Tag: prepare

The Process

The Process

Healing Physically, Adapting Mentally and Emotionally

 

Amputation isn’t just the act of amputating a limb.

It isn’t just surgery, heal, and walk.

This is a process. It takes time, money, patience, and a whole lot of grit!

Unfortunately, most patients that knowingly go into amputation surgery can’t comprehend the struggles to come. For those who didn’t choose or prep for amputation, they have no idea of the life that’s ahead of them. For them, their emotional and mental state need to heal first, while they wait for their physical healing. They had their life torn apart by disease or war or an accident.

Whichever category you fall into know that you will get through this but it takes time, and commitment. You will need to work on, what I feel are, the four major components of successfully navigating amputee life: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Financial.

Physical:

Obviously, you will take time to heal. You will need to learn to rebalance with less weight on one side of your body and also how to get around with crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair. You need to heal your incision but also the bone, muscle, and tissue. It was told to me that true healing takes up to 12 months. Within that time you will also experience new sensations and possibly phantom pains, all of which you will learn to adapt and work through. The whole wearing of a shrinker and then being cleared for a socket is a whole other side of the physical aspect you will need to come to grips with.

 

 

Mental:

As an elected amputee I had four months to prepare my mind for what was to come. I could ask questions, meet people, find peace with my decision, and set my future goals and dreams. Setting goals and daring to dream of a brighter future post-amputation is invaluable and can set you up for success. Manifesting your own destiny with a powerful and positive mindset is key! Get your mental game lined up as soon as you can.

 

 

Emotional:

Being ready to face your new life and new look is extremely important. Understanding how to deal with some of the struggles and hurdles you will face is hard to prepare for ahead of time, just know that when you do face a hardship that you need to take a step back, take a deep breathe and understand that these moments will end and good times will happen again. This journey is filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, pains and peace.

If you have dealt with an amputation due to someone else’s negligence, like an accident you were involved in, then you may have some extra baggage to address with your emotions, anger and hate. These emotions are poison to your healing. They can create some major problems for you and ultimately stifle your level of success as an amputee. Letting go of negativity will allow for healing and growth.

 

 

Insurance/Money:

My general practitioner gave me great advice ahead of my surgery, to contact my insurance company so I knew and understood my coverage and the rules of external prosthesis, but even then I got the short end of the stick (listen in to hear what happened!).

Remember that prosthetics are your new ‘forever’, being able to afford them or having coverage for them is highly important. Be prepared for what’s to come so you don’t feel like you’ve been duped. The reality is that you may be looking to get a new one every 3 years (most prosthetics have a 3 year warranty-at least that’s what I deal with as an above knee amputee with MPKs).

I wished more people had some of these basic facts before their surgery, but you learn as you go, that’s how my journey happened, and is still happening. Everyone’s experience is different, and you need to do what you need to do to embrace your new life as an amputee. The best teacher is time and experience.

 

 

 

 

This week is simple in detail but tough to execute.

Look yourself in the mirror and address what weakness you have and where you struggle the most in your life.

Are you weaker inner mental game or physical (being strong and healthy is important pre-surgery)?

Is your emotional state a struggle?

Be honest with yourself and really try to address your weaknesses.

Next, list your goals and dreams. Dare to go big! Manifest your future with positivity and standards you want to achieve and live up to. These will save you in times of struggle and give you incentive to keep fighting.

 

Being prepared doesn’t mean you won’t fall and falter, but it will give you a head start of your new life as an amputee.

Give yourself a fighting chance and reap the benefits of your preparedness and positive mindset.

You are stronger than you think and more resilient than you’ll ever know.

Rise up, Warriors, and prepare for battle!

 

Cheers to a blessed week ahead,

And until next week,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,

 

 

 

 

 

You’ve Got to Fight for Your Right….

You’ve Got to Fight for Your Right….

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

 

Traveling Once Again-Tips and Tricks for Traveling

Traveling Once Again-Tips and Tricks for Traveling

…and ROMP: Helping Others Gain Freedom of Mobility One Prosthetic at a Time

This is me, July 2020 climbing Mt. Humphreys in Flagstaff, AZ. My highest and most challenging terrain thus far.
I did this for ROMP’s #We Still Climb campaign.

 

OK all, I am here to tell you that if you haven’t heard of ROMP: Range of Motion Project Global yet you need to check them out!! Do you feel the need to give back, or help others? Do you want to get in shape for yourself but need motivation? Then this is the group for you to get involved with. ROMP is a non-profit group that helps get prosthetics to underserved communities here in the U.S. and abroad. Since their creation in 2005 they have been able to deliver 3,345 devices and visited 9, 249 patients! I became involved last year through Living With Amplitude magazine’s team for the We Still Climb initiative. We raised money as a team and went out and climbed our own mountains (usually they have teams go to Cotopaxi, in Ecuador, to climb the highest glacier covered volcano there to bring awareness and raise funds-but even though a pandemic stopped that travel it didn’t stop them from recreating the challenge to fit the times).

Today, I am now a team leader for the 2021 Challenge AND Mobility May.  I have an amazing team working with me to raise funds but also to log miles, anyway they can and want to, to bring awareness to the lack of mobility that some people have in the world. Everyone deserves to have the freedom that comes from mobility, and shouldn’t be stopped from having that opportunity just because of where they live.

If you’d like to join my team (No, it’s not too late!) or donate to my team: Romping Warriors, please click HERE

We will be charging forward to raise $2021 and log 2021 miles, as a team, by December 31, 2021.  Join us!!

 

This Friday I am traveling back home to Chicago!!! I can’t wait. I miss my family and my husband’s family, and it’s been too long! However, if you’re an amputee, you know that traveling can produce stress and anxiety. Trying to remember all the things you’ll need, and what you MIGHT need, if case of an emergency, can make traveling hard.

Listen in as I discuss the things I bring with me, how I get through security at the airport and make everything run smoothly so I can enjoy the trip. I sometimes need to remind myself that I need to enjoy the journey not just the destination, but that can be hard when there is so much to remember to bring. Don’t fret the small stuff, and know that you’ll be fine no matter what.

Enjoying my hike up one of our Arizona mountains. My happy place!

 

 

Today’s Call to Action is a simple one:

Check out ROMP’s website, Instagram and/or Facebook Page!

Range of Motion Project Global

IG: @ROMPGLOBAL

Facebook: Range of Motion Project

 

Get involved if you feel led. Join my team, donate. I promise you, that helping others gain their freedom of mobility and their independence will fill your bucket, making you feel great and wanting to do more. You can also take on the challenges, like joining my team, and getting out and active for yourself (which will produce endorphins-that will make you happy), and you’ll be a better person for it. It’s a Win-Win, in my book.

 

Join me! Take on a challenge! Change someone’s life for the better.

Mobility is not to be taken for granted.

Mobility means freedom

Mobility means independence.

 

As always:

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!

 

Much love,

Angie

Kauai beaches and my first time snorkeling as an amputee…
..actually the first time to get in the ocean since my injury 8 years ago!!!
FREEDOM!!!