It is a weird thing to say "How many feet do you have?" but I've heard it before. Not in amputee circles but in sewing machine owner circles. We have LOTS of different feet attachments that enable us to sew LOTS of different things.
To compensate for anticipated residual limb shrinkage I got a second BTK prosthetic after about 11 months. Now I can refuse requests that I dance because I have two left feet.
My Nephew asked me right after I got released from a long hospitilization this question. I was in BAD pain, he walked in and said. "So how does it feel to have it cut off?" A bit surprised, and caught off gaurd I replied exactly what I was thinking/feeling at that moment. I blurted out."It hurts like hell man!" You coulda heard a pin drop the entire house went silient. His eyes widened, and he stammered. "I meant your hair!" I had long hair over 20 years. They had to cut it all off. I had not even thought of that as, my leg, my stump was killing me at that moment! We all had a good laugh. It was all timed, said so perfectly. So innocently. On both our parts.Timed more perfectly than a movie producer could shoot a comedy scene. haha! xD
I'm a new baloney 🤣 amputee of 5 days. Literally watching your vlogs from the hospital ward. Been watching you for months jo and you gave me strength for this op. Thankyou x
17:15 I love that at the thought of papercuts between toes, her hand automatically goes to her prosthetic foot. I'm curious why, maybe she associates imagined pain more with phantom pain than with like a possibility to happen to her other foot. Brains and nerves are so interesting.
Annika is so fortunate to have access to government healthcare. It's not the point of the video at all, but I hope some Americans watching this will remember that she said she could go to the prosthetics whenever she wants to. She has 8 foot attachments. Whenever people try to tell you how "bad" gov healthcare is, this is proof of what the rest of us are missing out on.
Couldn't watch the whole premiere since I had to go to school, but OH MY GOSH I LOVE YOU TWO TOGETHER! you are both so genuine and play off of each other so well!! I hope you guys will do more videos together in the future!
This was so fun to watch. I volunteer at an outdoor museum. The kids are always fun and I never discourage their questions. One adult thanked me for my service, I had to tell him I was never in the military.
This was such a fun video! I love the chemistry between you too. I think it might be cool if you girls did an active video together. Using your new leg and being active. Maybe even a foot race.
I am disabled and I am a big fan of the term differently abled, but perhaps that’s because I have both a mental and physical disability and everything I do is different so I feel that encompasses more. It is good to know that not everyone in the community embraces this term as much as I do. As you said in this video, we are all so different! Great video. I think that being disabled (or differently abled as I prefer) is a huge part of my identity, but my disabilities are both hidden / invisible so I don’t deal with the staring unless I’m using my accommodations (elevator, private work area, etc). I don’t know if I would be comfortable with people asking questions because I’m just not used to it, but I think I would welcome it because I do want to help people be educated and mindful.
As an amputee l/bk I’m here to say I’ve had two children and if you choose to have children , you’ll find, your fears will be squashed.I’m 59 and lost my leg at 19. I wish I had role models like the 2 of you back then, you are doing a great job and I admire you both. And btw,below knee does sound like “boloney”sorry, once someone pointed it out to me years back, I can’t unhear it....Keep on keeping on.
I'm really glad I stumbled upon this channel and saw some of your videos explaining and educating me about many things I thought curiously about specially when I was a kid and had to just forget about them and never ask or look at people with disabilities bc I'm afraid I'll hurt their feelings or offend them if I did. It was a thing that society had embedded in my brain since I first learned some people had different types of disabilities. So thank you Jo and everyone in your community for putting in the effort to make this change.
I follow both of you! I am a soon to be RBKA as well! (My favorite color is purple too!) I am a single mom to an almost 1yo baby girl! I wanted to have more children, but I'm also terrified of being pregnant and not being able to fit in my prosthetic. I have neurofibromatosis, so when I got pregnant, tumors started growing everywhere in my foot and it swelled up twice the size of my left foot. I was on crutches for half of my pregnancy and it was very rough on me the last few months, physically and mentally! The pain was unbearable, but I couldn't take anything for pain because of my baby. It really terrifies me of getting pregnant again that I was considering a hysterectomy! Anyway, I love your content and wish both of you the best!
