Liz Phelps probably never would have guessed that she would suffer an amputation of several fingers three years after her husband, Jay, lost his leg in a sawmill accident, yet she has recovered physically, mentally, and economically. Liz shares personal insights on how to recover after an accident that results in the loss of limbs.
The Accident that Severed Three Fingers
Liz, who prefers to be called by her first name, was helping to clean at her husband’s wood product business. She “leaned behind a machine to knock some wood pieces from behind the machine…I slipped, my right foot hit the pedal, and I threw myself forward to keep from falling. My forward momentum placed my left hand directly under the razor sharp blade and it cut off the three middle fingers of my left hand through the knuckles. Ow!”*
How an Amputation Can Affect a Person’s Professional Life
The amputation had the potential to devastate her professional life. Liz is currently the accountant for her husband’s business. This involves typing and she says, “I knew how to type before I lost three fingers, and now, if I stop and think about it, I can't type, but if I concentrate on my thoughts and let my fingers do their own thing, I can type.”
Liz prefers to go without her prosthetic fingers the majority of the time, but she did “get two sets of prosthetic fingers (one for summer--tan, and one for winter--no tan)” partially because she worked as a model. Although many may see a modeling career as based solely on a “perfect” look, Liz found that “professionalism and a good sense of humor takes you further in life than any education or good looks could ever do…One of the clients I had done a good bit of work for was willing to turn the entire set around to accommodate my injured hand.” Although Liz does not currently model due to other career constraints, she credits her easy-going personality with her ability to get modeling jobs after the accident.
Her accident unexpectedly launched a new career. “I stayed at Mom’s house while convalescing and got bored. I picked up a romance novel and started reading. I told my mom I could write one myself. I did, and eight manuscripts and eight years later, I got my first contract with a publishing house. It was harder than it looked. Think about it, I am a writer with seven fingers. Ya gotta love it.”
How an Amputation Can Affect Someone’s Personal Life
Three months of physical therapy was painful, but Liz found that the therapists were “the most gentle people I met during the whole ordeal.” During the first year, Liz reports that she overused her pinky and it swelled. “I had to learn to ‘baby’ my little finger and save it for important things: like typing…early on, Jay and I made a pact; I handle all the leg work once he takes his leg off in the evening, and he opens any and all things hard to open or handle. I haven't had too many problems.”
Liz focuses on the positive side of life: “In all honesty, the injury didn’t affect my personal life. I accepted it and moved on quickly, but my husband wasn’t so lucky. He told a friend of ours that my accident was the worst thing he’d ever lived through and that included his own accident in which he almost died three times on the operating table. He’s a great hubby.”
Survivor’s Advice for Positive Attitude After an Amputation
Liz encourages amputation survivors to “look for opportunities that will arise out of difficult situations, and they will. If you wallow in self-pity, you may miss something special and unique that God has planned for you. Our motto at the Phelps household is: Whatever it takes. Do it.”
In thinking about the future, Liz says, “There are hard bumps in the road – trust me, I’ve hit about every one of them – but don’t let them slow you down.”
Surviving and Thriving After an Amputation
An unexpected injury left Liz Phelps with three less fingers, but she adapts and has discovered a passion for a new career in writing in the midst of the healing process. Surrounded by the love and support of family and friends, Liz keeps laughing and living her life to the fullest while encouraging others who suffer an amputation to look beyond the injury to remember that “life is short – enjoy the time you have been allotted.”
Liz’s book entitled Mirror Images [The Wild Rose Press, ISBN: 1-60154-625-4] is a romantic suspense novel and was released in March 2010. She is also working on several other books. Readers can learn more about Liz’s writing at her web site.
*Quotes are from a 10/19/09 interview.
Readers may also want to read:
- How to Help Someone Who Has an Amputated Limb, which gives practical tips about how to support someone who has experienced the loss of a limb
- Humor Has Healing Power After Amputation, which takes a look at how two couples used humor to cope after both partners experienced amputations.
- Guide Dogs and Service Dogs Help Disabled Vets, which gives information about how disabled veterans can obtain a guide dog or service dog for free or for a very low cost
Katrena Wells - Katrena Wells is a RN in NC with 17 1/2 years of experience in oncology, an educator since 1995, and has taught exercise classes since ...
Join the Conversation