Hello my fellow friends that lack 1 or more appendages 🫡 I'm on year 3 being a BK amputee, right leg. I've been through 2 prosthetics, have only had 1 foot, & multiple adjustments done to my socket to fit during atrophy. In my opinion, I still don't walk "perfectly" & I blame it 100% on my prosthetic set up. Recently saw a new prosthetist** since **my new one moved, & I tried to explain to him that I still walk a little uncomfortably & difficult at times, & all he did was blow torch my socket to fit a little more snug, which helped maybe 5%.

My question for those of you who are seasoned veterans with years of experience as a (preferably below knee) amputee is this - what was it that finally changed the game for you, that felt the absolute most natural to how it was when you had your genuine leg, to where pain is rare, & life became easier because the leg became less of a problem with limping/fitting wrong etc. ???

Was it perhaps a different foot? I've seen foots that actually bend with steps, or the super expensive ones that assist with reducing pressure on your stump, have motorized lifting, or that add bounce to your step etc.

Or what was it for you that made everything much better? Thanks ahead of time for the responses!

I have valgus foot deformity with booth feet and have since I was young (Im 25 now). They just grew that way as I got older.

I have had about 5 surgeries between my two feet to correct the issues over the years but the deformity just keeps re forming.

I live in really severe pain and have my whole life. I can barely walk for more than a minute without extreme pain and use a wheelchair most of the time.

I’m looking into getting a triple arthrodesis but am also wondering if I should talk with my doctor about amputation. The last doctor I talked with was hesitant to do the triple arthrodesis because he said there are signs of arthritis in my ankle already.

I just want to know y’all’s experience with amputation and if this is even something I should even bring up with my doc.

Would really appreciate hearing y’all’s stories if you are up to share. Thank you

Ok here goes . I have never put myself out here like this but I’m honestly loosing hope at this point . I am a rbka and have been since July 2025. In sept of 2025 I had a bad fall right onto my stump . It reopened the surgical wound and bled like crazy . I went to the er and they just put butterfly stitches on it . I asked if they should sew it back up but they said it was too far from my surgery to actually put new stitches in . So from sept till March of this year it healed sooo slowly . Went to wound care 2 times a month to check on progress of healing . So then I finally got the ok to start the prosthetic process. Which I was beyond excited for . I was such an active person before my amputation and being in a wheelchair or hopping around with a walker was soul crushing . So since March I have been through 3 test sockets and still do not have a final socket . The problem is extreme pain . Every time I take a step in these sockets the pain and pressure is unbearable . It’s all over pain but mostly at the end of my limb . So my bone sticks out under my skin and causes a lot of pain right in the front and they have tried over and over to make it more comfortable to no avail . The other problem is that I have a bulbous stump. Which I have heard can make it difficult to fit into a socket. Also, my fluid volume changes a lot when I put the leg on. It’s very very difficult to get it to click even one time then as I’m walking around wearing it about an hour later, my leg is all the way at the bottom and causing a immense pain and also the whole entire leg and foot turns to where my foot sticking out to the side. So then I stop what I’m doing and I add some socks. That works for a little while but then again after walking around, I have to add more socks. and it still after adding all the socks is very very painful. I am just wondering if anybody else has had this experience. And what the solution was. I feel like I need an adjustable kind of socket, but unfortunately, I have Medicaid and they won’t pay for anything besides the basic old pin lock socket so if there’s any suggestions anyone could give me or have been through the same thing and found something that worked for them. I would really appreciate it because at this point I’m losing hope that I’m ever gonna be able to walk again !! And that to me is a fate worse than death !! Being stuck sitting down. It’s pure torture!!

I have a malignant tumour on my posterior left leg and will be receiving a below knee amputation next week (I’ll have to go to chemo and radiation but I’m not sure how long after).

I’ve been reading posts over the past few weeks and it seems like it’ll take ~6 months for the healing process before I get fitted for a prosthetic.

Is there anything I can expect when I’m in the hospital after surgery (how long I’ll be there for, pain, using the bathroom etc.)?

Any tips for when I get home from the hospital?

Thank you!

I'm an BKA, got a new socket a few months ago and I've had nothing but issues with it.

From the day I got it, it just hasn't been right, combined with the fact I'm actively trying to lose weight it just doesn't fit. My prosthesist has submitted a request for a new one which, if approved I'm going to really speed up and lose my last 5-10kg of fat I want so hopefully it will last me a while when I get my new one.

In the meantime I'm dealing with a socket that's too large and has been modified all the time to try and fit.

The last modification was two pads on either side of my tibula to take pressure off the base of my stump which worked but I've now got a blister and it's very tender on the outside. I've shaved the pad down a little but it's hard to tell how much to take off as it hurts regardless now.