Fellow R-BKA here. Nice presentation. I also occasionally get the cold-missing-foot thing, mostly at bedtime. It seems to help to get the stump warm, like with a heating pad. Maybe neurontin helps a little. I know that typical painkillers are unlikely to help with neuropathic pain. By report, CBD might be helpful. It certainly seems helpful for other kinds of neuropathic pain.
I certainly can’t speak for others, but I suspect most people aren’t shushing their kids because they think YOU are less than but because they don’t know WHAT might come out of little tykes mouth and they don’t want the amputee’s feelings to be hurt. They’re trying to protect more than say you’re scary/bad. I suspect that would’ve been my reaction if my kids had said something. I’d be more concerned that something said would bother you or make you feel hurt. I certainly would not be telling my kids you were scary or bad or to be shunned. I will say, I very much appreciate your channel (and is why I watch it) because it does make me think of things I would not have and to see issues from your perspective which I may not have been exposed to otherwise! BE WELL! 😷🖖
You can see Annika's 'shell foot' which is that mannequin foot over the actual prosthetic. It fills out a normal shoe. Mine is black (I am the whitest guy ever) with blue sparkle nail polish my friend's daughter applied. Why? Because it's funny. I used to teach scuba so I walked around 'barefoot' all the time so people saw this black foot on me. It was like a social experiment to see who would say what. Kids of course thought it was great. Adults try not to notice but eventually it's pretty clear I joke about being an amputee a lot so they relax. 99% of the time it's in a sock so no one knows. I dated a girl for some time before she saw me changing the sock one day and only then saw my foot was black. I wear shorts most of the time, even in winter for ease of access because I take my foot off whenever I am stationary. It's like a crutch to me, I use it when I need then put it down. I'll snowblow the driveway in shorts. I'm always warm with this tight sleeve hugging half my half-a-leg and carbon fiber weight attached to it. It's easy to get overheated in summer.
I always feel so patronized when people use the term differently abled. I’ve been disabled my whole life. Acknowledging that fact doesn’t change my existence in any way.
I absolutely love you both. I too am a Right BKA. My only discrepancy is your comment that we can't ride 90% of the roller coasters, because I am a roller coaster junkie, and so far I am able to ride 95% of the rides, and only find like 1 or 2 per Amusement Park. I would say to tell people to check with the Amusement Park before you go.
So I am not amputee but I am disabled with a spinal injury from being a paramedic. I've transported many amputees over the decades but now my new girlfriend is a RBKA. You page is so awesome in giving me info I have been uncomfortable asking a new gf. So this was a great video. One thing, you have the full sleeve on your leg and she did not. So what's the difference? Is it just preference? Also, some comments I've heard really make me mad. Do people make comments that put your husband in protective mode. Like, you could be pretty if you weren't missing a leg. Really!? But thanks for having this blog. Peace
Isn't it weird how adults ask kids how old they are but when the kids ask the adults how old the adults are the adults get offended? I hate double standards!
Lol I get what you mean, but it's just different. Knowing a child's age can lead to the child getting an age appropriate toy. Revealing an adult's age can lead to them being discriminated against in the workplace.
@@virginiagrenier8572 I do get what you are saying but children are also infamous blabber mouths. If it's a complete stranger on the street, then it can be harmless (unless someone the adult knows is in hearing distance) , but if you come into contact with the child's family on a regular basis, that child WILL blab about your age which could lead to awkward conversations of "why aren't you married? Oh you're that age, well when are you going to have kids etc etc."
You are both so inspirational, the choices you have made and the way you have come through it all and the way you push forward to make the most of everything. S great to see, watch and follow
My grandfather was an amputate from the shoulder down, but he was a vet doctor. My dad told me stories about him, especially when he had to take a bull down to give it an injection in the neck. He died of gangrene in the shoulder.
Just came across this and oh my god .. how are the chances ?? My name is Annika and I was diagnosed with an osteosarcoma in my right knee in 1989, rotary plastic back then at the age of 6 and above knee amputee since 9 years. And via Instagram I've found another Anika who lives in Canada and also has a rotary plastic which was done 40 years ago. :) What a small world. !!!!
