Summer is packed with long, sunny days, warm nights, and loads of outdoor activities. Whether it’s filling a bag with fresh produce at the local farmer’s market, cheering on your favorite team at a baseball game, picnicking in the park, or heading to the beach, summertime offers endless opportunities to get outdoors. For amputees, enjoying summer also means managing heat and sweat, avoiding skin irritation, and protecting your prosthesis. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a few suggestions to help your summer be splendid.
Keep Those Flips From Flopping
Having a prosthetic foot doesn’t mean giving up flip-flops or sandals. To secure your summer flip-flops, place one side of a heavy-duty strip of Velcro with self-adhesive backing on the insole of your flip-flop and place the other strip on the bottom of your foot shell. While this technique helps with sandals also, choosing models with multiple and sturdy straps will be more secure.
Banish Bacteria
Keep a travel size pack of antimicrobial wipes with you. Bacteria breeds more quickly in the summer heat. Any brand of wipes that is specified for hand use will work for a quick cleaning of both limb and liner when full washing isn’t possible.
Sandy Solution
Stash a soft bristled brush in your beach bag. Soft brushes are an effective way to quickly remove dry sand from skin and prosthetic equipment without scratching or irritation. A large, soft-bristled paintbrush from your local hardware store is inexpensive and highly effective.
Embrace the Crutch
Summertime is outdoor time and that often means more walking, more sweating, and more stress on a residual limb. Give your limb a break and use crutches for a day. It’s an efficient and easy way to reduce rubbing, blisters, and bruising. Plus, a crutch day gives your limb some recovery time for tomorrow’s adventure.
