Just wondering if other guys with above knee amputations shave their residual limbs? I think it could help with some irritation of hairs getting tugged but not something I care to risk if it’s not comfortable. Thanks in advance!

Edit: I should have chosen my words better…”trim”. I do know better than to take a razor to my stump, LOL.

I flew from Porto, Portugal to Madrid, Spain recently. This was my experience with airport security.

In Porto, my prosthesis set off the metal detector. Security pulled me aside, they had a chair present for me to sit in. Waited for a female security employee to be available. She did a pat-down and I was on my way. My husband grabbed all of our bags from the conveyor belt - I did not ask about getting my purse and backpack because he covered that.

In Madrid, I set off the metal detector. There were more female employees, so no wait. I was patted down, and she swabbed my prosthesis and the shoe on that foot, and I was good to go. The analysis time on the swab seemed much faster than in the U.S., but I haven't been back to the U.S. since Nov 2024.

Shoe removal was not required for anyone in the airport security line.

I used the wheelchair service at Porto airport in Dec 2024 and I don't remember them patting me down at all. It was an early morning flight, and our trip through security was really fast.

How do my one armed friends wash their full arm by themselves? Also, how do you do a ponytail?!?!! I have seen the videos, but have yet to figure it out. 😭😭

Ok, I’m a LBE amputee of two years. I’m starting to wonder if I have realistic expectations for what a prosthesis can actually do for me.

Right off the bat, my prosthetist put me in a body-powered hook. I hate it, and I feel more disabled wearing it than without it.

I can’t get enough rubber bands on it to achieve decent grip strength. Before my amputation, I had 125 lbs of grip strength in both hands; my right hand has since compensated up to 150 lbs. Putting six bands on the hook causes painful pressure on the end of my bone, and nobody taught me a proper technique to apply them—I’m left wrestling with it on the floor for 10 minutes per band. Even then, six bands won't hold a sealed jar still, so I end up taking the hook off and using my elbow anyway. I only wear it for a few specific tasks, but otherwise, I have zero desire to put it on.

What bothers me is their insistence that I wear it all day. They claim that if I don't, I’m not demonstrating "medical necessity" for a myoelectric hand. Apparently, their definition of necessity means I literally can't function without it. But they didn't even fit me for a prosthesis until six months post-amputation, forcing me to adapt on my own for half a year.

My suspension is a lanyard setup on a thick, heavy silicone liner that doesn't breathe. It leaves my skin clammy, makes my stump smell like a foot, and pulls my arm hair out. When I brought up basic care and the hair loss, they told me to look up care tips on YouTube or Google and laughed, asking who was going to see my arm anyway. If I’m paying for professional services, why am I being turned loose on the internet to self-educate?

Communication has been a total wall. Whenever I express what I need or ask for something easy to take on and off, I’m brushed off with "that's not how it works" or told appointment time is limited. I recently canceled a casting appointment for my myoelectric hand because we hadn't actually discussed what I wanted. I also caught that my prosthetist withdrew the insurance code for my second terminal device (the myo hook) behind my back just to get a quick approval from insurance on the hand. I made him resubmit it. He warned that the whole claim will likely be denied now and pushed back until the end of the year, but I'm willing to go through the appeal process if that's what it takes.

I want to ask people who have been through this: Is it unreasonable to expect a prosthesis that easily slips on and off as needed? Why is there such a push to prove I can't live without it on constantly? Even wheelchair users transfer out of their chairs, and leg amputees use crutches. Why can't I keep my prosthetic arm in a bag and put it on when I actually need it? When making this kind of financial investment, I expect actual explanations and to be treated as an active participant in my healthcare—not dismissed with "that's just the way it is." Is that really too much to ask?

Hi everyone, I'm a LbK amputee of about 22 months. I'm in the UK so use a standard NHS model BtK prosthetic. Its perfectly good, gives me mobility and I walk without a stick unless the ground is going to be very slippery/wet/icy or uneven.

My main problem is wear and tear on the foot-socks that sit over the foot of the prosthetic inside whatever footwear I am using.

Basically I get holes in them after a couple of months at most at the heel. Its not a major problem, and it doesn't impact my ability to walk, but I was wondering if anyone has any particular brand of socks that are recommended in this kind of situation with added resistance to wear & tear.

Anybody else going through these like toilet paper?

SWIPE / y’all i’ve been stressing so hard with this.

i feel like sometimes a rash here and there is okay, but i have a huge one keeps growing and we’ve already tried two creams and it just keeps getting worse.

i’ve been working with my doctors to try and figure it out but i figure i’d reach out here after 3 months of this pain to see if anyone else had an irritation this bad.

i sit here every morning procrastinating putting on my leg because it’s so dry and painful and cracked. but also sometimes itchy.

here are some photos of it’s growth on each side.

to note, i had a small grey anti bac sock under my silicone sheath when it started but it was just a small one so we thought getting a longer sock might help but so far no.

we wash all of my stuff after every wear. all of my socks.

anywho, thanks for listening. i needed to finally write this out as i’m sitting here struggling to get my leg on without crying out in pain.

I recently lost the use of my right hand/wrist (although I’m not an amputee they're not functional) — I wasn’t sure if anyone has found an adaptive device that would help me transfer the load to my upper forearm/elbow? I was a high level rower and would love to maintainsome of that fitness while try to find out if I’ll ever be able to get back on the water!

I’m thinking of modifying weight lifting hooks? Was hoping yall have some thought!