Restoring Hope: Grand Prosthetics & Orthotics Paves the Road to Recovery
By Savanah Mandeville
For someone facing the loss of one or both of their legs, life as they knew it may feel over forever.
Fortunately, with state-of-the-art prosthetic technology and modern procedures for healing and care, a new amputee can be back on two feet and living life independently faster than ever.
Grand Prosthetics & Orthotics LightWeight Artificial Limbs & Braces in Grove, Oklahoma, offers the latest in prosthetics and care. Owners Dave and Beverly Helms and their son, Andy, have a combined 90 years of certified experience creating custom prosthetics and have helped thousands of amputees find their new normal and regain their independence.
Adjusting to life with a prosthesis is a journey that requires expert advice, instruction and support. Life can and will bear semblance to life pre-amputation, but first one must not fall and must learn the proper way to care for and wrap the residual limb, the proper way to put on and remove the prosthesis, how to walk and move while wearing the prosthesis and more.
“Our job is not just to build custom prosthetics – we treat the whole person,” said Beverly Helms. “It’s our mission to realistically build their confidence in their own ability, encourage them to persevere and comply with rehab care. We always strive to keep to a minimum the time needed between healing of tissue and fitting of the prosthesis, thus reducing deformities.”
The Helmses like to see a new amputee the day of or shortly after the staples or sutures were removed.
“Time is of the essence during the healing process,” Beverly said. “We like to begin working with patients as quickly as possible, so we can reinforce necessary treatments to avoid disease progression and begin teaching them self-care processes to maximize their rehabilitation potential.”
Some of that advice includes elevation of the distal below-knee residual limb, proper application and removal of shrinking devices, proper exercise and massage techniques, and more. These procedures help decrease adhesions, promote circulation and healing, and increase the patient’s awareness and acceptance of the residual limb to, in turn, minimize phantom pain.
“If a patient meets with us the day of suture removal, follows all of our healing instructions, and doesn’t have any additional needs, we can typically fit them with their own custom-made prosthesis just two to three months after the amputation,” Beverly said.
That’s right – if all goes according to plan, a new amputee can be up and walking on two legs again in as little as two months following surgery.
No two prostheses are alike. Grand Prosthetics & Orthotics LightWeight Artificial Limbs & Braces specializes in custom-built prosthetics that are designed to fit each patient’s individual shape for maximum comfort and support. Once the prosthesis is fit, the patient begins the process of learning walking and more.
“We fit the most safe, technologically functional, cosmetic prosthesis possible, but the amputee’s physiological and psychological abilities determine how well they can walk,” Beverly said. “We teach the patient to safely don and doff the prosthesis, adjust stump socks, troubleshoot skin and gait problems, and basic use of the prosthesis. We encourage new amputees to seek physical therapy to reinforce self-care, be motivated, learn gait instruction, climb steps, and learn how to fall, to get up and how to work at ground level without kneeling on the amputated side in addition to their own individualized protocol.”
Grand Prosthetics & Orthotics LightWeight Artificial Limbs & Braces is in the business of restoring hope to those going through a difficult physical and emotional change. A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step – allow Dave and Beverly Helms to help you take that step.