Best of luck to your dad. My cousin had her leg amputated just below the knee a few years back. Hers was due to a blood clot from having Lupis though. The doctor came in and put it simply, I can take your leg or the clot will take your life. Really wasn't much of a choice.

She now rocks an American flag prosthetic leg and gets around fine. She handles the stairs like she has two legs. I'm not sure about ladders though. I could give her a call and ask her if she has ever climbed a ladder with it, if you'd like me to.

The good thing about the legs these days, is that they are soo advanced that she said as long as she is wearing pants, she literally forgets her leg isnt there sometimes. She did say that it is really painful on your leg until the stump(for lack of a better word) toughens up.