Tag: daily living

You Can Do It!

You Can Do It!

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There are many facets to being an amputee, a lot revolves around the fit of prosthetics, dealing with phantom pains, and relearning to walk. However there are other obstacles to overcome, goals to achieve, finding your independence is usually on the top of the list!

This was a huge goal for me (and also for others I have talked to over the past few years). Independence looks different for each of us but when we decide what it is we are looking to achieve there’s no better feeling when we reach that goal.

For me, today was that day. I felt the complete independence of traveling alone-for the first time as an amputee! Packing up, getting to the airport, carrying my own luggage, finding my way through security and to my gate, all while being balanced, strong, and confident. I was able to grab my luggage, find my way to the Uber line, and check into a hotel.  These may seem like simple tasks, people do them everyday, but being with my husband since we were 17 and never traveling without him, he always took charge, he always looked out for me, and guarded me from uncertainty. With him I was always safe and taken care of, so you can imagine how exciting, and challenging, doing this was for me.

 

 

 

What a day of firsts!

 

If you ever wonder if you’ll be able to travel again, let alone, travel solo as an amputee, I’m here to tell you that you can and you will! You can find that independence if that’s what you want. It takes time and practice. You have to plan ahead, and be prepared.

Listen in to today’s podcast as I discuss the things I have learned over the past 4 1/2 years of traveling as an amputee, the items I make sure I pack, and how I navigate the airport hoopla.

Oh, and if you are curious as to why in the world I have traveled alone to the other side of the country, on my own, in the middle of the holiday season, leaving the beautiful Arizona weather behind for the biting cold east coast then make sure you tune in next week!!

 

This is no different from the last two weeks:

Join my Fierce and On Fire challenge today!! Don’t wait! Join me as I make a solid effort to pay attention to my own health needs this holiday season by making sure to exercise in some way, everyday for at least 30 minutes.

The challenge is 100 miles and is virtual. If you want a medal the click HERE to join me!

If you want to join me but don’t care about the medal, that’s cool, too!  I have a private Facebook group you can join for the motivation and community. You can also join my IG channel Fierce and On Fire for the community as well.

How can you compete against yourself?

Great question. You do whatever it is you love to do and are capable of doing, where you are right now in your health journey.

If you want and can run, walk, hike, bike, swim, then do it!

If you are bedridden or in a wheelchair try upper body exercises with bands. 15 minutes of exercise = 1 mile.

NO EXCUSES! If you want to help yourself then be kind to your mind and body. Don’t wait for January 1 to make the dreaded “New Year’s Resolution”. Start today. Challenge yourself today. Make yourself more of a priority and end 2023 on a high note.’

Let’s do this together, as a virtual team of sorts.

 

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YO(U!!!

 

Much love,

Sick and Tired

Sick and Tired

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Staying Healthy in the Hustle and Bustle of the Holidays

 

I had the distinct pleasure of getting sick recently. I haven’t been sick in so long, and not once since becoming an amputee.

I was on a vacation and burning the candle at both ends. I’m sure, between being around a lot of people and lack of sleep my immune system became compromised, leading me to having tingly skin, sore muscles, nausea and sleepiness.  What I wasn’t expecting was how my amputee body would react, or even THAT it would react.

Yep, you guessed it, phantom pains!!!

 

Laying with my girl when I struggle brings peace and healing.

 

As if all that other stuff wasn’t enough to take me down, I had the distinct pleasure of experiencing phantom pains and the total discomfort that added to all the other symptoms. It was crazy, and it totally sucked!!!

Listening to my body and knowing how much I run myself into the ground during the holidays I decided I needed to make some changes and adjust my thinking and patterns.

How about you?

Are you taking care of yourself?

What are you doing to take care of yourself when you’re up against a demanding schedule?

Let me help you create a positive and healthy change during this holiday season so you can be at the top of your celebration game!

 

 

Here’s my challenge (AKA Call to Action):

Take time each day, from now until the end of the year, for yourself. accept my challenge from last week’s podcast and take on the Fierce and On Fire Virtual Challenge- 100 miles by Dec 31.

You can walk, run, hike, bike, swim, ski, exercise, you name it, you can do it, as long as you are taking time for yourself and moving in some way or another, however you can.

Check my link in my IG bio @BAWarrior360 for how to register.

