There aren't many things I can't do, and to be honest sometimes I sit there and think really hard "what can't I do?" Besides sing ….I honestly cant think of anything. With that being said, there are A LOT of things that aren't easy. Some things that would seem so simple to some are quite challenging for me.
I didn't want to make this blog about all the things I struggle with but more so about how I find my own ways to do them. Before becoming a mum I didn't notice the physical barriers as much, but it seemed as though as soon as I brought a small child into the world, that I was solely responsible for, it started to highlight just how hard the simplest of tasks could be.
When I first lost my leg the biggest obstacle was mentally coming to terms with the fact life as I knew it had changed. I didn't want to be the odd one out, I didn't want to wear dresses in case people stared too long and didn't want to go anywhere that had stairs because I thought I looked so "disabled". But I believe the thing that kept me going was the fact I wanted to be the person I was before I lost my leg and do the things I used to do with two legs.
So fast forward 12 years and I can truly say there are many things I've done in my life that I never dreamed I would or could do. Sure, things are annoying sometimes.
For instance - Taking my leg off just to change my shoes, hopping to the toilet in the night (because you can't be bothered putting your leg back on) and not only waking yourself up but everyone else, never wanting to buy shoes because that is truly one frustrating task, not being able to walk in the water with my son and not to mention walking in the sand! That is like getting an able bodied person to walk through quick sand. But, it is what it is, and when the smallest of things seem so frustrating I remember that I'm alive and these are the things I can't change, so I focus my energy on all the things I can.
When I first found out I was pregnant my first worry was "My leg wont fit!" or will I have to change legs every month? Although I actually wore the same leg throughout my entire pregnancy (probably thanks to dancing with the stars, training 7 days a week), I already knew that there were ways around it! I was not the first amputee to have a baby!
Like in life, there aren't many things I can't do as a mum, but there are a lot of things that are difficult sometimes and take a lot more time. For instance, when we brought max home we thought he would be in his own room after a few months but he stayed, well, forever ( he never wants to leave now)! haha. This was because if he woke in the night, I decided rather than put my leg on and off every couple of hours, I would rather him be in arms reach, especially when Ryan was on night shift. Although most of our days consist of going to the playground, park, & activity centres, I am not entirely comfortable with it (and not because I get asked " why do I have a robot leg daily, that's the funny part) . But even though as max gets old and it gets easier, right now he still needs me to follow him around, go down the slides, up the ladders and he's faster than me! I get all helicopter parent on him when ryan is not around because I can't always keep up with him or carry him over things. I did invest In a back pack leash, and the safety and control I have now definitely out ways the evil stares!
Almost everyday I'm faced with a new "challenge" and I use challenge positively, because for me its about challenging myself to do something that may not be meant for me, like a lot of exercises in the gym. I cant take all the credit for adapting exercises to suit me, I'm lucky enough to have people around me who never put me in the to hard basket and always find a way to get things done. You should always have people in your corner who want to see you succeed, who never give up on you and believe you can achieve anything.
I think the important thing to remember in life, is that we all find certain things more difficult than others, and that's ok. You should never be ashamed of taking longer, or doing things a bit different to someone else. We all live in the same world and although some of us may look different underneath we are all the same.
I did lie before , one thing I can't do is sit in an exit row on a plane!