Tag: fears

How Did I Get Here?

How Did I Get Here?

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Faith and Connections

 

Just the other day I met a lovely woman in a wheelchair. My first instinct was to smile  but then I looked down, only to see that this kindly older lady was missing part of her limb. She was a below knee amputee.

She was being pushed around the store by a younger man, a caretaker, in her wheelchair when she noticed me and my prosthesis.  She asked him to back up and push her towards me to talk about being an amputee.

Her smile showed she was a fighter. She also informed me it has been 2 years since her amputation,  and now she was dealing with cancer. But still she smiled!

I knew that she was someone I wanted to know.

We talked for a bit, I told her we’d love to have her on our women’s chat groups and I made sure she had my name written down before we parted ways. She was struggling with the phantom pains, something I know all too much about. We had that in common and our connection was amazing and immediate.

Before I chose amputation I had been fighting through ten surgeries in 5 years, plus a blood clot, before deciding on amputation.

I had 4 months to wait from the time I scheduled my amputation til the surgery, and in those 4 months I went thru every emotion know to humans. I was a wreck trying to navigate something so surreal and on my own.

That is, until I leaned into my Christian faith. I had met a nice pastor during my time in PT, as he was getting his shoulder injury worked on by my PT on many of the days I was there. We talked, I reflected, then on my birthday (which feel during my wait time) I decided to re-baptize myself at this pastor’s church, which I started going to on Saturday evenings, just a month before. I needed to find connections, I need to find God in all of this mess I called my life.

 

The love of a puppy

 

The love from my horse

 

The love of my family

 

 

What I found, while attending the Saturday evening services, was amazing people who understood and stood with me during this time.

I sat down, on campus, with this pastor and we talked about life in general. Afterwards, when I got back to my car I had a life-altering epiphany, this whole thing, this journey I was on, was God’s plan for me. I now, looking back, could see his fingerprints on it all!

I felt such a burden lifted from me at that point, and I can honestly say, I have never looked back.

I am embracing every high and low for what it’s worth, and I know it is for my own good and all these moments were meant to build me up for something else. My mindset got positive. My view of my future became positive and my fears were muted.

When I connected with this lady the other day, I saw God working again, reminding me why He chose me for this journey. I connected in a way that helped and brought joy to this new friend of mine, and I walked away feeling joyful and fulfilled once again.

Connections; we, as humans, were created for connecting with one another and with the world around us. This gives us hope and joy, it fills us with purpose and passion for our life we are living, despite the circumstances.

 

 

 

This week I want you to give it a try.

If you have been staying at home, or are stuck at home find a way to get out.

If you can’t get out then find another way to connect with people. Find a virtual chat room, like the one I have each Wednesday, or call a friend or family member. Reach outside of your own life and find out about someone else’s.

When we connect either physically or verbally with someone else we gain perspective and can step back from what is disabling us.

It’s never going to be a good outcome if you are at home only thinking about your own problems and issues. That is isolating and can destroy you, mentally and physically.  You need to branch out and see that you are not alone in suffering or struggles, we all have them, day to day and even from hour to hour.

Staying secluded isn’t helpful and is hard to lift yourself out of, we aren’t meant to go it alone. Humans were built for connection.

This week make some real connections with others and watch your perspective change and watch your struggles lessen, even if only for those moments you are with someone.

Listen to someone and what they are going through. No need to give advice, sometimes we just need to feel heard.

And remember, everyone is going through something, and each moment is meant to build you up and strengthen you for what’s to come.

Are you preparing for your future successes?

Are you strengthening your resolve and character?

You were built with a warrior inside of you, we each were. It’s time to let that warrior out and fight for the life you want, the life you crave. Don’t allow yourself to be fooled that it won’t get better, your mindset matters, and you WILL find the strength needed to achieve your goals.

You are a Warrior! Believe it!

Have a blessed week ahead, and until next time,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

Much love,

 

 

The Answer is NO

The Answer is NO

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It’s Always “No” If You Don’t Ask

When it comes to the world around you, the old adage, “You catch more flies with honey, than vinegar”, still holds true.

