Dealing with an Upper Limb Amputation: Reframing

When an upper limb amputation happens to someone, there are a lot of unknowns. Many people may see it as “the end” of many things they’ve known – “the end” of their ability to work, “the end” of their social life, or “the end” of their ability to be independent. That’s all understandable. Most people have never met someone with an upper limb difference, meaning they’ve never seen how someone in that situation could live a “normal” life. But our most successful patients share two traits: 1: After grieving their loss, they look at their amputation as a challenge, and 2: They make sure they learn more about other people with the same level of amputation. It may be watching videos online, speaking with someone on the phone, or meeting them in person.

When someone with an amputation is ready to see their limb difference as a challenge, rather than as “the end,” they can start to figure out what’s next. This reframing does not mean there won’t be frustrations, or bad days, or times when they thought they had something figured out, only to fail on the next go. But reframing gives people the freedom to say, “Okay, let’s try again.” Many people know how to approach a challenge, and the idea of not being afraid to fail can make all the difference. Our patient Gerry lost both his arms in an on-the-job accident in 2015. He owns a small farm in Illinois and gets all sorts of things done around the property: welding, yardwork, driving, brick work. His prosthetist, Julian, at our Kansas City center, knows that Gerry’s positive attitude is the force behind these achievements. Julian: “I think that one of the reasons why Gerry is so successful is that early on, when he failed a bunch, it didn’t cause him to give up. He worked harder. He thought, ‘Well, I’m going to try again. I’m going to try a different way.’” But it took time. “At first,” Julian remembered, “Gerry’s function was basic and tentative — very thoughtful. But then, within three to six months after I fit him, his function became more automatic and routine, and then those little light bulbs would come on, and he’d jump on his tractor to try again or drive his truck or his car. He was able to do those things that gave him satisfaction before he had his accident.”

What can help with reframing? Seeing people with the same level of amputation as yours thrive. Did you ever take a theater class? One thing most theater teachers have in common is that they ask their students to go see a play or musical. Why? Because they want you to understand what a successful theater production looks like before you try it yourself.