I chose to have my foot amputated because of a car running a red light and an invincible bacteria. AMA! (WARNING: GORE/NSFL)

Serious question....do you still have to buy a pair of shoes?

Haha. Good question. I haven't yet had the opportunity to buy new shoes, so I don't know. I have a ton of shoes already so I imagine it won't be a big deal to order a pair still, but I bet I could order big name-brands a single shoe at a time online.

You will still need a pair of shoes when wearing your prosthesis. Make sure you bring your left shoe when you are being fit for your prosthesis so it can be adjusted for that pair of shoes

good to know. Thanks. I wasn't using my brain when I answered this question, but OF COURSE I still need two shoes-- one for both feet. Durr hurr

Some amputees wear one shoe and find a "sole mate". Someone with similar tastes, same size foot, but on the opposite side. Then when you buy shoes you send the extra one to that guy and he does the same for you. Josh Sunquist talked about this in one of his YouTube videos.

this is completely badass and now I want to do it.

I'm pretty sure Josh Sundquist (you tuber and former Paralympic skier) has talked about it in a few videos. There's hole forums for people looking for "sole-mates" sure there's a sub for it as well.

awesome

Coming from an amputee, it'll be like dressing a doll for awhile.

lol

You seem like a chill dude, wanna hang out sometime?

Fo sho. Join me in my underground lair.

I'll bring the shwarmas!!

Döner Kebap for me plz

My Left Shoe - 2016 Oscar Nominee

lel

If you get a pair of prothesis, you could go to dance clubs and tell people that you literally have two left feet!

Lol. Is that meant to be a compliment where you're from? :p

Wow there are lots of resources for amputees out there. Good luck! :)

http://www.amputee-coalition.org/resources/shoe-exchanges/

SO many resources. It's amazing!

As far as I understand it, below the knee amputations can be some of the least life-affecting major amputation due to the quality of the prosthetics nowadays.

You seem to be taking this pretty well, so I assume your prosthetic is a good one. Can you tell us a bit about what the prosthetic looks like and what it will/will not let you do?

Prosthetics are a very interesting topic and I love seeing a good prosthetic helping someone live a normal life.

The foot I have my eye on, other than the super expensive computerized variants, is a carbide energy-storing spring foot that is designed for active, multi-sport guys like myself:

The Freedom Innovations Renegade AT

video

As for aesthetics, I'll be ordering a cover from UNYQ, a company that 3D prints customized prosthetic covers and fairings that look like the curve and musculature of a leg instead of a metal pipe.

Here's what some of them look like:

I'm also designing my own in CAD that I'll 3d print, fabricate, and colorize for all occasions!

This is all to say-- I don't have a prosthetic yet. I'm at least a month away from that, but, based on my conversations with other BK amputees already, there aren't too many things you can't do- it becomes a challenge of "who says I can't?" and seeing what you're capable of. The only thing that is annoying to me in terms what I know will be a detractor is the idea of having to hop to the bathroom in the middle of the night because I don't want to put on my leg every time I have to go and I don't want to use crutches everytime I go.

Lots to be excited about though!

Dude, you're going to be a cyborg. That video makes it look like you can do anything. Upside is that on the beach you can stand on your prosthetic in the 5 million degree sand.

By the time you're old enough that hopping on one foot is more than annoying I'm sure we'll have fancy robotic ones you can wear 24/7 that even has a sense of touch.

Good luck!

Well thanks so much! I agree with all of that! It's gonna be a lot of work to get good at everything again but I am pumped up!!

And yeah, the development of the tech by the end of my life is incredibly exciting!

it becomes a challenge of "who says I can't?" and seeing what you're capable of.

"You'll never shoot a gun again!"
"Oh really! I bet I can hit someone through a toilet door!"

Lol goddamn it

I can't remember now where I ran into this--if it was online or NPR, but there was a gentleman who was a double amputee, but still did a lot of rock climbing and such. He shared a story where he was in a difficult spot and how the only way he was able to get out was by adjusting the length of his prosthetic legs just a little bit longer. So there you go. Go go Gadget legs!

Hugh Herr. Lost his legs climbing in the 80s. He's responsible for the most important developments in mechatronics in the last decade

What was the infection? Fellow biker and ex infectious control care tech.

