Episodes

  • Manifesting Your Dreams

    Manifesting Your Dreams
    Sep 10 2025
    Setting Goals & Thinking Positively to Live The Life of Your Dreams Successful people know how to succeed and what it takes to succeed. So what is it? What do they know that you don't? Everyone knows that hard work pays off and that practice makes permanence. But what separates you from someone who is doing the very thing you want to do, too? Now, of course there is DNA involved in some of that, talent can be passed down from generation to generation, however, I'm talking about post amputation, and how one person adjusts to this new life better than others. What separates THOSE people? I would agree that mindset and visualization is a huge factor. I know we all come to amputation differently, and our circumstances are all totally different. Even our support system looks different from one person to the next, but those aren't what make it or break it for us. You have seen stories of people overcoming the worst odds and overcoming horrendous circumstances to find success. What is their secret sauce to breaking free? It is their grit and their determination for their situation NOT to define them, and not to inhibit them and their desires. That comes from having an intense desire to achieve, to prove people wrong, to dream despite where they are right now. They don't allow their circumstance to define their future and their life. they rise above those circumstances, DESPITE them! HOW? They have a desire and a yearning to prove the world wrong. They want to live. They want to reach their goals. They want to LIVE the life they still want. It truly comes down to the fight within and then making a plan and then executing that plan. Mindset matters! When things start to get hard what do you do? Do you buckle down and press in harder or do you cave in to the pressure? Do you write down your goals and no matter what, keep forging forward despite how today feels or do you cry "Uncle" and say it just isn't meant to be? That is the difference. Each of us will have great days, those are the days we can easily see us reaching our goals and the days that feed us happy thoughts and optimism. But, the really champions are made on the hard days! The hard days are when sickness knocks you down, or when your leg hurts too much to want to put on your socket. It's the days when a setback happens like an infection or a revision surgery and dreams get deferred. Where are you on THOSE days? Did you give up or adjust your timeline? Did you see this moment as the roadblock to giving up, or just the next challenge you are ready to hit head on? Everyone has those days, but those that want to succeed find a way to get through them. Mindset matters! Self talk matters. I believe we all have the fight within us, but our priorities are different. We all have a desire to succeed, but only some want it bad enough to keep getting up when they get knocked down. When we have our bad days, or days of struggles, that is when we choose the path. Do we want our goals and dreams bad enough to fight through the hard days, or does that just exhaust us and we raise the white flag in surrender? Same goes with how we see ourselves. When we feel great about how we look, how clothes fit, and feel good about who looks back at us in the mirror, we feel on top of the world, but the moment we have an uncomfortable feeling or a change in perspective we become harsh with ourselves and show zero grace. That's when I find negativity can destroy all we have been working towards. In the end, we all have ebbs and flows in our views of ourselves, our looks, our accomplishments at the moment. One moment we feel amazing about what we've accomplished, like walking a mile in our prosthesis, to all of a sudden feeling inferior because we allowed comparison and negativity into our minds. This is self destructive behavior, and we can all fall into it.
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    31 mins
  • The Process

    The Process
    Sep 3 2025
    Healing Physically, Adapting Mentally and Emotionally Amputation isn't just the act of amputating a limb. It isn't just surgery, heal, and walk. This is a process. It takes time, money, patience, and a whole lot of grit! Unfortunately, most patients that knowingly go into amputation surgery can't comprehend the struggles to come. For those who didn't choose or prep for amputation, they have no idea of the life that's ahead of them. For them, their emotional and mental state need to heal first, while they wait for their physical healing. They had their life torn apart by disease or war or an accident. Whichever category you fall into know that you will get through this but it takes time, and commitment. You will need to work on, what I feel are, the four major components of successfully navigating amputee life: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Financial. Physical: Obviously, you will take time to heal. You will need to learn to rebalance with less weight on one side of your body and also how to get around with crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair. You need to heal your incision but also the bone, muscle, and tissue. It was told to me that true healing takes up to 12 months. Within that time you will also experience new sensations and possibly phantom pains, all of which you will learn to adapt and work through. The whole wearing of a shrinker and then being cleared for a socket is a whole other side of the physical aspect you will need to come to grips with. Mental: As an elected amputee I had four months to prepare my mind for what was to come. I could ask questions, meet people, find peace with my decision, and set my future goals and dreams. Setting goals and daring to dream of a brighter future post-amputation is invaluable and can set you up for success. Manifesting your own destiny with a powerful and positive mindset is key! Get your mental game lined up as soon as you can. Emotional: Being ready to face your new life and new look is extremely important. Understanding how to deal with some of the struggles and hurdles you will face is hard to prepare for ahead of time, just know that when you do face a hardship that you need to take a step back, take a deep breathe and understand that these moments will end and good times will happen again. This journey is filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, pains and peace. If you have dealt with an amputation due to someone else's negligence, like an accident you were involved in, then you may have some extra baggage to address with your emotions, anger and hate. These emotions are poison to your healing. They can create some major problems for you and ultimately stifle your level of success as an amputee. Letting go of negativity will allow for healing and growth. Insurance/Money: My general practitioner gave me great advice ahead of my surgery, to contact my insurance company so I knew and understood my coverage and the rules of external prosthesis, but even then I got the short end of the stick (listen in to hear what happened!). Remember that prosthetics are your new 'forever', being able to afford them or having coverage for them is highly important. Be prepared for what's to come so you don't feel like you've been duped. The reality is that you may be looking to get a new one every 3 years (most prosthetics have a 3 year warranty-at least that's what I deal with as an above knee amputee with MPKs). I wished more people had some of these basic facts before their surgery, but you learn as you go, that's how my journey happened, and is still happening. Everyone's experience is different, and you need to do what you need to do to embrace your new life as an amputee. The best teacher is time and experience. This week is simple in detail but tough to execute. Look yourself in the mirror and address what weakness you have and where you struggle the ...
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    33 mins
  • What Is Really Important

