Shoulder Disarticulation and Fore Quarter Amputation Treatment in India

Anjali Saxena, a 42-year-old single mother...

Anjali Saxena, a 42-year-old single mother and high school biology teacher, had always been active, hiking with her teenage daughter on weekends. Two years ago, she noticed a persistent, deep ache in her right shoulder. Despite physical therapy, the pain worsened, becoming a sharp, unrelenting throb. Imaging revealed a rare, aggressive chondrosarcoma (bone cancer) in her scapula and proximal humerus. After multiple failed rounds of targeted radiation and chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, her oncologist and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Mehta, delivered the difficult news: to prevent the cancer from metastasizing and save her life, a forequarter amputation, removing her entire arm, shoulder blade, and collarbone, was the only curative option. The surgery was physically grueling, but Anjali focused on her daughter's face as motivation. Her recovery in the hospital was a blur of pain management and initial phantom limb sensations. With immense resilience and a custom prosthesis, she learned to write and perform basic tasks with her left hand, returning to teaching with modified lab demonstrations. Emotionally, she cycled through profound grief for the loss of her arm and the life it represented, anger at the unfairness, and fear of the future. Through counseling and a survivor support group, she gradually found acceptance, reframing her amputation not as a loss of self, but as a fierce battle scar that allowed her to remain a mother and educator. Her journey became one of redefined strength.