Tag: amputation

Facing My Fears

Facing My Fears

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New Year, New Season: Welcome to Season 3!

Wow! It’s 2023 and we are on to season 3 for Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior! Welcome back, and a special welcome to first timers! I hope you take a listen to some of my old episodes and find some help or comfort in my words on the journey you are on.
I am an above knee amputee trying my best to empower others to live their best lives, despite their circumstances.  This means I speak of my life and the reality of becoming an amputee and living day to day, the good, the bad and the ugly of it. I am transparent with my journey as it is NOT all roses. I am hoping by speaking the truth of my journey you won’t feel alone in your struggles and circumstances, and you can see that despite the hard times, you can still live a good, full, and happy life.  So come join me on this journey called life. Subscribe to my podcast, website, and YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like and share as you explore my sites. I appreciate you!
So where have I been? For those of you who have listened in and followed me you may have noticed my lack of podcasts in December.
I spent the past 4 weeks being fully present with my family, traveling, skiing and staying away from social media, but it’s good to be back! I have missed this.
Several weeks ago, our family went skiing and as much as I love skiing, it truly pushes me WAY out of my comfort zone, now as an amputee, and into a fearful, anxiety ridden state of mind. I’m not sure why it’s like that but it is. I decided that I can choose to cave to fear or face it.
This episode is dedicated to facing fears.  We all have them, we all have to decide how to handle them, so why not discuss this as we begin a new year that is filled with uncertainties, struggles, and new fears that will inevitably arise in the next 365 days.
I don’t want you to stress about the future, as today is all you need to deal with, but you should be prepared for the ups and downs.
Sometimes you’ll be prepared, and yet other times you’ll feel like you got sucker punched by a situation. How will you handle it? Will you face the storm or shy away? Will you rise up or cower? You can’t totally prepare for unknown situation or problem, but you can start positive habits and behaviors now so when hard times arise you are stronger and positive enough to handle them.
It’s time to strengthen your self-esteem and resolve. Prepare for the battles ahead, dear Warriors. You can do this, I know you can!!
Until next week and as always:
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!!!
Much love,
Angie
Reframing Your Circumstance

Reframing Your Circumstance

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Living Life With Gratitude

 

 

Life is hard.
You can choose to lay down and have it destroy you or you can reframe your thinking and how you view your circumstance by finding things and people in your life for which you can be grateful.
It’s that time of year when we hear people say they are thankful for their life, we see trinkets in our homes that say, “Grateful, thankful, blessed”, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner in which tell the people around d us that we are thankful for them in our lives.
Thankfulness is a hot topic in November, but what if you are struggling right now?
What if you are going through a rough patch?
Well, this is the time, more than ever that you need to find those moments, things, and people in your life that make your life special, happy, or filled with joy.
By reframing how we see our circumstance we enable ourselves to be at peace through these hard times. By seeking out the silver linings in our lives we are choosing a path of gratitude and happiness amidst the struggles.
This can be life altering! And the more we practice this way of thrilling and speaking the more often we will see what we are going through as just a moment, or blip, in time. A moment that will pass and nothing more.
Remember, we all have these moments. They are chances to define our character, grow, and reinvent ourselves. Without these hard times we cannot truly appreciate the good that has been in our lives or the good that is to come.
Reframe your thinking. Reframe your circumstance. Practice mindfulness, living in the moment and appreciating the little things in your life that are truly good.
Living a life of gratefulness is a choice, and one that will not only affect your situation, but it’ll also effect the people around you.
Choose an attitude of gratitude and spread that to all those around you. You might be surprised on how your outlook on life will be uplifted, and how you bless someone else with your positivity will come back to you ten-fold.
Practicing gratitude and reframing your circumstance:
* Don’t be picky, appreciate everything!
*Be mindful, and present
*Keep a gratitude journal
*Remember the hard/bad times, they will help you cherish where you are now.
*Pay it forward
*Reflect. Spend 5, 10, 30 minutes in quiet time, thinking about all you have
*Reframe your bad situation by finding the silver linings, what it could be teaching you, and how you are growing stronger for the future by going through it.
*Celebrate the little things
The sunshine
My family
My prosthetic that allows me my freedom

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,
And as always,
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!!
Much love,
Angie
#thankful #grateful #gratitude #thanksgiving #podcast #bawarrior360 #abovekneeamputee #calltoaction #attitude #reframeyourcircumstance #payitforward
You’ve Got to Fight for Your Right….

