u/vqzku

A little while ago, I posted that I was about to lose the rest of my lower body.

I honestly didn’t know if I’d make it through the surgery. The infection in my pelvis had gotten so severe that there really wasn’t another option. The risk of sepsis was getting higher every day, and my surgeons told me this was the only way to save my life.

But the surgery happened, and it went well.

I’m now waking up to the reality that everything from just above my belly button is gone. My remaining leg, my pelvis, and a huge part of the life I had only just learned to adapt to. I now have permanent stoma bags for both my bladder and bowels, and I’m trying to process what my body looks and feels like now.

Physically, I’m in some pain and completely exhausted. Mentally, I think I’m still numb.

I spent months rebuilding myself after losing one leg, and now I’m facing rehabilitation and acceptance all over again on an even bigger scale. It’s terrifying, and I honestly have no idea yet what this version of my life will look like.

But the surgery worked. The infection is gone, and I survived.

Thank you all for your amazing messages. They did really help.

I dislocated my hip a while back. The trauma caused a massive blood clot in my iliac artery, completely cutting off blood flow. The ischemia was so severe that the tissue died, and I had to have that leg amputated. It took months of rehab, but I had finally adapted to life with one leg.

Unfortunately, the damage didn't stop at the amputation site. The initial ischemia and necrosis spread into my pelvic floor. I now have severe, intractable osteomyelitis (bone infection) breaking down my pelvic bones. The IV antibiotics aren't working, and I am at constant risk of sepsis.

My surgeons just informed me that to save my life, I need a trans lumbar amputation. They have to remove everything below (and including) my belly button. That means my remaining leg, my entire pelvis, and my lower organs are going. I’ll be waking up with permanent stoma bags for my bladder and bowels.

I’m just exhausted and numb. I put so much effort into rebuilding my life and accepting my first amputation, only to find out I'll be waking up with literally no lower half at all. I just don't know how to start over again.

So I (24F) recently became an amputee a few months ago and I now use crutches to get around. It’s obviously been a huge life change, but honestly I think I’ve handled it pretty well. I’m still very social, I joke around constantly, and most people would describe me as upbeat if anything.

One of my friends is having a baby shower soon, and I found out through mutual friends that I wasn’t invited. At first I thought maybe it was just a small event or numbers were tight or whatever, but eventually another friend told me the actual reason.

Apparently the mom-to-be said she thought having me there would “change the mood” because people would ask questions about my leg/crutches and the attention would shift away from the baby shower and become “sad.”

I’m honestly kind of stunned by this. First of all, I don’t walk into rooms demanding everyone discuss my medical history. If people ask questions, I answer them casually and move on. Also… I’m not dying? I still laugh, make jokes, socialize, and go out. I genuinely didn’t realize anyone saw me as some depressing presence.

Part of me understands maybe she wanted a very light, celebratory vibe and didn’t want anything potentially awkward, but another part of me feels incredibly hurt and honestly kind of dehumanized. Like I’ve suddenly become “the tragic amputee” instead of just… me.

Now I’m wondering if I’m overreacting because technically she can invite whoever she wants to her shower, but I can’t stop thinking about how humiliating this feels.

AIO?

I was doing Couch to 5K. I was overweight and had only recently started running, so I was taking it slowly.

I was on a trail near my house and tripped on a tree root. My right foot caught, my body twisted, and I landed badly. I felt something shift in my hip. It was painful, but after I moved, it felt like it went back into place.

I was able to stand, so I assumed it was a strain or a bad fall.

The walk home took much longer than normal. My hip and groin hurt. My thigh felt tight. My foot started tingling. I thought it was a pinched nerve or swelling from the fall.

At home, I took ibuprofen and rested. Over the next few hours, my foot became colder and paler than the other one. The tingling became numbness. I had trouble moving my toes.

I still waited longer than I should have because I felt embarrassed. I did not want to go to A&E for what I thought might just be me being out of shape and overreacting.

When I finally went in, they could not find a pulse in my foot.

A CT showed that blood flow to my leg was blocked. The doctors believed the fall had caused a hip dislocation or near-dislocation that reduced on its own, but in the process the artery high in my groin was injured. The inner lining of the artery tore, a clot formed, and that stopped blood from getting to my leg.

They took me to surgery and tried to restore blood flow. They also did fasciotomies because of the swelling and pressure in the leg.

By then too much tissue had already died. The damage went too high for a below-knee or above-knee amputation. I had a hip disarticulation, meaning the entire leg was removed at the hip joint.

Silly me!