Rob’s story
Mr. Bakels wears two upper leg prostheses. He had two internal knee prostheses that were rejected by his body, requiring the amputation of both his legs. The doctor who treated him told him that at his age he would never be able to learn to walk again with prosthetic legs.
Your doctor told you that you could no longer walk?
Yes, to my great surprise, the previous rehabilitation doctor said to me: “You are a bit older, learning to walk with two leg prostheses, that will no longer work.” Should you leave it at that? I didn’t. Another doctor referred me to De Hoogstraat. I actually only came there for a liner to make sure the edema would go out of my stump. I had absolutely no expectation that they would start talk about walking again. But the doctor and prosthetist I saw there told me they could get me to walk again, on two prosthetic legs! They did trust it. And so did I!
What did they do at De Hoogstraat and Protec?
At first they made two prosthetic sockets and gave me “stubbies”. Stubbies are prosthetic sockets without sockets and feet, but with a base that you can stand on. You are small and close to the ground, but that makes learning to walk with two amputations easier. You have stiff legs and not the shaky construction of the foot and knee. That’s how I started walking training, twice a week. That was just part of measuring the prosthesis. The instrument makers Rachel and Kas and movement trainer Frank kept talking to each other about how we could take it one step further. It really was a whole process of thinking, doing and researching together.
Rob walks with two upper leg prostheses and is thankful for the fact that he can walk again!
What did you have to do during gait training?
I had to learn to walk over thick mats and around cones, learn to stand still and cover ever greater distances. Videos were made every time and I could see how I was progressing. That helped me a lot to keep going!
Do you still walk with stubbies?
The stubbies were always made a little higher, so that I slowly got used to being a little further off the ground. By training I made my muscles strong, so that I could eventually stand on real prostheses. On both sides with an electronic knee. That took quite a while. But I was well guided by the whole team. Rachel guided me with great patience.
How did you experience the service?
At the previous instrument workshop they said if I had problems with the prostheses: that is your fault. Here it is different. I can ask my orthopedic instrument makers anything, they explain a lot and then they seriously look at what they can do. Very often, some adjustments are made to the prosthesis. They really think along with you!
What do you think of Protec?
I think I’m really pampered there. For example, recently at Protec, because it was lunchtime, I was suddenly offered a sandwich. That just happened to me. I loved that! And the exercise trainer gave me a whole folder with exercises for at home. Everything is well taken care of, everyone is sympathetic and things are well arranged. That makes me very satisfied.
You came for a liner and left with two upper leg prostheses?
Yes, I still think it’s very special! One doctor says that I will never be able to walk again and I should give up hope, and then more than half a year later I started walking with two upper leg prostheses! I am very grateful to the people of De Hoogstraat and Protec for that!
We are only happy when you are
"Before, I sometimes spent an hour and a half in the fitting room without seeing anyone. I also had no idea what was being done to my prosthesis. Here, I sit at the coffee table, have a nice chat, and in the meantime, I quickly get a prosthesis that allows me to walk again. What more could you ask for?"
Read Pierre's story
"I’ve now been a prosthesis user for half a century. For many years, I functioned quite well with my prostheses. I am a visual artist and a teacher, I lead an active life, and I have a job that requires me to stand. I’ve also always traveled a lot. However, I often suffered from sores in my groin, but I kept going. I simply want to do things and not always be focused on my prosthesis, which can limit me."
Read Hilli's story
"I arrived in the morning and left the house at four o'clock with a new prosthesis. At other instrument makers I was cast in plaster, I had to wait weeks for a tube and I had to make adjustments all the time. This was good at once. I could walk away with it right away, the tube fit like a glove. This prosthesis is attached to my leg and feels like one whole. That is quite a progress. Even though I don't walk much, I want to walk stable and good and I can do that again."
Read Marcel's story
