Welcome to FlyerTalk!
I will skip the main portion of your message, as I don't have any advice on how to transit a checkpoint as an amputee.
But I can comment on your secondary question:
Originally Posted by
iowakatie1981
Finally, I will be visiting family in Texas, and bringing along lots of Christmas presents. Can I have them wrapped, either in carry-on or checked luggage?
TSA recommends
not wrapping the gifts ... if, for some reason, a TSO decides that the gift requires extra scrutiny or testing, it'll have to be unwrapped. (This applies to both checked and carry-on luggage.)