I was about to say before you said it, that you can't do MMA fighting, I was looking into an MMA career but one day we had a farming accident that led to my leg being removed at the knee. So I can only do the normal or classic boxing sadly.
RU-vid's auto caption turns below knee into bologna or baloney. Random thought. I'm sure I'm not the first to comment on it. A really good show. Informative and entertaining. You both are pretty well adjusted, not that you probably don't have have bad days. One good thing about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, were the advances in prosthetics. Have either of you watched the Cuba Gooding movie Men of Honor? Thoughts on it? The movie was fictionalized a lot, but the man still accomplished a great deal after his amputation.
I've seen a few people with running blades jogging around near where I live and I'm not weirded out by it at all. I just glance as I walk past, as I would with anyone else, and think "cool." I'm not really one it stare at people concerning their body, I'm more of the kind of person to stare a bit if a person is wearing something really cool.
all amputees are unique cases of course, but there was actually a case where a guy with no legs fell out of a rollercoaster and died, so it's not just for other people's safety.
I already took my leg off! lol That’s me with I already took my bra off🤣totally not going anywhere else for the day after that! Really enjoyed this. Was super interesting seeing the different perspectives!
They are at a private space and its assuming just the two them. There is no need to wear masks and social distance in the scenario you are seeing them.
Omg! Actually I have to say this. I HATE it when I start staring at someone who is visually disabled. Sometimes I start staring unconsciously and as soon as I figure that out, I am MORTIFIED. I’m just curious. But then I start staring!
I'm 50 yrs old, I lost my left leg below the knee. I was up and home 4 days later and and back to work on day 5. The doctors tried to get me to take pain killers. Not this white boy. They was stunned when I refused painkillers. I love the fact you both go dancing. As soon as I get my leg I'm off to dance myself. As of right now I'm on a knee scooter and crutches and wheelchair. Sucks but better than laying in bed.
I'm glad for your positive approach and recovery. In general, the doctors are not wrong. Adequate analgesia helps greatly for effective rehabilitation. After the acute recovery, continued use of opioids can be problematic.
Oh, now my inner engineer muscle is kicking in... I'm wondering how one might design a leg socket that can manage/minimize sweat, without having to add weight and bulkiness to it with a powered cooling or ventilation device...
You'd need a liner that is permeable to water and water vapor. The things are relatively thick rubbery polymers. I'm not optimistic, but many of us would benefit from such an invention.
re: "is there anything you CAN'T do as a below-knee amputee?" ballet might be difficult, shifting and balancing a conventional motorcycle might be a challenge (no pun intended, no offense meant) as well...
Enjoying the beach can be a challenge. Salt water needs to stay away from the prosthetic. I can't wade into the water. Walking on soft sand can be awkward with a prosthetic leg. There are strategies for dealing with these, which for me are no better than just not going into the water, and walking on the damp sand.
This literally is what I said to my friends in order for them to relate to how I feel when I'm done for the day and in no way going to pop my leg on again to go any where 😂
hahaha that's exactly how it sounded when they said it! (and for me it is also "I untied my hair", because I have super curly hair and I love to play with them... But that makes them so messy I can only do it when I'm off for the day haha)
I'm a mother of a 4 yr old amputee. I can't even imagine what she is feeling. I find that adults stare and ask what happened. Kids really don't seem to care, as long as she can play at the same level, kids are really more accepting than adults. I hope my daughter will grow up to be as strong women as you two! 🥰
I love that your legs are matching your clothes I also love that you can just casually say phrases like "buying legs", "leg closet", "draining the sweat out of my leg", "my insurance only covers one leg every 3 years if the old one is broken" and "I have 5 legs", phrases like this are really funny to me
11:25 I was in the store a few weeks ago and I heard a kid say, "Look mom, he's a robot." I heard mom say, "He's not a robot." I turned and said, in a robotic monotone, "Do not be so sure." then walk off.
I know an amputee who took a course in kinesiology tapeing and the instruktor wanted to demonstrate how to tape someones ankle and she voluntered as a joke and rolled her pant leg up, and the instruktor was initially really confused, and then he just went, Oh, I've never taped one of these before.
@@acookie7548 I don't know. I pretty much ignored it. I mean, it would be weird to react to something like that with a stranger. Maybe the guy stole the leg from an amputee while he was escaping prison. I don't know why, but I loved that scene.
