Who lifts you up?

Behind every superhero amputee is someone holding them up. Like a push-up bra for the spirit, they lift us up to remind us that we can do this. They come in many forms: family, friends, co-workers, our prosthetist team, and even the online community we have never met in person. Together, they make up our support system. Some are there in person from the start to help when we cannot yet care for ourselves. This can be a very emotional time as we feel stripped of our independence. We may even fight back or say we don't need help. It takes someone who cares for us fiercely to never give up on us no matter how much we push them away.

I know that I am blessed to have loving parents who will travel to be there for me and a husband who has never left my side. I also understand that is not the case for everyone. For some, that early support may come solely from hospital and rehab facility workers. And although they may be strangers, they also play an important part in our journey. They can teach us how to work towards our independence and they can listen. They are in the industry of compassion after all. I like to think most people want to help others and have found this to be very much true about health care workers. My experience at Shands hospital was full of more love than I ever thought could be provided to one of the hundreds of patients being cared for after surgery.

Since then, I have had ups and downs. I've found that what helps me feel supported most by my family and friends is to explain to them exactly how this works. What my day to day is like, what my outlook is like, and what I am working towards. This helps them understand my situation and be able to be there for me in a way that works for me. Do not be afraid to tell your loved ones how best to love you through this. If they are not missing a limb, they can only guess what you need. I never imagined I would find so much comfort from an online community. Before this, I only chatted online with my group of long term friends. Post-surgery, I thought about it for weeks before I finally messaged other amputees. I desperately needed a connection to people who were feeling what I was feeling. Not only did I find it, but I found people who were so incredibly kind and unbelievably supportive. Following them and seeing their achievements made me proud and gave me hope.

If you are someone who needs this connection, please reach out to me. I am here for you and can introduce you to so many people who want to be here for you too. I have said this before and I will say it again, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. This is my thank you to all of the amazing people who have been there for me from the start or at different stages of my cancer diagnosis and amputation recovery. You have all helped me find my sunshine in one way or another and for that, I will be forever grateful.