Pseudmonas Aeruginosa. It's on every. surface. ever.

It's likely I picked it up in OR after the flap surgery.

Yeah, we had cystic fibrosis patients on our floor, and mdrp was the absolute downfall of many of them. Makes msra look like childs play. Ooh, follow up question, what bike did you ride?

bummer :(

and I had a 2015 Indian scout :(((((

...sob

gorgeous ride :o g'luck in recovery

thank you m'jooblesjerome.

Hope it's fast and amazing.

Are you going to ride again? (love that bike by the way)

thank you sir. I will ride again but not anytime soon.

Just for the cool value you should throw a hand shifter on your next ride.

Glad to see you want to ride again.

that would be sweet

Hope you get the ride again man! If you aspire to that is, I know I;d be veeeerrry sketched out to be back on the bike

one day.

Well good luck with recovery man! You seem pretty positive, I hope your life takes the turn you were hoping for

Thank you my friend, I really appreciate it.

Oh my god...I love Scouts so much. Plans to ride again once you recover? Best wishes, amigo.

Edit: saw your answer below. Good luck with the prosthetic, dude. Hope you love it!

thanks for the good wishes!!! Enjoy the trails.

Oh dang! My husband picked that up from a public hot tub. It settled in his hip, destroyed his hip joint and he had to undergo a hip replacement.

My questions are: did the man who hit you find out about the BKA? If so, what was his reaction? What took his attention off the road?

Last but not least, did you have good nurses? As an RN I hope the answer is yes.

I doubt he found out, as we went our separate ways after the accident. I'm sure it gave him nightmares for awhile though.

Who knows what took his attention off the road. Everyone drives dangerously now, especially in my city. People ignoring the road for their phones. Merging without looking and no signals. It sucks.

Yes I had good RNs! Only one sucked, the rest were awesome!!!

Yay, I'm glad you had good nurses. Being in hospital sucks so hard.

it is not very fun

Did your wound smell fruity?

Someone knows the scent of pseudomonas!

Yes, it did smell fruity.

Motherfuckers don't even have the common courtesy to smell bad while they're fucking you up.

Sersly

Awesome attitude about this, and it seems like you have an amazing support system through family; all that considered, are you angry for what one guy not paying attention put you through over his stupid mistake?

I don't know how people go through what I've been through WITHOUT this kind of support system. My gf has been my number one, taking care of me day in and out for 9 months. MY parents and grandparents have to come to visit, friends take time off work to see me, and it was still hard for me. I can't imagine how someone would do it alone.

The guy who hit me... hmm... well, he got out of his car immediately, was horribly apologetic the whole time, exchanged insurance with the cops and cooperated fully and quickly, allowing us to get a settlement from his insurance which is super important when neither person in a couple is working.

If he had hit and run, I would probably be mad at him.

As it was, it was a stupid mistake. People make them all the time. I'm sure he'll see the surprise in my face for the rest of his life, but I don't wish poorly upon him. I didn't pursue further action against him, as my attorney found he was a poor immigrant teacher from a large family. What was I going to get out of him anyway.

I hope he pays more attention on the road, but it was a mistake any of us could make, and I don't hate him over it.

Wow, now that's humanity right there; you're the kind of guy I could have a pint with.

Cheers mate. Pour 'em up and drink 'em down!

Random question. Did you drink alcohol during the recovery process? If so, how much would you say?

Some, yes, but not until I was completely back before the 3rd hospital visit. Toward the end more and more. I haven't had anything now since before surgery.

Hey man you lost a foot but now you have all these sweet sweet karma. Was it almost worth?

so worth it!!!

So many steps in the road to recovery! Forgiveness and emotional evolution are at the very core imo. Seems like you are on the right path. Hope the best things for you in your life! Cheers!

thank you for the kind words, they are much appreciated.

You mention not feeling any different, but I'm struggling to fully understand that. I'm sat on a couch now, with my feet underneath me. I'm not using them for anything, but can wiggle my toes etc at will, and I feel a small sensation in other parts of my leg. You can wiggle the toes on 1 foot. What is the sensation you experience when you try to replicate that with the other leg?