@@echo_is_probably_sleeping The idea that my prosthetic leg might be stolen is a real fear I have. But I find the fear to be a bit redisclose. After all, the thing has no resale value. The cost of it is high enough to qualify for "grand theft" and what is the point of committing a serious felony if you get nothing from it? At best you will be seen as a major asshole, even by someone who might say, "Stop your yammering and relieve us of this irksome confinement" then object to being called a thesauruses.
I’m not an amputee, but I am disabled, and I actually am a big fan of the word. I found it really empowering to feel “allowed” to admit that there are things I can’t do. While I was still trying to consider myself able-bodied, I just felt like a loser all the time. When I was finally able to reframe my experiences through the lens of disability, it let me feel different about days when I could do less. I really was able to let myself off the hook, and feel proud of what I CAN do rather than focus on what I can’t. I do hate the term “handicapped,” to the point where I talk about my parking tag as “accessible parking.”
"differently abled" is my pet peeve. Like no, everyone has different abilities. Not everyone is disabled. And when you can't do something how everyone else can, you adapt. It doesn't mean you have innate abilities others don't have. Plus it perpetuates the idea that disabled people have to be able to do everything and be magical superhero unicorns. Which is frustrating.
Also disabled here and I too prefer disabled over differently able. I have multiple issues including fibromyalgia and often it's a day to day thing not knowing what you will be able to do. Any special event I start preparing for 3 or more days ahead. I'm more careful, less active, and getting extra rest to have my best chance at enjoying an outing. That means a few days recovery afterwards, but that's just the way it is for now.
I agree, I have several chronic conditions that cause different issues and my ability to do things changes daily or weekly. I also start preparing for big events ahead of time. Even if it's just a dinner out with friends. I prewash 2 or 3 outfits, plan what shoes I'm going to wear and have a back up choice incase my balance is off or my ankles or legs get weak that day. I also "pre- nap" meaning I take time the day before and the day of to rest. And also plan 1 to 3 days to recover depending on what the event is. Most of my friends are very understanding, especially when I have to cancel. Some don't always remember that i can't go somewhere like a restaurant with a long wait because i can't stand, or one that is super crowded because i can't move around within a crowd and it's more difficult with my cane. I was really pleased the last time i went out with friends and one noticed that i hadn't brought my cane. She was super excited for me. Things do get hard to explain sometimes when i go out with friends and there are other people with us who i don't know as well or they don't realize i have a disability.
The Swedish word for disability is funktionsnedsättning, a real tongue twister, so when I speak Swedish I usualy say I’m handicapped, but I’m fine with any term that actually acknowledges that I have challenges, limitations, things I can’t do, accessibility needs etc. So I hate being called differently abled, specially abled, handicapable or whatever weird terminology people make up nowadays.
Ladies... your fear or being pregnant as an amputee is not invalid. I’m an above knee amputee and have had two pregnancies/babies since my amputation. If you decide to become pregnant I strongly suggest you keep walking just as long as you possibly can. Be more careful and keep in mind your centre of balance changes but it’s gradual so you’ll adjust without even knowing it. At some point you may decide you are not comfortable walking anymore and choose to use your wheelchair. When you make this change is when the swelling will start to affect the fit of your socket. After a few weeks there is a strong possibility your residual limb will never fit that socket again so plan on needing a new one after the baby comes. Then get up and walking again as soon as possible to maintain your strength and coordination. It’s really not bad except at the hospital right after the birth and you need to try to shower, lol.
17:07 Jo describes a particular type of phantom pain and Annika rubs her prosthetic foot in the same spot. Really good analogue to phantom pain that I think a lot of people could visually understand.
The automatic Subtitles are hilarious. "He's a bologna amputee" had me laughing for a few minutes. I really appreciate you talking about your Storys, I'm not an amputee just a curious person.
I'm not an amputee, I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user My disability really affected my relationships, and one of the things I struggle with is my physical issues making others sad. Especially knowing that my partner feels powerless but doesn't like to talk about it because he doesn't want to "infringe" on my struggle in a way. I think relationships would be an interesting topic for a video, like how do you help people that support you?
