Over the weekend I celebrated my 20th Walking Day. Our celebrations this year were muted because we were at the mall selling FlexyFriends, but I did take some time to reflect upon how far I have come in those two decades. Out of all of the anniversaries and dates involved with my limb loss, Walking Day is my favorite because it celebrates a triumph rather than marking something that happened to me.
Two decades ago I never would have imagined that I would be where I am today. I remember feeling so uncertain and scared that my amputated body would always feel foreign and uncomfortable. I was promised that it would become my new norm, but I don't think I really believed the sentiment.
Two decades have passed and I can say that living as an amputee has become my normal. I am not saying that it is always easy. Nor am I saying that I don't have frustrations where I am either in pain or limited because of a prosthetic issue. But I am saying that I don't think about being an amputee throughout the day. When I first had my amputation, I was scared that what was cut off of me would somehow become my identity.
I am more than my amputation. But I am the person I am today because of everything that I have gone through. Being an amputee has become part of who I am, but it does not define me. If you are new to limb loss, please know that it won't define you either.
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