You can also check last week’s podcast HERE for the link to join.

 

 

I pray you have a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving week!

Until next week,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

The Secret To My Success

The Secret To My Success

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Creating Positive Momentum Through Challenges

 

This week let’s challenge ourselves!

Let’s face the mountain head on and not veer out of fear.

It’s time to unleash the warrior within you, are you ready??

Well it doesn’t matter, now is the time! If you wait until you are “ready” then the time will never come.

 

SO how did I start my amputee journey, you ask? I was ready! I was nervous, of course, but when I came to grips with it I was ready to soar. I began to dream and wonder what I could accomplish, what hurdles I would overcome, what new things I would learn. To say that I was excited about the possibilities, would be an understatement.

 

I began by wearing my leg out of the prosthetist office and using it all day every day for a week…WITHOUT PT! Needless to say, I was so bruised on my femur bone!

I mean, I was walking, and so proud of myself, but I needed help tweaking my form and gait.

After I took some PT I began a new journey with new dreams. I was going to reinvent myself, whatever it took!

 

I had about 12 goals set for myself, even before my amputation, about what I would accomplish as an amputee.

Obviously I wanted to walk as naturally as possible, and as soon as possible, but there is no shortcut or magic potion to make that happen. It takes grit, determination and consistency.  But how do you maintain consistency, especially with something that is scary, uncertain, and hard to do?

What I did was register for virtual races! Not only did I have set miles but I also had the metaphorical carrot dangling in front of me…the cool looking medals!!

My very 1st race as an amputee! This started it all and how I got use to my prosthetic leg.

For me, that’s all it took! I registered for my first 150 mile race in May, a month after getting my prosthetic leg. I made a promise to myself that all of my steps in my leg would count toward my miles, then I introduced myself to the large Facebook group and told them of my goals. Not only did writing it down for all to see make me accountable for my goal, it also gave me a HUGE cheering squad with this new group of friends!

And this is where it all began! I attribute my success of learning to walk again to my virtual races.

 

These were the ones I did the first 1 1/2 after becoming an amputee! They all have special meaning,
depending on what I was trying to accomplish, how I felt or what I was going through.

 

 

It’s your turn now, and I’m going to help you and be there by your side as we do this together!

Let’s crush a goal before this year ends.

No better time than the present to start, and the best time of year to make time for yourself.

The link below is to register for a 100 mile virtual race.

I have already registered and I want you on my team!

I will create a private Facebook group too, just for those who join this race with me.

Can’t run? No problem-WALK!

Can’t walk? Bike, recumbent, stationary or  traditional.

Can’t do those things? SWIM, use a hand bike, exercise with stretch bands, dumbbells or body weight!

 

The sky’s the limit on how you go about logging your miles.

3 miles of biking= 1 mile of running/walking

exercising moderately 30 min=1 mile of running/walking

etc, etc, etc

 

You see where I’m coming from? We can all do something to help us feel better and get on track. So no matter where you are, don’t think for one second that you can’t do something in some way, shape, or form!

It is time to unleash your inner warrior! Fight for the life you want! Start today and let me walk alongside you and your journey! After all, we all need someone who gets us where we are at.

 

I’m here for you so won’t you join me on this virtual race?

Join me and let’s “sleigh” this holiday season! No excuses, no surrender!!!

 

Click HERE to register for the Fierce and On Fire Challenge

 

Oh, and did I mention that not only are you helping yourself by joining this challenge, you will also be supporting the Erin Regan Animal Sanctuary non profit 40 acre farm. A portion of your registration in this challenge goes to support this cause. This non profit is dedicated to saving the lives of farm and companion animals from abuse, euthanasia, and homelessness.

It’s a win-win in my book! Join me today! Click the link above!!

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are You Listening?

Are You Listening?

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Learning To Listen To Your Gut

When you are going through something have you noticed how many people have advice?

The questions of: Have you tried this? Did you see Dr. So and So? This is the only prosthetic that works…. etc, etc.

I have had the opportunity to see many doctors throughout my injury, been to an amazing plastic surgeon, and have great prosthetists. I tell new amputees all about them but I try to stay conscious of pushy. My personal experience is MY personal experience, and I am always hopeful that it can be somebody else’s experience too, but it may not be. This just recently happened and it was heartbreaking to see. Without going into detail, because that’s what this podcast talks about, I had a couple of friends, amputees, use one of my doctors to help with revisions and their experiences were not like my positive experience.