As an amputee, I have seen this firsthand. When I smile at someone, they smile back. If I say Hello with a smile, I start a conversation and usually educate someone who is curious. And when I ask questions, that I may be afraid to ask (because I don’t want to look like I’m looking for handouts), I usually find someone who has a connection or an “in” to helping me. Rarely do I hear No, but I take the chance anyway, like 2 weeks ago.

I went with my son to pick up his new ski boots, that was all we were going to do, but I started looking around and dreaming of a new pair of skis and boots as mine are over 20 years old. The problem? I only need one ski and one boot, I ski without my prosthetic on and with outriggers. This causes a problem because no one sells singles, so I decided to ask a probing question to the guy helping my son. “Do you ever get a rouge ski come in?”  His answer, we sometimes get skies that someone leaves behind after buying new ones, asking if we can get rid of them. And sure enough, Gil, at SkiPro here in Phoenix checked my height and ski level and went in back only to emerge with a beautiful pair of Solomons! He literally said, “Here, they’re yours, they were just going into the dump.” I couldn’t believe my luck… or maybe I just manifested it by smiling and creating a connection, a relationship. I decided to see if boot companies had singles they might have because of manufacturing defects and how could I get in touch, and Gil measured my foot and we had the same boot size. He told me he’d reach out to me later that week.

Tuesday rolled around and he called and said he had 2 pairs for me to try out. I drove straight down to his shop to give them a go. They were perfect!!

We talked while he fitted the liner to my leg and made an insole for my foot, we connected, and I shared my story with him and my joy of getting out there and doing life. He told me about his time he spent skiing and his life up in Washington, and how he’d worked with an adaptive ski program up north and I just thought, “Wow, this was a God wink” The chance that I talked to a guy who knew his stuff, worked with other adaptive skiers in the past AND was my boot size. incredible. But it was about connecting, opening up, accepting that “No” could be the answer, but I might as well ask.

I went in that day to be with my son, and I walked away that week with a “new” pair of skis and boots that I can’t wait to use this season.

Remember, if you never ask, the answer will always be “No”, but taking a chance on people, asking the questions, asking for assistance with a genuine heart, never hurts. Hey, you may even walk away with new skis!

Checking the liner out

My new friend, Gil. Thanks, man, I appreciate you!

 

 

Simple CTA this week.

What have you been wanting to try but don’t have the equipment or resources to get it?

Go out and find connections. Build relationships in that community.

Email people.

Ask the questions. You never know who you’ll meet and where it’ll take you!

Don’t be afraid to try and hear, “No”.  Be afraid of never asking and always wondering, “What if”.

 

You are all warriors, so rise up and get out there.

Have a blessed week and let me know how it’s going!

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

Much love,

 

 

 

 

 

The Ocean is Calling

The Ocean is Calling

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Healing and Finding Purpose

 

This Illinois, born and raised, girl never knew she had a connection to the ocean.

It’s a beautiful thing to find in yourself so late in life. It was surprising, and breathtaking when it happened.

Many years ago my family moved to Florida for a job. I never thought I would leave Illinois, EVER! All of my family and my husband’s family live there. That was our support system.

We enjoyed Florida a lot while only there for 4 years but I was a mom of two young boys and going to the beach was more of a chore than anything. Keeping an eye on them, making sure they didn’t go in too deep, and then getting sand off of them (which, of course was on every square inch of their bodies when we were done!) before getting into the car.

But, fast forward 11 years and I decided to try my hand at surfing, for the first time ever, and as an amputee. My prosthetist, Randy West, helped me make my dream come true and made me a surf leg the week before our trip to Kauai. I arranged surf lessons and have to say I was a bit nervous at first… I don’t like to fail and I had no idea how this would go seeing as my surf instructor had never given lessons to an amputee before.

Needless to say, I found my joy in surfing from the moment I got on the water.

