Leg Story $1,998,298.00

Raise your hand if you have ever felt like someone had no idea what you were going through or how to relate to you as an amputee. Now that all of you are holding your hand in the air, let's put it all out there. Most people with two legs have never even met someone with one or no legs. You may very well be the first amputee they have come across. I will admit that before touring POA (Prosthetics And Orthotics) I too, had never met an amputee. I left that day feeling incredibly overwhelmed by how much my life was about to change. On days when I grow frustrated with how little others know about my situation, I remember that was once me. I am still learning, even now, all that being an amputee means.

How could they possibly know that I will be dealing with skin irritation and have to layer socks on my residual limb in the afternoons to make up for the volume changes I will experience throughout the day. When they say "crutches aren't so bad" do they realize I will have them for the rest of my life? How else will I get up in the middle of the night to get to the bathroom or get around when my volume change is enough that my prosthetic just falls off? Do they really get how hard it will be to climb stairs and the fact that it takes 40% more energy for an amputee to walk? The answer is no, no and no. They don't have a clue. The best kinds of people are the people who will make you feel like yourself. They will look you in the eyes instead of where your leg used to be. It's not that we want to pretend it didn't happen, but we still want to feel as normal as possible because we will never be exactly the same and that is heavy enough.

Most of the time, people want to understand you. They do care and they just need to be educated. Be patient and help them understand you. It is not easy knowing the right thing to say or assume. After all, everyone just wants to be understood regardless of how many legs they have. Sometimes, strangers feel they are owed the story of what happened to you. This is different... as it serves their own curiosity. You should NEVER feel pressured to share this story with anyone, particularly strangers. You may have lost something not by your own choosing, but your leg story is yours to share or not. You do not owe anyone this very personal piece of you and you should never be made to feel that you must relive a trauma in your life just as you are working to move past it. Stay strong and stand firm with the price of your leg story. Don't accept a dime below $1,998,298.00. ;)