The sensation right now is pain because the stump is still swollen from surgery a few days ago, so when in my brain I give the command to wiggle my toes, muscles and tendons in my upper shin pull stuff that was recently cut and sutured back together.

The thing is, I don't have phantom limb pain or phantom sensation on the left leg below the cut site, no proprioception at all, which is to say I don't feel like I have toes to wiggle.

It just feels like... nothing is there, which was kind of what I expected it to feel like. my other good foot, I have a general sense that my toes are there and I can wiggle them. Amputated foot, not so much--but really it's only been four days and I already don't think about it.

Suddenly I'm hyper-aware of my toes in my boots...

Isn't it interesting!? Human bodies are awesome.

Very inspirational stuff OP. I'd like to add that I got phantom pain a couple weeks after I had the top of my finger amputated, the nerves might start firing again after they heal a bit. I hope you don't get that though.
My brother lost his leg and struggled quite a bit with phantom limb pain. Good luck and speedy recovery!

got it. Good stuff, thanks for the advice. I've got a Doc who has been offering me an upped dose of gabapentin that I haven't started taking yet but probably will in a week or so to avoid it. Much appreciated.

Gabapentin is great. I'm on 900mg 3x a day for multiple sclerosis. It has helped my nerve pain quite a bit. Hope it helps you.

I would say it's doing its job.

What's losing a bit of flesh anyway? We'll die soon enough, you'll have something to show for!

very good point :) thanks for that.

Hey op, i just want to say you seem very brave to make this discision. My step dad had a similar thing happen to him, but was able to recover enough to keep his foot. My mom was also in an accident about 11 years ago now. She lost both her legs above the knee. I just wanted to tell you my second hand experiance with the phantom pains. It seemed to be ok for the first year. She took a lot of medication to control the pain though. I think she might have even gotten addicted to it. However, whenever she would drink, miss a dose, or smoke heavily the pains came back very very strong. She would stay up all night screaming into a pillow trying to stay quiet so not to wake us. No matter how many times you go through it, it never gets easier. It might take a toll on your family and girlfriend as well. I would suggest getting counceling or at the very least pain management as well. Im probably rambling on way too much now, but I just wanted to tell you my experiences with it.

Accident Trauma often leaves amputations that are done less thoroughly and methodically than planned amputations. My surgeons have a specific procedure to cut and ligate nerves, and many people have no symptoms.

Thanks for the good thoughts.

What kind of footwear were you wearing?

Sneakers :( I still hadn't found a pair of riding boots that didn't mess up my feet. If I had been wearing some good solid boots, I might have a different story to tell.

Even more annoyingly, I had highway bars coming in the mail three days later which may also have saved the ankle--but, on the other side it the impact could have spun the bike differently causing a worse injury of some kind, so, it's hard to do hypotheticals.

Not sure if the best boots would have saved your foot, but may have reduced the tissue degloving and need for grafts.

possible.

In the end it was the infection that killed the foot.

Firstly, I am so sorry. Secondly I'd like to use this opportunity to recommend the use of frame sliders because of just this sort of lateral impact protection. It saved my same foot from being crushed just recently after being sideswipe hit and run. May not have saved your foot, but it is a significant advantage to have something-anything-for standoff distance from the side of the bike. Hope youre still riding man, and are staying active.

Thank you for the tip!!

Sorry if this is a bad question haha, did either your shoes fly off during the crash?

they did! Both of them!

Wait, what? How are you alive then if both shoes flew off?

I don't know...?

The joke here is any time a guy's shoes fly off in an internet video that you're not quite sure yet is a gore video: he's dead.

I even knew this joke but failed miserably.

That's wild haha, thanks for answering man, I wish you well on your road of recovery.

no problem. Thanks for the lovin' bb

What Halloween costumes are you considering other than pirate now that you have this leg up on most people?

Terminator

Sexy Terminator

Herschel from the Walking Dead (Dale from the comics)

Sexy Herschel from the Walking Dead

Zombie 1

Zombie 2

Sexy Zombie 2 (for frat parties)

also EVERYTHING this guy has done lol, although his cut is much higher than mine

Ha! I'm glad you're so positive about the situation! I'm sure having the right attitude makes things at least a little easier.

makes it a ton easier! Thank you.

As a future nurse, anything you wish was done differently during your stay at the hospital?

