Update & Thought:
It is the International Day of People With Disability. According to the Center for Disease Control
(CDC) over one billion people, or approximately 15 percent of the world’s
population, live with a disability. In
the United States, and around the world, people with disabilities face
physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that prevent them from
learning, living, working, and playing in their communities. Nearly 2
million people in the United States live with limb loss. About 500 people a day have a limb amputated
in the U.S.
Last year
on this day, my left leg was amputated below the knee (LBKA). So today is my Ampuversary. It is an event
that has drastically changed my life (and saved it as well). Up until then, I’ve known one or two people
with limb loss; but I never understood the things they go through. I never really thought about it and didn’t
know too much about it either. That all
changed for me 365 days ago.
This
morning I was talking to an amputee friend of mine at the pool after I swam for
an hour. We hadn’t seen each other for
over a month and were catching up. He’s
been an amputee for a number of years.
His comment was, “I never have the same day twice. One thing to remember, Steve, is that
although you’ve faced a number of new issues in this past year—it will be that
way for you the rest of your life. By this
time next year, you’ll look back and be amazed at all the new and different
issues that you will dealt with having an amputation.” It would have been terribly sobering news to
hear, except the half-smile on his face reminding me that he has gotten through
it and is enjoying life—and so shall I.
Perhaps someday I might be one of those amputees who you see doing
extreme sports; but I’m not shooting for that.
I just want to be able to lead a fairly normal life without a lot of
drama.
One of
the things that I want to remind myself (and remind you as well) is that a
disabled person’s life is like an iceberg.
There is only a very small tip of the iceberg that you see above the
waterline; most of it remains hidden from sight. Likewise, when you see a disabled person out
and about, you are only seeing a very small percentage of their daily
routine. I used to be able to rush out
of the house at a moment’s notice. Now
on good day, it takes 15 minutes if I’m already prepped to go. If I have to start from scratch, it can take
me up to 45-60 minutes to get out the door. I usually carry a backpack because I need
quick access to an array of various socks and sheaths so I can adjust the fit
of my prosthesis. I have to think about
where I am going and decide if I need to bring my wheelchair along with me as a
backup. The other day I was in town and
got a call to visit someone in the hospital unexpectedly. After I got inside, I found that I had to
walk across the entire campus which is quite a trek. So I didn’t damage my leg with an imperfectly
fitting prosthesis, I borrowed a wheelchair and rolled down the hallway to get
to where my friend was located. I’m just
saying that it probably takes longer for a handicapped person to go somewhere
and it takes a whole lot more planning to even take a trip to the grocery
store. And don’t even get me started on
how my wheelchair will not fit down the aisles in the men’s clothing
section! We also often don’t know that
for that simple trip to the grocery store, a disabled person might have
expended all of their energy and has to go home to rest for the remainder of
the day. For some people, it might take
several days to recover.
And yet
despite all of this, the last year has been one of the best years of my
life. New aches, new pains, more
challenges and greater opportunities to prove myself as I fight against the
odds. I’ve enjoyed myself. I’ve
accomplished more. I’ve learned a lot
and experienced so many new things (although not all of them have been
pleasant) that I have to say that daily living for me is an ADVENTURE. Sometimes I wish that I could just have continued
wallowing in mediocrity; but God had different plans for me. I have no idea what the future holds for
me. I could easily injure myself and end
back in the hospital. I may never
progress any farther in my recovery. But
just as easily I could remain healthy, active, and continue resuming parts of my
“old life.” Right now I am not too
worried about the future. My attention
is on today and perhaps the next few days or weeks. Life has no guarantees. I don’t know how my life will change over the
course of the next year. All I can
continue to do is to live my life and enjoy every moment that I can.
Lastly,
although I’ve received great support from my family, my church, neighbors, and
my fire and police department friends, I want to thank my wife, Karen, for her
support and assistance in this past year.
It started off with ten very rough days in the hospital while my life
was hanging in the balance. In the early
days of recovery, I needed constant help to accomplish the simplest
things. By the grace of God, with help
from my medical team, and by my hard work, I’ve made a lot of improvement.
Over the
last year, I’ve lost over 40 pounds, got my blood glucose levels under control
without the use of medication, and gained a lot of strength and stamina. I’ve been able to mow the grass, get myself
in and out of the truck, load the wood rack in the basement (firewood), go on
limited walks in woods (hunting), ride my bicycle and motorcycle, as well as
many other daily activities that were once impossible for me to accomplish.
One year
down; the rest of my life to go!
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