I also watch social media posts and peruse the comments and am taken aback by the many people who believe their way is the only way, their doctor is the best doctor, their prosthetic brand is the best out there. Do you see where I’m going with this?

“Always”, “Never”, “The Best”, and “The Worst”, are red flags in my book, and should be avoided at all costs.

So why do we fall victim to adhering to these types of comments and following this type of advice? When we are in pain, scared, anxious, and in doubt we want ANYTHING that will get us out of that situation, and the faster the better. When we ask a large group of people (social media groups) how they handle this situation, or ask for help when we are experiencing phantom pain so extreme we are beside ourselves, we will take any advice if the person comes across unwavering and confident in their advice.

The problem? We are all DIFFERENT!

The love I have for my prosthetic. I am empowered to live my best life, with my new lease on life.

 

We have different reasons for our injury, different backgrounds, different personalities, different pain threshold levels, and completely different reasons for what we are feeling.

Just last week I experienced phantom pain, like my foot had been set on fire. It was non-stop, day and night. I haven’t had that in a long time. This time it was caused by my situation, not my fit. I was very upset and stressed about something (listen to last week’s podcast), and this was how my body dealt with it. However, if I had told any Facebook groups that I was dealing with this major burning, without giving the situational background, like so many people do, I would’ve been told that pain meds work, or gummies were the way to go, or try sleeping it off, etc. But what I needed to do was get outdoors for fresh air and allow myself to grieve. The fresh air and exercise helped me cope with my issue, which allowed my phantom pains to subside.

Fresh air and exercise! Just what I needed.

 

I knew what I needed. I trusted my gut on why I was experiencing what was happening to me.

We sometimes forget, in the midst of hard times, that if we just listen to our bodies, that we know what’s best and what is right for us.

When we schedule an appointment with a doctor but feel unsettled when in the office, we need to listen.

When we struggle with pain, we must quiet ourselves enough to listen to what our body is telling us.

Yes, it’s good to get some opinions, but take all advice with a grain of salt. We know ourselves better than a doctor with a PhD. We understand what we’ve been going through more than a random keyboard warrior who loves to put their two cents into everyone’s problems.

Aren’t we worth that?

Don’t we deserve the best care possible?

 

It’s time to advocate for yourself.

When you have an appointment, make sure you take questions you want answered so you don’t forget them if your train of thought gets derailed (mine did as soon as one doctor brought up amputation for the first time-I was stunned and my mind went blank. Luckily my husband was with me).

Bring someone you trust with you to the appointment (see comment above).

Listen to what your body is telling you. You know YOU best! DOn’t doubt yourself.

Remember, advice is great for optionality, but there is no “One size fits all” answer to your situation.

You are a warrior! Don’t you forget that! Fight for yourself! Fight for the life you’ve envisioned for yourself. You deserve the BEST!!!

I’m praying for you. Rise up and be heard, Warrior!

 

Until next week, as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

 

 

 

 

 

Dealing With Grief

Dealing With Grief

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How Grief Plays a Role In Your Health

 

Today’s podcast I will let speak for itself.

I am dealing with grief and last several weeks the stressors in my life were so high that my phantom pains were intense.

 

Taking care of yourself in the midst of pain, sorrow, grief, and anxiety ridden situations is very important for your overall health.

Listen in as I tell you about my past week and a half, how I’ve been feeling, and what I have done, successfully and unsuccessfully, to deal with my emotions and the pain that I was feeling in my heart.

I pray you all are doing well, and I apologize for the delay in posting this week.

Stay positive.

Be the warriors you were meant to be and know that I am here and will get through this and heal on my time.

Until next week,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

Much love,

In loving memory of Bella Rose October 27, 2023

It Doesn’t Happen Overnight

It Doesn’t Happen Overnight

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Persistency and Continuity Lead to Success

 

Trying something new, or being thrust into a new situation, can be tricky, difficult, frustrating, and downright terrifying.

As an amputee, I can truly understand and appreciate that. However, with the right mindset, the setting of goals, and the willingness to be persistent, even when experiencing failure, we can master what we want to achieve.

