Prosthetists, Prosthetics, and Health Insurance
The author shares their journey as a below-knee amputee, detailing experiences with various prosthetists and the challenges faced within the flawed U.S. healthcare system. They emphasize the importance of employing professionals with lived limb-loss experience and the struggle for adequate insurance coverage. Ultimately, they reflect on their resilience and gratitude for regaining independence through a…
The Wanderer
I reflect on my experience of moving eleven times in six years following my below-knee amputation, illustrating a life characterized by instability and constant change. Growing up, I moved frequently, often without closure, and faced numerous challenges, including emotional trauma and periods of homelessness. After many unstable living situations, I finally found a stable apartment…
Heartwell
Therapy, Trauma, and Finally Being Seen Today I am writing about therapy—specifically Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and traditional talk therapy—as treatment for complex PTSD (C-PTSD), and borderline personality disorder (BPD). I have been in and out of therapy and psychiatric hospitalizations since I was 15 years old. My last psychiatric hospitalization…
Body Image, Intimacy, and Amputation.
Today, I am writing about body image, intimacy, and amputation. As a child, I was bullied relentlessly for my “chicken legs.” One boy used to chant, “Breaker, breaker, jump on her, you’ll break her,” which—looking back—was pretty clever for a third grader, but cruel all the same. Kids clucked like chickens when I walked down…
The Lonely Death – The Kodokushi Phenomenon.
I reflect on kodokushi, or “lonely death,” a term denoting individuals in Japan who die alone and remain undiscovered for extended periods, often due to social isolation. After my below knee amputation, I have grappled with isolation and belonging, realizing that these emotions differ widely. Past trauma and health issues impact social engagement, and fear…
Devotees and BID and Social Media, Oh my!
Amputee Devotees, BID (Body Integrity Dysphoria) and social media addressed by an amputee.
No Witness
Living alone 6 days post below knee amputation. Imagine going through an amputation completely and utterly alone. No one to hug you. No one to hold your hand. No one to witness your struggle. No one to hold you while you grieve. No one to comfort you in pain. No one to bring you a…
30 years ago…
A raw, true-life trauma blog post reflecting on January 16, 1996—the day everything changed. At 22, trapped in a toxic marriage and impaired by alcohol and chemical fumes, the author jumped from a moving car at 60 mph on a dark Maryland highway. What followed was catastrophic injury, emergency trauma care, and a fight to…
Living Alone With Limb Loss 