Patience Is The Key

Once upon a time typing the words on this document would have taken me many revisions using a bulky typewriter and whiteout. I would have had to take the time look up a lot of words included here using a dictionary. I probably would have asked friends to proofread over it for me to help me with my grammar. My grammar still isn't the best (but there is probably an 'App' for that) and I now have spell checker. Could you imagine the time it would have taken for me to post this, manually mail it or even email it (before blogging started) so that all of you could have had access to it? It would have consumed a lot of my time and energy. It would have pretty much been impossible. My how things have changed and will continue to do so.

In this modern age speed seems to be the key. We have the Internet, fast food, email, text messaging, TiVo, fast forward,  GPS, and all other kinds of instant gratification. We can do more things in a faster amount of time than ever before.

So the pressure is on..and time continues to speed up faster and faster...

I have written a blog before about slowing down to enjoy life. What I have not touched upon before is the importance of HAVING PATIENCE in general, but especially as an AMPUTEE.

One of the hardest lessons that becoming an amputee has taught me is patience. There is nothing like waiting 3 months to heal and be fitted for your first prosthetic device. Like any other injury there is therapy and training that must be done to re-learn how to do many things. There is also the constant wait of trying to achieve a life that is as normal as possible again. In reality, a totally normal life may never come to full fruition, but we can strive to come as close as possible. The main thing is that we can overcome enough to get back to living, instead of constantly coping with our disability.

No matter what stage of the amputee experience you are in, it is generally going to take you longer to do things than your able bodied counterparts. Taking a shower, getting dressed, walking, running and just about anything else you can think of are going to take longer than your average four appendage being.

All of your life things will be more tedious than if you had all of your limbs. You will often find a new approach and faster ways to do things. You may even excel and become better at doing a few things than if you had all your limbs. In the end, the extra steps you go through on a daily basis will always involve more steps than for an able bodied person. Therefore you will always have to exert more time and/or energy than an average person of comparable form to do the same task.

While the rest of the world is speeding along, inevitably from time to time an amputee will have to slow down and cope with their unique situation. As noted, the healing process, getting an adjustment, learning to ambulate, wearing your prosthesis all day every day, taking a shower, shopping, getting in/out of your vehicle, getting dressed and many other task can take extra time. Each of these extra moments throughout an average day can wear you down. The main thing is to not get frustrated.

I cannot count the times that being an amputee has tested me. I remember a time recently I was late for a dinner engagement. There I was out in the parking lot hoping up and down trying to get my prosthesis to fit properly. I had to pull my jeans down to get access to my leg and try to adjust it. Looking back, it was kind of funny, but it was very frustrating at the time. Long gone are the days when I could just jump out of the shower, throw on my jeans and be out the door. There are just too many steps involved for things to be that simple.

The thing is, like anyone else, if you don't learn to relax, be patient and slowdown, there can be detrimental consequences. Your health can suffer through high blood pressure and other known/unknown things that stress does to the body. As an amputee you can also hurt yourself by falling, skin break down and other ways from lack of patience. As I always try to remember when things are looking kind of bleak...'man it is great just to be able to get out of bed and walk.'

Along with all the other daily stresses in life an amputee must cope with the extra hindrances that amputation entails. It isn't always easy. You know life in general can be tough once in a while. You must remember that sometimes progress is slow. You will take steps forward and backward throughout the amputee process. Personally I get frustrated all the time. I also have days where I am very satisfied and happy with the progress I have made and continue to make.

Included is a link of ways to Be-Patient

Chinese Proverb - 'If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape 100 days of sorrow.'

Ty