The identity as an amputee, or a wannabe amputee poses interesting problems for the medical community, as well as society as a whole. How do you ethically chose to let someone remove or have a part of their body removed that the larger society says is necessary or helpful to their usefulness and contributions to society? In these cases, the true self can only come about through the removal medically of the limb. The feeling that something is missing or not right, that the limb does not belong to them or needs to be gone, is something that larger society often has a problem with because they have a hard time fathoming how wanting to be an amputee was NOT a physical or mental disorder. The interesting point of this is- at what lengths does society go to discourage or prevent amputees? If it is treated as a cosmetic procedure (thus denying its legitimacy as necessary), the patients usually have to pay out of pocket and would not have the same support network in place.
"Should amputation be treated like cosmetic surgery, or like an invasive psychiatric treatment, or like a risky research procedure?" (Amputees By Choice, p 110)
from: http://www.spokesmanreview.com/stories/2007/jul/11/spt_11_pistorius_07-11-2007_I1B0U9A.jpg
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