I know where you're coming from. Your idea is a good one. I lost friends because they didn't want to ask me to go out anymore because they thought I couldn't do it and some just didn't know what to say. The worst was a best friend that pushed me away in an ugly, rude, hurtful, mean way because I called too much, had too many problems, and she was just tired of it. She helped me in the hospital and was wonderful. I tried to call her because I hadn't talked to her in about 8 weeks. That's when she went berserk. I can't tell you how bad that hurt me. We were best friends for 20+ years and I haven't talked to her in3 years now.
I didn't have phantom pain until my revision about 6 weeks after the inital amputation, and now I have it every afternoon. Rarely any other time of the day, not sure why. I totally agreed with kids asking questions! There was a 7ish year old in Lowes that said to his dad "look, she has a robot leg!" So I stopped and talked to him for a minute and it made my day.
I’m not an amputee, nor do I have any diagnosed condition, but I do get extremely severe leg cramps most mornings or in the middle of the night. Never during the day, just when I’ve been sleeping and it’s still dark out. When I was little I would get foot cramps 7 PM on the dot every day until eventually it just stopped and then a few years later my legs started cramping. Some days my leg cramps up so bad that I have to ask my husband to bring me medicine and massage my leg just so I can get out of bed. I’m gonna be going to a doctor about it soon.
Re: roller coasters - Disney lets AK amputees ride all of their coasters (per experience). We had also reached out to Hershey park, and the head of guest relations said it wouldn't be a problem on any of their rides and to share the date of our trip and they'll make sure there's no problems (I think one is out due to hubby's tall height, not his amputation). So reach out to wherever you want to go and talk to the head of something and they'll be able to guide you.
When my bf was in Florida we visited Bush Gardens I think and they also let him on most rides, although not all and it was quite a hassle with the harness they required him to wear. But I just wanted to emphasize that as an amputee you are not completely banned from roller coasters, although it might be the case with one particular park.
Thanks for this post! My family and I were planning to go to Florida next spring. I love roller coasters and so it would have sucked to not be able to go on any in Disney or Universal Studios.
We had no problem at Disneyland or Six Flags Magic Mountain. Knott’s Berry Farm was an issue. They denied me access to several coasters. The one park I truly regret going to as an AKA? Europa-Park here in my own country. They wouldn’t allow me into a SINGLE coaster!! Not one. It was a huge piss off.
Also I'm pretty sure lots of parks have info online about stuff like if you can ride a ride if you are missing a certain part of you and if so how much can you be missing (sorry if this is poorly phrased I suck at explaining things)
Always check first. I spent a summer in a cast and no six flags parks allow people in casts to ride roller coasters. The excuse I heard was bc they were worried I'd hit someone else with the cast. Hershey Park and Bush gardens were fine with it.
I lost my left foot and lower leg in March 13 2020. 9 days alone in the hospital because of covid shut down. The 1st few weeks at home well a living hell but I refused to give and in to the mental struggle. 4 weeks later my wife took me to my work. The guys wanted to see me. I am a welder fabricator. So I went in using my knee scooter. They as a joke made me a wooden leg and foot out of 2x4s. I laughed my butt off. I stumbled across the I walker. I immediately ordered 1. Bythe end of that April I was cutting the grass using my I walker. 8 weeks after that I was back at work doing 12 hour day shifts. Using my I walker till my legwas ready. My leg was ready by week 10. I put on my leg with a big smile on my face and my prosthetic maker face I walked out unassisted to my truck. 2 day after that I rode my Harley to show the people who made my leg what I could do. They were shocked I was riding at all. I got hugs from everyone. Telling me I made their year. It's been a struggle. Ghost pains daily gabapentin helps me. I still work. Had to cut back to 10 hour days. I look at things instead of saying I can't I say let's find out.
This reminds me of the really cool, old guy who comes into my work. He has several legs, all so unique. One has stickers all over it because his grand daughter got ahold of his leg. Love that one. ☺ Edit: My gramps lost half of his thumb to the lawn mower, I know, totally different. Bit he always told various funny stories and wiggled his half thumb to make me laugh. Seems totally normal to have people missing parts to me. Just a person. Lol.
