Lee's Story
A decade ago, Lee had an accident that resulted in the amputation of both his legs below the knee. He then struggled for years with poorly fitting prosthetics, limiting his function. He sought help and was seen by a Burke physiatrist at the Outpatient Physician Practice located on the White Plains campus, where he described his experience as “eye opening and challenging.”
“I arrived at Burke believing I’d already reached my full potential as a functional double amputee, but I was gladly proven wrong,” said Lee. “Burke provided me with the opportunity to unlock even more of my own potential and awaken an inner drive to not just put one foot in front of the other but stride with confidence.”
The team at Burke worked with him and a local prosthetist to get him new, properly fitting, and higher function prosthetics and recommended that he be admitted to the hospital for prosthetic training “boot camp.”
Haris Choudry, MD, MPH, a Burke physiatrist with a specialty in Amputee (Limb Loss) Rehabilitation commented on Lee’s recovery.
“The goal was to set him up for long term success with his new prosthetics and to improve his quality of life. He progressed greatly, from struggling to put on his prosthetics and balance himself to doing stairs and walking long distances on all surfaces and through all environmental barriers.”
Lee felt encouraged working with his rehabilitation team. “They listened to me, and I was engaged in actively making my legs and body work better for me. This was certainly a challenge for all concerned given the fact that I’m a 6’ 6” 300+lbs. I left even more functional than I did when I arrived.”
He also received clear direction from his therapists. “Every single exercise was explained and a reason for its use was given. I never once felt that I was unsure, unsafe or unclear about what I was doing or what was expected of me.”
Lee will continue his recovery with outpatient physical therapy and follow-up appointments with his physician at Burke. His focus is improving his function with a goal of returning to work and traveling overseas. He started this journey by participating in the our annual Heels & Wheels 5k, something he previously thought would not be possible.
“His positive attitude and his desire to work hard serves as a model for other limb loss patients as to how far they can recover,” noted Dr. Choudry.
Patients like Lee have additional resources including participation in The Burke Amputee Support Group where community members and patients receive the tools and resources they need as well as opportunities to connect with others living with an amputation.