Yes.

Don't get pissed at your patients for wanting painkillers. I took dilaudid different ways and for different courses of treatment in the three months aggregate I've been in.

The hospital I'm in is a county hospital, and dilaudid is essentially stronger heroin being mainlined in most of the time, so OF COURSE you'll get patients with drug-seeking behavior.

I'm just a run of the mill guy who enjoys a good beer here and there. I'm not an addict, and I went through 14 surgeries of varying pain! If I ask for it an it's on my chart, give me that shit. I probably need it. Even if I don't, it's been prescribed to me. You don't get to editorialize.

I had one nurse be very rude to me and told me that "dilaudid was the devil" and cast this very obnoxious attitude on me because I was asking for it every interval I could get it. I eventually had to tell the charge nurse to never let her be my nurse again because she was so unprofessional.

Also, Have fun! It's a crazy job and a lot of nurses do it too long for their personalities. Enjoy what a wonderful thing you are doing for other humans!

Damn, someone in your situation should have had a PCA pump at some point (button you can push to dose yourself with dilaudid/morphine). Fuck that nurse, when I worked on a surgical floor I gave dilaudid out like candy as long as the patient was still breathing, I hate seeing people in pain.

I have had a pain pump 3 times right after serious surgeries. This was one of the times when I had IV bolus but no pump.

Do you intend to use a prosthetic limb? If yes, how long after the operation does it take for the wound to be healed enough, in order to be able to start learning how to use a prosthetic?

oh you better believe it! The quickest post-op for prosthetic fitting is 4 weeks after surgery. Most people see it happening between 2-2.5 months. My prosthetist thinks it'll be 5-6 wks for me.

At that point, the first socket is fit, and I start looking at equipment, suspensions, all sorts of fun toys. It will still take about a year for the final fit to set in, and I'll still have adjustments throughout my life to make sure I'm getting the best fit, gait, etc.

The foot I have my eye on, other than the computerized variants, is a carbide energy-storing spring foot that is designed for active, multi-sport guys like myself:

The Freedom Innovations Renegade AT

It looks pretty cool and functions even better: (https://youtu.be/J8q7lnxDFU8?t=79 1:19 of the video is where it shows the cool stuff)

As for aesthetics, I'll be ordering a cover from UNYQ, a company that 3 prints customized prosthetic covers and fairings that look like the curve and musculature of a leg instead of a metal pipe.

Here's what some of them look like:

I'm also designing my own in CAD that I'll 3d print, fabricate, and colorize for all occasions!

You turned your amputation into a Hobby.

That's exactly right!

There is no such as a final fit. You can see atrophy for a couple years depending on the limb. I get new sockets every two years and each one is significantly different from the one before. I got a new one a few weeks ago and now that I'm used to it, the other one hurts to wear. But it'll still work should happen to lose my current one.

Got it. Thanks for the info.

Are you planning on making any with irregular features, like a secret flask compartment, or is there not really enough room for support AND extraneous nonsense?

lol I will ABSOLUTELY manufacture some with some... interesting applications. when you look at a prosthetic cover, it's just plastic magnetizing to a metal post making for a lot of dead space... I could easily see making a spout fit down in there on the inside where it isn't visible, have the interior with foodsafe plastic, take off the cover to pour drinks and BOOM there it is!

Take a look over at https://www.reddit.com/r/raspberry_pi/

It would be absolutely awesome to shove a $5 Raspberry Pi Zero computer inside your prosthetic cover, make your day to day cover have an integrated Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth Speaker, even a portable Amazon Alexa assistant, so you could yell at your leg to make your next shopping list!

Neat! :p

lol wow! I didn't even think of that. I just built a RPi SNES retro gaming console with an RP3 and had a blast. I could definitely do a cover with those hookups! Tiny network switch for on-the-fly LAN gaming. Built in screen in my sunglasses!

Awesome Idea!

Yes, you can have this nice techno foot, but what about a pirate pegleg ?

I asked for that first but I really just don't want the back problems it comes with

My gramps got his leg blown off in WW2 and got a wooden leg, so it's pretty crazy how far technology has come.

Dude, I'm telling ya.