You’ve Got to Fight for Your Right….

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To Party.. I mean, for Medical Insurance

Sorry, I had the Beastie Boys song stuck in my head. But, for real, do what they say and FIGHT for your rights!!!! They know what’s up!

 

The Beastie Boys had it right when they sang, “You’ve got to fight, for your right to party” however I’d say you should also fight for your right to having appropriate medical coverage, and for us amputees, the right to mobility.
As if becoming an amputee is an easy adjustment, mentally, emotionally or physically, we should not have to struggle with the draining process of being initially denied prosthetics and fighting another battle.
Come along with me in this podcast to hear some tips I’ve learned along the way of my own insurance fiasco, denials and all.
Find out what the best piece of advice I was given by my GP prior to my decision to amputate, how I surrounded myself with the right medical team, what I did to “assure” that my insurance plan covered my specific prosthesis and what I did when it all fell apart.
Somewhere along my personal journey I hope you find the tools to help yourself when the time comes to fight for your own medical coverage and how to handle things when they get denied.
Don’t give up!
Never surrender!
Be the squeaky wheel and fight for the life you deserve to live.
Fight!!! Me BEFORE my injury which led to my subsequent amputation
If you know you will need to rely on your medical insurance in the near future, like I did with an amputation, do your research, ask questions, ask more questions. Be prepared!
Don’t take no for an answer-insurance companies always say no first and expect that a majority of people will just quietly go away.
Don’t give up. Ask for help, if you need to, but be proactive, persistent, and strong… for your own health and happiness in the future.
As always,
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!!
Much love,
Angie

 

Roll With the Punches

Roll With the Punches

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Life is never truly easy, for anyone. Sometimes it feels like everything is going our way when out of the blue a bomb drops.

Maybe your job or family life is struggling, or maybe your health.  Then you can feel overwhelmed and defeated.

But don’t fret. We all go through these moments. We all have valleys we must trudge through. What I have learned through life is that the valleys don’t last forever and soon you’ll be on top once again.

The problem being on top is that you never know when a valley will strike again, when you get gut punched and feel the wind knocked out of you.

If you realize that this is just how life goes, the sooner you can prepare yourself to handle those moments.

Not like you will ever be totally prepared but at least not naive to the fact that it happens. If you practice positivity, and strengthening your character, you will be better prepared for those moments. They won’t control you and every aspect of your life.

Our job is to learn from them, to build up our resilience and character to better handle those situations.

As an amputee I have these moments a lot. As soon as my socket feels great, I’m out being active, life is good….. BOOM!

My socket doesn’t fit anymore, it’s too loose, or there’s a crack that’s hurting my leg, leaving painful raw spots every step throughout the day. That’s when I need to dig down deep, realize that this too shall pass, and I must carry on. My family depends on me to function. I have goals I want to achieve and a life I want to live… to the fullest.

If you are struggling right now, life has served up some lemons and a swift punch to your gut, don’t fret. You can get through this.

We all deal with these moments, wishing they would just pass us by, but if you can see these as learning moments, to better serve you in the future then you are on the right track. Each trial we go through breaks us down to build us back up, preparing us for the next, making us stronger.  But it’s up to you to rise to that challenge, it’s not just given to you. You won’t just rise up because you sit around pouting about your circumstance. You rise up and build character if you FIGHT! You have to use those muscles to get back up, you need to speak positivity into your soul, you will struggle otherwise.

Take a look at today’s Call to Action for steps to take to work on your resilience today.

 

 

 

 

 

This week I want you to prepare for the storm.

How you do it might be a little different from me, but a basic strategy is:

  1. Use positive affirmations about myself. Post them somewhere or at least write them down. Look back at them when the going gets tough!
  2. This week, write down a “silver lining” about each day for the next 7 days. Even in the toughest times there is good. Sometimes we have to look long and hard, but it’s there. Realizing that your world isn’t ending because of something bad is half the battle. If you start looking for the positive and the good in your life then you are armoring yourself for the battles that are sure to come.

I hope this helps you get through your week, and your future. Fight the good fight, Warrior! You and your family are worth it!

