Leg Amputation

I am a forty four year old women who was diagnosed with diabetes in December 2006.  I had ignored it for a couple years not knowing for sure or wanting to admit that I indeed had it.  What finally made me see a doctor is when my vision seemed a little fuzzy.  Prior to this I had some problems with walking longer distances, anything more than a block or two and my legs would ache for hours. I contributed much of my legs problems to being overweight.  Before I went on a good diet in December 2006 I weighed almost 250# and was 5'10" tall. I have since lost sixty pounds, but still have leg problems. My doctor told me I had diabetes and my vision and legs would most likely become worse in time partially because I had ignored the early symptoms, and the fact that it runs in my family, both sides. Both my grandfather and my mother needed to have their legs amputated when they were in their fifties. My mother also had vision problems. It wasn't long after that appointment last year that I had to stop driving at night because of vision problems.  That was April 2007.  By July I could no longer drive at all and when I saw the doctor the end of July he told me I should invest in a white cane as my eyes were failing and it would be helpful to me to get used to the white cane before my vision got any worse.I If this wasn't enough my legs were causing me more problems than ever before. I can still see things up close, less than twenty five feet pretty good, but things get fuzzy after that.  In October 2007 I began using a wheelchair most anytime I left the house.  My legs were becoming unstable. So far I can see enough to get around in my wheelchair pretty well. The doctor gave me some more bad news just last week, 12/6/07 that in his opinon my legs were getting much worse than they had been just a month ago and I was going to have to decide very soon if I should have them both amputated while he could still save part of them.  The proposed treatment is to amputate both legs about a foot avove my knees.  Needless to say this turned me to tears.  Never did I think it would get this bad. He said it should be done soon. I asked him how soon did he want to do it  He said the for the best results it should be done in the next week, although it could wait until the week after Christmas without any more complications.  I told him that I wanted to get a second opinion, but he should schedule the surgery for the week after Christmas as I wanted to be home for Christmas. So here I am with amputations scheduled for December 27th. and have no idea what to do.  I know they must be done and can't be avoided.  I just don't know how I'll ever get around without any legs and being almost blind.  Has anyone out there got any ideas?  How can I use my white cane and push myself around in my wheelchair if I need to go some place? My vision seems to have stablized for now, but it isn't very good at all.  Would a power wheelchair be better, I could have one hand free to use my cane when I need it? I am lost as to what is going to happen and am not looking forward to having my legs amputated even though they cause me a lot of pain.   Please advice me if you can.  I don't like to think about what lies ahead. 

Wheelchair Bound

I saw the second doctor yesterday the 12th.  He said the same thing as the first doctor that both legs must be amputated fairly soon.  He agreed that the time my first doctor had scheduled me for right after Christmas was OK. He also said that they  are never sure exactly how much of the legs they will need to amputate until they get in there doing the surgery. He said it it could be more or less than what they estimate. I guess I have gotten used to the idea somewhat since my first appointment last week, afterall there isn't anything I can do about it the shape they are in.  The one good thing that should come of it according to the second doctor is my leg pains will be gone once my stumps have healed in about a month or so and I shold be able to sleep better.  He gave me the name of a specialist to see for my vision also.  He is booked up until after the first of the year, but I have an appointment for mid January to see him.  I hope my legs have healed enough by then so I can make that appointment.  I guess I've always had this feeling that I would loose my legs ever since I was first diagnosed with diabetes.  Afterall both my mother and my grandfather did. My mother lived for close to ten years after losing her legs.  Even then it was a brain tumor, not diabetes that killed her,  Losing my legs upsets me some, but not nearly as much as my vision problems.  I can get around in a wheelchair if I can see, but if my vision gets worse I don't know what I'll do. I'll keep in touch with all of you as this unfolds. 

 Wheelchair Bound

Are you a candidate for prosthetics? A fellow I knew in college lost his lower legs in an auto accident in his early 20's. He walked aroung like the rest of us to classes, up and down stairs, to the parking lots out in another time zone. His plan was to go into the research and development of advanced prosthetics after graduation. One night, when we were out at the biochemisty dept happy hour, I asked him why? It meant that he had to study biochemistry and engineering- a lot of hard work- sometimes not so much money. He obliged by lifting his pant legs- we were all blown away- not one of us suspected he was walking around on artifical limbs.

sandy

Today is December 21st., six more days until my legs come off.  I'm kind of depressed thinking about it today.  My husband had to help me into my wheelchair this morning as my left leg seemed to be a little weaker today. After I'd been up a couple of hours it seemed better.  I was able to get up out of it by myself as I ussually am able to when I need to use the bathroom or want to sit on the sofa and watch TV. Both my son and daughter are coming home for Christmas.  I wasn't sure my daughter and her husband would make it.  My daughter is taking two weeks vacation from her job to be with me during and after my surgery.  This came as a very nice surprise when she called me last night and told me.  Her husband needs to return home before that , but he said he would stay until Saturday before returning to work.  He needs to be back to work for Sunday.  Maybe once my family arrive on Saturday I'll feel better, we'll see. My husband is taking our kids and me out for dinner Saturday night and that ought to be a good time.  In the mean time have a Merry Christmas if I don't post again before then.

 Wheelchair Bound

I went to the doctor Friday afternoon. My last appointment before my surgery.  We went over some things he wanted me to know before the surgery next Thursday.  I need to check into the hospital Wednesday afternoon so I 'm there and ready for surgery early Thursday morning.  I'm actually beginning to look forward to my leg amputations.  This might seem weird to most of you, but the doctor told me today that it would put and end to the pain I've been having these past months from my legs.  I believe that is a good thing. I asked him if he thought I might be a candidate for prosthethic legs and he still says he can't say forsure until after the amputations have been done and he knows what is left of my legs.  He did say that if it was possible for me it would be a hard uphill battle to try to learn to walk again with prosthethic legs when both legs have been amputated above the knees. He told me less than 50% of double above knee amputees ever walk again, and of those 50% less than half can walk all the time even with the use of a cane.  The rest still use their wheelchairs to get around.   His information came from some medical journal he reads. He said in all honesty he thought I would probably fall into the later catagory of having to use a wheelchair all the time. He said he hoped he was wrong, but he was just going by his experiance with other patients and stating some statistics he had read. He ended by saying I'd just have to wait and see how the surgery played out next Thursday. I know he's just being honest and trying not to get my hopes up to high. I told him even though my legs will be gone and I probably will need to use a wheelchair all the time this is my lesser concern.  I'm really more concerned about my vision.  I don't know what I'd do if I go blind or my eyesight gets a whole lot worse than it is now.  He said the eye specialist I have the appointment with In January can do wonders for people like me.  He said my vision probably won't improve a whole lot with his procedures, but he can keep it from getting worse at least for quite a while.  I hope he is right.

Wheelchair Bound