Dude, seriously: You're a fucking inspiration. You haven't let life get you down and you're so fucking positive that balloons probably stick to you. Forum rules dictate that a question must be asked, so: Favourite ice cream flavour?

That's quite a compliment, and I certainly appreciate it.

I really have always liked chocolate chip cookie dough, but at some of the Creameries in new england all bets are off--I mix chocolate with coffee and three or four other flavours... mmm mm good

What was the winning fb caption entry?

"I need a femur minutes to think of one"

Femur minutes? Heel no, I ankle time for that.

Dang son!

I'd give him some more credit, it's hard tibia good pun artist.

-_-

Reddit would go on a marathon if this pun got out

We did it, reddit.

During the initial accident, what was the pain like? Did you feel how badly your ankle got fucked, or were you just in shock?

Also, I give you mad props for your attitude towards the guy who hit you. Actually, just your attitude in general. You seem like a reasonable guy and a decent human being. I hope everything goes well for you from here on out :)

Thanks for those kind words. They are much appreciated in times like these.

The initial accident happened in slow motion; I felt the shock impact on my left side and then the ground and motorcycle spun and lurched away from me as I was launched through the air in a lazy arc, landing about 20 ft away and rolling to a stop.

I sat still for about 5 seconds processing before letting out a bellowing scream at the top of my lungs for another 10 seconds, taking panic breaths every second or so. I probably stopped after about 30 seconds.

Then I was back in my own head and I knew what had to be done. I shouldn't have moved at all, but I immediately tried to sit up and was able to raise myself off the ground. Good. No paralysis. I had no amnesia or weird smells or stroking symptoms. Good, no observable brain damage. My arms and hands and fingers were completely functioning. Head was in fine shape.

I got down to the legs. Even with the accident less than a minute before hand, the left leg hurt and I knew better than to try to move it. I picked up my right leg and foot and shook them around a bit. No damage there.

The ankle continued to hurt all the way to the hospital thanks to a super bumpy ambulance ride and the firefighters splinting my foot.

I will never know a pain greater than the ER nurses setting the ankle. Even doped up to my eyes on dilaudid, and two knuckles in my mouth to bite down on, It hurt all the way up my spine and I screamed when they did it. After that the drugs did their jobs.

I'm impressed you had your wits about you enough to check yourself out, I'd have just panicked lol.

How is the pain now? Do you still have to take a lot of antibiotics?

Pain is very much receded, although they took my delicious PCA (super strong IV opiate pain med) pump away today to wean me off it so everything feels a little sharper.

Not too many antibiotics. Just a couple days after the wound closure to make sure OR germs didn't stick around.

planning on riding motorcycles again?

Nowhere in the immediate future, although it has nothing to with the nature of motorcycles and everything to do with the nature of traffic. The big city I live in is a shitshow for driving, and feels barely safe to do so in a car. I could see myself getting another bike wayyyy down the road when I live in a much smaller town, use it for trips to the grocery store etc.

Where I live right now it's just an unfair risk that I wouldn't put my girlfriend/future fiancee through ever, ever again--nor should any children I have have to worry about that.

In the end, I could have been on a bicycle or a pedestrian or anything really, the car still would have clobbered me.

Future fiancee huh? Sounds like things are getting serious haha

http://imgur.com/Sr4WSYB

Y'know OP, you're a pretty chill guy. Something tells me you're going to come out of this just fine :)

tank u bby

:)))))))

What a big smiley you have there

You are having a way better time than I think I'd be having if I were in your shoes shoe.

Too soon?

no, I lel'd

That's the main reason I don't plan on riding a motorcycle. I think I will be fine on my own, but I've seen the way others drive and I just don't trust them. I got t-boned by a large landscaping truck going 50mph. He had a seizure and ran through the red light light. I was in a Honda civic and was able to walk away. I went to the ER just to make sure there wasn't anything internal, and they didn't find anything and I walked out with a couple of bandaids. Would have been a different story on a motorcycle.

It'll never be you- it'll always be the guy not paying attention :(

The phantom pain, you feel it too don't you?

No. I'm on a good dose of gabapentin and will remain on it.

Would you have felt it without it? Edit: just realized it was just 6 days ago.

lol ya

Do you get the amputated part back after surgery? I mean technically it's you....yours?

lol. There are a lot of stories of people doing this and cremating the limb/having a burial for it, but because of my infected heelbone, it was never going to be an option.

