Amputate a healthy limb?

"I wouldn't amputate a healthy limb"
"I'm not amputating your healthy limb"
"Why do you want a healthy limb removed"
etc...

Those statement are oft used, in refusing to amputate the limb of a person with biid.

However, there are a few problems and issues I've with those statements.



One of which is that those statement are purely made on assumptions.

Although from the outside it may appear healthy.

I apologize in advance for using another cancer reference, quite a few cancer start out with the appearance (at least from the outside) of a healthy tissue.

But the question is, is the nervous system of that limb healthy?

From the appearance it would seem so, but that is only based on that the limb does seem to function, from the outside.

Could there be some sort of short in the nervous system in that limb? I would think that it could be a possibility.

Could there be some sort of short in the nervous system from the affected limb? Again, another possibility.

Could the short be somewhere in the spinal cord? My uneducated guess, is it is another option to consider.

Could a short be in the brain? Another possibility.

Could it be a combination of the above? Yet another possibility.


However the question remains, is the affected limb actually a healthy limb?

I can already hear what some might say, it functions.

My response to that, is teeth with cavities function, hearts with pacemakers function, dentures function, prosthetic legs function, broken feet function. In so much as they get the intended job accomplished, but that does not mean that they are in fact healthy.

I think the most analogous example would be that wisdom teeth function, although the example may not be as pointed or direct in comparison and possibly a bit of a stretch (more of probably a long stretch). For the most part the tooth in and of itself is fairly healthy. However it affects the function of the other teeth or jaw, so the wisdom teeth are than remove..

For purpose of argument here, let's assume that the limb is healthy, however, the limb affects the function of the things connected to and around it. Shouldn't the limb (as with the teeth) than be removed? Especially if the limb interferes with the activities considered to be essential in daily living, and sustaining said life,including functionally, physical, but more importantly both mentally and emotionally?

All that aside, the question remains, is the affected limb in fact healthy?

Given, that most doctors chalk it up to some kind of mental disorder and leave it at that. We may never know...

-David