Overcoming setbacks through persistence and continuity is a powerful journey of resilience and determination. When faced with challenges, those who are persistent continue to pursue their goals despite obstacles. You will possess the tenacity to endure failures and setbacks, learning from each experience and using it as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block. Setbacks, in an amputee’s journey, are common as we relearn to walk, build muscle and stability, all while our limb changes and fitting of prosthetics  is a challenge.

Hiking 2 miles of Awa’awapuhi Trail near Waimea Canyons

 

With the mindset of succeeding despite the hurdles, being persistent in reaching your goals is vitally important, as is being consistent. Continuity involves maintaining a steadfast commitment to your objectives, even in the face of adversity, and there will be adversity. Somedays, as an amputee, it will feel like it is always about adversity and the roadblocks trying to take you down will feel like stone walls. However, through continuity, you will develop a sense of discipline, enabling you to stay focused on your aspirations and making gradual progress.

 

Kayaking Hanalei for 3 hours

 

Combining persistence and continuity empowers you to navigate through setbacks with unwavering determination. you learn to adapt, improvise, and keep moving forward, ultimately transforming setbacks into opportunities for growth. This approach not only builds character but also fosters a resilient mindset, enabling you to achieve your goals despite the challenges you will face along the way.

When you see an amputee who is running a race, surfing the waves, hiking huge miles and high elevation, or happily moving about their day remember, they started with baby steps. They fell down a time or two. They spent hours, days, weeks, and even years practicing what they have achieved.

Everyone starts a new task as a beginner, learning from mistakes, and failures. It is those who continue to pick themselves up time and time again, and press forward with conviction who eventually find their way to success.

Success takes time, commitment, practice, and determination, despite setbacks.

You can find success, too, just don’t give up when things get hard. You’ll be so proud of yourself in the end.

 

Fun snorkeling days on Kauai

 

 

Today figure out what you want to achieve. It’s ok to dream big, but pick the first thing you really want to accomplish, with where you are right now.

Write that goal down!

Next, write down a deadline to achieve that goal.

Finally, list steps you will need two take each day to reach that goal by your deadline.

Now go out and work for what you want!

Remember, falls and failures happen, and can be great stepping stones for success.

And also know that it’s not uncommon to be heading the right direction and then hit a setback. You know the old saying, “two steps forward, one step back”, right? Just prepare yourself for that so you don’t get discouraged.

Stay the course! Don’t give up.

You deserve to be happy, and living your best life.

 

Until next week, and as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be You!!

 

 

 

 

 

Check Your Ego At the Door

Check Your Ego At the Door

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For Growth and Overall Happiness

 

Take it from me when I say that it can be really difficult to drop the ego and allow yourself to be vulnerable.

I have always prided myself in being a high achiever, a perfectionist, a go-getter, and so highly competitive that I have built up walls and a tough exterior when I am trying new things or in a competitive environment. The very last thing I would ever do is ask for help or, worse yet, show any weaknesses in front of anyone.

The problem with that is that I cannot grow, evolve and improve in this state.

We need to get outside of our comfort zones to challenge ourselves.

And when we find ourselves challenged we need to ask for help and we need to have times of failing. That is what helps us learn and improve ourselves, our craft, or our hobby.

 

In this podcast, I take you on my journey when last week I finally put down my ego and reaped the benefits! It was humbling, exhilarating, and challenged me. In a short time I also made a new friend with similar interests who inspires me to keeping working hard. What a blessing getting out of my own way has been in just a short time. Imagine what I can accomplish now that I have this nugget of information, this new skill or letting go of my ego so that I can better myself and my life!

Won’t you join me on this new and exciting journey?

 

 

 

Has your pride, or ego, stopped you from accomplishing some of your goals (big or small)?

Then this week it’s time to bloom where you’re at and shine!

Set yourself up for success, enjoy the breathe of fresh air as you swallow that ego, show your vulnerable underbelly, and challenge yourself to something new.

You will be amazed at how happy you’ll feel about your new found freedoms from your own prison.

So get out of your own way, Warrior, and rise (and fall) in the new challenges you choose to take on.

Through failures and weaknesses we find our strengths, and build character.

Time to define your life!

So rise up, Warrior, rise up!

 

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

Much love,.