Haha I would've taken it home and planted it in the garden, water it every day.

lol

How much money did you get from the settlement?

I won't be posting details of that nature in a public forum.

Approximately how long could the settlement carry you without having to work? :p

Indefinitely.

Check it out. I live in this house and I have found out a way to use solar panels hooked up to the human body with a kind of mammalian photosynthesis. Everything else I just use my black credit card from my job as the postmaster general.

Excellent questions. Keep 'em coming.

So that much?

I won't be posting details of that nature in a public forum.

What has been your favorite foot related joke that you have either heard or used yourself since your amputation?

Some faves:

"Legoless needs to get to Gondor"

"You look like you're about a foot shorter"

My submission was "I'm on my last leg here"

How did you pay for all the treatment? Did you have good insurance?

Any basic insurance is usually in existence for this kind of gigantic accident. You pay your max-out-of-pocket for the year (mine was about 4K) and the rest is battled out between the insurance and the Healthcare Provider.

With 12 (now 14) surgeries, 3 months of hospital time, and home care, the bills are several orders of magnitude more than 4K, but that's all I pay.

Will you be getting that back from the driver of the car as they were at fault?

no reason to. He has absolutely no money or anything to go after, plus it's just silly. Live and let live.

you are kind of my hero, restorer of faith in humanity.

that's nice of you to say. Have a great one!

[deleted]

thank you so much for your valuable conversational contribution :-)

Do you like pancakes?

Why thank you for asking this!

Not only do I like pancakes, but I love them as well. I would have to say my love for pancakes started many years ago the first time I saw the golden yellow batter start to thicken in the hot pan of my grandmother's kitchen. The moisture in the batter started to sizzle as it evaporated and small bubbles opened across the surface of each disc, signifying it to be ready for consumption.

The butter, melted down to a warm, oily confection, sat happy in its glass container with the thick handle to avoid burning. The maple syrup was heated too, joining its friends on the table with a smile as the knives and forks were brought forth.

Cake after cake was lifted out of the base of that scratched black frying pan, with thin columns of steam erupting from the basket with a cloth over top, a promise of the hot delights to come. The butter smeared over and in between each cake, covered with syrup, and lightly cut with just the blade of the fork before making that everlasting journey to the mouth...

Yes, I enjoy pancakes.

Seems like you had a poor circulation/perfusion issues from the start? As evidenced by: repeat infections, slow healing even with a wound vac, necrotic/drying tissues... Ever have a doc describe what was going on in this area for you? Btw, thanks for the post

VERY good eye... you must be a doc or medical professional of some kind?

Yes, the Peroneal Artery and the Posterior Tibial artery were transected and irreparable at the time of the accident. The Anterior supplied blood to the whole foot, but it didn't do it well enough, clearly.

Goddamn?

great screenname.

Thanks. Great attitude.

lol yes. Thank you.

Damn... Quite a battle you fought. Props on the hard decision but it was probably the best all things considered...

I'm currently passing my riding license and it makes me even more want to wear ATGATT... Love the Indian Scout. Do you know if there's a chance you could ride again? Like with a special kind of shifter? (Or maybe you just don't want to anymore, could be understandable).

(P.S.: I had the same kind of graft you had for your heel (vessels, skin, etc at once), but it was for my right hand to get rid off a cancer, but fortunately it worked. What triggered me in the pictures is that I had the "chicken skin" effect when skin was fresh out of surgery, but the surgeon got me right on the table as she noticed that, because apparently it's one of the effect of bad blood flow in the graft. Don't know if that applies to yours but I thought it was interesting.)

Yes thank you. ATGATT is a good idea. There's a freedom you feel when riding without, but if you go down you're gonna want those extra layers.

I will definitely ride again-- just not in a big city, and not when I'll be caring for a family. My injury wouldn't require a special shifter. My regular prosthetic foot would fit in shoes or boots and I could pull up or stomp down just like a regular left foot.

If you could give your Top 5 pieces of advice for someone going through this what would it be?

And what would be some good ideas for presents/gifts for someone in the hospital for so long?

