[AMP-L] Amputee Susan Smith Shares Her Story

[Steve Stanton]

What happened to Suzanne Smith is exactly what happened to me.  Woke up
from the coma with black feet and hands.  My feet "mummified" as I
watched.  That was a surreal experience. Fortunately though (I am a DBKA) I
only had some partial finger amputations which are not particularly
limiting.

My question to all of you right now though: I have what has been diagnosed
as a neuroma (or two or three) in one residual limb.  I had radio frequency
ablation done, where the doc tries to vaporize the neuroma with radio
waves.  Essentially I think they  microwave your neuroma.  He got one and
missed one so I'm stuck with the pain, which restricts walking to a great
degree.

Long story short, I want to get this situation treated so I can walk more
than 50 feet again.  There is the Radio treatment I had; there is something
similar to a TENS unit (nerve block where you use a small apparatus which
stimulates nerves in the spinal chord), there is surgery to strip the nerve
and the neuroma out (I was tested for that with temporary blocks) and a
couple of other unappealing options like alcohol injections (which one
rehab doc strongly recommended against). Oh yeah, I forgot narcotics or
other drugs. I have been trying to avoid surgery but now wish I had just
done it earlier. I'm still not thrilled about the prospect of surgery;
though I'm sort of used to it now. (nothing like trying to rehab from hip
replacement surgery walking on two prosthetics while having a bad drug
reaction, but that's another story)

One thing is clear.  The skill of the doc doing any of these procedure is
paramount. Anyone out there with a success story?

I have put off an overseas trip for well over year because of this and have
now decided the hell with it, I'm going anyway.  I would like to deal with
this before I go but I'm going one way or the other and leaving the
wheelchair at home. (I can always rent one if I get desperate)

Steve Stanton
Taos, NM
a little short-handed and DBKA 2004
On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 12:29 PM, Wayne Renardson <wayne at renardson.org>wrote:


> (suzanne smith story)

>

> <http://goo.gl/9ZnwG>

>

>

> Stephen F Stanton MA

*Stanton Design and Consulting*
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