Living with an artificial leg in Karachi
Most advice about life with a prosthesis is written for countries with smooth pavements, cool weather and chairs at every table. Here, people sit on the floor, ride motorcycles, pray five times a day and sweat from April to October. These guides start from that.
Can you live a normal life with an artificial leg?
Yes. Most people with a well fitted artificial leg return to work, family duties, prayer, travel and social life. Below knee users usually do almost everything they did before. Above knee users do most things, with more effort and some adjustments. What it takes is a socket that fits, proper training, daily care of the skin, and a little planning for heat, water and stairs.
Twelve parts of daily life, one guide each
Stump care
The evening routine, skin problems and what they mean, and keeping the stump a steady size.
Read the guideStairs, slopes, rough ground
Techniques for steps, ramps, kerbs, broken footpaths and crowds, for below and above knee users.
Read the guideRiding a motorcycle
Which side and level make it realistic, how to mount and stop, and when the honest answer is no.
Read the guideNamaz with a leg
Wudu, standing, ruku, sajdah and sitting, with a below knee or above knee leg, and when a chair is right.
Read the guideReturning to work
Standing jobs, desk jobs, driving and manual work. Timing, adjustments, and what to tell an employer.
Read the guideHeat, sweat and monsoon
Rashes, liners, smell, rain and rust. A seasonal routine that keeps you in the leg all year.
Read the guidePhantom pain
Why the missing foot still hurts, what helps at home, and what a doctor can add.
Read the guideDriving a car
Which side and gearbox work, left foot accelerators, hand controls, and the licence.
Read the guideFlying with a leg
Airport security, assistance, swelling at altitude, and what goes in hand luggage.
Read the guideHajj and Umrah
Preparing the leg and your stamina, marble floors, wheelchairs, heat and the packing list.
Read the guideDisability certificate and CNIC
Where to apply in Sindh, the medical board, the documents, and what they unlock.
Read the guideLeg, wheelchair or crutches
What each gives and costs the body, and when we advise against a leg.
Read the guideYour first month at home with the leg
The first weeks decide whether the leg becomes part of you or stays an object in the corner. Build up steadily. Doing too much on day one is the commonest reason for a sore that costs a week.
- Week one: wear the leg one hour, twice a day. Check the skin each time it comes off. Walk indoors only.
- Week two: two hours, twice a day. Add the doorstep and a short walk outside with someone beside you.
- Week three: half days. Try the stairs with a rail, the car, a short visit to the shop.
- Week four: full days if the skin is happy. Take the leg off for a short rest at midday in hot weather.
- Any week: a red mark that lasts more than twenty minutes, or any broken skin, means stop and call us.
How the family helps, and how it can accidentally harm
Helpful
- learning the skin check, especially if eyesight is poor or the patient is diabetic
- walking alongside in the early weeks, on the artificial side
- making the home safe: a rail at the step, a stool in the bathroom, no loose rugs
- expecting the person to do things for themselves again, a little more each week
Well meant, but harmful
- doing everything for them. Strength and confidence are lost in a chair.
- telling them to rest the leg for a few days when it is sore, without telling the clinic
- padding or adjusting the socket at home
- comparing them with someone else who walked sooner. Levels and health differ.
How many hours a day can an artificial leg be worn?
Once you have built up over the first month, most people wear it from morning until bedtime, often fourteen hours or more, with a short break at midday in hot weather. It is never worn to sleep.
Can I drive a car?
With a left below knee leg and an automatic car, driving is usually straightforward. Right sided and above knee users often need an automatic gearbox, a left foot accelerator or hand controls. Check the licence and vehicle rules that apply to you.
Can I bathe with the leg on?
No. Standard legs are not waterproof. Sit on a plastic stool to bathe, with a grab bar if possible. Wet floors and hopping cause more injuries than anything else in the first year.
Will people notice?
Under trousers or shalwar, a below knee leg is rarely noticed once you walk well. An above knee leg is a little more visible in walking. A shaped cosmetic cover fills out the trouser leg. How much you tell people is entirely your choice.
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