 

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

 

 

Commitment and Consistency Brings Confidence

Commitment and Consistency Brings Confidence

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“How long did it take for you to learn to walk?”
“Was it hard to learn to walk in a prosthetic?”
“What helped you get use to your prosthetic?”
I get these questions on a weekly basis from curious onlookers to amputees in wheelchairs.
It took time and commitment. Some would say courage, as well, because it’s hard to learn a basic skill all over again, and the fear of falling, and failing, is so great as we get older.
This week I share the one major thing that helped me conquer using a prosthetic and walking again, with confidence.
GOALS: Commit
My 1st in person race as an amputee, just one year after amputation!

 

 

Focus and determination

 

 

 

Now it’s your turn!
Find a virtual race you can push yourself, at your pace, and in your timeframe that works for you.
Sign up and then get to work!
Get excited when the mail arrives with your finishers medal, you earned it!!!
If I can do it, so can you!!
Be the warrior you are meant to be. It’s time to rise and live your best life.
Commit- Be Consistent, Build your confidence!
As always,
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!!
Much love,
Angie
And don’t forget! TODAY is the final day to join the #14daysofmagic challenge
Go to www.magicmind.co to order your own pack of Magic Mind TODAY!!! Use my discount code: BEYOU14 to get a discount on your order. And remember to post yourself being productive while you’re using Magic Mind for your chance to win a 1-3 month subscription of Magic Mind!!
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

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Some people might tell you it’s impolite to ask amputees questions, or rude to allow your kiddos to stare or question why an amputee is the way they are but I will tell you that I love sharing my story and informing people about “life as an amputee”.  If we can inform, then we are educating. When people are educated about something they can have compassion, sympathy/empathy, and be better able to help in ways they never could if they didn’t understand.
I know not all amputees feel the same way I do, and that’s ok. We all have our journey to travel and for some it’s been tragic and hard to cope with the circumstance.
Life of an amputee. Getting the right fit. The never-ending battle!

 

I’d tell you, don’t be afraid to politely ask those who invite you in with eye contact and a smile. For some amputees healing takes place the more they talk about it. For others, it’s just too hard to relive. Read the person, be polite in your approach. Not all amputees are dealing well with being an amputee and talking to strangers feels like an invasion of a private, mentally exhausting battle that rages within.
On the whole, though, I believe most people who you’d see out an about as amputees are more than willing to share.
Also, if your child points and stares it’s ok, they are curious and innocent. They shouldn’t be afraid to ask, and I will usually smile and ask if they think I look like a robot or superhero. Some even like to touch my prosthetic, and I oblige.  Start them young on showing care and curiosity, allow them a chance to understand and sympathize with someone else’s plight. They’ll be better off for that and that may lead them into becoming future inventors of better prosthesis or interested in becoming a prosthetist.
Don’t be afraid to ask, you never know what you might learn and how you could help someone by allowing them to open up.
For those of you who:
*May have an amputation in the future,
*May know someone who is going through amputation, or
*Are just curious,
If you see someone who is an amputee, don’t be afraid to ask questions.  You may be surprised at their attitude on sharing. I’d say more of us don’t mind answering curious, polite questions about being an amputee. Just remember to be polite and not aggressive. For some people, their circumstance can be a very horrific memory, be kind and show compassion for what they might have gone through.
Reach out to other amputees, if you are on the verge of going through it yourself, talk to prosthetists, and also see if they have people willing to do peer to peer meetups so you can get comfortable with your impending situation.
Questions lead to understanding and bridge the gap for us amputees, to being more mainstream and “normal” in society.  There is so much we can do now that technology has advanced so much.  Educate yourself, be kind, and go ahead and ask.
As always,
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!
Much love,
Angie
And don’t forget to join me in the Magic Mind 14 day challenge!  Check out their website and 14-day challenge at: magicmind.co/14daysofmagic and don’t forget to use my discount code: BEYOU14
Feel great, gain clarity, find all day energy to get the job done, all while saving the rainforest!!  Join today!
Final day to join is October 26.  Post your progress on social media and use #14daysofmagic for your chance to win product!!
Challenge ends November 30, so don’t wait!
Healing From the Inside Out Part 2

Healing From the Inside Out Part 2

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Forgiveness and Grace

 

No one knows what our future holds, and for sure, I never expected to become an amputee, but here I am. And quite frankly I am a better person for it, have met amazing people through it, and grown in ways I never would have if I never went through it.

I found acceptance of my circumstance BEFORE going under the knife, and that has helped me embrace, love, and move forward as an amputee, even through neurological pains, physical healing, and never-ending phantom sensations.  Not everyone gets that chance though, and I get that. Some of you went through horrific accidents, war, and illnesses like cancer or diabetes. Some of you have anger at the person or circumstances that surround you, and put you where you are today. That is understandable, but are you holding onto that anger, bitterness and resentment? If so, you are also not allowing yourself to truly heal and move on…and there is so much more out there for you. A better life, and happier place to be, healing!

