Friend having leg amputated on friday

A quick google found ‘Limbless Association’
It might be worth a call to them, I wish you luck, devastating for your friend.

Oh Bazza I am sorry for your friend , let’s hope it now heals and she is out of pain
I do agree that counselling would be of some help
A friend refused amputation and sadly died in a lot of pain

I have no advice other than keeping her company if you can and sending lots of good wishes.

A leg amputation is indeed a devastating thing but surely your friend will get advice about how to improve her mobility (rehabilitation) while she is in hospital? One gets physio advice (instructions, sheets of exercises) even after a broken wrist.

I would also presume the team she is under will talk to her about prosthesis and so forth. Surely?

Whatever treatment she gets in hospital, support and encouragement from friends and family will be valuable to her as well, especially on the emotional side.

Counselling IS available on the NHS.

I have a relative receiving such at the moment.

Thank you jaxjacky, I don’t know why I couldn’t find the limbless association. I’ve forwarded it to her daughter. Wavemark, my friend has been told no counselling is available, perhaps it’s a post code thing. She’s in St. George’s, Tooting

Oh the poor woman. I have never heard of such a case, all those I know were due to poorly controlled diabetes.

Would McMillan nurses help with this? Ask your GP about which services are available.

I meant to say that her care has not been at all good. She seems to be seen as a bit of a hot potato who is bed blocking.

We are on the south coast - Royal Sussex University Trust.

Look in your area there are charitable counselling organisations that may take a donation or nothing at all
Ask at Age Uk or one of the other charities for older age groups they are out there you just need to find them
I managed a free counselling service for many years in my area for any ages, any problems.

I know two people who have leg amputation, one because of diabetes (F) and another because of vascular problems (M), both have had marvellous support and help from ALAC the Artificial Limb and Appliance Centre, these are people who will support and help her come to terms with what's happened to her. Have they said she will be referred to them, I would tell her daughter to find out the telephone number for the nearest one to her mother's hospital. Unfortunately not every hospital trust has one so it may be in a different area but please encourage them to get in touch.

Thank you all very much for your replies and suggestions. They will all be investigated!

Go to the Royal Sussex's own website.

They have a link to information on amputation surgery - www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/following-amputation-2/

And the prosthetics service - www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/services/prosthetics-service who say "We are here to help patients with congenital or acquired limb difference achieve and sustain their maximum mobility, dexterity and independence. We help facilitate return to work and education and participation in society."

And on rehabilitation - www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/?department=sussex-rehabilitation-centre

And the Limbless Association - www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/professionals/clinical-networks/sussex-trauma-network/service-directory/limbless-association/

And the NHS which DOES have a support service for amputees - www.nuh.nhs.uk/clinical-psychology-service-for-people-with-an-amputation-or-limb-difference who say "We offer emotional wellbeing support to children and adults, as well as their families/carers, following an amputation or in relation to a congenital limb difference.
We can help patients with a range of issues related to having an amputation or limb difference, these may include: adjusting to living with an amputation or limb difference (including managing any impact on relationships/friendships, body image and other aspects of daily life); managing difficult feelings as a result of an amputation or limb difference (such as low mood and anxiety); managing pain; overcoming psychological barriers to treatment and rehabilitation, and; supporting carers or family members of people living with an amputation or limb difference."

As does Disability Plus - www.disabilityplus.co.uk/limb-loss-counselling/

Why should you say anything positive? This is clearly a difficult thing for her to deal with. If it was my friend I would just help her through it by listening and supporting her. She has to find her own way though it.

Best wishes to your friend. Not a pleasant thing to happen but must be a necessity to safe her life.

keepingquiet

Why should you say anything positive? This is clearly a difficult thing for her to deal with. If it was my friend I would just help her through it by listening and supporting her. She has to find her own way though it.

I agree about the listening.. You could also contact the Hospital's Chaplaincy Service and ask someone from the team to visit her regularly (with her agreement of course).

pascal30

keepingquiet

Why should you say anything positive? This is clearly a difficult thing for her to deal with. If it was my friend I would just help her through it by listening and supporting her. She has to find her own way though it.

I agree about the listening.. You could also contact the Hospital's Chaplaincy Service and ask someone from the team to visit her regularly (with her agreement of course).

That’s exactly what I was going to say! Don’t worry about what you should say, rather concentrate on listening to what she wants to say. Sometimes by trying too hard to say something positive it can seem we are dismissing the person’s worries.
I’d encourage her daughter to contact some of the services mentioned here, and just follow your friend’s lead, as everyone is different in how they deal with things, some will talk of nothing else, while others will want to talk about everything but.

How devastating ! Thinking of your friend and you

Our family friend lost her leg two years ago next week. She was a fairly active, slim, 79 year old, not diabetic. It happened very suddenly after blood clots. She was admitted to hospital in terrible pain, surgery took place to attempt to save her leg but within a week the surgeons told her family that amputation was necessary to save her life, it had gone beyond trying to save her leg.

Her amputation was well above the knee, no prosthetic offered, but this lady has a wonderful positive outlook and accepted her situation from the start, saying,
'I'll just have to get on with it.'
She uses a wheelchair, her house has been adapted so she can navigate the ground floor, she also has a stairlift fitted. She continues to live alone in the house she came to as a bride with daily help from family and carers. Family and friends take her out two or three times a week, to family gatherings, church events, shopping trips and hospital/ GP appointments.
She learned very quickly how to transfer from the wheelchair to the front passenger seat, ( at first using a 'turntable' gadget on the seat, then a plastic bag, very good tip, now she can get in and out of the car without any aids.
She really is an inspiration, I can't begin to imagine how I would ever cope in her situation.

Bazza, I wish your friend well for her surgery and recovery/ rehabilitation. You are a very concerned friend to her, stay close and just be there for her as she faces this life saving, but life changing surgery.
Keep in touch with her family and visit her as soon as possible after her surgery. Prepare yourself for the first visit, it will be hard for both of you. My sisters and I visited our friend in hospital, a week after her surgery. She was very brave and matter of fact about it, so we took our lead from her as we had been prepared for tears.
Thinking of you both.

Granmarie - what an amazing story, and what an amazing woman, with wonderful friends.

The major problem for your friend Bazza, is her weak immune system, which makes fighting this awful thing so much harder. Hope she gets all the support, medical and otherwise, she needs.

It sounds dreadful that this has happened after a knee replacement.

A friend has had a leg amputation after an accident. He is only in his 50s but we saw him the other day and he is so positive, still does so much for his parents and his sister, who is disabled, she said he is so helpful to her too.

I hope your friend gets a lot of good advice afterwards and also advice on how to boost her immune system before and after the surgery.

My cousin had her leg amputated due to life long type 1 diabetes. She was in a lot of pain with abscesses which wouldn't heal etc and was so much happier once the amputation had taken place. She was able to use a prosthetic leg and made very good progress and more importantly, was pain free.

A friend who had an upper limb amputation wasn’t given prosthesis advice/consultation for months after.
Make sure she gets a lot of physio exercises and DOES them, also to insist on prosthetic stuff very soon after the operation.

A friend of mine had both of her legs removed many years ago. It was due to a circulation problem I think. She’s in an older peer group than me and is the only surviving person in that group. She lives in an adapted bungalow and is out every day on her mobility scooter exercising her dog ( she recently lost one and has replaced her with two). She was, even before her operation, a force of nature but she amazes me.