Don’t take your limbs for granted, not even your fake ones.

After many weeks of staring longingly at my prosthesis while it sat propped up in a corner collecting dust, I am happy to say I am back in it! Nothing like having your leg cut off, learning to walk with a fake leg, and then having that taken away for two months to give you some perspective!

I have missed my independence, I have missed pants, and oddly enough, I have even missed cleaning. Although I am still dealing with pain and discomfort associated with wearing my prosthesis that may never fully go away, I am grateful. I am grateful because there are days that are mostly pain-free when I am able to walk around my house as I please.
I have the grace of a newly birthed giraffe on my crutches, and falls are not exactly uncommon while using them so I appreciate the stability that my prosthesis provides.

Until I can regain my endurance, my exercise consists of pushing a shopping cart through Target until I wear myself out, which takes approximately 30 minutes. It feels like starting over, learning to walk with a healing wound and no muscle mass to keep me upright and lift this heavy hunk of metal. Still, even on the days when I'm so frustrated with setbacks and pain, that tears roll down my face, I appreciate the fact that I even have setbacks and pain becauseI'm alive, aren't I? And on my best days, I get to walk hand in hand with my husband (taking breaks on park benches as needed) and know that letting go of my right leg was worth it all. Now, all I can do is laugh remembering how much it used to upset me if my heels weren't just the right shade of gold for my skirt or realizing I had a big bruise on my calf after picking out a short dress to wear to a party. It's funny how things don't seem to work out until you see that they really have. I never imagined I would suffer the way I have, but I also never imagined I would become the kind of strong that sees how much more I have smiled than suffered.

So no matter the size, shape, or amount of limbs you have, appreciate every little bit of what you are and don't ever take for granted what can so easily be taken away.