    What Is Really Important
    Aug 27 2025
    Knowing Who and What To Ask About Amputation Becoming an amputee is so surreal. Electing to have it done is a choice I never thought I would have to make. It brings about fears, anxieties, questions, and so much uncertainty. How do you know life will be better? What if I can't wear a prosthesis? Will I walk again or will I be in a wheelchair the rest of my life? How long does it take to heal from an amputation Do I get a leg right away? Is walking like riding a bike, easy once you do it again? How do I find a prosthetist? Do I need to go to PT while I'm healing or after I get a leg? So many questions, yet so many more that you may not even be thinking of. How do you know what to ask your doctor? What type of doctor is best for this surgery? Who is the most important person in your life right now, or how about in 5-10 years? Most of these questions I, myself, didn't even know that I had because I didn't know I needed to ask them. But I got lucky, or maybe it was fate. My surgeon was amazing. He sent me to the best prosthetist in town at The Limb Center. The Limb Center sent me to an amazing, caring physical therapist at Touchstone Rehabilitation. They were my team, and besides my family, they were my biggest supporters and fighters for my life, dreams, and goals. Listen in today, and please share this episode with someone you know is going through, or about to go through, amputation. It may give them a better than fighting chance of knowing more about what is to come and allow them to find greater success as an amputee. We all have a warrior spirit within us just waiting to be called out. You need to educate yourself, and learn to fight for the life you want. Now is the time to be that warrior, so rise up, dear Warrior, and pave the path to your successes. I hope you find something that helps you, motivates you, and supports you in this episode. Don't forget to like and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Have a blessed week ahead. And as always, Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be YOU!!! Much love,
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    28 mins
  • Don’t Let Pain Gain Control

    Don’t Let Pain Gain Control
    Aug 20 2025
    This has been a weekend! Everything was set up perfectly. A family getaway for a long weekend, before our youngest goes back to college, and bringing the dogs to see the ocean for the first time. I couldn't be happier! We got to Carlsbad, California Friday late afternoon and took our pups for a walk. Dinner came and we fed them as normal but around 9:00 pm my year and half old pup started acting really weird, almost drunk. She tanked quickly after that, just as my boys were arriving. I called the All night pet ER and asked a few questions and was told by the doctor on call that she could've gotten into illicit drugs around the beach! Are you kidding me?!?!? We took off for the clinic and when we arrived her heart rate was 160! They gave her a sedative and took a urine sample to test. We held her and waited. They continued to monitor her heart rate, which thankfully came back down to 70-80 bpm. This is how our family vacation started! Needless to say I was completely stressed out and afraid for our pup. we brought her home where I monitored her all night long with no sleep.... Now let's get to the pain part of this story. Don't get wrapped up in the moment of pain. Look out and see the beauty around you and a future that will get better. This was the first full day in my newest socket since my surgery, add in the stress from the night and Saturday was painful! Phantom pains grew and I started to get a raw mark on my thigh from the top of the socket, plus for added fun, a stomach ache. I was a hot mess! I did everything in my power to stay positive, deep breathing often and enjoying our beautiful view, but damage was done. I didn't get in the steps I had hoped I would get this weekend but I will take a small win- I wore my prosthesis everyday all day, even when I just wanted to take it off. I let my husband know the pain I was in on Sunday as our kids were packing up to leave for home. I wanted him to know why I was a bit quieter than normal but that was it. I didn't speak of it any other time, why? I won't allow pain to gain power on my life. Even on those hard days. If it's so bad that I can't walk then I focus on what I can do to have a "win" in my corner-wearing it all day. Our mind is so very powerful and when we allow pain to take over, consuming us, talking about it often and at every turn, that's not healing that's sabotaging yourself. It's ok to get quiet in those moments and allow yourself to muscle through hard times, just know that they will pass but talking about them can set you back and hold you down, downing you in the pain. It can be almost impossible to see a light at the end of the tunnel. What do you do to help yourself in the midst of pain? Do you give yourself grace knowing it's a part of life or do you get consumed by pain? What are steps you take to get your mind right when it seems impossible? Do you have a good support system to help you navigate life during these trials? Don't give up, Warrior, this too shall pass. Reach out and tell me how you are managing your setbacks. And remember, you are stronger than you think. Have a blessed week and as always, Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be YOU!!! Much love,
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    18 mins
  • To Revise Or Not To Revise

