I watched a movie last night that I thought would be a good one to review for the Amputee News blog. The movie is "What's bugging Seth?” (You can order it online from www.whatsbuggingseth.com), it's a story about Seth, a deaf man who is determined to start up a bug extermination business in Monterey, California.

In the movie he's up against an established business, his determination to go it alone, and some personal issues. One of these personal issues revolves around Nora, the girl he pined for in high school and Alma, a local girl, who in the movie, was born without legs below the knee.

I could give a review of the whole movie, there is plenty there to work with, but I’m going to focus this review on Alma, played by Amy Purdy, and the issues she raises as an amputee in the movie.

I’m going to give away some of the plot doing this, but the movie has been out since 2005, and I’m not revealing anything like who Luke Skywalker’s father is, (father and son amputees).

When we first meet Alma we aren’t shown or told she’s an amputee, she’s a local girl who knows Seth and they have a drink together at the local bar. She is clearly attracted to Seth, but in a way that seems a little uncomfortable and perhaps even a little desperate. During their drink Seth happens to look down and sees that she’s wearing a prosthetic leg, (straight pylon, no cosmetic covering). Alma is clearly uncomfortable at this unplanned revelation of hers and leaves the bar. Seth follows and consequently asks her out.

This episode hits an issue that for many amputees has become less and less of an issue, as many amputees don’t bother with cosmetic coverings. I call it the Bauhaus school of prosthetic limbs, if it’s an artificial limb, let it look like one. Alma’s character has been an amputee since birth, yet for some reason she has not quite come to terms with her prosthetic legs. I was confused about this as I watched the movie, but realized later what was going on.

Out on a date, Alma and Seth are talking about their respective disabilities when Alma mentions how people tell her she has no legs, to which she replies, “Oh, thanks for telling me that.” The reaction of other people has become internalized and part of Alma’s self perception, her disability has become to a great extent her self image. She even carries with her a photo torn from a catalog of the cosmetically attractive legs she plans to get. For her, that’s what she desperately wants to look like.

The date ends with Alma and Seth going to bed, and in a scene that was poignant and funny, I realized how very different being a male amputee is from a female amputee when faced with that first time being naked with a lover. (Pause while the men nod and women roll their eyes.) For a man, that moment is 1% concern over body image and 99%, well… you know. For women, well, watching Alma it’s clear the ratio is reversed.

Later in the movie Alma gets her cosmetic legs, painted toe nails and all. They are really nice legs and her character is clearly excited about surprising Seth with them. I think every amputee is excited to show of their new legs, cosmetic or otherwise. It’s better than getting a new car, and as expensive.

Near the end of the movie we finally see Alma’s motivations regarding her eagerness to jump into a relationship. Though some amputees watching the movie may have suspected them earlier. Seth was a ‘safe’ guy to go out with, he’s deaf, different, and an outsider as Alma sees herself to be. It’s as if she had decided that going out with a disabled guy would be better than a ‘normal’ guy. A disabled guy would have insight and understanding that other guys wouldn’t.

Towards the end of the movie, as she tells Seth all this, it’s too late, she’s realized that being disabled doesn’t make you a better person. All the dumb assumptions, emotional inabilities and pig headedness that are found in ‘normal’ people exist in those of us outside that category. In this regard, a disabled person is the same as a normal person.

Although I’ve focused on just Alma and her story line, the theme of disabled equaling normal in the realm of human interactions is found in the whole movie and finds voice in the character of Seth with much more force. It’s a theme that amputees, the deaf and ‘normal’ folks can hear.

I’m recommending this movie to amputees, and their non-amputee friends and family. And if you want more information on Amy Purdy visit, www.adaptiveactionsports.com.

