I am Lisa and I am 31 years old. For me, a new life began seven years ago. Although I lost the fight for my leg, which lasted more than two years, I have won new courage and the absolute will to accept the challenges of life!
In December 2010 I got pain in my knee, which finally radiated into my whole leg. After months of painkillers to keep me upright, the devastating diagnosis came: osteosarcoma. A marathon of chemotherapy and operations followed. I received a MUTARS prosthesis because my knee was destroyed by cancer. But I defeated the cancer and life gave me a second chance. I was able to resume my profession in the care of the elderly and gave it 100%. However, my luck lasted only for a short time. A bacteria that led to an infection was more persistent than the cancer and it accompanied me from now on. Two years of countless operations and painkillers later, it was clear to me that my life is more important than my leg. I was ready to sacrifice my leg to save my life!
As the doctors could not guarantee that they could save any part of my leg in the operation, I was happy to wake up with at least a short stump from the anaesthetic. At the age of 24, I now stood for the first time in my life, on one leg!
I learned to walk with a prosthesis and mastered everyday life with a microprocessor knee joint (MPK), which I was told, was the very best technology in the marketplace that science could offer (wrong, as I discovered later!). I needed to have more and I wanted to be independent! Although I could no longer pursue my hobby of horse-riding, I found my fulfilment in my work. For more than five years now I have been working in a nursing home again, caring for the elderly. I love this profession, but I soon realised that I was reaching my limits, with more than 5 kilos of prosthetic, artificial equipment… clutching, hanging and dragging… onto my short stump!
This time, luck was on my side. In Germany, I came across a knee joint, the VGK-S, that could keep up with my needs. This knee joint, weighing less than one kilo – and doing all the functions that my MPK did – gives me the independence and self-determination I need for myself and my job. Even after a 10-hour shift, I no longer need to rest. VGK-S helps me to achieve my goals and to meet the demands I place on myself.
For the first time since my amputation, I feel complete again! I am no longer a person with a handicap! I am simply Lisa, who can achieve everything again.