I've been to Canada's Wonderland twice and I was allowed to ride most rides. I simply went to special services and told them I was an amputee. They had to send someone with me and I got strapped up like I was going to climb a mountain. I was clipped into a special seat on the ride and they took my leg. I was able to ride more than once (bonus). Other rides where that protocol wasn't required, I was able to go in the back way and not have to wait. ONE advantage of being an amputee!!!!
23:31 yes! I am not an amputee, but I have to use a bunch of braces and mobility aids (cane, forearm crutches, wheelchair, etc.) at a very young age. I lost some friends who didn’t want to be seen in public with me.
For the roller coaster one i was told it is not really about the limb falling off (though it could happen and they would probably need rules about making sure it was secure) but mainly about how the safety restraints work with your anatomy. Their safety testing assumes you can brace yourself in certain ways as well as using your limbs to stay stabilized and not rotate in the seat in a way that could injure you. They can choose to do additional testing to find the limitations for amputees (for example at least 12” residual limb on one side or below knee on both) but that additional testing is expensive so smaller parks often don’t do that.
I honestly forgot this as a kid my brother had a friend who was missing part of her leg. It was above the knee. She came to my house and took off the prosthetic and left it with our shoes near the door. Thinking back that is kinda hilarious. But I remember knowing. I don't remember being told. I do remember being curious and trying to out my own leg in and the realizing that was a mistake. But I don't remember ever being confused or overly curious afterwards. It really helped me realize that people are different, bodies are different. I wish more kids had that experience and that non disabled parents are willing to have that conversation.
Thank you Jo and Annika! I always like hearing fellow amputees and some of the particulars of their own journeys. It's amazing to me how quickly those from the military recover after amputation and how active they become. I suppose that it is owed to their own tough mentality and physical shape before amputation. One thing about being an amputee is that there are some people who send me articles showing how this amputee or that one has conquered the Himalayas or run a marathon and so they expect me to do the same. I tell them that my journey is different and that I'm just looking forward to playing tennis and snowblowing my driveway again. But I'm happy to hear about the different experiences in our community as I tend to draw inspiration from all of them!
Avelino Equipment makes a huge difference. Those of us who cannot afford the better limbs and all the special limbs for different activities won’t be able to do many things beyond walking or stuff we can do without a specialty limb. I’m an above knee amputee and desperately want to run. I’ve been an amputee for ten years. Still don’t have a running leg because they are so expensive and I can’t afford it. Since I can’t have the leg I can’t run.
@@merandareast2552 yes, I'm starting to realize now how important and costly the components for different activities are. I am going to be meeting with my doctor and prosthetist in a month for my definitive leg and am hoping they can get a much nicer limb authorized for some of the sports I want to do such as hiking, tennis, and cross-fit training. I live in the Reading, PA area and currently go to a cross-fit gym that is also associated with a non-profit foundation for adaptive athletes called "I M Able". I wish you were in the area as they give grants for athletes such as yourself who are in need of equipment or prosthetics out of reach because of cost. The next time I see the foundation president, I will ask him for advice on your behalf with regards to getting help in underwriting expensive components such as a running leg. If I find anything useful, I'll post here.
Avelino thank you, that’s very kind. Are you an AKA or a BKA? If you are AK see if you can get approved for the Ottobock Genium X3 knee. It is, by far, the best on the market. Even if they won’t approve anything resembling a sports prosthesis the X3 would allow you to do almost everything on your list and is also waterproof. It has a running mode but I wouldn’t recommend it for more than a few steps as the feet do not have a high enough energy return and it’s not only exhausting to run on them but they don’t provide the kind of compression you need to protect the residual limb so it’s painful to run on for very long. Obviously good socket fit is paramount but the components are almost as important. I hope you have a good prosthetist who knows how to help you. Unfortunately there are a lot of really lousy prosthetists out there and new amputees often get suckered into thinking that’s the best care they can have, not knowing what to expect or what proper care really is. I wish you the best!
