New blogger Patricia opts to have an amputation
So there I was, 18 months ago, talking to my orthopedist. I’d just fallen from a step ladder while pruning my garden. It was the first day of my summer holidays, I was in a great mood and decided to trim the hedge. I’d done about 10 metres when I needed a break, and thought I’d hit the ground after descending two steps. I hadn’t.
I stepped backwards into the void and, still holding on to the hedge trimmers, I tried to rotate my upper body to break my fall, using all my strength. My lower leg, though, did not budge. It was a bad idea: 16 days in hospital, with my knee decimated.
Time for plan B
After hobbling around with lots of metal hardware but making no progress at all for a year, it was time for plan B. A new knee. But not just any new knee: a knee replacement with a metal pin in my shin. I was referred to Maastricht, because the surgery involved wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, and asked my orthopedist: “Right, so this new knee. How long will it last and what do I do later?”
Setting off alarm bells
I’m 52 years old now and a new knee, if you treat it well, will last about 15 years. After that, they can give you another new knee, but the results aren’t always great. The specialist told me that my mobility would be greatly impaired and that I’d probably need a wheelchair or even an above-the-knee amputation. His words set off alarm bells in my mind.
That’s not what I wanted! When I retire and I have to say goodbye to the job I love, the last thing I want is to go into a long and arduous rehabilitation process. I know myself: I’ll crawl under a rock and never emerge again. I need people around me, I need to do a thousand things at once and have to be able to take care of others.
Choosing to amputate
So I asked: “And what if I choose to have the amputation now, rather than in 15 years’ time?” I’m 15 years younger and fitter now and I have a large social network. I have a wonderful job that I’ll be able to return to soon, I have friends, I have the girls and, most importantly, I have my husband, children and family. “So, if I wanted to have that amputation now just to get it over with, would that be possible?”
This time next month: the amputation
“Sure, that’s possible”, my orthopedist told me, as my heart skipped a beat. “Right Patricia”, I thought, “what have you done. You should’ve just kept your mouth shut.” My orthopedist told me to take some time to really pore over the decision in my mind, which I did. And for several months, I could hardly think about anything else. What should I do? My mind said, “Make the smart choice, this is the only right solution.” But my gut cried out, “Are you mad? You're not going to let them cut off your leg just like that!” In the end, reason won. And after a hell of a wait, I will be having a through-the-knee amputation next month, on 15 March 2019.
A new chapter
I’m ready for a new chapter in my life, and I can’t wait to tell you more about my adventures. Sharing my story helps me put things in perspective and I hope that my experiences can be valuable for you, too.