    To Revise Or Not To Revise
    Aug 13 2025
    That is the Question Amputation is a difficult road, one that can change direction quickly, even after you heal. For many amputees the surgical side of their life isn’t over. Many of us end up needing a TMR surgery or even a revision, while others will have to amputate even higher! Going from a below knee to an above knee amputation is life changing because one amputation is completely different from the next. What is required of you to be able to walk again, heal again, and trust again takes its toll. So why do revisions happening? Why are they required for so many? For some people their bone density is compromised. For others, bones spurs grow causing pain, And still others, myself included, find foreign objects left in their limb that no longer serve a purpose and only cause distress for the nerves. There are so many reasons that revision is brought up in doctor offices around the world and so many amputees who find it hard to wrap their head around being opened up again. This past summer, just 8 weeks ago, I had this very choice. I was a possible candidate for an experimental surgery that I wasn’t sure the rewards were worth the risks, until we did a CT scan finding a foreign object coming out of my femur, causing the pains I have been dealing with for 6 years! But what if your story isn’t so clear cut? How do you decide that revision is right for you? Make a list of pros and cons about your revision. Compare them and talk about them with your family and the people who support you. Be open minded, not all revisions are necessary and timelines change. Allow the chips fall where they may and be attentive to what’s going on around you: how have you been feeling, how’s the pain, is there something specific that you really must have done (maybe you have an underlying infection-you don’t want to wait on that one), maybe you’ve been promised a “nicer” looking residual limb. Whatever it is, weigh that in your mind and on your list, and ask, is it necessary, and if the surgery doesn’t go as planned are you ready for that outcome? And finally, something I’ve always believed in, Mindset and Manifestation. Make your decision then, if you’re going for it, leave the “what if’s” behind and start setting your goals and VISUALIZING your successes post-revision. Your brain is powerful and where you led it, it will follow! You are stronger than you know, dear Warrior!!! It’s time to rise up! Have a blessed day, And as always, Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be YOU!! Much love,
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    30 mins
  • Make It Personal

    Make It Personal
    Aug 6 2025
    Amputation is a tough road. If you make the decision to amputate or if your limb is taken from you by accident or disease it's a bumpy ride, right from the get go. Most people assume that once you get through the surgical part and physically heal that you are back to life as usual. that couldn't be farther from the truth. As an amputee with 6 1/2 years of experience I can tell you that once I healed and was able to get fitted with a prothesis my journey of ups and downs was just beginning. The one aspect that I am extremely grateful to my GP for pointing out to me was insurance. Even though I had my head wrapped around the idea of taking my leg, and I knew I had the grit and determination to tolerate all the limb changes that were coming, I needed to be sure that A) I knew what type of prosthesis I needed to live an active life and B) that my insurance covered it. What I fought for: This was the beginning of the most emotional and draining 4 weeks of my life. This was a fight I wasn't prepared for, even though I thought I was. This week I take you through what I did to cover myself, (or at least thought that I was covered), what happened that spun me out of control for 4 weeks, and how I bounced back to fight for the leg I needed to live a good and healthy life. You may have to deal with this for yourself or someone you love, it's good information, and from someone who now has to fight every 3 years to get the leg she needs to be mobile and I hope that my story helps you in your fight. "No"should never be the answer when someone wants to be as mobile and healthy as they can be. We must learn how to prepare to face the insurance giants and how they work so we can be ready to stand up for ourselves and the lives we want to lead. It's no easy task but it is one worth our time and energy. Remember the old saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the oil?" That became my motto that entire month I fought for my prosthesis. Are you facing this blockade in your future, or even right now? Check out how I went to battle and what you can do to prepare yourself. Let's get prepared! First, understand your insurance plan. Look for what is covered under external prosthesis devices and what is needed to be approved, usually notation from doctor of it being "medically necessary". Second, get with your prosthetist and find out exactly what type of prosthesis you'll be getting according to what your lifestyle was, what you dream of doing, and what you will be capable of (Usually you'll take a K level test to determine your ability-my PT did this with me). Third, get the code(s) that can be tricky and denied by most insurances and start making the call to your insurance company and ask if it's covered by your insurance. I even went to the extreme of calling my insurance company multiple times over the 4 months before my surgery to hear different employees tell me that "Yes, that code is covered." Now they had it on recorded phone calls (Important to know that all calls are recorded, however, if you ask for the recordings they will tell you that your lawyer will have to file for them!!! Yes, I asked because I thought I was going to have to sue them for undo stress!). This should be a great start to getting your approval, but even though I did all of these things, I actually got a big 'ole "NO!" after my amputation... and while I had done my due diligence I hadn't planned on my insurance company changing the wording on my plan after the first of the year to NOT include the code that was previously approved. These are the unknowns you can't prepare for but must find it in yourself to fight beyond that. You need to connect with people that can help, your doctor, your prosthetist, the prosthetic company even has their own insurance coordinator, and MAKE IT PERSONAL! I made sure the calls I made to supervisors every day that month tha...
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    32 mins
  • The Secret Sauce