Angie

Overcoming Fear Part 3 of 3

Overcoming Fear Part 3 of 3

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Fear of Letting Go

 

As we come to the end of this three part series on overcoming fear I feel that today’s podcast of Letting Go to be a big one, especially for amputees. Not that we all don’t struggle with letting go of: the past, what we can’t control, and toxic relationships, but because as an amputee myself I have seen and heard of so many amputees struggling with these three aspects of letting go.

 

 

For most of us, not living in the past is hard. We all tend to have some part of our heart in the past. Sometimes we fear that letting go of the past will also mean we will forget something that was beautiful about it. Memories stay but that doesn’t mean that “living” there is a good thing, especially when we deeply miss some major part of it or, worse yet, can’t forgive a transgression against us that happened in the past. I know several amputees who became an amputee due to a past wrong done to them: a drunk driver, a negligent driver that they were a passenger with, and those pasts NEED to be left there. I know I can’t speak to this struggle as it is not my story nor my journey, however, I have talked with and watched the lives of people I have met that are dealing with this and one common thread amongst them is lack of joy and lack of healing.  These are the people I have seen struggling with being an amputee, finding purpose, finding joy, and those who struggle to feel peace in their new place, struggling to feel good in their prosthetic and the fit, even not healing correctly or in a timely matter. Our minds are strong and can determine how we see ourselves and our lives, dictating how we feel and function. When we get stuck in a place of anger and blaming our circumstances on a past transgression, we aren’t punishing the offender we are punishing ourselves!

Doesn’t knowing this make you want to work at forgiveness, for the sake of our own lives? You aren’t saying that what this person did to you and your life is OK, you are just letting yourself let go of the one thing that could be holding you back from recovery and living a healthy, happy life….Aren’t you worth that? (I think you are!)

 

Another aspect is letting go of things out of your control.

So you’re an amputee now. Now what?

Your limb is gone, and never growing back. Time to move forward. Learning to embrace where you are at in your journey is half the battle. You can’t change what happened, but you can control HOW you handle it. If you sit and worry about healing, the prosthesis, the fear of being or not being able to walk again, etc, you are just going to stress yourself out and you are worry about something that isn’t important right this minute. Stop, breathe, live for RIGHT now. Can you find something to be happy about, right now? I bet you can. Maybe it’s that you survived, you healed well, you aren’t on pain meds anymore. Maybe it’s that you have a family that is there for you, a friend group who is surrounding you with love, support, and prayers. Maybe it’s a pet that is glad you are home (they don’t care if you have one less leg or not!) Perspective! Do you have it? You can’t control something that has already happened to you, you can’t control how long it will take you to heal, or if your prosthetist is going to be “the one”. You can control your emotions, your outlook, your decisions. Start there, and let the Higher Powers that Be do their thing. If you spend your time worried and wondering how long before staples come out, how insurance might deny you, how long before I get a prosthesis that fits right you will be exhausted from all that worrying. That’s not productive nor is it beneficial to your health (mental or physical). Learn to let go of the things you can’t control and start dealing with the items within your control. You’ll be surprised how happy you will be.

 

 

Finally, letting go of relationships. Now, as an amputee, and one who has been listening to new amputees talk about the beginning stages of getting fitted for their first prosthetics I am highly speaking of this perspective….however, some of you listening may be in a toxic relationship, one that has been negative toward you, not supportive, or downright mean, take this as you see fit.

You do not owe anyone the benefit of sticking around when it is not in your best interest!

As I speak of this I am directing this mostly toward new amputees who think that their prosthetist is their prosthetist, no matter what. Some of you how found yourself in a hospital bed, only to wake up from an accident, missing a limb, have been given a prosthetist by the hospital and you know nothing about them. Some of you live in a small town where there is only one company and you lack options. I am here to tell you that you do NOT have to sacrifice good, personal care because of those circumstances. You CAN shop around. You can change who is handling your fitting to someone more connected with you, more caring, and understanding of YOUR situation. Even though they handle amputees day in and day out, doesn’t mean they know YOU. You are unique, even as an amputee. What works for one Above Knee Amputee, doesn’t work for another. We are all different, from our age, how we became an amputee, our health and activity level, etc. These all determine how we handle a prosthetic, to how it fits, and what kind we need.

