Limb loss – Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior

Who Had Your Back…….

By bawarrior | April 5, 2023

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:19 — 29.7MB)

During Your Bounce Back?

Me in my very bouncy running blade

April is Limb Loss/Limb Difference Month and I am excited to share with you several guest speakers throughout the month and into May, however, we had a major setback yesterday and will have to reschedule them for another week.

Turning my setback into a setup, I spent most of last night frustrated and upset that my plans, well-thought out but still botched, coming up with what I feel is a super start to this special month.

Our support groups, people, family, friends, and companion animals!

Yep, let’s turn the tables and give thanks to those who were by our side, through thick and thin, through the good times, and the bad. Those that helped us laugh when we wanted to cry and held our hands when we were afraid.

Who was there to support you?

Who stood on the sidelines and cheered you on?

Who protected you?

Who visited when you felt alone?

These are the people (and maybe animals) who deserve our utmost gratitude and love. They saw us at our worst and lifted us up so we could shine.

Today I am grateful for the medical staff who helped me through, for my family back home, for the friends who checked in on me and brought my family dinners, and to my husband and 2 boys who were my biggest fans, strongest supporters, carrying me through hard times and bad news, to making me laugh until I cried. I wouldn’t be where I am today without all of you! I am forever grateful for every note, call, meal, smile, appointment, taxi service, adjustment, joke, and hug you all supplied me with to get me through.

YOU are my heroes!

My hubby, high school sweetheart, and biggest supporter. I love you!

Best kids in the world and always there for a hug!

My family! 5 siblings (I’m the youngest😏), with our dad

My PTs who helped prep me for amputation(plus 4 years of PT prior to it, trying to save my leg!) They are family.

My best bud and Phoenix Rock n Roll Marathon challenger, Mary Wylie

Post amputation PTs and those who didn’t laugh when I’d come in and say, “So, I’d like to try…”

And thanks for helping me get ready to surf!

PT Dan and owner of Touchstone Rehabilitation. He helped me get my gait down so I’d stop bruising my femur!

The guys who make the magic happen! Making sure I’m set up for success with ideal fitting sockets to awesome paint jobs!

PA Mary representing the surgeon’s office on my 10K a year after my amputation

Special nurses who got me through the amputation- Day 1 of my new life

And there are so many more family and friends who were there for me. Thank you, thank you all, from the bottom of my heart!

This week, use the next 7 days until pour next episode to reach out and give a heartfelt thank you to those who have been there for YOU! Trust me, you will make their day and your bucket will be overflowing knowing that you made a difference in their lives as well.

Everyone wants to be appreciated for the moments they helped out someone they care about.

When we show that sort of appreciate, after the fact, shows them that we saw them and their kindness.

Now who couldn’t use a little more of that in their life?

As always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

Much love,

Angie

Me and my support girl😍

A Day in the Life

By bawarrior | March 30, 2022

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:45 — 57.0MB)

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Let’s Take a Peek

Hi! My name is Angie and I am an above knee amputee and a skin fit socket wearer.

There are many struggles you might first think about when you see an amputee, the most obvious is walking (if they are a leg amputee), but there are so many daily, little (and big) struggles that you might never know about unless you are an amputee.

Did you know that most of us don’t shower with our leg on? Just getting in and out of a shower is a chore in and of itself!

We don’t sleep with it on, either, which means if and when we get up in the middle of the night we have to have other ways to get around, such as walker, crutches, wheelchairs.

And as a skin fit socket wearer, I have to be careful of my weight and what I consume. Lose too much weight and my socket won’t stay on. Gain even 4 pounds and it won’t even fit!

If I drink alcohol or consume too much salt the night before, I pay for it in the morning with a leg that won’t fit properly in the socket!

With Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness month coming in April I decided to share with you this week what a day in the life of a skin fit socket wearer looks like. I hope my journey helps you embrace yours, help someone who is going through this too, or educates you on the inner workings of an above knee amputee.

Please make sure you stay tuned the next month as I have special guests all lined up during April that can share their stories of limb loss, limb difference, and how they traverse their life to find success. 2 of my guests are Paralympians who just competed in Bejing!! Trust me, you don’t want to miss April!!

This week, reach out to someone going through amputation, preparing to go through amputation, or is struggling with their own journey.

If you really want to make a difference then check out ROMP Global, HERE, where you can donate and get involved in helping get prosthesis into the hands of people in desperate need of them. There is nothing more gratifying than helping someone find freedom of mobility through giving. This group of people at ROMP do amazing work!!

I wish you an amazing week, make sure you don’t judge a book by the cover, and understand there is more to amputees than just learning to walk again.

As always, until next time,