Amputee’s Peru experience
Special correspondent When Philip Doole lost his legs below the knees last November, he had already agreed to go on a climbing expedition to South America, and he did not back out, he said yesterday. He and Mark Inglis had parts of their legs amputated after suffering severe frostbite on Mount Cook, but Mr Doole could still stand and walk. He had two artificial limbs made of fibreglass and, fully dressed, the only indication of something wrong was his limp. So in May, as planned, he left for Peru with an Otago climbing team. Now back in Wellington, he talked of sharing liquor with local people, going to discos in Huarez, and drinking beer with ambassadors while watching a video at the New Zealand Embassy in Lima of the Lions v. All Blacks match. He said that although his legs slowed him down, they did not stop him. He walked the' Inca Road with his backpack; he trekked through snow using ski poles to keep his balance; when the others went climbing he stayed in camp, lay in the sun, and had a quiet time, he said. Sometimes, he said, his legs even proved useful. “In Peru we had to bargain with a mule driver. We were sitting in this village by the .road. He wanted to know why we wanted horses, so I took off my leg and showed him.” , , ' Other times they made
him angry, got him a little down. “I’d have to stop and give
my legs a break. I’d take them off and over there, well, people just seem to
stand and stare, so I was a bit uncomfortable.” But most of the time he said people were understanding, even impressed. “They were encouraging,” he said and then laughed. “Especially the Yanks, which I didn’t expect.” The trip made him realise his capabilities although lately, he said, things had not been so good. He said that when he lost his legs, “It wasn’t a shock. If you are in a car accident and you lose them at night you wake up in the morning and that is it. But for us we could see it develop. We knew what frostbite could do. “Adjusting wasn’t too difficult because the doctors were confident we would be able to walk again. “Then in the next months and on the trip he was a novelty, something new. “Up till now it has been all learning and exploring, but that wears off. After a year or so you get really down. You realise all those things you can’t do, are not going to do.” He reached down to touch his leg. “I can’t jump,” he said. “I can’t play basketball. That is something that suddenly dawns on you.” Mr Doole is now looking for a job surveying. After mountaineering' since he was 16 he said he would certainly try climbing again, but it would take a lot of effort. If he was going to make the struggle worth it he would also have to make the goals worth it, he said. I Illi !!■ ■if l I
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19830824.2.7
Bibliographic details
Press, 24 August 1983, Page 1
Word Count
518Amputee’s Peru experience Press, 24 August 1983, Page 1
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.