    The Secret Sauce
    Jul 30 2025
    Letting Go and Leaning In I have been an amputee for 6 1/2 years, but before that I had a taekwondo injury that took me through 5 years, 10 surgeons and 10 surgeries, plus a blood clot to decide it was time to start living again and make the biggest decision of my life. Alone in the decision, I was not. I had an amazing support system with my husband, two boys and my family back home. I had friends rallying around me and a church I belonged to. However, I was exhausted. I had put so much energy into saving my leg that I had depleted all of my positivity and resolve. How was I ever going to come terms with cutting off my leg? Today I want to share with you all my story of Faith. I feel it is time to be true to myself and honor my beliefs. I could NOT have done this without my “Secret Sauce”. I get asked a lot how I handled making this big decision and how I keep going despite the pains and trials of being one leg down. I did NOT do it alone, but it takes something more than cheerleaders in my life. No, my “secret sauce” is greater than anything else, greater than my own drive or perfectionism. I needed to find peace and purpose in my decision. If you are struggling my hope is that this brings some answers and help for you. Maybe you are curious as to where my positivity comes from or my resolve. Today I share my profound experience with my Faith that changed EVERYTHING in a moment…and I have never looked back. I hope my experience helps you and opens a door you never knocked on. Let me know. Reach out to me with your own profound experience with faith over fear, or just let me know how you struggle. I would love to help you through my own challenges. There is no need to go it alone or to feel abandoned. You have a great cheer;eager in your corner that wants you to live a great life. Trust and look up, Warriors! I hope you all have a blessed day and as always, ‘Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be You!! Much love,
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    38 mins
  • Hand Me That Weight

    Hand Me That Weight
    Jul 23 2025
    We Need Each Other We are creatures built to live in community. This gives us a safe place to celebrate in great times, gain support in the bad ones, and everything in between. Talking with people, sharing our journeys and stories, our ups and downs with others, plus listening to our friends and community during their moments is a beautiful symphony of give and take that allows us to feel valued and to give value to others. I feel that when I hear people struggling that the one thing they are missing is connections with others and the outside world. I notice that about me too. This past week after sutures were removed I decided I was in need of MY community, the gym. First day back at the gym since surgery on June 20 Despite the nerves I was feeling about walking thru the doors, missing my leg and clomping around on crutches, I felt at home and ready to push myself again. People who knew me "showed up" for me with thumbs up, smiles, and positive comments that made me feel valued and supported. I was on cloud nine and pumped to be back again! Those endorphines were ROCKIN'! How about you? Are you feeling alone and stuck? Check below for some tips: You were meant to deal with life in a community. It doesn't have to be huge, just people who love you, support you, are real with you, and hear you. It is also. place where you can reciprocate those values through being a great listener. Remember; Give and Take. So this week, FIND YOUR COMMUNITY! Women amputees, join my virtual meet ups through Facebook Events on Zoom, every Wednesday at either 4:00 pm or 8:00 pm EDT. Pick up the phone and connect with a friend. Get back to what you love, even if you're on crutches or in a wheelchair. Time to ditch the vanity, and embrace the moment you are in right now, it won't be forever. And if it is, even more reason to embrace it NOW! This is you, time to move forward. If you like the gym, find a way to get there. If you love book clubs, join one and create a new community for yourself. Maybe you have a neighbor who would love some company, wouldn't you? It's time! Community also means you have people from whom you can ask help. I know for many of us, asking for help looks like we are conceding and are weak, but I am learning that asking for help is a sign of growth and knowing that in this moment, I can't do everything I want to be able to do. You aren't giving up or quitting, just accepting limits right now. So get out there, connect, make new friends, reach out to old ones and live your life where you are at right now! Don't wait for things to be perfect, that time will never come. Make your life what you want, start now. Rise up, dear Warriors, you are worthy! Have a blessed week. And as always, Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be YOU!! Much love,
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    26 mins