I gotta admit, I love the thought of Louie wanting to lose his foot for the grifting potential, only to get a very real, very visceral slap in the face of what that reality would entail. Like the post-op transexuals who realise "fuck, wait, this isn't a vagina, it's an open wound I need to keep open", Lou would have that same reaction. It would be life-altering, and totally deserved.
Imagine Lou is misfortunate enough to get phantom pains. Itching on a limb that isn't there. Imagine the horror when he realises it takes triple the time to hobble to the toilet. Realising a prosthetic foot cannot support his weight and hurts like a bitch.
Imagine that sinking feeling of real hopelessness he would feel for the first time in his life, as he finally understands what a proper disability is. Every aspect of your life is negatively affected. You can't stand up for too long, so cooking becomes harder. You sit down, but then the thought of getting up from your seat means even more effort. Can't walk to Wal-Mart anymore! How would he handle stairs? Imagine every time you simply move around your house without thinking it - now imagine every time that happens and you don't have a fucking leg to stand on. (Haw!)
..... and all of this compounded by Lou's 500 pound frame.
Fuck I'm hard just thinking about it. Hurry up and just down straight sugar, Louie. Nothing would make me happier than you finally coming to the real world and facing something you never have: consequences!