In June 2022, two PBO Group clients joined PBO Group Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist, Bryn Jones, for a Facebook Live discussion to share their personal experiences with Osseointegration. It’s a fantastic conversation providing some interesting insights that is well worth 30 minutes of your time to watch here. If you can’t carve out 30 minutes to watch the recording, here are some key takeaways from the participants.
“OI is like riding a bike. You’re not very good at first, but you get better with time. I feel more capable with the OI now than I did when I first got it, and I loved it when I first got it. Now, I like it even more and if I had to, I would definitely get it again.”
Pete
“My mobility has gone up. My confidence has gone up. My self-image has gone up, which is something that not enough amputees talk about when using a traditional prosthetic that you can really notice – even if you are wearing a pair of pants.”
Shawn
“I am not light on my prosthetics. I’ve gone bike riding, ridden my dirt bike, I regularly drive my manual five-speed transmission car without any issues… It’s been ten out of ten, 1000 per cent, would recommend to anyone who qualifies for it.”
Shawn
“It’s nice to just step into the shower, wash myself and continue on with my day. No having to wait for my leg to dry out or if you’ve taken a really hot shower your leg can swell for up to 10 minutes after your shower. That has streamlined my life massively. It used to take me over an hour and a half to get ready for work and I may have had to try and put my leg on two and three times to make it fit. With OI, it’s just click it on and go. It’s kind of like those old cooking appliances, you just set it and forget it. It’s on, it’s there and you don’t worry about it for the rest of the day.”
Pete
“It’s so advantageous that I honestly don’t think about it… Once it goes on at 7 o’clock, it’s on at 7 o’clock and it doesn’t come off until 11 (pm). I don’t adjust it, I don’t do anything, but I get out of bed, I put my leg on, it takes two seconds instead of the traditional minute and a half for a socket – just goes on.”
Pete
“Being a user of prosthetics who only has one hand, I can actually clamp it and unclamp it with my hook, which is important because if something happens, and I can’t use my hand, I can still get my leg off with my hook, so for me, that’s been a really good advantage.”
Shawn
“I’m as close the old me as you can get me. So, I’m pretty happy with that.”
Pete
“I used to have in incredible amount of hip pain, and I have not had any hip pain since my OI. I’m completely back balanced out and it’s definitely done a lot of good for me from the physical aspect of things.”
Shawn
“I had issues like everybody does with a socket – blisters, sweat, aches, pains. I have none of that with OI. And I actually am pain free. …The surgery didn’t hurt, my gait doesn’t hurt, my hips don’t hurt, my knees don’t hurt, my back doesn’t hurt. Do I get tired like somebody with two legs does? Sure. But my confidence is up for walking.”
Pete
“I use my dog as my marker. I used to get home from work and I wouldn’t even take my dog for a walk. I would just throw the ball for her in the park because I could barely get around after work. Now, I can outwalk my dog. She starts lagging along and wants to lay down… My confidence and my steps have gone up. The amount that I can walk is just through the roof.”
Shawn
Thanks to both Pete and Shawn for taking the time to join us for our Osseointegration Reunion.
If you’d like to chat with a PBO Group Prosthetist to learn more about whether Osseointegration might be a good option for you, use our online form to book a complimentary initial appointment. You can also take our simple online assessment as a first step in determining if you might be a good candidate for Osseointegration.