 

 

The ocean was soothing and yet so powerful. The Hawaiians call this power, Mana, and I understood why. While a wave looks so peaceful and ignorer as it moves its way across the ocean to the beach what was going on under the wave was strong, chaotic, and so powerful.

It seemed to me a metaphor for how my life felt now as an amputee.

 

 

To me, though, even being on the beach and close to the waves, I can still feel her power and her beauty as I watch and listen.

I find myself breathing to the waves as they come in and crash on the beach. I watch the sun shine through the water and watch the ultimate chaos of sand being churned up and plant life whipping around as the wave pushes forward.

This is my happy place. I find my peace here and long for that feeling often, always excited to go back to the ocean whenever a chance arises.

You may not live near a beach or have the means to get there right now but you can recreate this feeling by finding video footage of the ocean and/or the sounds of crashing waves that you can listen to, right now, in your own home. No, it’s not exactly the same but it can do the trick, if you are in need of finding some calm and center in your life.

The ocean has given me a place to finding healing because it calms me, declutters my head, and asks me to breathe with it.

These actions place me in a better place, mood, and mental space.

 

You guessed it! This week I want you to find your peace at the ocean.

This may be a literal ocean, if you live near one, or find video and audio of the ocean that you can immerse yourself into in your own home.

Don’t cheat yourself. don’t find a video and then work on laundry or do the dishes. You must find the time and space to stop everything you are doing to center yourself and focus on the present.

Find rhythm in your breath with the ocean. Close your eyes and listen to ALL of the sounds. Relax your body and your mind and just breathe.

 

 

If you can just find time everyday this week to give yourself this gift of quieting your life, stopping the momentum, even for just 5 minutes, you will find yourself in a better mood, and in a happy space. You might even find healing of what you are struggling with right now.

Surrender to the ocean, Warriors. You and your body deserve that much.

Have a beautifully blessed week,

And until next time,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

Much love,

 

 

Reflect and Reset

Reflect and Reset

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:56 — 23.4MB)

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Time to Challenge Yourself

 

 

As 2024 fades away and 2025 takes control let’s take time to look back and reflect on the ups and downs of the past year.

We all have had those moments we achieved some sort of milestone, we have also had those moments we never want to relive.

I’m hopeful that you had some time at the end of last year and the first week of this year to relax, reflect, and refresh yourself. I hope you have gotten into a place where you are ready to rise up again, and accomplish your goals.

As much as I am NOT a fan of New Year’s resolutions, for the fact that the name in of itself let’s people know that it’ll be a bust by February, I AM a fan of creating a new plan, schedule, and goals to work on THROUGHOUT the year ahead. I like the feel of starting over, having a second chance, learning about myself and reaching goals. I love the promise of a new tomorrow, where anything is possible, but without a goal or plan of attack days can roll by into weeks and month, only to leave you feeling like you let yourself down once again.

 

This year, I want to challenge you to several new things.

First you need to stay positive. Easier said than done, I know, but if you know that hard times will come-that there will be some struggles in your journey, then you can plan for that. While you’re in a good place prepare for the “suck”. How will you handle phantom pains when they hit? How will you decide when you need to talk with your prosthetist about your fit? When do you change your doctor after everything else has failed and you feel in your gut that you need someone else’s help or opinion?

These are all things that can knock the wind out of you and set you back. For some of us it can derail us so badly that we loose our momentum and never get it back, we can get lost in a dark place.

Prepare!

Make a Plan!

Execute that plan TODAY!!!

I am not immuned to this “delay game”. I play it with myself when I’m too tired, too happy, too busy….”I’ll start tomorrow”. You know that game, right?

I’m preaching to myself when I say we need to stop that if we want to achieve, overcome, rise up and become the warriors we were born to be.

This is our year! We will do this together. Accountability is key when you are struggling.

 

 

This week I have 2 Call to Actions for you. Don’t ignore these, let’s get after it together. I can hold you accountable, and you can hold me accountable.

