Month: August 2026

Embracing Uncertainty

Embracing Uncertainty

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Travel withLimb Difference

You Don’t Have to Be Ready, to Be Read

 

 

 

Confidence Comes After the First Step

What if confidence isn’t what carries us toward the first step, but what waits for us on the other side of it?

In this episode of the BAWarrior Podcast, I continue my series on traveling as an amputee as I prepare for my first international trip since losing my leg. Last week, I introduced the idea of creating a “passport to confidence.” Every first: our first overnight stay, flight, rental car, or unfamiliar adventure, adds another stamp to that passport and another valuable experience to our mental toolbox.

This trip carries extra meaning for me because the last time I traveled internationally, I returned home with the blood clot that ultimately helped me decide to amputate my leg. Now, I’m preparing to fly overseas again, but this time as an above-knee amputee.

There are things I can prepare for: wearing a compression sock, standing and moving during the ten-hour flight, researching baggage and medical-device requirements, packing my prosthetic supplies, staying hydrated, eating enough protein, and protecting my residual limb. I also know I cannot anticipate every TSA interaction, physical challenge, unexpected delay, or curveball.

That is where the real lesson begins: It’s okay not to be ready for everything.

 

 

 

Preparation is valuable, but we can’t require ourselves to know exactly how every experience will unfold. Sometimes we must become comfortable with being uncomfortable. I can control how I prepare and how I respond, but I cannot control how others react or what surprises may arise along the way.

Instead of entering this trip in fear, I’m choosing anticipation. I want to remain open to the beautiful places I’ll see, the people I may meet, and the moments that could change my life. Becoming an amputee has already introduced me to incredible people and experiences I would never trade, even for my leg back.

I’m no longer trying to recreate my old life. I’m choosing to live forward, not backward. My experiences may be altered, but altered does not mean less meaningful. Every adaptation asks me to grow, and every step beyond my comfort zone makes me stronger.

Confidence rarely arrives before we do something new. It grows after we take the first step, face the unknown, and discover that we can adapt. The stamp comes after the journey begins.

 

 

What have you been avoiding because you don’t feel ready?

This week, take one step outside your comfort zone and earn another stamp in your passport to confidence. Then share your experience with me, and follow the BAWarrior Podcast to hear what I learn from my first international trip as an amputee.

Rise up, beautiful Warriors, your journey is just beginning!

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

 

Passport to Possibility

Passport to Possibility

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:13 — 21.6MB)

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Traveling With Confidence as an Amputee

 

What if every new thing you accomplished earned you another stamp-not just in your travel passport, but in your confidence passport?

 

Solo flight to Chicago, O’Hare

Travel has always been a big part of my family’s life, but traveling as an amputee has been an evolving journey. Seven years into life as an amputee, I’m still learning something new every time I walk into an airport. And with every experience, I become a little more confident in what I can handle.

Recently, I took my second solo trip, flying to Chicago and doing something I’d never done completely on my own before: renting a car, navigating the rental process, driving to my destination, carrying my own luggage, returning the car, and getting myself back through O’Hare.

Then came the real test: a three-hour delay, three gate changes, crowded terminals, weather issues, hunger, bathroom logistics, and hauling my luggage everywhere I went.

 

Long corridors to get from point A to point B

 

 

 

But I did it.

In this episode of the BAWarrior Podcast, I’m sharing what I’ve learned about traveling with a prosthesis, from navigating TSA and understanding your rights to medical bags, prosthetic tools, wheelchair assistance, priority boarding, long airport walks, and preparing for the unexpected.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that, as amputees, energy is currency. A mile-long walk through an airport may not sound like much until you add luggage, standing in lines, gate changes, socket discomfort, fatigue, phantom pain, and everything you still want to do once you reach your destination. Sometimes independence means walking the airport yourself. Other times, independence means recognizing when using available assistance allows you to save your energy for what matters most.

 

Rental car pick up late at night in a packed tram

 

After several delays, I finally got on the plane for home!

 

And now I’m preparing for my next stamp: international travel.

This will be my first international trip since becoming an amputee. I’m thinking about cobblestone streets, crowded attractions, international accessibility, charging my microprocessor knee, adapters, and all the things I don’t even know I need to think about yet.