Unfortunately not wearing it isn't really an option, I've been using blister patches which help but don't let it heal quickly. I was thinking about sports taping it or similar?

I've also started getting deep spots on the base of my stump which is new, my prosthesist says they're pressure spots but they're still popping up since the latest adjustment, they're really deep and solid white spots. When my leg is hot they are much closer to the surface but when it's cool you can hardly see them. Any tips or tricks for these?

Cheers guys!

TLDR: solutions for blisters and still wearing your prosthetic, weird white spots on the base of the stump. Please advise.

Hey all, I (F37) am really struggling lately, the surgery is not scheduled yet for my below the knee Amputation, I wanted to wait for as long as I can. But I'm not sure if that's possible anymore, when I go down to my basement to use my gym, I get a pain in my Achilles (which is new).

I really want to enjoy the rest of my summer, on August 7th I'm seeing Skillet at the fair, I want to wait until after then. Now I'm thinking about the surgery, when it happens it's going to be at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN by myself. I live 4hrs away in Wisconsin, which means I'm not going to have anybody there after I come out of my surgery.

I've been practicing using my walker with one leg so I can get ahead on the post op therapy. My boyfriend's mom is still saying that I'm going to have to stay in a facility for months and months because her son can't take care of me, because he has a job and he needs to work. If I come home I will die, because of the risk of infection, I tried telling here it's not like that for everyone, that's all depending on age, weight and other health issues.

I may admit that I'm not skinny I'm a little over 200lbs at 5ft tall, that's really the only bad thing I have besides high blood pressure (but it's not bad enough for medication), I don't have diabetes or anything like that, so I think and hope everything is going to go well. Anyone have any ideas on how I can cope with the surgery, recovery and acceptance?

My wheelchair is coming on Monday July 28th 2026, my insurance is paying for that so I'm happy, the 🤦🏼‍♀️ is the told me that the ramp I need is more of a "luxury item" rather than a need. So I guess they expect me to jump the wheel chair off the stairs. I'm checking with programs after I get the chair. Now I'm scared that they won't cover my prosthetic leg..

Hey Everyone of r/amputee,

For years now I have had to deal with cancer coming back over and over again in my right leg, already having had plenty of bone removed around the area. Yesterday I got the news it's back again right below the knee and with everything that has happened over the past 8 years, the chance they have to amputate is pretty big, with a chance they might still be able to save it with no guarantee it has to be removed later when the cancer once again returns. And if they end up amputating, thanks to already missing 50% of my femur in my right leg, they would amputate up to just above halfway my right thigh.

I have the choice now to just amputate, but I have no idea what it will be like, what things I will have to start looking after or how this will impact my life further. I already can't use my right leg much so I am not afraid of losing functionality around walking/running or sports, but it's still a very weird concept in my head that in a couple weeks I might be down 1 leg.

So here is my question: what were your experiences like? What did you learn over the years that you would have liked to know before it all happened?

Hi lovely community. I've been lurking here since I found out last week that my 80yo mom will be joining you. I'm looking for ways to help her as best as I can, while trying to wrap my own head around it, and I'm not doing all that well with that atm. So maybe you people can put some things in order and perspective for me.

Situation in short is that my mom's toe pain was dismissed countless times since january, turned out to be a diabetic vein thing, all else failed and now she's scheduled for surgery. I'm furious that they let her wait and sit in pain for half a year waiting for this to happen, and more than a bit frustrated she never insisted on becoming someone's priority (and refused my and sibling doing so), as they never want to impose on those busy doctors.

I wouldnt see mum as an old woman mentally. She's got her wits about, is digital savvy and generally an insanely optimistic person, who has had countless of mental and physical setbacks in her life and somehow always manages to look at what she CAN still do, instead of what she can´t. Sitting still for the larger part of this year has wilted away her muscular strenth though, and because she hasn´t been able to work in her garden, she's rarely outside anymore (doesn't want to look at the rampant weeds, but also refuses help), and the reality of the leg sinking in has definitely hit her now I think.

One moment I can help and be optimistic. Something is getting done, and I honestly think she would benefit from someone working with her towards recovery, instead of her default solution: when in pain, sit in chair. (Mum's not a sporty person by nature). I've got loads of ideas to help make their not so suitable house work. On moments like today it feels like a death sentence, and I'm walking around half crying as if Im in mounring. I've noticed that being an eldest daughter who also happens to be a firefighter makes me an incredibly ill equipped person to not be able to help properly. My parents are very independent people. They've refused any help sofar, even though we live 10 miles away. I want to help, but I dont want to be a pest either.

