the following advertising feature is from:
Your Health - Capital Health’s magazine for living well - May/June 2006 issue
First, you should know that it is healthy to grieve the loss of a limb. Get angry, cry, rant, or scream. Do whatever it takes to acknowledge that this has happened. Trauma, disease, or congenital defect
- it doesn’t matter the reason why your limb was lost. Involve your loved ones, physician, prosthetist, psychiatrist or psychologist, friends – use whatever support you need. What matters is that eventually you are able to put the loss behind you and focus on rehabilitation.
Next, find yourself a good prosthetist. If you are fortunate enough as to be able to schedule your surgery, include the prosthetist in your pre-surgery planning. Following surgery, you will be seen by a
physiatrist, someone who specializes in coordinating the treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders resulting in functional loss. Ask the physiatrist, the orthopedic surgeon, or the hospital staff for a full list of facilities (there are eight in the immediate Edmonton area), or consult the classifi ed section of the telephone book (under Artificial Limbs). Interview several prosthetists, either in person or by telephone. Your relationship with your practitioner is vital. Search for someone who is honest, communicative, empathetic and knowledgeable. Ask the prosthetist to describe the technology to be employed. Ensure that the person has a character that is compatible with your own. As the consumer, you control your quality of life.
Upon your first visit to the prosthetist, you will be assessed. The prosthetist will take your medical history, evaluate the condition of your skin, and examine the shape of the limb (the residuum). S/He
will measure your limb and make a plaster cast of it. After you have gone, the cast is fi lled with plaster to generate a positive mold, which is then modified taking into account the physiology of your limb. Then the prosthetist will generate your fi rst temporary (or check) socket, encasing and protecting your residual arm, leg, hand or foot, to which will be attached the rest of the required components. [Please note: All prosthetists must abide by the same fee schedules. You will not be charged differently whether the provider is in a public or in a freestanding facility.]
Once the trim lines are established and the components added, you will be invited back for your first fitting. Adjustments may be required, and several temporary sockets may need to be provided until the shape and volume of your residuum stabilize. Ultimately you will receive a defi nitive prosthesis. Periodically throughout your life, you will need to return to your prosthetist for repairs, adjustments, or replacements.
Your prosthetic fittings should be a positive experience,
physically, emotionally, and mentally. Actively
involve yourself in your healthcare experience.