 

First, come up with your word or phase of the year. Something that will keep you focused on your ultimate goal. Keep it short and simple 1-2 words if you can. This becomes your war cry, your mantra, something you will write and speak to yourself everyday for this whole year.

What is your word or phrase?

It could be:

Control

Be Present

Rise Up

Be Epic

Breathe

Walk

Mine is: Charge Forward

 

Second, join me in a virtual race. The one I have just registered for is called “Reset” by Virtual Pace Series and you can register here

 

This is a choose your distance challenge. You can do a 5K, 10K, Half or Full Marathon. The beauty of this race is that you can do it on your time and in your location. You can choose your distance and how you complete it. Walk, Run, Hike, Bike, Swim, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are challenging yourself WHER YOU ARE AT. If you can’t do 5K in one event, then break it down into 2 or 3 days/events. If you have already completed a walking. 10K then maybe you need to try running a 5K or even a 10K.

The point is to have something holding you accountable and a goal set before you. You do you, where You Are At in your journey.

Earn that medal and when you open it, AFTER COMPLETION, you are going to fall in love with challenging yourself.

Join me in 2025, a year in which you achieve your goals and realize the warrior within you is Stronger than you could ever have imagined!

Yes you can!

You will!

You are Stronger enough, brave enough and more than capable.

You are a WARRIOR!!!

 

 

I hope you find 2025 to be everything you want and more.

Please join me next week right here as we support one another and build each other up!

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

Much love,

 

Changes and Challenges

Changes and Challenges

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:25 — 29.2MB)

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New Socket and What To Expect

 

 

Here we go again!

Last week I told you all about a huge blister that formed in my socket on the end of my residual limb, well, after talking to my prosthetist about that and a few other things that I was ignoring, he decided that it was time to make a new socket!

 

UGH!!

 

Where great sockets are made!!

 

Randy West and I getting ready to make a mess!

 

Cast is made!

 

 

I know what you’re thinking. “That’s great! You’ll have a better fit than what you have now”, and that is true, however, the idea of going through the casting and fitting process, then a week of walking around in a hard plastic shell test socket isn’t fun and then after it’s all created there is a “breaking in”period that can last up to another week. All the while you are hoping that the changes move you in the right direction.

 

My current socket being used to remake the original mold

 

 

All in all, it will be better (or at least that is the hope). My guys do an amazing job of getting me the best fit, they are incredible at what they do, and I am blessed to have them in my corner. It’s just that it is such a long and, at times, painful process that brings discomfort before it brings joy.

So I am going this week to be recast and will create a video of the process for you to see.

I bring this up for a couple of reasons.

  1. This is my life, and my podcast is about my personal journey,  that I can speak to.
  2. It’s important to note that even though I’m through the harder years of fitting my prosthesis, there will still be changes that happen down the road, and being an amputee has ever-changing challenges and struggles.

I’m excited, for sure, to get a new fitting socket and the idea of recreating my external design has me giddy. I love remaking my look.

But I am a realist as well, and I know what I am about to embark on is a process that takes time, perseverance, and grit to get through. I know what’s coming and I know it can be unpleasant at times, but I also know it will help me get the most intimate fit ever and it’s important to my livelihood.

 

I will keep you posted on social media on how it’s going. Make sure you check out my IG and/or my Facebook page @BAWarrior360 for updates.

 

 

I would tell you to continue to communicate with your prosthetist as your limb matures and when you notice things “happening” with the fit, even minor changes, that you should let them know before you get a blister like mine, or worse!

I am fortunate that I don’t develop infections like some people do, but this one could’ve been bad for a person with a high infection rate.

Be vigilant with your life, your fit, and your comfort. If things don’t feel right, please make sure you reach out to your team.

It’s better to be safe than sorry and laid up for weeks because you “pushed” through something you shouldn’t have.

Also, remember that your limb and your body are constantly changing, no matter how long you’ve been an amputee. Don’t think that you are ___ years out and you won’t see any more changes. I’m almost 6 years out and I’m heading in for a new socket because of fit, not damage to my socket.

