 "At
the age of 36, I contracted Meningococcal
Septicaemia. Within 4 hours of the
first symptoms, I was on life-support
machines. My hands and feet became
gangrenous; my arms up to my elbows
and the tops of my shoulders were black.
With amputation becoming
inevitable, my partner and family were
asked whether they thought I would
want to live in this severely disabled,
dependent condition.
My surgeon, Mr Auf
Quaba, realised that if he could skin
graft over the flesh and bone exposed
by the removal of the dead tissue,
he could save my joints. In a series
of five long operations. Mr Quaba's
skill saved my life.
I spent five weeks
in a specialist plastics ward and six
months in rehabilitation.
Fitted with prosthetic
legs I learned to walk again. I have
body powered hooks for my upper limbs
and am learning to use myoelectric
arms. While prosthetic legs replicate
some of the movement of real legs,
it's hard to believe some of the dexterity
of hands will ever be imitated by science.
Having said that, I have read about
a new technique whereby a metal rod
in a prosthetic arm or leg is fused
to the residual limb. An enormous advance.
I'm now learning to live in the real
world as a quadruple amputee." |
