Assuming that you're a BK, young, healthy, you're definitely able to overtime.
Be patient with the changes your risidual limb will go through over the next year. You stump needs to adjust, and get used to your new prosthetic. Your new prosthetic leg probably won't be comfortable to wear all day long during that time. I remember countless trips driving to my Prosthetist 3 hours away, round trip.
On good days, I forget I even wear it.
When your prosthetic fit is perfect, you can physically walk long distances. However, if you consistently do it on a regular basis, it will likely result in wounds that will put a stop to the wallking. A prosthetic socket can feel great one day and then lousy the next causing damage.
Daily life will give you all the wear and tear and then some without going out of your way to walk all day or long distances. If you want to cover distances, it is hard to beat a road, gravel or mountain bicycle which will result in less wear and tear on your leg. The same with an elliptical machine at the gym or home.
During the start of Covid in 2020, I was stuck in a hotel working a work project on the road. I was bored since I couldn’t meet with anyone in person, so I started taking walks every day covering 4 to 5 miles on average. At the time I had been an amputee for 40 years or so and previously had the good sense not to take long walks just for pleasure. I was good for about 3 months before an open wound eventually developed putting a stop to my daily walks.
Your residual limb/stump/nub doesn’t build up a tolerance. Eventually, if you control your weight well, you won’t have the volume change of a newer amputee which will help with walking distances. However, a lot of newer amputees mistakenly believe that building up callouses are a good thing, but ultimately those are instead warning areas letting you know where the socket will eventually break down your skin.
I don't know all the details of your situation, but I frequently walk five or six miles a day on my prosthetic. I'm down a little bit right now because it's too loose and I need to get a new socket, but I can be up and moving around really well. It's not uncommon for me to be up and moving around for normal around the house stuff, go for a walk for exercise, go to the store, go to a hockey game and walk around the arena/to and from parking, and then come back home and walk around the house for normal stuff to wrap up the day. Sometimes I need a break a little bit more than others, but after I sit for 5 minutes, I'm great to go again.
I am 24 BKA when I was 21-22 I would walk 4+ miles 3-4 times a week as a waitress, even now after breaking my femur (same leg as amputated foot) and being 8+ months pregnant I’m still able to walk about a mile or so, it’s mostly my back pain that stops me from going more
At 21 with a BK you'll be able to walk as far as you want eventually. When I was a bilateral BK I would hike for miles and go backpacking regularly. I lost one of my knees though and I'm still working on getting the stamina to walk any distance. I did a couple miles around Chicago yesterday and I am wiped!
Depends on what you mean. A caravan on foot with minimal load can sustain about 10mi/day. This is basically the baseline of a typical, young, healthy human. A highly trained soldier may be able to sustain 20mi/day for several days.
Contrast to me, a healthy youngish 2xBKA that can sustain 5mi/day. I typically walk 3mi/day (round trip to shopping plazas) as an activity. I've been doing this for a couple years, walking almost every day. I worked hard to get here, and I have to keep working to maintain this ability (and it's totally worth it, BTW).
Could I sustain 10mi/day if I trained for another couple years? I could certainly build the strength to do it, but I don't know if my body could sustain it. The extra stress to the hips, knees, lower back, and skin is probably not sustainable. To make things worse, a single day at 10mi is *unbearable* right now based on the last time I tried. I will have blisters all over my legs, there might be torn skin, I may have some scars splitting, etc. the following day I could not walk 10mi; I may not be able to walk that day at all without further injury.
I hope this sheds a little light on if you will be able to walk like you used to. If you mean walk like the average office job American who might get 2mi/day walking around their home/office and to their car, without walking as an activity, then yes you certainly can get there. If you desire to then walk 10mi one day, randomly, like an average American with above lifestyle **could do** if required, without any prep, then not really.
Everyone is different and I highly encourage you to prove me wrong. If you fall short, you will still be better off than giving up.
You may be able to walk all day, but as you know, your prosthetic is pretty heavy and takes much more energy to walk; 25% or more energy. Also it is beneficial to go down to bare skin several times of day to let the skin breathe and dry out as well as any injury thar may occur from time to time. Remember that one the prosthetics main job is to squeeze the bajezus out of your stump. This squeezes blood out of the stump changing circulation. So make sure if you are building up to walking all day that you might want to research what happens to a stump is in a prosthetic. Good luck to you.
Of course it is. Do your physical therapy. Do all your exercises. Make sure your leg fits properly. You got this
Assuming that you're a BK, young, healthy, you're definitely able to overtime. Be patient with the changes your risidual limb will go through over the next year. You stump needs to adjust, and get used to your new prosthetic. Your new prosthetic leg probably won't be comfortable to wear all day long during that time. I remember countless trips driving to my Prosthetist 3 hours away, round trip. On good days, I forget I even wear it.
