“Lots of operations, mountains of morphine and still excruciating pain. My ankle osteoarthritis had been treated and I had lost my zest for life. In 2019 I asked myself for the first time: am I going to have my lower leg amputated or am I going to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair? In a dissertation I read that 70 percent of people developed phantom pain after amputation, but also that 98 percent thought their quality of life improved. That was decisive for me.
Another body
My surgery went well: the common phantom pain did not occur and I did indeed regain my quality of life. I was terribly happy. My body has undeniably changed. That is and remains difficult, but my prosthesis is part of me. I therefore had myself measured for a variant without a ‘body’ and omit all kinds of tricks to disguise it with clothing. The iron is open and bare, what you see is what you get. Of course I still have something to be desired. In the run-up to a repair operation, I was still in a wheelchair for seven months. The pounds flew by. Before all the misery started, I was very sporty.
Sports prosthesis
I tried a sports prosthesis for six months through a loan project. Great, I was able to run again. However, the health insurer does not reimburse its own copy. Unbelievable but true: they don’t think a sports prosthesis is effective for me. I could pay for it out of pocket, but it became a matter of principle and I filed a lawsuit. I fervently hope I win, for all the people and children who are sidelined in this way.”