Nick Vujicic

My name is Nick Vujicic and I give God the Glory for how He has used my testimony to touch thousands of hearts around the world! I was born without limbs and doctors have no medical explanation for this birth "defect". As you can imagine, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles.
"Consider it pure joy, my Brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.
" .... To count our hurt, pain and struggle as nothing but pure joy? As my parents were Christians, and my Dad even a Pastor of our church, they knew that verse very well. However, on the morning of the 4th of December 1982 in Melbourne ( Australia ), the last two words on the minds of my parents was "Praise God!". Their firstborn son had been born without limbs! There were no warnings or time to prepare themselves for it. The doctors were shocked and had no answers at all! There is still no medical reason why this had happened and Nick now has a Brother and Sister who were born just like any other baby.
The whole church mourned over my birth and my parents were absolutely devastated. Everyone asked, "if God is a God of Love, then why would God let something this bad happen to not just anyone, but dedicated Christians?" My Dad thought I wouldn't survive for very long, but tests proved that I was a healthy baby boy just with a few limbs missing.
"And we know that in all things God works for the best for those who love Him." That verse spoke to my heart and convicted me to the point where that I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence that these "bad" things happen in our life.
I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless He has a good purpose for it all. I completely gave my life to Christ at the age of fifteen after reading John 9. Jesus said that the reason the man was born blind was "so that the works of God may be revealed through Him." I truly believed that God would heal me so I could be a great testimony of His Awesome Power. Later on I was given the wisdom to understand that if we pray for something, if it's God's will, it'll happen in His time. If it's not God's will for it to happen, then I know that He has something better.
I now see that Glory revealed as He is using me just the way I am and in ways others can't be used.
I am now twenty-three years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting. I am also a motivational speaker and love to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available. I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers. I am also a speaker in the corporate sector.
I have a passion for reaching out to youth and keep myself available for whatever God wants me to do, and wherever He leads, I follow.
I have many dreams and goals that I have set to achieve in my life. I want to become the best witness I can be of God's Love and Hope , to become an international inspirational speaker and be used as a vessel in both Christian and non-Christian venues. I want to become financially independent by the age of 25, through real estate investments, to modify a car for me to drive and to be interviewed and share my story on the " Oprah Winfrey Show "! Writing several best-selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year. It will be called "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!"
I believe that if you have the desire and passion to do something, and if it's God's will, you will achieve it in good time. As humans, we continually put limits on ourselves for no reason at all! What's worse is putting limits on God who can do all things. We put God in a "box". The awesome thing about the Power of God, is that if we want to do something for God, instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability for we know that it is God through us and we can't do anything without Him. Once we make ourselves available for God's work, guess whose capabilities we rely on? God's!
May the Lord Bless you In Christ, Nick Vujicic "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be UNDERSTOOD"

Physical Therapy – a little bit goes a loooong way!

You can do more than you think you can, when you get Physical Therapy after your amputation. It may be easy to feel that once you’ve gotten your prosthesis you’ll be able to use it automatically and won’t need to see a physical therapist. But ah!!! Stop right there. Physical Therapy does not stop after you leave the hospital and is best included in a patient’s treatment plan towards their goals. “Most patients do not receive their prosthesis at the time they leave the hospital after surgery. And they’ll need much education and training in caring for their residual limb, and also in managing and using the prosthesis once they get it”, says Jessica To, MSPT, at Body Kinetics Rehab (BKR), a physical therapy clinic in Annandale, VA.Ms.
To works with patients on how to manage their residual limb. She performs skin inspections when patients are first using their prosthesis, to prevent any skin breakdown and does prosthetic training, assessments and evaluations thereafter. She also teaches patients how to walk with their prosthesis, and for those who are former or new athletes, how to run with it. While waiting for your prosthesis, find a physical therapist who can perform home assessments/evaluations and wheelchair assessments/evaluations to make sure you are able to perform your daily activities as independently as possible.
Then when you get your prosthesis, Ms. To advises, “It is very important that you get physical therapy – to learn how to use your prosthesis properly and prevent any bad habits from developing which can result in orthopedic related problems like hip and back pain”. The right kind of physical therapy from therapists who specialize in working with amputee patients can make a difference in your life after amputation.
Body Kinetics Rehab (BKR) (http://www.BodyKineticsRehab.com) treats both adult and children who have had amputations due to trauma, diabetes or cancer. Their physical therapists have years of experience working with recently amputated patients and understand the aspects of the rehabilitation process for patients who have had an amputation
Jessica To PT,MSPT
http:// www.bodykineticsrehab.com
Body Kinetics Rehab

