Single-handed Life

On April 5, I celebrated 6 years cancer free. Paise the Lord! Now, my checkup is booked once a year rather than every 6 months. 

It has also been 6 years of having no left arm. The first time I was referred to as an amputee was shortly after my surgery. A nurse said the word to me ... and it kind of just hung in the air as I pondered the potential of the label being part of who I now was. It did take time to adjust to this new label and certainly has made me look at normal life activities differently. 

I did not mourn the loss of my arm. I was so happy with the potential of continuing my life that mourning the loss did not even occur to me. My joy in being alive and my love of learning probably made adapting to my life as an amputee easier.  Six years later I still have phantom pain and yet I remain drug-free. I still handle the issue with mirror therapy for 10 minutes in both morning and night. Talking to other amputees is cool because they understand being an amputee because they too have lived it.

One of the first things that I had to learn to do was brush my teeth. After that, I began to figure out the intricacies of getting dressed and even doing up buttons. The next effort was figuring out basic things in the kitchen like peeling carrots. Driving was interesting. With the amputation, they took away my driver’s license, and I had to take a ‘course’ through the AMA before I could drive again and take a driving test. The impressed driving course instructor told me she would let me 'drive with her children'. I am not sure what she wrote in her report but when I got the letter from Alberta Transportation all I had to do was go into a registry office for an eye test – there was no need for a driving exam.  

Some people do take a second look at me and that is fine. Some do not even notice that I am wearing a prosthetic and that is also fine. It does not happen too often but there are those who try to decide for me what I can or cannot do based on how they perceive my physical limitations. I live outside the 'box' and decide what and how I do things. Thus I do not let the opinions of others define my abilities. This is weird that I find a need to say this but avoid telling anyone with a perceived disability what they can or cannot do.  I definitely have decided that I live outside the traditional box of limitations although I do happily accept and ask for help when needed. Being a single-handed individual does make things slower for me; however, it has also created an opportunity for me to demonstrate adaptability and flexibility rather than disability in my approach to my life as an amputee. 

Proverbs 23:7  For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Happy Spring!

Happy New Year 2023!

Happy New Year! 2023 and I am still here! I am so very grateful for each day and, frankly, quite high on life. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  tells us to "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." So rejoicing and finding the good in uncomfortable circumstances have influenced my reactions to life events. I also have developed the ability to trust that everything is for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). This is a good way to be. Trusting that we have a sovereign, powerful God who works everything for our good is a great way to live. 

We do not have to do this ourselves because God promises, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart
of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). 

I continue eating well and exercising. I took a nutrition course this past summer that got me sprouting more of my food before I cook or eat it. Sprouting equals an increase in nutrition. For exercise, I still run sprints, do squats and lunges, and when there is not too much snow on the trampoline, I jump on the trampoline.

In 2023, I look forward to spending more time with my family. Today, I will spend some time organizing and enjoying some sunshine. For my New Year's resolution, I intend to spend extra time during the week reading, studying, and writing. This will hopefully add some pages to my neglected book that I have been drafting for five years. 

Blessings to all.