My sister is going through surgery tommorow...

[Omar]

My sister is going to get an amputation of her leg, hip disarticulation to be specific, tommorow morning. They are basically going to remove her whole left leg because of the tumors she has had for over 3 years now.

The hard part is that she is 11 years old and we dont know how she will take it and cope with it.

She is planned to get a prosthesis. My question is that is there anyone here or knows anyone who has gone through the same experience (not just the ampuation of leg, but anything) who can talk to me? Times like this makes you feel all alone and dont know what to do. You feel so helpless.

I just want to know how people dealt with this and what they did to move on. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks alot, - Omar

[240Knightrider]

my mom has gone through a lot of surgerys and its not like you get used to it but it gets a little easier as I go along. I am very sorry to hear about that and wish the best for her, you and your family and I pray the surgery goes well.

[silkk]

aww.. i hope everything goes a-okay!

[JESTER]

Man tht really sucks. I hate to hear that. My step mom has been through some stuff, but not amputation.

Had cancer, took cemo, got rid of cancer. cemo caused liver problem, got a new liver. got cancer agian. Strong little woman.

Dude, I hope everything goes well for your sister. Our prayers are with her and your family.

[dr!ft]

Man, I wish the best for you, your family, and most importantly your sister. Hope everything is okay and goes well!

[DAEDALUS]

I'm very sorry to hear that. I haven't had anything quite so severe, but there was a short period in my life when I truly believed I would never walk again and when I actually wanted the docs to amputate my leg. This was 7 years ago after a motorcycle accident left my femur shattered. I have no ACL in my right leg, which is still swollen and frequently in pain, and I'm limited in physical activities. I don't think I will ever "get over it," partly because it was someone else's fault. My knee sounds like a ratchet every time I climb stairs, so of course I still think about my "disablility" every day, plus my leg looks like a patchwork quilt if you know what I mean. After 7 years, sure it's less of a big deal emotionally. The first year was really hard. I could not accept things the way they were at first, and that was the hardest part. All I could think about from morning to night was how I wanted my life back. But life goes on, and I was forced to deal with it, even at a slow pace. I do most things I would be doing if I never had the accident...daily life stuff. The physical activity just hurts more. I'm worried I'll have bad arthritis in my knee in my 40s or 50s.I can't say how your sister will feel. I read stories about people who lose so much yet come out of it stronger than ever. A teenage surfer from Hawaii who lost her arm to a shark less than a year ago recently competed in a surf championship. I will never be that strong, but some people are. I think--and this is just my opinion--the best thing your family can do is to be there for her and support her, but do not pity her, or at least do not show it. Imagine how she would feel if she saw you or your parents crying over her situation. It would only confirm negative emotions. Let her know you love her, but go easy with the sympathy. And do not let her pity herself. That is the worst thing possible. Don't force anything on her, but subtly make it easy for her to do as much as she can that she did before she got sick. Public appearances might be avoided for a little while, unless she wants to go somewhere. I will keep your sister in my thoughts. I hope things turn out as well as possible.

[downshift]

My prayers go out to you, your sis, and your family bro. The healin process may be slow but i hope that she has a successful recovery and a prosperous life. But as long as you and the rest of her family are their for her, she will never be alone.

[Mr1der]

that sucks, but I hope she never views it as a handicap. regardless of better parking:)

at her age, talking to her might not help her as much as she can just help herself. It's probably gonna be a while before she comes around and starts acting more like she normally would though. Granted, I'm saying this without even knowing her but it's something you gotta get used to.

hell, in these times, you never know, she could go on to set world records in sprinting:)