Unfortunately, we consider our prosthetist, like doctors, as the professional and take their word on all matters about our fitting. The problem is, we are the professionals of our own body and we know what feels good and what doesn’t. It’s ok to speak up. It’s ok to communicate and ask for changes. And it is definitely ok to change who you are using when you feel that you are not getting the care that you need.  Most of us don’t want to “rock the boat” and don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, and you don’t have to. You just need to know when you’ve given your prosthetist several opportunities to make things right by you and when to cut ties and move on. You CAN interview other prosthetists to get the “best fit” for your situation and personality, after all, you will have them in your corner for the rest of your life. You deserve the best!

 

 

This week there are several things you can be doing to overcome the fear of letting go:

The Past:

Try to stay focused on the present. Letting go of past hurts and mistakes can be hard and some days will be harder than others. Just keep telling yourself that you forgive_________, and repeat it over and over again. Find ways to stay in the present and start finding goals to occupy your time. Letting go of past hurts and mistakes, or even heartbreak of losing a limb, just keep living in the now and finding the joy in the day to day events. Over time you will feel the weight of the past giving way to joys of future journeys.

The Uncontrollable:

It’s inevitable that we worry about things out of our control, so don’t fret when you succumb to that way of thinking. Recognize that you are worrying about something you can not control and refocus on what is in your control.  This takes mindfulness. You must be present and in the moment to see what you are doing and how it is not helpful. Redirect your thinking to what you CAN do in that particular situation and focus on that. Practice, practice, practice. This one is hard to let go of, but your heart and body will thank you when you do!

Relationships:

This goes out to those new amputees who feel like they aren’t in the right m medical office. Don’;t be afraid to communicate exactly what’s going on with your limb. If you still feel like you aren’t getting the care that you need, and the changes being made so you are comfortable then maybe it’s time to shop for a new provider. Don’t be afraid to do what’s right by you. It’s your life, after all! And you deserve the very best care. Be patient, be kind, but when push comes to shove, if you don’t feel like you are being heard, or time isn’t being spent on you to make necessary adjustments so you are out of pain, then it’s time to say good-bye to the old and find someone new. You deserve to be happy and feel the best you can in your prosthesis.

 

I hope this series on fear helped you in some way or another. If you feel like you know someone that this could speak to, please like and share.

I appreciate each of you and hope you are living your best life.

Until next we and as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

Much love,

Angie

Overcoming Fear Part 2

Overcoming Fear Part 2

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Fear of Failure

 

A big fear of mine has always been failing, especially in front of a lot of people. How about you?

After becoming an amputee this became the daily fear that would well up inside of me. Every day I put on my leg I had to deal with idea that, as I was learning to walk in it, I just my wipe out.  Then after I got good at walking, I added in the fear of falling with a running blade on, which would make for a more epic fall.

It feels like the normal, everyday, things were now causing my anxiety.

I realized right away that I would have 2 choices:

Stay home, pout, and not get out and work on my new life

or

Get out, try everything, fail, pick myself back up and try again.

On the edge of the Grand Canyon!

 

Me and my bees

 

My new Swell Surf foot, ready for the waves of Kauai

 

My 1st time wadding in a rushing stream, keeping balance, and trying fly fishing! A whole lotta new!

 

As you probably guessed, I opted for the second choice! Get out and LIVE!

This took time, patience, humility, and drive.

It wasn’t easy going into a grocery store with a new leg, knowing people were watching, almost waiting for me to stumble. At least that’s how it felt at first. But I had a family to feed and a husband at work all day. I was not going to be a burden and I was going to learn this new lifestyle, no matter what it took.

As a teacher, I told my students all the time that it’s ok to fail. That’s the only way to learn. It was time for me to take my own advice.

It’s a long road, a hard journey, when learning to walk again. It’s difficult to take an old. easy, everyday task, and start over.

Have grace and forgiveness with yourself. Be patient, like you’d be with your own kids learning something new.

What advice would you give your baby who was just learning to walk? Would you be mad at them for trying their first steps and falling over? Of course not, so why would you be mad, upset, impatient with yourself?

Why is it that we are so hard on ourselves, yet so forgiving with others that we seeing trying and failing?

Remember, it is more rewarding to try, try, try again and get something, than to just be able to do something simple that you get on your first try.

