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
A few years ago, Carla shared in her previous experience story how, after the amputation of her legs and arm due to dystrophy, she unexpectedly learned to walk again with her prosthetic legs. Since then, she has taken enormous steps – both literally and figuratively. Carla has started running on blades and she talks more about it in the interview. "Running really feels like freedom to me!"
Read Carla's story
"I have a complex condition, with open wounds on my shins and it’s a journey to figure out how to manage that. At Protec, they think along with me and help me find solutions."
Read Frank's story
"Renee had a moped accident at the age of 16 and has been wearing a leg prosthesis ever since. She has been a client at our Utrecht location for several years and first got to know Protec in Amsterdam: "What a special place! You absolutely don’t feel like a patient, because there is no medical atmosphere at all. The small-scale setting also creates a great feeling. Actually, it’s hard to explain—you have to experience it."
Read Renee's story