Don’t let anger destroy what could be a beautiful life

 

I know that I can’t speak to your situation, but I’ve had smaller issues in my life, times when people have wronged me, and I couldn’t let it go. I held on to the anger, the frustration, and couldn’t stop grumbling about how rude and wrong the other person was. I have had to let that go, walk away, both physically and mentally from that person and that wrongdoing, for the sake of my happiness and my family.  It’s not easy, and still, to this day, I can still allow myself to go back there and remember how angry I was. But what does that accomplish? NOTHING!! It just wastes my time and energy, that’s all.

Forgiveness is hard, and it takes practice. You can feel like you are over it one day, and the next day be just as angry. Allow yourself time to heal and practice forgiveness. Just don’t give up, it is well worth the time and energy to forgive someone or your situation in the long run. You will find your happiness return, and an ability to live a more peaceful, centered, and happy life. When you do heal from that situation you will find that you can then begin to heal on the outside as well, and move forward in life, instead of being stuck in the past, and in anger and resentment.

 

Once you have decided to move forward and let go of the past, then you can truly heal. You may find that the pains you are physically or neurologically experiencing will lessen or even dissipate over time, or at least become manageable.

Trust me when I say that forgiveness and letting go of negativity is the cornerstone to feeling better and getting your life back on track. What have you got to lose? At worst, you’ll stop being overcome by anger and hate, at best you can heal and start living your life again, truly living your life again, not just surviving.

Are you just surviving? It’s time to start living and healing! Don’t waste another moment on those negative things. Bring closure and forgiveness into your life so you can begin to heal, from the inside out!

 

This week’s call to action will be hard for some of you. It will definitely take more than a week, but today is a stepping stone in the right direction for your well-being and happiness.

Today you begin to forgive the person, circumstance, or yourself for where you are right now. I know it’s hard, but if you are listening to my podcast then I believe you want to live a better life…and this is the first step in doing that. You cannot expect to find happiness and peace amidst anger and resentment. Let it go!

Find a mantra to repeat whenever you feel the anger taking over. Even a simple: ” I forgive you” that you can repeat out loud or to yourself, everytime your mind goes back to that negative space.

Don’t stop! Keep repeating until you live it! Remember, our brains are powerful and will believe whatever you feed them. If you speak positive, then your brain will follow your lead.  Keep at it. Reach out to me to let me know how it’s going.

It won’t be easy, but good things take hard work. Your spoils await you on the other side of forgiveness.  Keep at it, I know you can do it!

It’ll be well worth your time and energy now. Believe in yourself, believe in a better tomorrow! Start TODAY!!!

 

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

A little puppy humor for you🐶
Healing From the Inside Out

Healing From the Inside Out

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If we could only see the damage within ourselves from past experiences, like we can see the physical damage done from surgery, we would understand the importance of healing within ourselves.  If you are hurting, feeling discouraged, broken, sad, anxious, angry, then you really need to focus on your inner YOU before you can heal and build up your physical YOU.

When we feel great, happy, content, or relaxed we tend to have energy and then that energy is used to move us, heal our bodies, and become more physically active.  Ironically, when we do start moving our bodies not only is that good for our physical being, but it, in turn, lifts our spirits and helps with our emotional and mental state as well.

So what comes first? It’s like the chicken or egg scenario. If you are emotionally defeated, it’s hard to motivate yourself to do something good for yourself. Yet, if you could just push past that, the endorphins that your body releases when you become active can boost your spirits.

After all I have been through since 2013, when I couldn’t be active, left me feeling miserable at times. It actually took its toll on my body as I had gained 55 pounds through 5 years of knee surgeries.  It was actually after I had my amputation that I was once again able to move, and rose up to once again, define who I was and live a better life.  It was hard, I stumbled and fell often both physically and metaphorically, but I kept pushing myself, and the boundaries, until I began to soar.

 

The first picture, on top, was me right after my amputation in 2018. The 2nd picture is from 2 weeks ago.

I began doing things I thought I may never do again, I attempted new sports and activities, and found a pure joy that no one could take away from me. I healed myself from the inside out and accepted my new situation, and moved on from there, challenging myself to anything and everything I could think of as an amputee.  I became so active that the extra weight dropped off and now I am more fit then I was, even in high school!

