I can totally understand and sympathise with two of the victims of this event. While investigations continue into the causes of the incident rumble on, I'd like to put forward my perspective.
The after effects for the victims will probably last a lifetime. Firstly there's the recovery from surgery, the six weeks it takes to heal the stump area, the intense physio to build up muscles and strength again. Then there's the pam aid walking, which is a metal framed leg device with an inflatable internal cushion with which the stump sits. This enables an amputee to practice walking before one gets a prosthetic.
At around eight weeks post amputation you'll be fitted with the prosthetic, this is where the hard work starts and in my case where realisation hit. It feels odd, it's painful, you can't feel what you stand on, you have no control over it. You have to learn how to put the prosthetic on, take it off and how to adjust your stump sock wear to fit correctly.
Learning to put on a shoe is frustrating, there's a nack to it and you need a shoe horn handy at all times. The first thing you do in a morning is out the leg on, the last thing at night is take it off. In the early days you'll forget your limb isn't there any more and you'll fall more than once. The phantom pain is horrific and confuses you completely.
Once you're up and walking (eventually) you'll suffer hip and back pain because your posture and gate have altered so much. Your balance will be effected and you'll sometimes walk like you're drunk. You'll carry spare limb, stump socks, and sleeves that hold the leg on everywhere you go. I call it my leg bag.
Standing in the shower is difficult, climbing the stairs is difficult, just walking across a room to turn on the light becomes such an effort.
You feel ugly, you almost grieve for your limb, it took me a long time to pluck up the courage to go to a swimming pool and wear a swimsuit. Even now showing my scars is difficult. As you get older your mobility gets worse, your remaining limb becomes tired as it compensates weight wise for the other, it bloody hurts...and still the phantom pain is there.
It's an impossible struggle some days....I now only drive automatics, and I've had my leg fall off in public. However, you get used to it, you develop a dark sense of humour and you survive, life becomes bearable and fulfilling again.
You have a disability, and you go through massive changes, but you do get your life back, when the anger clears you realise how lucky you are and you become determined to get on with it.
Suddenly you develop a routine and you no longer think I can't do that. Instead you think how can I do this in a different way, you problem solve.
Life changes totally, but life goes on. It's the same for anyone who suffers life changing injuries or disability. No one should go anywhere and come back maimed, whether that be on a theme park ride or simply walking down the road.
Any compensation received in cases like this goes towards giving the person in question a better or manageable life, it truly helped me.
I send my best wishes to all involved and wish them a speedy recovery, and I hope they get the answers they'll need to get closure on it all. Closure.....it does eventually come and when it does live and love life. You made it through, you survived, get on with it! It gets better!
My thoughts are of course with her and her family/friends. Can't imagine what it must be like