Our bodies are always changing and fluctuating, take note, and be vigilant when you notice something look or feel different.

 

I hope you have an amazing week and until next time,

And as always,

B e Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

 

Choose to Shine!

 

Anticipation

Anticipation

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:50 — 29.3MB)

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Let’s discuss Anticipation and Expectations as an amputee.

Every journey is different, every path navigated in life is unique, so why would anyone think that becoming an amputee that we would share the exact same journey?

We will have a similar structure as to what steps come first, second, third, etc, but wWHEN they come, HOW quickly you move from one step to the next, AND when setbacks will happen are all unique to each individual.

Understanding this, and excepting it will help with your success and also your stress.

When we drop the idea that “I want to be doing what Sue is doing.”, or “I want to run like John.” we can embrace our own journey for all its worth, and except the path we are on, which will reduce stressors and help us achieve.

Goal setting and POSITIVE expectations are found to be key to reducing stress and helping us reach success.

Join me for how to go about doing this, and at the end of the podcast check out your Call to Action on what you can be doing right now whether you are awaiting amputation, had an unexpected amputation, or just want to get out of your own way in life so you can find success.

 

Enjoy this episode, share with those you know who need some motivation and as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

Much love,

Keep looking up! Reach for the stars, dear Warri0rs!!

 

Finding Yourself By Letting Go

Finding Yourself By Letting Go

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Through The Eyes of a Horse

Horse Therapy-the horse who started it all: Cherokee

 

What can I say, I LOVE horses! I have always loved horses, just seeing them makes me smile. Yet as a girl growing up in the suburbs of Chicago I was never around any horses. The attraction is a mystery.

Never in my WILDEST dreams could I have imagined that at my age I would be surrounded by them every single day, training them, getting certified to train them, grooming them and now bringing a therapy to the public in which the horses becomes the teacher.

They are incredible creatures with so much to offer.

My journey began after my amputation and with the horse you see pictured above. Even though I was only around him for 30-45 minutes, the impact he made on my life was the most profound experience I have ever felt! Not only did my amputation change the trajectory of my life, now horses were a part of this ever changing path.

Now after 4 years of learning and teaching, observing and making mistakes,  I am ready to bring this mental healing to others, and I AM EXCITED!!!

 

CONNECTION

 

BEING PRESENT

 

TRUST

 

The benefits of just being in proximity to horses is incredible! The healing they can bring to our lives is unmatched.

I hope that one day you, too, can feel the healing power of horses in your life, and I would love to be the one to take you there.

Join me on this new journey that I never, EVER saw coming a mere 5 years ago.

Let’s work together and heal ourselves through the eyes of a horse.

 

I pray you have a beautiful week and a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

Much Love,

 

My silly girl!
Help!

Help!

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How Can You Know What You Don’t Know?

 

Yep, like clockwork!

Like life itself, being an amputee throws you curveball after curveball, no matter how seasoned you are.

My time is now, I guess.

I am almost six years out from my amputation, life has been great! I have been traveling, active, enjoying mobility and no (knock on wood) phantom pains worthy of discussion. This is the good stuff! I’m living my best life!

 

Monday’s walk…pre-pain

Enjoying island life

 

Monday, however, with our weather being nice and cool in the mornings, I took my pups for a walk. About one mile in I noticed an aching in my femur. Never had that before. Very curious.

At  1 1/4 miles, however, I as limping and trying to keep pressure of my limb and socket. Once I got home and sat for a minute the pain was gone, but I could recreate it by moving my socket around.

Now, I know my limits and I know how to push myself so, of course, I went for a walk the next morning.

And you guessed it, I was in pain again, in the same place on my leg. This time I cut my walk a little shorter.

I have never had this before. So I did what I needed to do. I began going through a process of elimination for what I was feeling.

First off, I was checking my residual limb that night for bruising or soreness when I touched the area in question. It feels bruised.

