Anita Carden’s Mobility Clinic Story
In September 2015, I was hiking at Mt Cook in New Zealand when I rolled my ankle. It was a very insignificant injury to begin with and wasn’t painful at the time. But the morning after on waking, my ankle was black, blue and very swollen. I couldn’t bear weight and was in a lot of pain.
The pain continually persisted and after visiting multiple different GP’s, a Neurologist and even a Vascular Surgeon, it was a Rheumatologist who diagnosed me with CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). At this point it had been 18 months since the initial injury, the pain was intense and my leg had a contracture in the knee. In June 2018, I decided to undergo an above knee amputation due to unsuccessful treatments to cure CRPS.
Although my life has changed considerably, the amputation has been the best treatment option for me. 12 months down the track and I’m mobile again, something that would not have been possible had I kept my dysfunctional limb. It’s been a lot of hard work and persistence, but I now lead a very active life and my pain is gone. I’ve found there is a lot of support for amputees and prosthetics these days are amazing.
In April 2019, I attended the Össur Mobility Clinic held on the Gold Coast as I wanted to meet other amputees and get advice on how to be more mobile. Since attending the Clinic, it has helped me gain the knowledge and confidence I needed to move forward.
What I found most beneficial from the Clinic is learning how to walk in a prosthetic, what muscles to use, how to keep a positive attitude after limb loss and learning exercise techniques that I can use in my everyday life. My mobility has significantly improved since attending the Clinic and I walk every day while using the techniques I learnt. I had a wonderful experience and will definitely attend again.
Limb loss certainly isn’t the end of an active happy life, it’s quite the opposite. It can be the beginning of new challenges and wonderful opportunities. I really believe that a positive attitude goes a long way to how someone copes with limb loss. With the right attitude and persistence, anything is possible.