My name is Russ Thomas. I am a 44 year old factory worker. I enjoy outdoor living by working with horses, camping, fishing, and indoors, woodworking. March 13, 2004 was a cold Saturday morning that I was taking a tree down in my backyard to make room for an add on to our home. Using a ladder to remove a large branch from an adjacent tree, I neglected to follow the basic ladder safety rules that I had learned as a Volunteer Firefighter. As the branch fell the brush end of it hit the ground causing a spring effect which drove the branch end into the ladder where I was approximately 15 feet up. I came down feet first but the outside of my right foot hit the stump where it met the grass. As I lay there with my foot angled out and I couldn’t bring it back, I then realized that this would probably cost me about 6-8 weeks off of work. Yea right.

I had immediate surgery to repair a crushed ankle and part of my tibia came through the inside of my leg. Clinically an open reduction, internal fixation. After an initial 5 day hospital stay from surgery it was discovered that I had contracted  (osteomyelitis) or staph infection that was deep into the bone. Due to the infection I never had a good healing union of the fracture. I had an additional 4 surgeries to attempt to remove the infection with each attempt whittling away a little more bone each time. I spent 10 of those months with 5 different PICC lines in my arm doing as many as 2 I.V. antibiotic’s a day at home to no avail. One of those PICC lines caused a blood clot in my arm that required giving myself 2 blood thinner injections a day in the stomach.

By March of 2005, one year later, my surgeon attempted an (ankle arthrodesis) or ankle fusion. With the failure of that I went until the end of August walking on the equivalent of a broken ankle. Very painful!!! My surgeon wanted to attempt another fusion.  I had reached a point where I wanted my life back no matter what it took, we have a horse farm that my wife was working solely on her own, she was wearing down also. I spend countless hours researching the internet. The more I researched fusions, the more the word amputation was popping up. As I researched amputation, occasionally I would see information on the ERTL. I would read hours a night, stories that I thank God people told on various websites, business and personal, that led me to making the decision to at least talk with a surgeon about the ERTL. Through many sites I was linked to ertlreconstruction.com. There I was able to find Dr. Attila Poka, a surgeon out of Columbus, Ohio which was 2 hours from my house. I told him my story, and after an initial consultation, and his explanation of the ERTL procedure I was told to contact Ray Francis at the Ohio Willow Wood company just south of Columbus. My first appointment there was life changing. I met other amputee’s some who had previous unsuccessful guillotine amputations, then had revisions to ERTL’s. When I arrived there for my appointment I was understandably nervous about possibly having an amputation. Three hours later I was leaving there a bit envious of those who had already had their amputations. They were living normal, very active lifestyles and I was barely walking, with pain every step. After hearing the stories told to me about the difference in having the ERTL, I was gung-ho straight ahead ready and haven’t looked back. I had explained my choice to my previous Ortho, who could do a standard amputation and he said I was making a wise choice, for the ERTL saves as much of the residual limb as possible, and the guillotine has a standard removal point, the more limb you maintain, the more leverage you will have for mobility and a more secure socket fit. October 11th 2005 I had surgery and was fitted with an IPOP (immediate post operative prosthetic) which I wore for about 2 months. I had a cast change at Ohio Willow Wood once per week. Working with Ray and Jeremy, they started to fit me with a temporary socket and foot. 9 weeks post op I was able to start walking with a cane as tolerated. I am not completely healed and have a ways to go yet, but I have more of my life back than I have had in almost 2 years. Friends and family have said I look different in the face, more relaxed, which is attributed to being pain free. I know now that having the amputation gave me back mobility, choosing the ERTL, gave me back my life.

I absolutely have to thank the folks who have shared their stories publicly to help those of us who have lived in fear unsure of our futures, looking for answers. I will share mine to help those after me. Thanks to ertlreconstruction.com for making those resources available. Thanks to Dr. Poka for not only treating the body, but treating the mind. You are an angel. Thanks to Ray Francis and the staff at The Ohio willow Wood Company for making me whole again. Above all, thanks to the many fellow amputee’s whom I have met online and in person who have set an example of courage that has helped me face this head on, and thanks to GOD, I know He have chosen me for a reason; I just haven’t figured it out yet.

Feel free to contact me at thomas@ohiolink.net

UPDATE Feb 2006:

I returned to work last Monday, 2-13-06. It seems like a dream after so much discomfort I am back to work and feeling like my life is just beginning. I am undergoing an 8 week period of physical therapy with my employer for cardio and general strengthening. The only reason I am having such a smooth transition back to work is due to the ERTL procedure and the Ohio Willow Wood Company. I feel I am one of the fortunate one's who have a very long residual limb. Length not withstanding, I know, and can actually feel the strength and stabilty of the Bridge in my limb. 4 months post op and I am wearing my prosthesis 17 hours day, on my feet probably 6 hours, with 2 of those hours being therapy. I will be returning to normal work related activities after this 8 week Work Recovery period. If you are facing the possiblity of an amputation, you need to have the ERTL. It has changed my life!!

Visit my website at OneLegRuss.com