The Year of the Fire Horse and the Power of Becoming

Welcome to Season Six of the Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior (BA Warrior) Podcast—a milestone that still takes my breath away. If you had told me years ago that I would be hosting a podcast, let alone entering its sixth season, I would have laughed. It was never a dream I set out to chase. And yet, here we are. Proof that life doesn’t always unfold according to our plans—but often according to something far greater.

If you’re new here, I want to personally welcome you. And if you’ve been walking this road with me for years, please know how deeply grateful I am. Your messages, your comments, your shared stories, and your willingness to show up week after week are the reason this podcast exists. Be a Warrior is not something I do alone—it’s something we build together.

This podcast is rooted in amputee life. I am an above-knee amputee and have been for seven years. Everything I share comes from lived experience—the victories, the mistakes, the frustrations, the growth, and the moments that test every ounce of resilience. My hope has always been that by sharing my journey honestly, someone else might feel less alone in theirs.

 

A New Season, A New Energy

 

Season Six begins with a theme that feels deeply personal to me: the Year of the Horse—specifically, the Fire Horse. This year carries amplified energy, movement, instinct, and transformation. It also aligns beautifully with where I am in life right now.

I recently completed my equine therapy certification, which allows me to bring the healing power of horses to others in a deeper, more intentional way. Horses have long been part of my life, but this year marks a turning point—where passion, purpose, and service come together. My goal for 2026 is to help expand access to equine therapy for overall well-being, especially for people navigating trauma, change, or physical loss.

But before we talk about where we’re going, let me tell you how this year actually started—because it wasn’t graceful.

 

 

A Rough Start and an Important Lesson

 

My husband and I took a short getaway to Sedona, Arizona—a place that feels like a deep breath for the soul. We live in the desert, but a quick drive north brings cooler air, pine trees, red rocks, and a sense of escape. It was meant to be a simple, restorative weekend.

In typical fashion, I packed last minute. I grabbed my makeup, hair products, clothes—and we were out the door.

What I didn’t grab?

Two things no above-knee amputee should ever forget:

 

1. My prosthetic charging cord
2. The bag I use to pull my leg into my socket

My bag to put my socket on….that I forgot.

 

I realized the charging cord was missing first. Panic set in—until I checked my prosthetic’s battery level. Eighty-two percent. I could manage one day.

Then came the second realization.

No bag.

For those unfamiliar, I am a skin-fit amputee, meaning I don’t use liners or traditional suction. My leg requires a specific bag to pull the skin properly into the socket. Without it, my prosthesis does not go on. No shortcuts. No substitutes—at least, not easily.

I didn’t sleep that night. I ran through every possible outcome: crutching around town, canceling plans, going home early. I was frustrated—not just because I forgot something critical, but because I knew better.

Ironically, the reason I forgot was also a sign of progress. I had become so comfortable in my body, so confident in my mobility, that I wasn’t thinking about “what ifs” anymore. My prosthesis had become as normal to me as legs are to two-legged people.

Comfort is a gift—but complacency can be costly.

 

Adaptation Is a Warrior Skill

 

The next morning, I went into full problem-solving mode. I asked myself: What do I have? What can I use?

Garbage bags wouldn’t work—they’d tear. A standard pillowcase was too thick. Then I spotted a silk pillowcase. Thin. Slippery. Flexible.

It wasn’t perfect—but it worked.

I was able to walk around town that day. I didn’t hike, knowing my limits. When I got home later, I had blisters and raw skin—but I was mobile. I adapted.

And that’s what amputee life often requires: creativity, patience, resilience, and the willingness to meet challenges head-on.

 

The Unpredictability of Phantom Pain

 

Just days later, I was reminded again how unpredictable this journey can be.

Despite having minimal phantom pain since my nerve revision surgery, I was suddenly hit with intense, stabbing sensations in a foot that no longer exists. The pain came in waves—sharp, jolting, and relentless. It lasted for hours and woke me from sleep.

There was no obvious trigger. No overexertion. No trauma.

Through experience, I’ve learned that phantom pain doesn’t need permission. It arrives when it wants—and leaves when it’s ready.

What got me through wasn’t panic. It was instinct.

I ran through my mental checklist:

 

• Socket fit? Fine.
• Injury? No.
• Stress? Manageable.
• Weather? Stable.
• Hydration? Questionable.

 

I drank water—lots of it. And the pain faded.

Whether coincidence or correlation, I logged it as wisdom for the future.

 

Always adapting!

 

The Fire Horse Mentality

 

The horse symbolizes freedom, movement, instinct, truth, nervous system wisdom, and connection over control—all things that resonate deeply with amputee life.

Freedom didn’t come to me through saving my leg. It came when I let it go.

Movement returned not through endless surgeries, but through acceptance, adaptation, and the right prosthetic support.

Instinct tells me when to rest, when to push, and when to trust that pain will pass.

Truth asks me to acknowledge that this life is hard—but still meaningful.

Horses understand nervous system regulation instinctively. As amputees, learning to regulate our own nervous systems is critical—not just for physical comfort, but emotional health.

And perhaps most importantly: connection over control.

Trying to control everything—our bodies, our recovery, our outcomes—often creates more suffering. Connection, whether to our prosthetist, our body, our community, or our faith, is what carries us forward.

 

 

Stop Comparing. Start Living.

 

One of the most destructive habits amputees fall into is comparison.

Just because someone else is doing something you aren’t doesn’t mean you’re failing. Different bodies. Different trauma. Different prosthetics. Different lives.

You are not behind.

You are not weak.

You are not less than.

Compare yourself only to who you were yesterday.

 

 

A Call to Rise

 

Season Six is about listening, connecting, trusting, and becoming.

It’s about letting go of the reins just enough to allow life—and faith—to lead.

You are a warrior.

Not because of what you’ve lost—but because of how you keep showing up.

This year is a fresh page. A new chapter.

Write it with courage. Live it with intention.

And remember—you don’t have to do it alone.

Welcome to Season Six.

Let’s ride forward together.