Pursuing an Alternative
Eventually, Stacey and her care team began exploring a different path — bone-anchored prosthetics. With the support of her surgeon, she decided to move forward with the OPRA™ Implant System.
Life With OPRA™
Now, a year and a half after receiving the OPRA™ Implant System, Stacey says her life is “not even recognizable” compared to before. “Immediately, you get feedback in the bone — it was like a light bulb went off. I thought, this is amazing.”
Her daily routine is simple and seamless. “I wake up, grab my leg, pop it on — it takes two seconds — and I go about my life.” Unlike with a socket, Stacey can wear her prosthesis all day, from morning to night, without discomfort or interruption. “I don’t trip and fall. I walk normally. I don’t have to think about where my foot is.”
Returning to the Life She Loves
Today, Stacey is back to doing what she loves most — working, staying active, and spending time with her family. She runs her salon, switches easily between different types of footwear — from flats to heels to riding boots — and spends her days in the barn with her horses. “My family would agree that I’m a completely different person now,” she says. The difference extends far beyond daily routines. It’s about being present for the moments that matter. “My daughter is an equestrian, and we recently traveled to South Africa for her competition,” Stacey shares. “Before, that kind of trip would have been torture. Now, it didn’t even cross my mind.” “Instead of watching life from the sidelines, I get to experience it with her again.”
Her daughter agrees: “I feel like she’s back to the mom I knew when I was little.”
A Simpler, More Confident Way Forward
Even daily care has become easier. “With a socket, I was constantly dealing with skin issues,” Stacey explains. “Now, I just clean the area at night — it’s simple. If I’ve had a long day, I wipe it down and that’s it. It’s so much easier.” More than anything, OPRA™ has given Stacey back a sense of confidence and freedom.
“I can walk confidently without worrying,” she says. “I don’t second-guess my movement anymore.”
For Stacey, the impact of OPRA™ is difficult to fully put into words — but the feeling is clear. “The difference is indescribable until you actually experience it,” she says. “It gave me my life back.”
Stacey's story
Struggling With a Socket
Following her amputation, Stacey relied on a traditional socket prosthesis — but it never truly worked for her.
“My socket and leg were like an enemy to me,” she explains. “It was just a way to get from one side of the room to the other.”
Daily life became a constant cycle of discomfort and maintenance. Skin breakdown, irritation, and cleaning routines made even simple tasks exhausting.
“It’s a lot of work in a socket to keep your skin in good condition,” Stacey says. “You’re constantly dealing with issues — cleaning, applying creams, trying to manage the pain.”
Despite it all, giving up was never an option.
“I could have just laid on the couch,” she says. “But I couldn’t do that. I still wanted to be myself. I refused to give up my life.”
