbs...They walked better than most single leg amputees...I met one little girl who had a lucky leg. Her mom told me that's what her daughter called her amputated limb and prosthetic after seeing Finding Nemo...(You may remember that Nemo had a smaller fin on one side..he called that his lucky fin)...All I can say is the human spirit is amazing...and so were the people I met!!!

Lorri

I wish that I had known about this in time to go...I just missed out! Announce the meeting earlier next year,please.

Kat6792, if you go to www.amputee-coalition.org and keep checking their site you will see when the next conference will be. They don't have it listed yet but if you check after the first of the year they should have a date set and listed.

That sounds like a wonderful time Lorri. I wish I could have gone. Maybe next year. Glad you got to go and get some good info.

Lorri, I completely agree and could not say it better myself! The conference was amazing and so inspirational! I agree that the stories of everyone were very touching and we all have our weights to carry... My highpoint was the agility clinic with Bob Gailey, all I can say is WOW!!! I learned how to run for the first time in over 20 years (I have only been an amputee for 16 mos, but had bone cancer 24 yrs ago), and one of the best things was having a one on one with Sarah Reinertsen, she coached me on running and I did it!!!!!!! Words can not describe that moment, very emotional for me.... The confetrence gave me a new look at life as an amputee and more confidence, and also hope of what can be acheived if the drive is there!!! I would highly recomend to all and plan on making it an annual thing. I made many new friends that I plan to keep in touch with.

THe conference is again in Atlanta next year and the hotel was excellent, the one hard thing is it is further from downtown, and I never left the hotel after Thursday, but I felt like I was there for the conf, so it was fine and would not have changed a thing.

ALso, it seemed like the hot topic was the negative pressure vaccuum socket for AKA's. THere is a prosthetist in Orlando that does this well and I met several people who travel great distance to go to him (ie. Ohio, NY).