Be-YOU-tiful Adaptive Warrior

Persistency and Continuity Lead to Success   Trying something new, or being thrust into a new situation, can be tricky, difficult, frustrating, and downright terrifying. As an amputee, I can truly understand and appreciate that. However, with the right mindset, the setting of goals, and the willingness to be persistent, even when experiencing failure, we can master what we want to achieve. Ov...

For Growth and Overall Happiness   Take it from me when I say that it can be really difficult to drop the ego and allow yourself to be vulnerable. I have always prided myself in being a high achiever, a perfectionist, a go-getter, and so highly competitive that I have built up walls and a tough exterior when I am trying new things or in a competitive environment. The very last thing I would e...

Fear of Letting Go   As we come to the end of this three part series on overcoming fear I feel that today’s podcast of Letting Go to be a big one, especially for amputees. Not that we all don’t struggle with letting go of: the past, what we can’t control, and toxic relationships, but because as an amputee myself I have seen and heard of so many amputees struggling with these...

Fear of Failure   A big fear of mine has always been failing, especially in front of a lot of people. How about you? After becoming an amputee this became the daily fear that would well up inside of me. Every day I put on my leg I had to deal with idea that, as I was learning to walk in it, I just my wipe out.  Then after I got good at walking, I added in the fear of falling with a running bl...

Fear of the Unknown   We all face challenges in life and more than that we all struggle with how uncomfortable it is to not know what’s going to happen.   We get fixated on the “what ifs” and begin a dangerous road of fearing the future, the outcomes, the unknown. This isn’t living, and this isn’t healthy. As I navigated 4 months from deciding to amputate my leg above the knee until the...

The Reality of Phantom Pain     It’s real! It does exist, and it can come out of nowhere and attack you when you least expect it. Phantom pain is an equal opportunity offender with no regard for who it targets. Phantom sensation is similar but constant. It’s not about the excruciating pain it inflicts, like phantom PAIN, as much as it’s the never ending, always present...

It’s Time to Wake and Seize the Day     As I approached my surgery date for my amputation I began to dream. I dreamt of all the things that could be a challenge and how I was going to conquer each challenge.  I created a vision board, set goals, and dared to dream of rising above my circumstance.   My Vision Board   Once that surgery happened, I began to set my sights on...

Finding Patience Amidst Trials   Today, I want to share with you an important lesson I’ve been learning lately: the power of patience in the face of trials. Life has a funny way of throwing obstacles our way, testing our resilience and pushing us outside our comfort zones. But through it all, I’m discovering that cultivating patience can be a game-changer. As an amputee, trials an...

Seeing Your Life with Renewed Positivity   What grounds you and wakes you up to the moment you’re living in? What lights a fire and gives you strength and clarity? I realize that all too often, that I am wishing away a moment, a day, even a month, just to get to the next thing on my list, like nothing else matters. Have you ever been guilty of that? After my amputation I just remember w...

When You Least Expect It Just when you think you are in the clear. Or when you feel like you got it all together….Wham!!! Yep, life sends you into a new challenge. I am 4 1/2 years out from my amputation and into my 15th socket I go. However, even though it should have been a simple change as it was just a remake of the socket I was in (the plastic was giving away but still fit) we encounter...

Reinventing Yourself     What would you do if you have a second chance? How would you spend your days if you received a new lease on life? This is how I felt after my amputation. I realized that the choice was mine and I could do and try anything I wanted and reinvent myself and enjoy new hobbies, sports, and activities. I wasn’t going to allow my amputation to define me or limit me, it...

Are you seeing amputees doing all the things you could only dream of doing? Thinking you are so far behind that you could never get there? Or see them doing amazing things, “pain-free”? Well, in the spirit of complete transparency, and shedding light of the realities of being an amputee, I have had a hard couple of days. Yep! Even 4 1/2 years out. Do they happen often, no, but phantom pains, poor...