 

You can achieve this, if you want it. It takes commitment and perseverance. You must set goals and follow through, but it can be done.

Don’t count yourself out just yet. I believe in you!

 

 

 

It’s simple this week:

 

Write down all the emotions and feelings you are having that eat away at you. All the negative thoughts and feelings you have about yourself, where you are at in your life, your medical situation.

Now destroy that list! Burn it! Tear it to shreds! Crumple it up and throw it in the trash!

It’s time to move onward and upward. Today you learn to forgive, have grace, and think positive thoughts.

It’s never too late to start a new path, take a road less traveled, and to adjust your life.

Don’t put it off anymore, you deserve the best from yourself.

I believe in you! Let’s do this!

 

Best wishes on your new beginning!

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

Dream A Little Dream

Dream A Little Dream

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:02 — 46.6MB)

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Making Your Dreams Become Reality

 

 

If you can dream it, you can do it.

We’ve all heard that saying before and maybe even been told that by someone trying to cheer you on.  It’s true, to an extent. Dreams become reality when we have the vision to imagine them, and the mental and physical strength to follow through to accomplish them. Dreams aren’t easy to accomplish, but they are attainable with the right tools to get you from point A to point B.

Once I knew I was going to amputate my leg I knew I needed to set my sights on goals and dreams that would help me heal and live my life. I created a vision board that my PT suggested so I had inspiration every day to accomplish my goals, and my “whys” for setting them.

My Vision Board

 

This is an example of my vision board that I looked at every day for months prior to my amputation. I was feeding my brain positive signals about the plans I had for my body after the trauma. What we tell ourselves fuels our brain to follow suit. Mindset is based on positive thoughts, positive talk, and mental strength.  If you feed your mind negativity, you won’t see anything but negative. If you feed your mind positive messages and possibilities for success, you’ll find success knocking at your door.

 

I don’t know about you but I want to live a full, healthy, happy and fulfilling life.  If you’re not living that kind of life right now, ask yourself, “What’s holding me back?” I bet it’s negativity, excuses, and lack of planning.

You can do this! You need to dare to dream. DREAM BIG!!! don’t shortchange yourself or your life. You want something? You want to achieve a goal? Go after it!

 

 

It’s time to create your own vision board. Take a look at mine above, google search Vision Boards and see other examples. Then set out to create your very own. Dare to dream. Dream big and don’t limit yourself. Put it all on the table, no matter how big or small the dream. Add quotes that motivate you. Add pictures of you getting back to your activity that you once did, or pictures of an activity you want to try. Throw on some pictures of your “whys” as I have found that doing it for myself is good but accomplishing something for a bigger picture is even better. My example was skiing. I wanted to ski again for my boys and husband. My husband and I always talked about skiing after he retired and I wasn’t going to let losing my leg get in the way of our youthful dreams.

Once you’ve created your board, place it somewhere you will see every morning and every evening to keep you motivated!

 

You’ve got this! I know you can do it. Believe in yourself.

 

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

PMA

PMA

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Positive Mental Attitude for a Better Life

Join me today on the road in Las Vegas as I discuss how our attitude can make or break our day to day lives and ultimately leads to our feelings of success or failure.
This past week I met someone who was struggling with their quality of life and wanting more. We discussed PMA and I talked about how goal setting and how surrounding myself with good people, who wish to see me succeed, has been key to the successes I have reached since becoming an amputee.
I truly believe that whatever thoughts and words we feed our minds we achieve. If I say I’m afraid I’ll fail, then I probably will, but if I speak positively, I find I succeed at what I set out to do.
Set yourself up for success. Be kind to yourself and make the decision to have PMA! You’ll be glad you did!
Start today!
*Write the letters P-M-A on a post-it note and place it where you will see it every morning and every evening. This will help you remember that your positive mindset is so important to your happiness, your health, and your goals.
*Set goals. Make them challenging but realistic. What is it that you want to get back to doing or try for the first time, and have either been told “You can’t do that” or told yourself you can’t? Time to change that thinking.
*Speak positive words into your mind. You are more capable than you think. Will it be easy? Probably not.  You may need to modify how you get to your goal, and what your goal is, but start small with baby steps and work your way to getting where you want to go and I promise, you will feel so good about yourself when you achieve it.
Get after it! You are worth it!
And as always,
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!!
Much love,
Angie

 

 

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