That’s part of the adventure.

Because ultimately, this episode isn’t really about airports or airplanes. It’s about confidence.

Every “first” becomes another stamp: your first overnight trip, first flight, first TSA experience, first solo trip, first rental car, or first international adventure.

Each one says:

I did that. And maybe I can do the next thing, too.

 

What’s stamped in your confidence passport?

Think about everything you’ve accomplished since limb loss—and then think about the stamps you’re still missing. What’s something that still scares or intimidates you? What experience would give you more freedom, independence, or confidence?

Choose your next stamp and start working toward it.

And make sure you come back for Part Two, because after my international trip, I’ll share what I learned about traveling abroad as an amputee—the victories, challenges, surprises, and everything I wish I’d known before I left.

Let’s keep filling those passports together.

 

 

Have a beautiful week, and Ill see you all in 2 weeks as we explore what I learned on my international journey!

Until then and as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

 

The Power of Self Advocacy in Prosthetic Care

The Power of Self Advocacy in Prosthetic Care

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Advocate and Rise

 

What happens when the people responsible for helping you move forward stop listening? You learn how powerful your own voice can become.

In this episode of the BAWarrior Podcast, I step back from the idea of constantly pushing forward to talk about one of the most important skills every amputee must develop: advocating for yourself.

Self-advocacy has been a major part of my journey since long before my amputation. After tearing my MCL while preparing for my second-degree black belt test, I endured five years, ten surgeries, increasing pain, and complications caused by arthrofibrosis. Each surgery brought a new doctor, a new explanation, and another retelling of my medical history. Eventually, I realized I could no longer rely on someone else to connect every piece of the puzzle for me.

I began reading my surgical reports, researching unfamiliar medical terms, writing down questions, and paying closer attention to what my body was telling me. That process helped uncover the condition behind many of my complications and eventually gave me the courage to advocate for the amputation that changed my life.

That need to speak up did not end after surgery. It became even more important.

As amputees, we depend heavily on our prosthetists, especially after our surgeons are no longer involved in our everyday care. A prosthetic leg will never feel exactly like the limb we lost, so we must balance realistic expectations with the knowledge that constant pain should not be accepted as normal. Discomfort, adjustment, and awkwardness can be part of learning a prosthesis. Debilitating pain is a sign that something may need further investigation.

 

One of many appointments with my prosthetist.

 

I share how ongoing socket pain led my prosthetist and me to continue experimenting, collaborating, and searching for answers instead of giving up. Eventually, an MRI revealed a large neuroma that no socket adjustment could fix. That experience reminded me that good care requires teamwork. My prosthetist brought his knowledge, but I had to clearly communicate what I was feeling and continue trusting my instincts.

Supportive medical teams are a must in your positive care and experience as an amputee

 

Living as an amputee also carries a daily mental load. Some mornings my leg feels strong and ready for everything I have planned. Other days, discomfort, swelling, skin irritation, or a poor fit can completely change the day. Even more than seven years after my amputation, I still have to remain flexible and listen to my body.

My message throughout this episode is simple: do not give up on yourself. Ask questions. Bring someone with you when you need support. Find professionals who are willing to listen, collaborate, and fight beside you. You are more than an insurance claim, a medical chart, or a difficult case.

 

My support system

 

Your voice matters. Your mobility matters. Your future is worth fighting for.

 

Ready to Advocate for Yourself?

Your journey does not have to be walked alone. If you are struggling to feel heard, searching for answers, or simply needing a community that understands the realities of amputee life, I encourage you to reach out.

Join me and other women amputees during our weekly Amped Women virtual chats, where we come together to share, listen, encourage, and support one another. And if you are ready to move beyond survival, set meaningful goals, and take your next steps with accountability, Momentum may be the community you have been looking for.

Follow the BAWarrior Podcast, subscribe on YouTube, and connect with me on social media so you do not miss future episodes, live conversations, and community gatherings.

Most importantly, keep asking questions, keep trusting what your body is telling you, and never be afraid to use your voice.

You are worth advocating for. Your mobility matters. Your dreams matter. And you do not have to give up.

 

Have a beautifully blessed week ahead and as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

 

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