The Active Amputee

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ August 4, 2021 ⎮ Inform

USB charger tested on tour

This is a game-changer for active amputees. Honestly. The possibility to charge my micro-processor knee from a power bank finally takes away the - in my exes rather annoying - limitation of needing to be near an electricity outlet every four to five days. Because even if I am somewhere near a socket, charging my leg is not always as straightforward as you might think. I have spent many weeks on numerous campgrounds and still found it hard to charge my leg regularly. But these days are over now. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ Juli 28, 2021 ⎮ Inform

Flash floods and creative downtime

Hi there, greetings from Hoffnungsthal (the Valley of Hope). I hope these lines find you all well and in good spirits. This is just a quick update from me and a little explanation why it's been quiet here on the blog (and the podcast, too). read more

Guest post by Wendi Locatelli ⎮ Juli 8, 2021 ⎮ Inform

Amputee parenthood IV: Parenthood after sepsis

In our last article of The Active Amputee’s Spring Special on amputee parenthood we hear from sepsis survivor and quadruple amputee Wendi Locatelli. Wendi talks openly about her physical, mental and emotional challenges. She talks openly about her fears that her children are teased because of their mother’s disability. And she talks about the immense relief of having a husband, a family and wider community to fall on onto, to rely on, to help. read more

Guest post by Linda Olson ⎮ Juli 7, 2021 ⎮ Inform

Amputee parenthood III: Triple amputee and young mother

Oh no! This can’t be right! I looked at the positive home pregnancy test again. Come on, make that color change some more. I sat still for a while and waited. Pregnancy was not on my list of things to do right now. Nine months earlier I’d lost both legs above the knee and my right arm just below the shoulder in a train vs car accident. I learned to walk with prostheses using a quad cane and was planning to move back to Los Angeles where I would live by myself and finish the last nine months of my Radiology residency. My thump-thud, toy-soldier walk was loud and looked funny but got me where I needed to go. Doing things with one hand was becoming easier. read more

Guest post by Joana Waterton ⎮ Juli 6, 2021 ⎮ Inform

Amputee parenthood II: Pregnant as an amputee

Joanna lost her leg in a mountaineering accident. She has what is called a Chopart amputation. That means that she has retained a load- bearing heel bone and heel pad. However, due to a needed shortening her amputation presents as a Symes (which is an amputation through the heel bone). Joanna can walk short distances without a prosthesis. Only a few years after her accident, Joanna is expecting her first child. In this personal article she shares her experience of being pregnant while still getting used to her new life as an amputee. read more

Guest post by Jasmin Lindenmaier ⎮ Juli 5, 2021 ⎮ Inform

Amputee parenthood I: Whether to have children or not

This week it’s all about being an amputee parent. Even without a limb difference, the idea of suddenly being responsible for a child can be daunting. Immense joy is often mixed with feelings of fear and being completely overwhelmed. Even more so if you are an amputee. So throughout the course of this week we hear from four amputees, learning about their thoughts on parenthood. Jasmin, a young women from Germany with an above knee amputation - and a regular contributor to The Active Amputee - kicks-off our Summer Special on parenthood as a person with a limb difference. read more

Guest post by Access Adventures ⎮ June 30, 2021 ⎮ Inform, inspire & engage

Getting ready for an action-filled summer on the water

Summer is here. And with it a great season to try out something new. With the lock-down of recent months coming to an end (and hopefully doing so for good), many of us are eager to get out and be active. This is where Access Adventures comes in, an amazing organization aiming to improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities through organising outdoor adaptive camps. So if you fancy trying water-skiing, wakeboarding, kayaking, biking, kiting or the like Access Adventures might be what you are looking for. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ May 26, 2021 ⎮ Inform

OttoBock's 3R80

Looking through my analytics from this side, I noticed that a review I did of OttoBock's 3R80 some time back still attracts loads of interest from the audience. So I though I re-publish this article, make it easier to find, and thus bring it back to people's attention. Learn more about the 3R80 and for whom this leg might be a great choice. read more

Guest post by Kim Cremer ⎮ May 12, 2021 ⎮ Inform & engage

Peer support systems and education

Today I have the pleasure of posting an article from Kim Cremer's blog 'Life goes on, even with a limp'. Many of you probably know Kim aka Kimii.b.c from Instagram. Kim and I plan to do collaborate every now and then over the coming months. And today's post is the kick-off for this new cooperation. And it sheds light on the need for a peer support system and more honest education for amputees at the very beginning of their journey. read more

Gast Beitrag von Kim Cremer ⎮ May 12, 2021 ⎮ Inform & engage

Peers und Aufklärung

Heute habe ich das Vergnügen, einen Artikel aus Kim Cremers Blog 'Das Leben geht weiter, auch wenn es humpelt' zu posten. Viele von euch kennen Kim aka Kimii.b.c wahrscheinlich von Instagram. Kim und ich haben vor, in den kommenden Monaten ab und zu zusammenzuarbeiten. Und der heutige Beitrag ist der Startschuss für diese neue Kollaboration. Und er wirft ein Licht auf die Notwendigkeit eines Peer-Support-Systems und ehrlicherer Aufklärung für Amputierte, die noch ganz am Anfang ihrer Reise stehen. read more

Gast-Beitrag von Stella Pocher ⎮ May 5, 2021 ⎮ Inform & engage

Standphasen-unterstützende Übungen aus der Gehschule

Das Gehen ist ein komplexes Zusammenspiel von Bewegungen der Gelenke, der Muskelaktivität und der Wahrnehmung der einzelnen Körperpositionen. Ein Gangzyklus setzt sich aus Standphase (60%) und Schwungphase (40%) zusammen. Ein zentraler Punkt in der Gehschule ist die neu zu erlernende Verlagerung des Körperschwerpunktes zur Prothesenseite, um eine sichere Standphase während des Gehens zu ermöglichen. read more

Guest post by Jonathan Naber ⎮ April 7, 2021 ⎮ Inform, inspire & engage

Recycle for mobility 

There is great inequality in the worldwide distribution of prosthetic components: The supply is worst in populations with the highest need. It’s tragic that so many components are oversupplied in higher-income countries while countless people in lower- and middle-income countries remain immobilized by the lack of components. The solution to improving supply doesn’t lie in catchy ‘appropriate technology for the poor’. Instead it lies in improved access to components that already exist. To achieve this we must all be part of the solution: We must all choose to recycle for mobility.  read more