-keep busy. Distract yourself. Books. Comics. Computer Games. Video Games. Origami. LEGO SETS. music

-surround yourself with positivity -friends, family, write letters to people

-begin research on what your life can be very early

-eat healthy

-MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION don't get pushed by doctors, family, or friends. It's up to you.

More light-hearted question; the guitar in your "Failed Recovery Process" album has a beautiful finish on it. What make is it?

haha. That, my friend is the cream of the crop- a gorgeous arthouse guitar known as the Squier Bullet Stratocaster that retails for the low low price of $149.99!

It used to be black- I sanded down the body and finished it with minwax stain and sealer when I was 17 :) You, too can do it!

do you know what happened to the shithead that ran you over?

I do. He got out of the car screaming and apologizing, gave his information to me and the cops, and cooperated through insurance.

You gonna ride again?

perhaps waaaaayyy down the road. Never in a big city again. Never when I'm in a position to provide for a family. Perhaps a bike for retirement or something.

I'll miss it- it was a great hobby for 8 years but now it's time to put it on the shelf.

Do you wish you'd skipped the 9 months of misery and just had it lopped off from the start?

No. I needed this time to get it right with my mind, and I needed to see what my own foot could be capable of.

Have you had any phantom limb experiences? some people say they can still feel their toes and even wiggle them after they've lost their feet.

so far, no. I'm on gabapentin which is a nerve pain preventative drug. Taking it after the surgery, as well as the use of nerve blockers before the surgery has shown clinical ability to drastically cut down on nerve pain and sensation.

So far, I haven't had any.

I don't know if you saw it the other day but someone posted saying that mirrors have been known to help against it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_box

that's super wild. I'll check it out if I have any

Can you explain how the subsequent process unfolds? How much do you have to now coordinate, in terms of getting agreement on your care, and who will pay for what? Does the doctor managing your care do that on your behalf? Do you have to speak with your insurance company over every small thing? Do you have to speak with the driver's insurance company over every small thing? What about changes that aren't medical - if you needed someone to go and get shopping for you (ignoring friends and family), or needed someone to drive you around (again, ignoring friends and family), would those costs be covered? Who would manage that? Have you received compensation already, or is that yet to be determined?

There are a lot of advantages to having your ducks in a row in this kind of thing. The Drivers' insurance company paid the settlement and now they have no further responsibility. My insurance (and most american plans) have small payouts/reimbursements owed in exchange for covering most of a $10,000-20,000 prosthetic limb, In the end, I'll probably end up $1,000 out of pocket to be back in walking shape.

Since I can walk with crutches, I doubt those shopping coverages would be covered at all.

The next steps are coordination between the PMNR doc (MD Who evaluates my status as an amputee (high-demand patient needing most coverage because they show they'll get the most use out of a prosthetic all the way to low-demand), my Resident MDs at the hospital, my Prosthetist-- the guy who takes me through the prosthetic shoestore, fitting everything, trying everything on, and my insurance.

Maybe do a favor for the people after me... As someone with a weak stomach, the X-ray pictures don't bother me. Maybe separate them?

At any rate, do you experience a phantom limb?

lol. They're categorized by the part of the accident they're associated with, so no, I'm not going to make an album for two pictures.

No, I don't experience phantom limb pain...-yet. It could always show up.

I know in the comments you said YOU paid 4k for all the medical expenses before the insurance stepped in, but do you know what the hospital would have billed you?

Godspeed on a quick recovery. If nobody's done it already, somebody needs to buy you some beers.

Thanks mang. Lots of beers, yes :-)

I stopped counting, but it's over $1,000,000, probably more.

The insurance won't pay near that amount of cash to the hospital, they'll negotiate it way down but it's still way more than any reasonable person could afford

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Intense shit.

I cried a lot in january for a week or so when it seemed like it was going to happen before I was ready.

That also coincident with an absolute great friend of mine drowning trying to save his dog in a fast moving river, so that week fucking sucked.

You go through the grief phases just like losing a loved one, and then you make a decision with how you're going to deal with everything.

I choose life.

Is that strat a fender? Either way, I love the natural wood, It's killer.

thank you friend! No, it's a squier. A banger I bought from my cousin 10 years ago, stripped and refinished. I love the natural wood look.

