Peace in the Waiting
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Finding Patience Amidst Trials
Be YOU!!!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:09 — 33.7MB)
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Be YOU!!!
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“To live will be an awfully big adventure.” -Peter Pan
And to live well, is even better.
Sometimes it might feel like the world is coming down all around you and you can barely breathe. We can get so wrapped up in our own journey, or life, that we forget that there are others out there hurting and dealing with their own struggles. There are people who don’t know if they can make it one more day, are in so much pain, or ready to give up because they feel alone and unseen.
That’s where I want to take you today. No matter what you may be going through there is someone out there who is in need and probably worse off than you. Maybe they feel they have no one to talk to or rely on. Maybe they are in so much pain that it has become unbearable to deal with. Maybe they got yet another piece of bad news that is pushing them to their limits.
This is where we can come in and help ourselves while helping others. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, if I sit around thinking of everything that feels painful or uncomfortable in my own life or spend time dwelling on what I can’t do then I am going to find myself throwing a pity party. This, no one wants to see. And I can’t say that I’m truly living if I approach life like this. What I CAN do is reach out to friends, family, neighbors, who are in need of a friend or someone to talk to and let them know I care, and that I am there for them. I could send a note, a text, take them a coffee or lunch. Sometimes, just taking time out of our busy days, could be what saves someone that day.
You see, we have become a society that has become so busy in our own lives, wrapped up in our own problems, it has become every man/woman for themselves, and it’s hurting us.
When I decided to amputate, sure I had my own goals about how I’d bounce back and become active, but I also wanted to make sure I was helping someone else along the way. I worked with St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Range Of Motion Project these past 3 years. What I found by fundraising and being actively involved with these groups was that it lifted me up, too! I found a purpose outside of my own life, helping others. What an amazing feeling this was…so I continued to help. Then I started hearing from people that were struggling to wear their prosthesis, so I started calling and talking with them and making videos of what it’s like to start a new activity, as an amputee, and being transparent about my own struggles.
People just want to be seen, to not feel alone in this life. Life is a big adventure, and to live it well is an even bigger adventure. One worth the journey, the heartache and the pain we sometimes feel.
“All the world is made of Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust.” -Peter Pan
May you be someone’s “pixie dust” this week. See how you can be, below.⬇️
This week, reach out to someone that may need a friend. Maybe it’s a neighbor, an old friend, or a family member. Touch base with them. Send a text, and email, pick up the phone and call them, invite them for coffee or lunch. Try to connect with someone each day until we meet again next week. You may be surprised what this will also do for you.
Sometimes when we put aside our own struggles to help someone else, we benefit more than we can even imagine. Be someone’s pixie dust this week, and watch how your life changes as you do.
As always:
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU!!
Much love,
Angie
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I consider myself so fortunate to have been directed to The Limb Center by my doctor, Dr. Judd Cummings, as I was planning for my amputation. And I think I am a good judge of character, so when I went in to meet Randy West and David Banks for the first time, pre-amputation, I knew I was getting the best care out there!
They listened to me. They actually HEARD what I was telling them about my dreams, goals and aspirations….as well as my fears and doubts about going through with this surgery.
I had visited another prosthetist’s office before I knew of The Limb Center, and I had a pretty good experience there, too. I also met an amazing young lady who was an above knee amputee and a fighter, while I was there. However, three major factors first swayed me to Randy and David, before I really knew them. 1) They took my insurance- this is VERY important and the other office did not! 2) My doctor was very familiar with them and worked with them directly and, quite frankly, I trusted my surgeon and his opinion in this matter, and 3) David was an above knee amputee with 20+ years of experience being one. He could see things and understand an amputee better just by living it.
Then once I got to meet them and talk through my decision to amputate, I knew that we had a connection far greater than me being an office visit here and there. I had their cell phone numbers, could call or text whenever there was a problem, and time and again, they showed me that I mattered to them.
This is the type of relationship you should have and that you deserve with your prosthetist.
Randy and David join me in this podcast as we discuss the right “fit” in your relationship with your prosthetist, insurance and getting the right coverage, steps to getting your first socket, and when to turn around and walk out of that office and find the right relationship you need to be a healthy, happy amputee. It can happen, but you need to push that for yourself and know when to do it.
Knowledge is power, and I want to arm you with as much knowledge as I can so you can feel confident and ready to advocate for yourself in the medical field, in your doctor appointments and when finding and working with your prosthetist. When we have knowledge, confidence, and opportunity we can access limitless possibilities in our lives.
People don’t realize that who you see for your prosthetics is so very important-it can make or break your desire and ability to really live your life after amputation, and it’s a relationship, like family. You’ll be working with them for years to come so you’ll want to make sure you trust and enjoy working with them.
As always, if you have comments or questions, for me or our guests, please feel free to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help.
Time to do the research and leg work- no pun intended. Talk to people, find social media groups that work with amputees, reach out to the Amputee Coalition and your doctor to see who they recommend as a prosthetist for you.
Once you have found a couple, make an appointment to go talk with them. Read their body language and how they talk with you. Do they want to hear your history, problems, dreams and aspirations? If not, move on to the next appointment. You deserve better, and it’s out there!
Make sure you address insurance issues and coverage with the prosthetist’s office. This is expensive equipment and will need to be upgraded over time- remember, it isn’t growing back so we need to make sure we have some help in coverage of costs.
If you have a prosthetist that you are unhappy with, and they don’t seem to listen or invest any more than your short office visit then you really need to find the courage and tell them it’s not working. If you are seeing someone who, when you tell them you’re hurting or something doesn’t feel right, and they tell you that it doesn’t get any better and you need to deal with it…that’s a red flag! Time to research other places and prosthetists and find someone who can help.
This is YOUR life and YOUR body. You need to push for the best care so you can live it to the fullest. Don’t be afraid to stand up for your rights. I’m telling you, there are really good practitioners out there, you just need to look and ask the right questions to find them.
I wish you all well, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for help.
Until next time:
Be Healthy,
Be Happy,
Be YOU
“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the game.”
-Randy Pausch