[AMP-L] Musings - 1 and 2

[Jim Sproul]

Hi Larry,

Welcome to the "club"!

It sounds like you are adapting well and with good humor - that's great! 
Humor helps carry all of us over some rough terrain.  I think that all of us 
have probably had thoughts similar to your own.

I liked your comparison of the term toothless vs. wearing dentures, and 
disabled vs. having a disability.  There really is a difference even if it 
seems "on the surface" that there isn't.

Regarding addressing other amputees in public, I think that most of us are 
very open to talking about how we do things, and are eager to share what we 
have learned.  I have been very open in asking other amputees questions. 
Recently though, I felt bad when it seemed that I had embarrassed a women 
with an above the elbow amputation.  Our support group is trying to recruit 
seasoned amputees who can give some of their time to be supportive of new 
amputees.  We don't have many arm amputees, so I thought I would ask this 
woman that I saw in a store whether she would be interested in becoming part 
of the support group.  I think that my openness and frankness may have 
caught her off guard.

Overall, in my experience, it seems that most amputees prefer direct, 
sincere questions (not gawking though!)

BTW, I'm a doc too.

Jim Sproul
RBK, 3/2004

> Episode #1:

> "No, I am not disabled, damn it!  I can take care of myself just fine!" 
> Now, so far as I can tell, the literal denotations of "I have a 
> disability" and "I am disabled" are pretty much the same.  But the
> connotations sure aren't.  It's sort of like the difference between asking 
> a patient whether he wears dentures or whether he is toothless. (I'm a 
> doctor, so I do ask these sorts of questions.)
>
> Does everyone have these sorts of thoughts?
>
> Larry Hunsicker