2023 Upper Limb Library Year in Review

Well, here we are again at the end of the year. As I write this, Hannukah is being celebrated, Christmas carols are everywhere, and the days are getting shorter. In this time of reflection, we thought we would explore a few end-of-year concepts.

The Top Five Most Popular Articles Written This Year:

1. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) for People with an Upper Limb Difference
2. What is a Hybrid Upper Limb Prosthesis?
3. Eating When You Have an Upper Limb Difference
4. Upper Limb Loss Due to Electrical Shock
5. Exercising When You Have an Upper Limb Difference

The Top Five Things I’ve Learned This Year:

1. Our patients are resilient!
   This year I began interviewing our patients and their spouses over the phone, learning about their experiences and perspectives. They have all been through so much, but they are so generous with their stories and time. You can read my interviews with Darren, Lynda, Doug, Deb and Michael.
   
   
2. Prosthetic technology is advancing all the time.
   When multi-articulating myoelectric hands were first developed, they were sized for men, who, after all, are statistically more likely to have an amputation than women. But there are lots of women and people with smaller hands out there who want a bionic look and better grip options. Just recently, the TASKA CX was released and it’s not only smaller, but it also has other advanced features, like being waterproof!
   
   
3. My colleagues are incredibly passionate about what they do.
   This year I spoke with our clinical therapy specialists, our center patient coordinators and our patient relationship managers. All of them talked about what their job means to them and how grateful they are to help make a difference in our patients’ lives.
   
   
4. Exercise and weightlifting are huge motivators.
   We receive SO MANY emails from people who would like to have a prosthesis that they could use in the gym to exercise and lift weights. Max Okun’s patient profile video is one of our most popular on YouTube, though we also have some great video of our patients Xavier, Claudia and Wendi working out. We get it — people want to stay healthy and challenge themselves while keeping any overuse issues to a minimum.
   
   
5. I still have a lot to learn.
   I’ve been with Arm Dynamics for over four years now, and I’m still learning about what options are available, who our patients are and what they need, and how each team member contributes to helping our patients reach their goals.

Our patient Darren, using his prosthesis to help his daughter stand.

The Top Five Things I’m Looking Forward to Next Year

1. Learning more.
2. Speaking with more of our patients so we can tell their stories and in turn provide inspiration and ideas to others in the limb different community.
3. Helping my colleagues so they can provide optimal prosthetic care to our patients.
4. The satisfaction I feel when coming up with, writing and finishing a blog article.
5. Blog comments! It’s lovely knowing that our articles help people.

That reminds me: If you have any comments on this article, please leave them below. What have you learned this past year? What are you looking forward to next year? Sharing your experiences and ideas in this space can encourage and lift other people who are facing the challenges of limb loss or difference.

If you would like to learn more about how our clinical team can help you or someone you know reach their goals, please contact us to set up a complimentary consultation, either in-person or via telehealth.