Amputation from workplace accident puts life on hold
There are three kinds of people on the job site. One kind of worker thinks an accident will never happen to them and others know it’s just a matter of time. No matter which kind of those two workers you were before, you are now in the third category: injured. A moment of inattention, a piece of faulty equipment or a safety procedure ignored has now cost you a limb.
While statistics show that foot and leg amputations are more common for people who suffer vascular disease or cancer, those who lose limbs in workplace accidents are more likely to lose fingers, hands or arms. There is no question that the amputation of either an upper or lower extremity is going to change your life.
The long road to recovery
If your limb was badly damaged in the accident, your doctors probably debated the chances of saving it through reconstructive surgery. However, your accident may have damaged blood vessels, nerves and tendons, or the machinery involved in the accident may have severed the limb at the site. If either of these conditions exists, amputation was likely the safest route to prevent infection. After your accident, you probably spent a week or two in the hospital. During that time, the following may have occurred:- Surgeons removed damaged areas and shaped the muscles to accept a prosthesis.
- Doctors prescribed pain medicines.
- Nurses monitored you for signs of infection.
- A psychiatrist may have visited you to determine your emotional state.
- You may have begun working with a physical therapist.