Also, I imagine you've taken a boat load of narcotic pain meds at this point. Any concerns or issues w/ physical dependence or addiction?

I'm not an addictive person. I've been on dilaudid and hydro and stuff before and when I go home from the hospital I'm fine.

Have you thought about getting the leg people to make you a leg with a hidden pistol in it? Pop pop.

Leg pistol, leg flask, leg nuke, leg everything!!

Will you be dressing as a pirate this Halloween?

Maybe one of these:

Terminator

Sexy Terminator

Herschel from the Walking Dead (Dale from the comics)

Sexy Herschel from the Walking Dead

Zombie 1

Zombie 2

Sexy Zombie 2 (for frat parties)

also EVERYTHING this guy has done lol, although his cut is much higher than mine

Oh man, sexy Herschel sounds amazing! I hope you'll post pictures to show off on Reddit.

Oh I will, baby

What kind of safety gear were you wearing, specifically what boots and pants?

well, I clearly wasn't wearing boots with metal sidewalls, that's for sure

This wasn't obvious to me and I had no intention of offending you with my question. Albeit speculative - in your opinion, could wearing proper motorcycle boots have reduced the damage to your foot?

Haha, I know. I just happen to know a lot of people that ask me stuff related to this and I'm usually a little sassy about it. The first question people ask is "were you wearing a helmet" and my response is usually "well, my feet weren't" because it's irrelevant and moot to what actually happened.

Sure. I could have worn proper motorcycle boots which would have helped me a little bit with the injury. On the other side. Wearing boots instead of what I had worn could have taken a little longer or shorter to put on, putting me at a different point in time at the accident. I could have been spun out by the back wheel and smashed my neck, becoming paralyzed. I could have been a few seconds behind and smashed into the car, killing myself.

*Or I could have been a few seconds extra at the office, resting my feet a minutes from wearing motorcycle boots and missed the whole thing entirely.

The point is that it's completely moot as to whether or not it would have helped-- I didn't have them on, so it doesn't matter what I was wearing.

Thank you for your honesty. I truly hope you make a good recovery!

thank you for your kindness!

How did you wait 8 months? I feel like I'd be fed up with everything after like 2 and consider the amputation.

I think it was mainly because up until the end there was still a "chance" of recovery and return to normalcy on my biological leg. It takes a lot longer to get your mind around than it seems.

You said almost nothing about the guy who hit you. What's his involvement in all this? By that, I mean is he aware you're lost your foot? Is he in contact with you and super apologetic? Sounds to me like you're in nothing but good spirits, which I find awesome. I'm not sure how I would react if I were in your situation. I just don't know how I'd feel about that other person who technically took my foot.

6 years ago I severed all the ligaments in my ankle, and was unable to walk on it for almost 4 months. Took a good 6 months to rehab after surgery and post-cast. I remember being so sick of not being able to walk. I just wanted off those damn crutches. I can't imagine how I'd feel now without a foot. Hang in there, and I hope it heals up well for you!

I answered this somewhere, but I don't feel it's necessary to engender any ill will the part of him- he was just a regular guy who made a dumb mistake. I don't see what would be the point of going after him, it's not like slashing his tires would equal what I went through, and even if I wanted that, what am I supposed to do, kidnap him and cut his leg off, SAW-style!?

Live and let live. I've run red lights before too and I'm just lucky I didn't do anything that jacked someone up.

His insurance cooperated, and let's say that helps too.

Oh, for sure. I didn't mean to imply literally going after the guy. I just wondered if this was one of those situations where the guy was actively involved. As in, he's visited you because he really knows he fucked up, or is going above and beyond what you'd expect. We certainly all make mistakes, and I think if I had been the one to make the mistake, I'd do my best to show how sorry I am while also trying to stay away if that's what you wanted.

I'm sure, but sometimes people don't and his insurance cooperated, so that's kind of the important thing.

I've heard that amputee's can still feel their missing limb, like, can you still feel yourself wiggling your toes even though they're not there?

EDIT: Just saw you've already answered this. Disregard this.

Props for answering your own question :-) Nice work!

I'm stumped....... To soon? 🙄

Give me a femur minutes to get over it.

How did you pay for all the hospital costs?

...Health insurance...?