Coming up on my one year anniversary of losing the lower part of my left leg I’ve had more than a few people ask me what I wanted as a gift. I found it really odd that someone would want to buy me something on the anniversary of my amputation. But hey, it’s not like I am going to turn down free stuff. That’s when I started thinking about things; I don’t think many ambulatory people would know what to get an amputee. A lot of the specialized items made for amputees are strictly for use during the healing process. Essentially they are used for a few months then discarded. Don’t waste your month on things that rehabilitation centers recommend, they are things that will end up collecting dust. Most often than not each person deals with their amputation differently and finds ways to get things done and most of the time it’s the unconventional methods that end up working out best.
Baby Wipes: You might not think that amputees would have a huge need for them but they are something that can come in extremely handy. Not only are they good to clean off your hands if you can’t get to a bathroom but they are an excellent thing to have to clean your residual limb and silicone liner. More than a few times I’ve found myself out and about and wanted to take my prosthetic off for a little while but I knew that if I did, I would need to clean it before I put it back on. Perfume free baby wipes in the travel sized packages are a great thing to have with you. They won’t cause a break down of the liner, can be used on the stump and are easier to work with than a washcloth.
AmpuBalm: If you know someone that is in their first six months of recovery from an amputation, this product can be worth its weight in gold to them. It provides a great skin barrier if you have the starting signs of a break out, heat rash, irritation or friction burns. It can be somewhat hard to find and the smell isn’t all that heavenly but it gets the job done and can be the best thing to protect skin from breakdown and blistering. If that happens there is a good chance that you won’t be able to wear your prosthetic and that can be extremely frustrating. It can also set you back on your physical therapy schedule which can cause extreme amounts of stress which further compounds the situation.
Trainers: I have worked with Zappos online store to buy several pairs of athletic trainers and hiking boots. They bent over backwards to help me with getting the best shoe and fit for my specific needs. You can send someone a gift certificate so they can pick out their own trainers, hikers or shoes and if they have any questions, their customer service team is a tremendous help. Gift cards range from $25.00 to $300.00 and include free shipping to the customer as well as free returns.
Silence of The Limbs T-Shirts: I would wait to see if the person has a strong sense of humor about their amputation before you start with things like this. There are a lot of specialized amputee shirts that range from finger and toes or arms, legs and double amputations. There are more than a few websites that sell shirts and hoodies like this but not many on retail levels. The average price of one of the shirts is in the $15.00 to $20.00 range. There are shirts for all types of amputees, just Google the term “amputee, t-shirt” or “amputee humor” and you will get tons of results.
Tea Tree Oil: I wish I would have known about the various lotions and compounds that contain tea tree oil about six months ago. I have used tea tree oil in the past for mosquito bites and other skin irritations but it was always in a raw form, never a lotion. I prefer Nature’s Gate Skin Therapy Lotion but there are a lot of companies that make formulations for distressed, irritated or itchy skin. When you wear a silicon liner your skin it essentially wrapped up and cut off from oxygen for hours at a time. If you don’t clean your liner and residual limb on a regular basis it can lead to some serious problems. It can also mean that you won’t be able to wear your prosthetic and you can see the obvious problems with that.
How do you know what to get? You have to use your detective skills and feel the person out. Some people have an extremely hard time with amputation; they may just want to be left alone. In that case, consider getting them a book or renting them a few movies that they might like. Depression can be a huge problem for new amputees and there is a period of adjustment involved with it. Not just on a physical and mental level but an emotional level as well. More than anything, some amputees just want to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If the amputation was the result of an accident or something out of their control they are going to feel completely powerless in the situation. That’s when the best gift you can give them is friendship. Letting them know that no matter what time of the day or night, you are only a phone call away. That is the more priceless gift you an give anyone.