Pain in the Residual Limb

As a certified and licensed prosthetist now for 34 years, I must tell you I have seen situations of pain related problems more than I would like to say. Each one is different but the results are somewhat the same, a very difficult life! (Very sad)
Here is my humble advice if you are living with a painful residual limb: You must find the best doctors in your area! There are many types of pain medications out now that work differently from each other and you must find a doctor that will work with you, trying different ones until you find one that does help. The goal would be to possibly bring your pain levels down from a 10 to a 2. The best outcome would be to find a doctor that could help you with a type of surgery intervention, which is why you need to find a doctor with experience with this type of situation.
If surgery is an option than you should consider it as a hope to get off the pain medication! No one wants more surgery, but if they can guarantee you a high probability that you will have a pain free residual limb, then your decision should become easier. Get on the phone and call local hospital social workers to get started with your search, rehab centers as well. Amputee support groups in your local area could be of great help as someone in your community may have successfully gone through a similar experience with pain and share their story with you providing you with good information and best of all, support!
Some anesthesiology doctors are very experienced in the area of pain management but the best doctors for us are in my opinion - are called Physiatrist or doctor of physical medicine. They are trained extensively in the care for amputees especially post amputee surgery . Get a good one and experiment on medication until you get the pain manageable. Be as patient as you possible can as it may take several office visits until you hit on the best medication and dosage for you. (I can remember one patient of mine that was so happy because for the first time in 8 years he slept through the night without waking up once, he was very happy!)
The physiatrist can refer you to other medical specialists if they feel they may be of good help, and also a good surgeon if they feel surgery is an option to achieving a pain free life for you. Find the best doctors, not easy but you can find them in your area.
I should add that a poor fitting prosthesis, if you’re using one, will definitely not help your situation. Make sure it is fitting you properly so it's not contributing to your pain by possibly causing swelling and swelling contributes to pain.
I wish you the best, stay strong and get some good help and professional advice, remember professional advice, it is out there! ENJOY YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST!

Kevin S. Garrison C.P., L.P & Author
http://www.garrisonop.com/
Garrison's Orthotic & Prosthetic Clinic

Paradigm shift

“It’s amazing what they can do these days”. When I first lost my leg in 1992 I became sick of that ancient bromide by the third utterance. I’m fairly sure they were saying that to Roman centurions in the 3rd century after losing a fight with some crazed Celt. (Even then the saying was probably old, they’ve found evidence now of an Egyptian prosthetic toe).

I didn’t argue with those that said it, things had improved over what was even available ten or twenty years prior to my losing a leg. However, the basics were still the same, my first leg was held on with a leather strap that went around my thigh, for better hold I could attach it to a belt that went around my waist. My first foot was a SACHs, followed shortly by a Seattle Foot. Good for most things, but essentially the same design as those used by my medieval ancestors, just newer materials.

Prosthetic arms were in the same situation; same designs with newer materials powered by the amputees’ shifting of their shoulder and back muscles.

The bottom line was that whatever I could get was going to be less powerful, adaptive, and useable than what I was born with. I would have to learn how to make do with a tool that was limited and thus limited me.

I know, I know, right now over half the readers of this article are thinking, “The only limits are those you set for yourself!” or something very similar. But even so, we all know that although we can climb mountains using our prosthetic limbs, we have to take into consideration the mechanical limitations of the tools we have. And essentially a prosthetic limb is a tool.

And that is the crux of the matter. The tools have changed.

Oscar Pistorius is about to be told he can’t compete in the Olympics because his prosthetic legs give him an unfair advantage. Think about what that means. If you have two athletes with equal training, motivation, and physical aptitude, one of them has all the limbs and parts they were born with, and one of them is a double amputee wearing prosthetic legs…

HE’S BETTER THAN THE OTHER GUY!!

The prosthetics we now have access to can make us superior to those with limbs most folks are born with. It gets better, we now have in development and production arm limbs that are controlled by the nerves in the chest, allowing arm amputees to move their limbs by thinking about it. Add to that the development of an arm that, “…offers more strength than is available in its flesh-and-bone equivalent…” This means that you could soon have an artificial arm that is controlled by thought and is more powerful than the Governor of California’s arm. (And you know someone at DARPA or the Pentagon is funneling money into that research).

The new Proprio foot calculates what it should do, it’s not a simple mechanism that springs the foot forward, it actually anticipates and accommodates to the wearer and the terrain. It won’t take much for the mapping of nerves in your stump to be synched up with something like the Proprio foot and give you a foot that you can move by thinking about it. It’s already possible to turn light switches off and on by thinking about them.

We are not on the verge of great changes, we are in them. As amputees we are uniquely positioned to take advantage of, and even participate in, this paradigm shift. Where will we take it?