Adapting Is Thriving

If there is one thing that an amputee needs to learn in order to thrive, it’s how to adapt. When you allow yourself to step out of the box and find ways to make things work for you, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities. Driving with your left leg, using a wheelchair, packing supplies for blisters and rashes, etc., it’s all about making both small and large changes to be able to continue living your life the way you want to. We need more accessibility; that is a given, but we also can’t move forward if we can’t accept that our bodies have changed and now require accommodations and even a little creativity for certain activities. If you want to do something bad enough, I promise you, there is a way to make it happen.

There was a time when I thought I’d never ride a rollercoaster or go on a hike again. I didn’t know how I could do the things I used to do without my right leg. But then I just started asking questions and reading anything I could find online. Instead of feeling sorry for myself because I think I can’t do something, I just figure out how to do it. Being a part of an online community of people living with limb loss has helped tremendously. We share our struggles and help each other by sharing how we overcame a similar challenge. And trust me, we will go to the ends of the earth to explain in full detail exactly how we accomplish those things.

I haven’t done everything on my list, but I have accepted the need to adapt, adjust, and make changes so that I can participate in any activity I like. It’s that mindset that has gotten me to the place where I am today. A place of acceptance and love for myself despite any missing parts and physical disability. Despite how hard it can be to heal a residual limb blister or walk long distances. Learning to adapt to your new body and your new disability is, in essence, learning to thrive. And when one of us thrives, a little piece of the rest of us thrives with them.

So here’s to adapting, thriving, and living our best possible lives. May we all get to relish in the freedom of doing whatever the heck we want to do.