Whether you are adjusting to life with an amputation or are a long-time prosthetic user, one key strategy that may help is a small survival kit. A small bag that you always have with you that can help with any complications that might arise if you are away from home. It is good to consider having this bag with you whether you are away on holidays or just out for the day. Not every kit will look the same, you have to find out what works best for you, but we wanted to give you a few suggestions that might help you to start to build your survival kit.
Prosthetic wipes or any type of wipes are a good place to start. If you are not at home and your residual limb becomes irritated, wipes are an easy way to clean both your limb and the prosthetic liner. Wipes have the advantage of not needing any water source to be used. So even if you are hiking in the mountains, you can be sure to keep your residual limb clean and less irritated. Try to find a wipe that is free of perfumes and alcohol.
Prosthetic socks for limb volume adjustments and a prosthetic antiperspirant in your kit is a good way to combat any excessive moisture caused by sweating which could irritate your residual limb and lead to a sore if it is not dealt with. There are even socks designed that specifically help with moisture control.
Rubbing causes friction which can irritate areas on your residual limb. To help fight that carry some type of lubricant in your survival kit. If you are away from home, it will be an easy way to keep the area moisturized.
Carrying a few key tools in your survival kit such as any spare parts you may need, an allen key and silicon glue will give you the reassurance that you are equipped with tools to help you if your prosthetic was compromised in some way. Depending on what type of prosthetic you have, these tools could be slightly different but an allen key is light and fairly universal so it could help with tightening screws if it is the only option. Silicon glue will come in particularly handy if you have a new liner. If your new liner does not seem to be sealing properly it can be used to create extra stripes or it can also be used to seal tiny leaks or broken valves temporarily.
Depending on what activities you plan on doing while you are away from home your survival kit could look different all the time, but the items listed above are good standard items to start with. If you have any questions about what should be in your survival kit, feel free to reach out to us by emailing [email protected] or call 1-204-233-3942.
RESOURCES
https://www.theactiveamputee.org/2022/06/15/what-s-in-my-amputee-emergency-kit/
https://amputeestore.com/blogs/amputee-life/how-to-build-an-amputee-survival-kit