When you are forced to subject yourself to uncertainty, and yet certain failures at first, you are building your experience, you are building your character, and you are building a warrior mentality.  These are the characteristics that will help you succeed at your next task.

Don’t be afraid to get out there and try something new. You never know what will come of your efforts. What I have learned is that with every trial, I became stronger, met new people, inspired others, and found a deep joy for my new life that I wouldn’t change for the world!

 

Deep inside of you lies a warrior waiting to be unleashed! You’ve got this. Face your fears head on and watch how you will transform your life!!!

You are a warrior!!

 

 

This week begin to change your mindset. Speak positively to yourself and then think of 1 thing you have been wanting to do but have been too afraid to try it.

Now make a plan on how to get from point A to point B. Remember to break it down into baby steps. You cvan do this. I believe in you!

Work at it every day, even for 5-10 minutes. Realize that learning to do something new takes failure. Embrace the failures. Even laugh at yourself from time to time. We all fail at first.

Pick yourself back up and start again!

Don’t give up!

You’ve got this!!

 

Until next time,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

The Elephant in the Room

The Elephant in the Room

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:41 — 37.4MB)

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The Reality of Phantom Pain

 

 

It’s real!

It does exist, and it can come out of nowhere and attack you when you least expect it. Phantom pain is an equal opportunity offender with no regard for who it targets.

Phantom sensation is similar but constant. It’s not about the excruciating pain it inflicts, like phantom PAIN, as much as it’s the never ending, always present tingling, buzzing, and throbbing of the missing body part, (in my case, my lower left leg and foot).

No matter what’s going on, how active I am or am not, or even the weather, phantom sensations are always burning in my foot. At first I didn’t think I was going to be able to take it but I can tell you two certainities:

  1. After suffering phantom PAIN, I will gladly take the sensations!
  2. I find that these sensations are a gift in that they help me to find my footing as I walk because my foot feels like it’s there at all times.

 

Just a reminder, all journeys are NOT the same. my pain tolerance might be higher than yours or your phantom pain might last longer and be more intense than mine, we are all different and how we handle them is also going to be different.

Some people choose to medicate to help with the pain, others use mirror therapy or a neurotransmitter.

Others may choose to use tap therapy, or heat/cold therapy to lessen the intensity.

 

I have a neurotransmitter implanted in my back, but it created more pain than it stopped so I have turned mine off, for now.

I also have chosen to stay far away from medication so I know the true feelings of my pain and learn to deal with them naturally as they come. I spent too many years on drugs to help with all the surgeries and couldn’t wait to get off of them, permanently!

 

Like I said, everyone is different. what works for me may or may not work for you. Only you can decide how to attack these phantom issues. It’s always good to talk with other amputees to see how they are dealing with their pain and what works for them but remember what works for them may not work for you.

I say this so you don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work. You will need to keep searching and trying out new ways to handle your pain based on you. And sometimes something will work one time but not the next time it occurs. Talk about frustrating!!

Phantom pain is for real! It’s vicious, distracting, and debilitating! It can and will try to consume you, and break you, just remember you are strong! You are a warrior!

 

 

This is a tough one.

You will need to get creative and dig down deep!

This is where TRUE warriors are made.

Don’t sit and dwell on the pain, it will consume you and make it harder to bounce back from it.

Find somethings that work for you (I use distraction when I am in a bad pain place-walking, driving in my car, playing music, watching a movie, reading, moving some more, getting to the gym, etc) This keeps my mind active, and distracted. Don’t sit around thinking about it, it’ll only amplify the pain, trust me, I know!

Once you find things you are capable of doing, use these techniques to help you on the rough days. You will find that you will handle the phantom pains better if you have resources ready to be utilized.

And don’t forget to communicate with your family, friends, your support system. Even best laid plans get wrecked, and if you are screaming on the inside, more than likely you’ll start screaming on the outside and the people who you love the most will be casualties to it. Let them know that you are struggling. Phantom pain is invisible to everyone outside of us, they can’t know what we are going through so we must be open and honest, for the sake of relationships.

You’ve got this and you are NOT alone.

Rise up, Precious Warrior, Rise up! Fight your battles with confidence and with the assurance that this too shall pass.

 

As always and until next week,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

Angie

 

 

 

 

 

 

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