Good question! We understand that no matter what level of upper limb loss you have experienced, it's devastating. In this article, we'll be showcasing some of our patients who have moved past their limb loss and returned to work. Some of our patients went back to their old employer, while others have moved on to new ventures.

Staying with the Same Job

Our patient John worked as a construction worker and on the family farm he owns with his brother. When an accident caused him to lose his right arm above the elbow and come close to losing his left foot, he wasn’t sure if continuing either pursuit would be an option. His surgeries and recovery were not easy, but once John was healed and fit with a functional prosthesis, he was able to return to both farming and his construction job.

Speaking of construction, our patient Mark was injured on the job. His thumb, index and middle fingers were amputated. He chose to have a toe-to-thumb transfer after speaking with a peer who was satisfied with that surgery. For his fingers, he was fit with passive-positional devices. Mark was able to return to work with his fingers that are rated up to 150 pounds.

Mark Betters 15-400-130

We can't begin to tell you how many people our patient Eduardo has inspired. Just the other day, we received an email from a potential patient saying that she especially loves “the chef who was in the electrical accident and went on to have a cooking show" that she and her husband were watching. While Eduardo was recovering in the hospital, he wondered if there were any amputee chefs out there. Within a short period of time, Eduardo was back to doing what he loved as an amputee chef. Eduardo has inspired several of our patients who have gone on to support other new amputees. Our patient Abram wasn't sure what his life would look like until he watched a documentary about Eduardo, and now he's the one reaching out to his peers.

Staying with the Same Company but Switching Jobs

Sometimes returning to a job, especially if it’s at the place where your injury occurred, just isn't in the cards. Either the job may be too difficult to perform with your prosthesis, or the mental impact of going back to where you were injured may be too much. But that doesn't mean your company won’t offer you a different role that’s a better fit for you now. Our patient Claudia was injured on the job during an inspection at her company, which farms and packages onions. When she recovered and was fit with her prosthesis, her company moved her into quality control and food safety, sometimes working at home and sometimes at the corporate office. "My company was great," Claudia says in her patient profile video, "They said, 'We'll take you back in any capacity. Your mind is worth more than any labor you could do.'" What a lovely sentiment, and so true of many people out there your experience at your job is a big part of what makes you valuable as an employee.

Our patients Alex, who is pictured below, and Hugo and Xavier, all stayed at their companies after their workplace accidents but moved to different departments. Among our patients, it’s definitely not uncommon.

Alex Krueger profile

Pursuing Your Career Goals Elsewhere

Not only can an upper limb amputation mean that your old job is just not an option, but sometimes an amputation is so life changing that you just wind up switching companies or career paths entirely. Our patient Isaiah was injured while working for a moving company. After revision surgery, he ended up with a wrist disarticulation. It took Isaiah a while to be fit with a prosthesis he liked, mostly because his workers’ comp (WC) insisted that he try two different prosthetic care companies that his WC selected. He was not satisfied with either provider. Once he came to Arm Dynamics, he was quickly fit with a device that was comfortable and functional. Isaiah now works in auto sales and as a photographer/visual artist.

Sometimes our patients who want to return to work are fit with a device that lets them return to their job, but then they decide to pursue something else. Sometimes that initial drive to go back to what they did before can be related to just knowing what is possible. Our patient Abram (mentioned above) and our patient Austin both worked heavy-duty jobs. Abram worked repairing machines at a factory and was back at work five weeks after his accident, even before he was fit with a prosthesis. After he was fit with a device, it was much easier to get back to tasks like soldering. But since then, Abram has moved on. Austin had just started his job as a tree faller when an off-the-job accident resulted in an above-elbow amputation. He went to other prosthetic care providers who told him that using a chainsaw on his job was impossible, but we were able to create a device for him that allowed him to safely operate the tool that was integral to his chosen career. Austin did return to tree falling in Yosemite, but he has also since moved on. Your life is a journey, and your functional, comfortable prosthesis is along for the ride.

Some of our patients have found their amputations to be so profound and life affecting that they have taken up motivational speaking. Our patients Merlyna and Jason have spoken extensively about their experiences Merlyna is a full-time speaker, and while Jason works on his Kentucky farm, he speaks at events and has written a book. Below you can see the cover and him with his prosthetist, Rob.

Jason Koger Book Handed a Greater Purpose-1

So, what can you do for a living as an amputee? Well, it could be whatever you were doing before you had an amputation. Our patients are employed as math teachers, safety supervisors, factory workers, forklift drivers, grocery store managers, personal trainers, office workers, and, as mentioned above, farmers, construction workers, chefs and motivational speakers. Outside of work, they’ve done even more.

Our goal is to get you back to your goals. Our prosthetists want to fit you with a prosthesis that looks the way you want it to look and does what you want. Our clinical therapy specialists want to help you learn how to use that prosthesis so you can optimize your functional abilities.

If that sounds like the kind of prosthetic care you are looking for, please contact us. If you’d like to leave a comment, especially if it’s about what you do for a living as someone with an amputation, please do so below.

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