Starter guide to life after amputation

1Before surgery

If your amputation is planned, you have time to prepare. It is normal to feel shocked, angry, frightened or even relieved after a long time in pain.

Questions worth asking your surgical team:

• At what level will the amputation be, and why?
• How will my pain be managed, before and after?
• When can I meet a physiotherapist and a prosthetist?
• Am I likely to be able to use a prosthesis, and what kind?
• What help will I get at home after I leave hospital?

If you can, talk to someone who has had the same amputation. We can arrange that.

2The first weeks

The focus is healing the wound, controlling swelling and keeping your other joints strong and flexible.

• Phantom sensations are very common. You may feel the missing limb itch, tingle or hurt. This is real, not imagined, and there are treatments. Tell your team.
• Positioning matters. Avoid long periods with your knee or hip bent (for example, a pillow under the residual limb), which can make joints stiff and a prosthesis harder to use.
• Look after your other limb. It is now working harder. Check it daily, especially if you have diabetes.
• Your feelings may come in waves. Grief for a lost limb is normal. Talking with a peer, a counsellor or a support group helps many people.

3Getting a prosthesis

Not everyone uses a prosthesis, and that is a valid choice. If you do, the usual steps are:

1. Your residual limb heals and swelling goes down, often helped by a compression sock or shrinker.
2. A prosthetist takes a cast or scan and makes a socket, the part your limb sits in.
3. You have fittings and adjustments, then learn to walk or use it with a physiotherapist.
4. Your limb keeps changing shape for a year or two, so the socket will need adjusting or replacing.

A well-fitting socket matters more than an expensive foot or knee. Pain, rubbing, blisters or skin breakdown mean it needs checking. Do not just put up with it.

4Everyday life

• At home: grab rails, a shower chair and removing loose rugs prevent falls. An occupational therapist can assess your home.
• Skin care: wash and dry your residual limb every day and check it for redness or sores. Wash liners as your prosthetist advises.
• Getting around: many amputees drive again with adapted controls. Rules differ by country, so check with your licensing authority.
• Being active: walking, swimming, cycling, adaptive sports and gym work all help your heart, mood and balance.

5Money, work and your rights

What is covered depends a great deal on the country you live in. Public health systems, insurers, veterans' programmes, charities and employers may all pay for part of a prosthesis or rehabilitation.

• Ask your hospital social worker what you are entitled to.
• Ask your prosthetist for a written quote. Funders usually need one.
• Many countries have disability discrimination laws that require employers to make reasonable adjustments.
• Our service directory lists funding and rights organisations by country, and our campaigns help when there is a gap.

6For family and friends

• Ask before helping. Independence is part of recovery. "Would you like a hand with that?" goes a long way.
• Listen more than you advise. You do not need to fix their feelings.
• Go to appointments if they want you there, and write things down.
• Look after yourself too. Carers get tired and sad as well. Our peer mentors include family members who have been where you are.