I had no redness or swelling.

I had no rash or blisters.

I checked my weight, only down a few pounds, but that’s not uncommon.

I am noticing some tripping off my toes lately which could indicate that my prothesis might be dropping some when I pick up my leg when walking.

My best guess is that for some odd reason, six years in, I am having some volume change, or shape change, to my residual limb (which is weird since I haven’t changed anything in my routines nor have I been traveling the past couple of weeks). This would explain bruising as I may be banging around in my socket because of excess room.

My worst case scenario is a possible bone spur, which would cause pain on the bone and can happen at anytime after amputation. This would suck because I’d have to have surgery to remove them.

So, for now, I will NOT take to social media to find answers because my medical team and I know my situation best.

I will NOT worry, because that doesn’t help and is a waste of time.

 

The Limb Center: I have these guys in my corner.

 

I have called my prosthetist and let him know what I’m feeling, when I’m feeling it, and where the pain is coming from. I will be seeing him soon to check out my fit of my socket and making some educated guesses with the person who has seen me through to this point.

From there we will formulate a plan to reduce/eliminate  the problem.

 

 

If you are  like me, and are dealing with an unusual circumstance with your residual limb.

If you are feeling scared or worried about what might be causing your trouble, here is your Call to Action:

 

Please don’t ask the keyboard warriors on your social media feed!

Please process what you are seeing, feeling, and noticing that is different than before with your residual limb and/or socket.

Make notes.

Call your medical team: orthopedic surgeon, prosthetist, and/or physical therapist and get their help.

And please, whatever you do, don’t waste time worrying about what it could be. Just remember that you were strong enough to get to where you are now, and you will be stronger still as you navigate this (what may be your first of MANY issues as an amputee) hurdle.

Remember to breathe, step back from your situation, make logical observations and talk to your medical team.

You and I will get through this.

We are warriors, of course.

Attitude is Everything

Have a beautiful week and as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

Much love,

 

 

 

Enjoying Life

Enjoying Life

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Live in the Moment and Experience Your Best Life

 

 

Take a breathe. Now slowly let it out.

Breathing is an automatic response by our body, it knows that we can’t survive without oxygen, but have you ever noticed your breathe being shallow or worse yet, you held your breathe?

We tend to do this in times of stress, anxiety and fear, and yes, we all face some sort of and some level of these moments on a daily basis.

We are actually depriving ourselves of the one thing our body needs to stay alive!

Now, take that and add in the frustration, pain, and uncertainty of losing a limb and trying to “get back to your life”. Also add in, for some of you, the anger you feel if accident or sickness took your limb away and the choice of living a life as an amputee wasn’t up to you. That’s pretty harsh, right?

But, we are stronger than we know. Our bodies and our minds are more resilient than we understand.

We must really make the effort to push forward.

 

 

I named this podcast Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior because 1) I believe we all have a warrior spirit, 2) that we are beautiful just as we are (no matter how many limbs we have) and 3) we are adaptive beings, no matter what is thrown at us, we are capable of adaptation.

The time is now to live in the moment. Realize that you and your life, no matter what you’re going through, are a miracle and capable of great things.

 

 

Now is the time to enjoy your life and press onward and FORWARD! No use in looking back if it’s just going to cause you pain, stress, and frustration. What’s done is done.

Now we live.

Now we rise up.

Now we embrace our journey, set goals, crush goals and REPEAT!!

You are special and you are strong enough! So rise up, Warriors, and live your best life!

 

Now what?

Ask yourself, “AM I ready to live my life again?”

If the answer is “No”, what is holding you back? You need to address those issues first, just don’t let fear be the reason. We all live with certain fears, the difference: those that press through their fears find the reward of facing them by experiencing a full life.

If your answer is “Yes, I’m ready”, then your next step is to decide what it is that you want to do, where you want to go, what you want to see, and what you want to try.

Make a list.

Decide which ones are plausible now and start creating steps you need to reach that goal and then….