To make things worse the surgery coincides with my summer vacation with spouse+kids. I needed/wanted to be away badly, and so do they. My parents say we should go. Mum says she'd rather call than have us visit anyway, wanting to cocoon and come to terms with it, and I know shed feel bad if her illness would 'cost' us our trip but I keep swinging from not going to going to flying out (1h) to visit halfway. We'd be back before she leaves hospital. I'm not too worried about the surgery in general, since it wont be full anaesthesia but a spinal one + sedation (she's had those before), but I'm not sure if I should be..

Sorry for the rant. Any advice on helping or coping as family is greatly appreciated!

Any lower extremity amputees dealing with/dealt with adventitious bursitis? How did you manage it? If it went away, what finally helped to make that happen?

So it's coming up on my six month mark since my amputation.

I got my prosthetic about five weeks ago and have been getting used to it.

Unfortunately I had a setback with my left foot giving out on me two months ago that left it completely not weight bearing for several weeks. It's slowly getting better but my surgeon has gotten it fitted with an AFO which I'll be picking up next week and will refiguring out what the best long term solution will be. They're talking about doing a fusion like I had on my right, but since I know that will mostly likely end up being an amputation too in the future I'm nudging them to possibly just go directly to the amputation and get it over with.

Also because of this, instead of traditional OT after getting my prosthetic, they're starting me with aquatic therapy, which I have my first session tomorrow.

In the mean time I doing what I can with my left foot which hurts like hell when I try to use it. My OT wanted to see how I do going up the steps into my house, so I figured I'd share the video with all of you too.

Just wanted to share the "decoration" that I use to keep myself moving forward. (Lbka due to motorcycle) In the pic theres feet I use, the helmet that I was wearing, bike parts from the bike in my wreck, medicine to help save my foot (a bit over a year of limb salvage before the amputation). I wanted to add the metal spikes in my leg and a ruler next to them but idk where theyre at so ill settle with a pic of my xray instead.

Edit- im a bit drunk so dont shit on me too hard

Just got my middle finger amputated this morning. Right away the pain was pretty severe. I would put it on par with my labor contractions. After getting some sleep and getting a few doses of pain medication in me, the pain is bearable now. I think the pain may have been coming from the after effects of the tourniquet coming off. Going to keep making some updates as I haven’t seen a lot of people that have had the Ray amputation done.

Ok so maybe a weird question....but those are the best kinds!

I was born with my arm missing below elbow. So I have a stump that I always seen as male. Im a female (cisgender) but I see my stump as male

I'm 37 and today I just realised I have gendered my stump.

Anyone else? Congenital or otherwise?

Stay beautiful x Edit: And not because its a phallic shape

So I’m talking to this girl that has a prosthetic leg and if ppl could give me date ideas and stuff to do for fun I would appreciate it we’re both under 21 fyi

These are my current sockets. I recently had a revision surgery and am getting fitted for my new limb on Thursday. I’ve had continuous issues with end of stump pain, swelling, and bruising. My surgeon suggested I try a suction suspension instead. I’ve but this off for a while (my prosthetist did suggest it to be fair) because I really, really wanted pinlock to work. I love the convenience of it. I dread the idea of having to carry a little spray bottom of alcohol everywhere I go 🙄 But I get there’s no point in a limb being easy to put on if you can’t wear it for long.

So for those of you that use suction, how is it different? Does it actually feel noticeably different? Does it fall off easier? Does the lack of the pin lock hardware mean you have more space under the socket for components? (I’m very short, space a foot hight/component hight can be an issue for me) Does it work if you get a lot of volume change throughout the day? I’m thinking of ditching the boa and trying the new ethnocare liner.

Hi everyone. I’m a right AKA and I’m trying to figure out some ways to move my body to help with my mental health. I get wounds if I walk too far, especially in this summer heat. I’m also blind, which limits my ability to independently do some exercises. Has anyone with AKA successfully tried a rowing machine? Would it work without my prosthetic on?

I found this academic article about the importance of the socket: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0327781

I feel there is always a lot of talk about the expensive parts of the prosthesis, but rarely about the socket.

How was your first socket?

How often you go to your OT to make changes?

How long does it take to get it right?

October ‘25 I had TMA’s on both feet. All of my toes, gone. This happened after a nasty fight with sepsis. I’m not diabetic but I do smoke. I said all that to say it’s almost August ‘26 and I’m still healing.

The left foot is closed, no open wounds but still tender where the sutures were. I have the custom insert and plate for the left foot.

The right for still has and open wound(shrinking slowly). They did a skin graft in April to speed up the healing process. It was mostly successful but it’s not yet to the point where I can where regular(amputee) socks and shoes.

I know I’m making progress: A few months ago I was in a wheelchair and now I’m jumping in the car, pulling off, forgetting I left my cane in the house. I still have an extreme limp but I assume that will change as the pain decreases.

How was your experience? How long did it take to get to the “New Normal”?

I laughed so hard at this