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I am a below knee amputee. More importantly, I am also Mommy to two boys, a very active 10 year old (Robby) and an mischievous toddler (Timmy). I have learned that being a parent with a disability can create some unusual and sometimes humorous situations. This blogger is available for hire! Let's talk and learn how a blog can expand your business.

Tuesday, July 03, 2018

Happy Ampuversary

The Fourth of July might be tomorrow, but today I'm celebrating my personal Independence Day. Fifteen years ago this morning I embarked on a journey that changed my life. In many ways it feels like a different lifetime, yet at the same time I remember the emotions as if it were yesterday.

I think about that day fifteen years ago and the fear, grief and confusion that I felt on that morning envelopes me. I feel sad, but probably not for the reasons that people expect. I no longer spend my Ampuversary mourning the loss of my limb. 

Instead of mourning, this morning I feel sad as I reflect upon the memories. I was so scared that morning fifteen years ago. Feeling lost, all I could do was to remind myself to keep breathing. I couldn't speak without crying, yet I knew in my heart that I needed to sacrifice my broken limb for a chance at a better life. I wish that I hadn't been as petrified, but I don't think I could have done anything to prevent my primal emotional response. 

It feels surreal that fifteen years have passed since that petrifying morning. I wish I could go back in time to reassure myself that I was going to be okay. (Of course, I probably wouldn't have believed myself!) 

So much has changed in the fifteen years since becoming an amputee. I hoped for a better life, yet reality has exceeded any hopes and wishes made so many years ago. I have a fantastic life.

Being an amputee is only one adjective that is used to define who I am. I have two wonderful kids who call my Momom. I never would have been able to be the mother they deserve when I was struggling to salvage my foot. I have a new career, and I am involved in an amazing community of peers. I am extremely blessed, and that is what I am choosing to celebrate today.  Happy Ampuversary to me!

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