A Fishing Analogy for New Amputees   From experience, I KNOW, without a doubt, that there are fish in our lake. Just yesterday I caught a huge northern pike and released him….. he is in there, waiting for the next lure to tempt him. How does this relate to amputees and our journey? Great question. Patience, for one. And knowing how to keep moving forward, even when you feel like giving...

Where You’re At   Ever felt alone, even though you are surrounded by your support, your family, your friends? As an amputee, it can be hard for anyone to really grasp what we are feeling when it comes to nerve or “phantom” pains. To explain it, doesn’t do justice, yet we can deal with it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I know I do. There are many times that, even though we are surrounded...

Let’s Talk About Sockets       This week we begin a new series called Prosthetic Parley with Randy and David. My prosthetist will come on once every other month to discuss hot topics that you, the viewers are interested in and talking about. This week we discuss what types of sockets there are and what fit might be right for you and why. Please keep in mind that these are the...

Navigating Friendships Through Life’s Trials Friends come and go in our lives. Sometimes it’s because of geographical change, and sometimes we outgrow each other. Other times we part ways because there is a fall out, or even a misunderstanding that goes unattended and left to grow. On the flip side, as our stages in life change so do the people who come into it, and a new friendship bl...

Night time visit with my girl Do you struggle with pain? Is stress always knocking at your door and trying take over? Maybe now is the time to try something that can help you through the pain…. How about some breathing? I spend a lot of time around my horse. Every morning to be exact. She brings me to a peaceful place, a place I can forget my problems, schedules, to-do lists, and phantom pains. I...

Cleaning Out Your Mind and Heart to Have a Body Worth Living In     The sun is shining, and the days are growing longer, it must be spring! That also means it’s time for Spring cleaning…. no not of your home, but of your mind and heart. If you’ve been feeling down, and unproductive, or frustrated and frazzled, then it’s probably time to clean out your thoughts and...

Shark Attack Survivor to Shark Advocate: A True Bounce Back Story Pictures in the Deep   Facing the creature who turned his life upside down… head on and with love and respect. Truly inspiring!   This is one story of bouncing back that has always stood out to me. Since I first met Mike, on Kauai, to our first interview in 2021, and watching his path widen, deepen, and become more p...

Prosthetics, Trauma, and Giving Back Meet my prosthetists and friends, Randy West and David Banks (left and right in blue). We met and began discussing my future as an amputee months before my surgery. During that time, I told them of my past activity levels, my current life as a wife and homeschool mom, and my dreams and aspirations for my future. They used that information to fit me and help me...

A Bright Soul and A Sweet Pup   War torn and separated from family, Maja’s story is a great comeback story and includes a sweet Great Dane, Rosie, who is also an amputee. It looks to be a story of who saved who, and you’d be correct in assuming that. As you listen in this week, you’ll hear a story that begins with tragedy, suffering, separation, uncertainty, and fear. Howeve...

During Your Bounce Back? Me in my very bouncy running blade   April is Limb Loss/Limb Difference Month and I am excited to share with you several guest speakers throughout the month and into May, however, we had a major setback yesterday and will have to reschedule them for another week. Turning my setback into a setup, I spent most of last night frustrated and upset that my plans, well-thoug...

  We all have roadblocks and circumstances that come out of nowhere and try to derail our lives. These moments, or set backs, can do one of two things to us: They can disable us, or they can challenge us to grow. Set backs can become set ups for the next big thing in your life! Are you feeling stuck, frustrated, alone, or defeated? Today I am excited for you all to join in my interview with C...

  My bouncy running blade     You can do it! It’s time to bounce back! April is Limb Loss/Limb Difference Awareness month and I have a packed line up of some incredible people for you to hear from, feel motivated by, and relate to!! Next week I am starting off this amazing event with someone who has just published her first book, who hasn’t lost a limb but was dealt a rough hand, wh...

Your Mind is Your Only Limit     Your Mind is Your Only Limit Today I’m getting ready to ski. I’m an above knee amputee and won’t let that stop me. I decided to amputate so I could get back to skiing with my family. It was a choice, it was my fate, and I am embracing it. You can decide what kind of life you have, no matter your circumstances. You can roll over and succumb to it or you ca...