Upper Limb Amputations: Sometimes the Best Coping Strategy is Time

In the wake of an amputation, it may feel like you’re entering a metaphorical tunnel. It’s dark in the tunnel and there are obstacles constantly. Tempers rise in the tunnel, and it’s easy to get frustrated. It feels hard to learn and adapt and grow when inside the tunnel. But – it is a tunnel. The tunnel ends, and the light comes back. No one can tell you how long that tunnel is – not your spouse, your family, your prosthetist or your therapist. But it is a tunnel.

So, what can you do to cope while you’re in the tunnel? You can take back control of your body by working out – many of our patients find that being able to start a workout routine or return to a gym gives them a sense of independence. Our patient Claudia: “Gettin' up in the morning and knowing I can just go into the gym and get my workout down — that's gonna change my outlook throughout the whole day.”

Another coping strategy is finding a purpose. That could be going back to work, starting a new job, or starting a rewarding hobby. For our patient Xavier, it was going back to work: “It is really hard in the beginning, when you get hurt. I mean, you go from having something to do every day, but then your life kind of just stops. A lot of times you lose hope, a lot of times you’re mentally broken down, and you don’t know where your life is going or what you’re going to do next.” But being able to return to his job: “My psychologist called it having a purpose. I was nervous at first, but when I went back to work, it really helped me mentally.” You can also collaborate with your prosthetist to help them make your prosthesis look the way you want it to look: having something that helps you day-to-day, and also looks exactly how you want – that option helps a lot of our patients to feel engaged and empowered.