BEGIN TODAY!!

If you want to surf, then you need to build core strength, work on balance, get a surf leg, practice popups on your floor in your house, etc, etc, etc.

Every goals has steps to get to the goal. Break yours down into bite sized pieces and start getting after it.

Remember, you are a miracle, your life is a miracle.

Be present, and enjoy your life. You’ll be so glad you did!!

Write to me and tell me how it’s going, I’d love to hear from you!

And remember you are a Warrior!

Until next week,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!

 

Much love,

 

Prepping For Battle

Prepping For Battle

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Finding Peace and Comfort in This Hard Season

 

How does a warrior prepare for battle?

They need the right kind of armor to protect themself from harm.

They need weapons to defeat the enemy, too.

 

What is your armor?

What weapons do you wield as you go into this new season, this battle, for your health and livelihood?

Yes, you CAN prepare. There are things you can do to build yourself up to being stronger and able to handle the journey you are embarking on.

I am speaking from a perspective that I relate to, that is, elected amputation. Not everyone has this experience, and I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to have that taken from me with no choice, so I will not be speaking of that journey today.

I had four months to prepare, research, interview, seek help, and get a leg up (PUN intended!) on my forthcoming surgery.

I believe there are many things we need to address to feel even somewhat prepared for such a huge life-changing surgery, and even then, you are never going to be completely ready for that day and what is to come in the years to follow, but you might as well start from a positive, strong place.

I address 4 major areas to get yourself prepped for such a surgery: Mental, Emotional, Physical, and Insurance

Yep, Insurance! You are in control of those other areas of your life, but insurance can become the enemy very quickly if you are not researching and doing your due diligence with what your insurance covers…prosthetics are EXPENSIVE!!!

Like I said before, I had four months from the time I scheduled my surgery til the day of my amputation.

These four months were extremely challenging and emotional. I tried my best to stay positive and convinced that this was the right move, but some days were much harder to convince myself than others.

I began to go through the “What if’s….” A LOT! I had fears well up in the night as I lay in the dark and everyone else in my house was sleeping. I struggled with the idea of death, and I worried that I wouldn’t be a functioning amputee. So many questions, and I knew NO amputees at the time. So many fears and so many uncertainties. It was almost unbearable.

But I decided to not let negativity rule my months I had left as a ‘two-legger’, and I began to prepare my heart, mind and body for the battle ahead. And Insurance, unbeknownst to me, was going to be a very grueling battle!

Don’t get caught without a plan.

Don’t get caught without visualizing a better future.

Don’t get caught without setting goals.

These items are your armor and your weapons.

Be prepared, you are, after all, a WARRIOR!

We all have a warrior spirit, some of us just need to believe it to unleash it.

Believe in yourself. You can do this! I believe in YOU, Dear Warrior!

 

 

Start making a plan now, don’t wait!

Prepare yourself by addressing your mental and emotional capacity to handle what’s coming. How? Talk to people. When you talk about it you will find you relax the hold it has over you. I remember when I couldn’t even say “Amputation”, it made it too real if I said it, but that’s what I had to learn to do. The more I talked about it, the easier it became to say, eventually it got me then thinking about what was coming and how I might handle certain situations, like getting in and out of a car, going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, cooking dinner while on crutches, etc. I would not have those questions without open conversations with my family and friends.

Physically prepare by building your balance, core strength, and the limb that will be left behind to do all the work.

Finally, insurance. Please do your research. Ask questions about what is and is NOT covered by your insurance. Double check, and even triple check if time allows. The cost is profound, and the average household struggles to afford one.

You are strong enough to go through this, but you must prepare, just as a runner prepares for a marathoner and a warrior prepares for battle. Strengthen yourself and watch a new life unfold in front of you.

Your life is ending or diminished because of amputation, it has just turned onto a new path. And the adventures will be amazing!

So, Warriors, rise up to the challenge in front of you! You are strong enough. You are brave enough. You are ENOUGH!

Until next week and as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

 

 

 

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