“When you're in the thick of cancer recovery, you're still in survival mode. Nothing matters more than staying cancer-free. It's not the deep sigh of relief you expect it to be but more like holding your breath, hoping it doesn't come back. You don't dare relax enough to let your guard down because cancer is a stealth-mode ninja who knows where you live and has broken in before. He didn't steal your electronics or fancy jewelry; he stole moments and laughter. You missed your best friend's wedding and that promotion at work. You threw up at Target, and that's not how you want to remember your favorite store.”

I make leg jokes, and I make them often. Not because I'm trying to make people uncomfortable, that is just a consequence that I've decided to be okay with. I do it because it helps me laugh more often than I cry. Life is way too serious to miss an opportunity to make light of something that can be so dark. We only get so many good jokes and belly laughs in our lifetime…

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…

I've had a rough couple of days dealing with a blister and rash on my residual limb that won't heal. But right now, my dog has his entire body pressed against my side like a furry heating pad, and nothing truly is more comforting. Waking up to his wagging tail and wide eyes every morning makes me forget nightmares and whatever random aches and pains kept me up the night before. He is an emotional support animal who works overtime to give me as much love and ten-pound cuddles as possible…

I'm at the age where many of my close friends have young children. Some of them never knew me with two legs or were too little to remember. To them, I'm Tia Alex with the "cool leg," and I've always loved telling them all about how my prosthesis works. Understandably, not everyone with a disability is as comfortable with children staring and asking about their assistive devices or prosthetics…

My disabled body and I are on good terms even though the skin on my residual limb occasionally likes to become hyper-sensitive, and physical therapy makes me hurt in places where I forgot muscles existed. It hasn't been the smoothest journey, but my mind and my body do their best to work together so that I can live my best life…

I just started physical therapy for the first time four years after having my right leg amputated above the knee, and It has me wondering why the heck I waited so long. The short answer is I was told most physical therapists don't have experience with amputees, so it wouldn't be much help - and I listened to that without questioning it or pushing back the way I have every other time…

While our planet is reaching record-high temperatures, lower limb amputees everywhere are SWEATY. I don't mean dress in breathable fabrics and wear deodorant sweaty. I mean losing prosthetic suction and daily heat rash kind of sweaty. Walk as swiftly as possible from the house to the air-conditioned car before your fake leg slides off sweaty…

If you haven't already watched - The Barbie Movie - you might be surprised to learn that it touches on how deeply ingrained stereotypes create insecurities for women. Amputee Barbie isn't the only one feeling that society holds so many conflicting standards upon her. Even Stereotypical Barbie struggles with finding her identity in a world full of impossible expectations and unconscious bias…

As humans, we are constantly growing and changing. What defines us can shift as we experience all that life throws at us and how we choose to deal with the lemons. Amputation challenges not only the physical body but also the very essence of one's identity…

There is always that one kid on the playground who likes to throw rocks at you as you're trying to make it across the monkey bars. They hit you in your weak spot to see if you fall, and they laugh as you squirm. And I hate to tell you, but the bully is still there when you grow up…

For someone who is living with a disability, there isn't a month or day that goes by when they forget or don't feel disabled. The awareness is always there, but what hopefully happens over time is a sense of pride. And since the term Disability Pride can confuse a lot of people, I'm here to clarify what it means to me three and a half years into my limb loss journey…