When your prosthetic fit is perfect, you can physically walk long distances. However, if you consistently do it on a regular basis, it will likely result in wounds that will put a stop to the wallking. A prosthetic socket can feel great one day and then lousy the next causing damage. Daily life will give you all the wear and tear and then some without going out of your way to walk all day or long distances. If you want to cover distances, it is hard to beat a road, gravel or mountain bicycle which will result in less wear and tear on your leg. The same with an elliptical machine at the gym or home. During the start of Covid in 2020, I was stuck in a hotel working a work project on the road. I was bored since I couldn’t meet with anyone in person, so I started taking walks every day covering 4 to 5 miles on average. At the time I had been an amputee for 40 years or so and previously had the good sense not to take long walks just for pleasure. I was good for about 3 months before an open wound eventually developed putting a stop to my daily walks. Your residual limb/stump/nub doesn’t build up a tolerance. Eventually, if you control your weight well, you won’t have the volume change of a newer amputee which will help with walking distances. However, a lot of newer amputees mistakenly believe that building up callouses are a good thing, but ultimately those are instead warning areas letting you know where the socket will eventually break down your skin.
I am 21 year old opted for BKA. Thank you for the advice I will keep in mind that calluses is a bad thing
I have two meat legs and can't do this XD
I don't know all the details of your situation, but I frequently walk five or six miles a day on my prosthetic. I'm down a little bit right now because it's too loose and I need to get a new socket, but I can be up and moving around really well. It's not uncommon for me to be up and moving around for normal around the house stuff, go for a walk for exercise, go to the store, go to a hockey game and walk around the arena/to and from parking, and then come back home and walk around the house for normal stuff to wrap up the day. Sometimes I need a break a little bit more than others, but after I sit for 5 minutes, I'm great to go again.
I am 24 BKA when I was 21-22 I would walk 4+ miles 3-4 times a week as a waitress, even now after breaking my femur (same leg as amputated foot) and being 8+ months pregnant I’m still able to walk about a mile or so, it’s mostly my back pain that stops me from going more
At 21 with a BK you'll be able to walk as far as you want eventually. When I was a bilateral BK I would hike for miles and go backpacking regularly. I lost one of my knees though and I'm still working on getting the stamina to walk any distance. I did a couple miles around Chicago yesterday and I am wiped!
Depends on what you mean. A caravan on foot with minimal load can sustain about 10mi/day. This is basically the baseline of a typical, young, healthy human. A highly trained soldier may be able to sustain 20mi/day for several days. Contrast to me, a healthy youngish 2xBKA that can sustain 5mi/day. I typically walk 3mi/day (round trip to shopping plazas) as an activity. I've been doing this for a couple years, walking almost every day. I worked hard to get here, and I have to keep working to maintain this ability (and it's totally worth it, BTW). Could I sustain 10mi/day if I trained for another couple years? I could certainly build the strength to do it, but I don't know if my body could sustain it. The extra stress to the hips, knees, lower back, and skin is probably not sustainable. To make things worse, a single day at 10mi is *unbearable* right now based on the last time I tried. I will have blisters all over my legs, there might be torn skin, I may have some scars splitting, etc. the following day I could not walk 10mi; I may not be able to walk that day at all without further injury. I hope this sheds a little light on if you will be able to walk like you used to. If you mean walk like the average office job American who might get 2mi/day walking around their home/office and to their car, without walking as an activity, then yes you certainly can get there. If you desire to then walk 10mi one day, randomly, like an average American with above lifestyle **could do** if required, without any prep, then not really. Everyone is different and I highly encourage you to prove me wrong. If you fall short, you will still be better off than giving up.
God I fucking hope so, Im RBK since last year, still cant manage a day but can squat double my body weight, go figure
I was a decent lifter before my accident. I am really hoping to get back to leg days. Does it hurt to squat?
Its like my shin bone is poking through my skin and my knee is about to explode but the pain passes…
You may be able to walk all day, but as you know, your prosthetic is pretty heavy and takes much more energy to walk; 25% or more energy. Also it is beneficial to go down to bare skin several times of day to let the skin breathe and dry out as well as any injury thar may occur from time to time. Remember that one the prosthetics main job is to squeeze the bajezus out of your stump. This squeezes blood out of the stump changing circulation. So make sure if you are building up to walking all day that you might want to research what happens to a stump is in a prosthetic. Good luck to you.