Update:
I found a website with exercises for leg amputees and found a few new exercises
to add to my routine. I especially like
ones that can be done with or without my prosthesis on. They are all fairly simple and despite all
the exercising I’ve been doing otherwise, I’m a little sore this morning. That should mean that they are targeting some
new muscle groups. I’ve got years of
neglect to work off; but I am making progress.
One of the websites that I found has a 50+ year old fitness trainer who
had her leg amputated last year. One of
the things she had one her site was balance training. Did you know that a below the knee amputee
(BKA) or above the knee (AKA) cannot balance solely on their prosthetic
leg? We use muscles in our ankles, lower
leg and our core muscles to adjust and maintain our balance. Without the lower
leg, you cannot do it. I never thought
of that before. So I’ve started trying
to standing on one leg for a few minutes each day. I’ve never been too good at standing on one
leg anyway, so I am really wobbly right now.
Day by day is the path to progress.
What I cannot do today, with practice will be easier tomorrow, and
become possible after that.
It is funny what makes me self-conscious and what does not. I don’t have a problem going to the grocery
store in Eau Claire and rolling along in my wheelchair with my residual leg
sticking straight out on the calf pad (very hard to miss that I am an amputee);
but yesterday, I felt self-conscious rolling into the Village Hall in Fall
Creek to vote (in my home town and only about four people present). Weird.
I cannot change who I am, and the “shorter” of my two legs is not
growing out as fast as I hoped (not growing at all actually J). This is who I am and will be for the rest of
my life; overall I have become comfortable with that. Still in some ways I guess I have a mental image
of myself that I want to maintain or present to the public. I believe that we all have this concept that
two-leggedness is the “correct” way to be and all other versions are somehow
wrong (or at least less than optimum). I
lived with two legs for 56 years, so I guess I am processing this okay after 9
months of being an amputee.
Recently while confined to the wheelchair, I went to someone’s house
who had two steps to get inside. “No problem!
I will just crawl up the steps if you will lift my wheelchair
inside.” No biggie! Wow!
I’ve just decided that I am not going to allow boundaries, expectations
(usually self-imposed), or pride to stop me from accomplishing (or attempting
to accomplish) what I want to do. Good
thing that I’ve always been hard-headed, a bit stubborn, have a fairly good
strong dose of self-esteem, and have a slight rebellious streak if you say
“No!” or that it cannot be done.
Thought for the Day:
John Maxwell in his book, “Encouragement Changes Everything” said this,
“Don’t let yourself…worry when you’re doing your best.
Don’t let yourself…hurry when success depends upon accuracy.
Don’t let yourself…think evil of anyone until you have the facts.
Don’t let yourself…believe a thing is impossible without trying it.
Don’t let yourself…waste time on trivial matters.
Don’t let yourself…imagine that good intentions are a satisfactory
excuse.
Don’t let yourself…harbor bitterness toward God or another person.”
Personally, I would add a few more:
Don’t let yourself…give up just because it is difficult.
Don’t let yourself…listen to others tell you it is impossible.
Don’t let yourself…give into pity because your life isn’t perfect.
Don’t let yourself…quit the first time you fail.
Don’t let yourself…stop believing in yourself (you are worthwhile and
God has given you talent and abilities)
I’d encourage you to set a worthwhile and achievable goal. It may take time and a whole lot of energy to
achieve; but give yourself something to strive towards. And then every day take at least one tiny
step towards that goal.
One of the goals that I decided upon since I had my amputation is that
I would not allow discouragement to control my life. Instead, I was going to choose to remain
positive, upbeat, and optimistic despite my life altering surgery. I’ve spent countless hours reading
encouraging books to feed my mind and spirit with uplifting, positive thoughts. I choose not to focus on fleeting negative
thoughts and don’t allow the pity party begin.
I spend my time stretching my mind, exercising my body, and pushing my physical
limits. If something is out of reach to
me today, I mentally work on finding a possible solution or go-around to the
problem.
I’m not saying that I haven’t cried over my loss and the limits that I
face; but I don’t spend much time there.
What good is it going to do me to be sad and despondent about my situation? If I turn into an angry amputee, who will
want to be around me and give me any help I might require? My
goal is to face my life realistically with a dash of hope and a whole lot of optimism. I’m going to strive to do my best with what I’ve
got. I want to achieve as much as I can.
I came really close to death last Thanksgiving day. I feel like God has given me some extra
innings to play. He has tacked on extra
time for me to live this life. So my
goal is squeeze just as much out of whatever time I have left whether that is
days or decades. The first step towards
that goal is to keep myself encouraged so that I remain motivated and focused
upon the goal.
I hope that my efforts will encourage you in your life as well. I hope to see you stretch to your full
potential and take advantage of every good thing life has to offer. Help make this world a better place to live—one
step at a time, one person at a time—and begin with yourself. Make the choice today for how you want to
spend the rest of your life and what do you want to accomplish. I’m not talking about financial or
materialistic goals as much as I am character goals and things that impact who
you are as a person. I hope you choose
to be the best you that you can become!
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