On February 21, 2019, we brought together four amazing PBO Group clients to tell their unique stories about their personal Osseointegration journeys on a Facebook Live broadcast. Two of our panel members had already had their Osseointegration surgeries and two are awaiting their surgeries. The complete 60-minute broadcast can be viewed here, but for those who’d like a sneak peek, we’ve captured eight quotes made during the broadcast that we think do an excellent job of capturing the game-changing impact that Osseointegration can have on a person’s life.
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“In my personal experience, my surgery was paid for by my insurance company and I am very, very grateful for that. I realize that I have an advantage that a lot of people don’t necessarily have, however, I would like to tell you that, no matter what the surgery costs, it’s worth doing. You are going to like the results. I would have sold my house, now, to get the results that I have without knowing it. So, I can simply tell you, if money is a concern and you’re not sure what to do, I guarantee you it’s worth it.”
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“The biggest difference I saw and this is going to sound really stupid, was my posture. When I was in a socket my body dynamics were pushed all the way to the back, so to counteract that you stick out your belly and walk and use your back a lot … With Osseointegration, you’re back loading into the centre of your pelvis, so I no longer have back pain. The back pain has disappeared since I had Osseointegration.”
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“Every morning when you put on that socket, your leg is in a different spot, so your brain has to adjust every morning: where is that foot today? With Osseointegration, it’s in exactly the same place it was yesterday, so your risk of falling goes down dramatically.”
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“My left leg is the one I’m missing. I can tell when my left shoe is undone. Honestly, because the way it fits on, the Osseointegrated leg shifts and changes and sends signals to my femur that I’ve learned to interpret since October that mean, “Hey, your shoe’s undone.”
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“I had skin issues, blisters, sweating, on very hot days things don’t fit properly. When I put my leg on in the morning (now), which literally takes me three seconds and I put it on with an Allen key, it goes in the same spot every time. It lines up every time. I’m aware of where my foot is and what’s going on.”
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“The socket was great for me when I had it and I didn’t know what OI was. My socket was kind of like a Corvette. It’s a good car, you’re really happy with that. There’s nothing to compare it to. Until you get into a Ferrari, which is OI, and all of a sudden, things are so much better. It’s not that they were bad to begin with, it’s that they’re so much better.”
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“For me, having the surgery, there is nothing I did better on a socket than I do now. Everything I do now is better… Perhaps skiing is an issue, perhaps swimming is an issue, perhaps infection is an issue. To me, these are very, very small issues in the big picture of getting better.”
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“I mean, these are mechanical adaptations to make us better. There’s wear and tear on them and if they break, they break. Somebody’s going to fix it. Don’t worry about it… Worrying about when things are going to break to me is not a realistic way to look at OI. You look at it for what it does for you UNTIL it breaks and then you fix it.
If you’d like to learn more about Osseointegration, download our free guide here.