@@merandareast2552 sorry but I only just saw this reply or else I would have replied sooner. I'm lucky and am a BK amputee from a motorcycle accident a year and a half ago. I will be going to the I M Able office and gym this Thurs so I will ask the foundation CEO his advice on your behalf like I promised. I will pass onto an AK amputee peer about your recommendation regarding the knee. Regarding prosthetists, yes, in my limited experience I will tend to agree. My original prosthetist was a good guy but I felt I plateaued with my progress and he didn't seem to be able to help me. I switched prosthetists when he got furloughed during the worst of the coronavirus lockdown and so the latest one I am seeing is super. She adjusted my posthesis so that there eventually was no more pain and I was finally able to progress exponentially. My appointment for my definitive leg is coming up so I will ask for components that will allow me to get back to hiking and Japanese sword martial arts. I will let you know if I get any more information regarding grants. Take care!
@@merandareast2552 this video came across my feed: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Qbo5PLGK4h4.html. I liked it a lot for the person who picked her life up after amputation and how athletic she became afterwards. The crossfit gym where she works out is similar to the gym where I go. What's interesting is that she mentions the Challenged Athletes Foundation, www.challengedathletes.org/. This foundation helps athletes such as yourself with grants for getting things like running prostheses. Maybe they will be able to help you. I wasn't able to go into the gym yet because my trainer got sick last week. But I will still ask the foundation president when I see him about other options for you. Good luck!
I am not an amputee, but I totally agree with the identity and stigma thing! I am a type 1 diabetic, so not really"disabled", but the stigmas relating to diabetes as a whole is really unhelpful. Also, being diabetic doesn't really dominate my personality, or even play a huge role in it.
Please tell me you had the same experience of a family member or friend going, “I thought you couldn’t have sugar.” In that reproachful tone, like you’re being stupid and disobeying doctor’s orders when avoiding sugar entirely is almost impossible and will kill you. Like it goes both ways people! You can have too little! It’s like being allergic to water. Not enough will kill you, too much will kill you.
Totally! I often get frustrated when uninformed people try to tell me what decisions I should be making with my body. Everyone, diabetic or not, should be able to eat what they want without criticism from others.
this is also inadvertently a video that highlights the differences between visible + invisible disabilities. y’all’s airport experience is like the opposite of mine as a disabled person w| an invisible disability. also i too hate “differently abled.” disabled is not a bad word.
Wow, I had the same experience with just never hearing from a friend ever again right after my physical and mental health crashed! It’s been 7 years and not a peep.
I actually never really thought about the parent-shushing thing. I don’t have kids, so there’s a lot of parenting details that I’ve never actually thought about, but I definitely remember this from growing up and being told that it’s rude to basically do anything other than just completely ignore it. Obviously, it would be rude to just stare, but that’s rude to do to anyone. I guess the parental intention is to avoid the child saying something totally off the rails (because kids do that sometimes), but it does have that really huge unintentional side effect of making prosthetics seem taboo. As always, this video added to my life. Jo always does that. There is a lot of content out there that is either a waste of time or just subtracts from my positive energy, faith in humanity, etc. but Jo always adds value to my day 💜
One thing that I absolutely regret saying and just remembering it makes me mortified: my dad and I were at the store and as we’re standing in line, I point to a lady in the next line over and say “daddy she doesn’t have an ear on this side, I wonder what happened?” And man, I wish I would have been at least more quiet about it, if I couldn’t have restrained myself from saying it at all as a 7 year old
@@SeraliaAerials I think you're too hard on your 7-year old self. There's a very good chance that lady wouldn't have minded in the least what you said: as Jo says in the video, she doesn't mind when kids ask questions, it's when their parents try and stop them that's the problem because it teaches them there's something literally unspeakable about people who are different. You have nothing to regret!
Yeah, when I get a reaction by a small child, I respond with humor and openness. The kid appreciates it, but I do it in large part to let the parent know that it's not necessary to be uptight about these things.
I just want to reasure you that the parents shushing their kids is not because we want to 'other' you. It's because our kids can do and say things that aren't ok. And not all amputees are nice. When my eldest was around two, anyone attached to machinery freaked him right out. Wheelchairs and bikes just confused his little mind. I was guilty of the shushing after a run in with an angry women in a wheelchair glaring and snarking at us. This got better after a lovely man at the hospital after a recent leg amputation let my kid look and showed him what was up. But I will never forget the look of pain in his eyes when he went to hi five my kid and my kid pulled away. I guess I just want you to know that the shushing isn't always us being rude.
