Thanks to all that have helped!!!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Adapt or Die

Day 2 at home has been rough. I'm outside the clinical comfort of doctors and nurses, no call buttons, and only the help of my family. Luckily my family includes an EMT and an RN. The difficulties of the day have been finding my limits. How long can I walk, well hope with the assistance of a walker? How long can I stand? Where the heck is my new center of gravity!?!? Some of these questions have had answers, I can go about 30 yards, before I feel like I need to sit down. I can only stand for a minute or two before my center of balance moves to some unknown plane of existence that I am unable to locate. Otherwise, I was able to survive a car ride for about an hour and half. This means that this Friday, I can hopefully go pick up my son. I hope. This will be his first experience seeing his father with out his leg. I have a feeling this may get rough. In his eyes, I am super man. I am that unmovable rock of Dad. Some of us are lucky enough to have this vision of our fathers, or someone in our lives we saw as bigger than life. Sadly, I think this may rob my son of that vision. I know that many of you see what I am trying to do as inspiring and I am very thankful for that. It is great motivation to know that you are motivating a number of people with every milestone I make. Yet, to a 7 year old boy to see your father hopping around on a walker and missing a leg is a spirit breaker. So, in the case that this blog makes it through posterity and Bryson finds himself reading this I hope he can better appreciate what I am attempting to accomplish. My goal is to instill in my son that "Can't never could do nothing" attitude I have been lucky enough to have instilled in me. Life is hard, you have to be harder and open to adaptation. Isn't that really the story of evolution "Adapt or Die." This applies in any situation. If you are in the back of an ambulance and are unable to adapt to any situation then the death might not be your own.

I am learning to adapt now. I have found out how to shower on one leg...which is a good thing for Kate. Like I said, I am learning my new limitations. My favorite thing about limitations is that they are always breakable. I know that I can get through this and prove to my son that in life limitations are nothing more than that double dog dare you attempted as a kid. If you didn't break it the first time then adapt and try again. There is no reason to let people put limits on you, adapt or die son, adapt or die. With that. This day of adaptation and limitations has led to a very tired unipedal man. I am going to end with if you are able to donate please do, we could use your help. Thank you all for what you have done and continue to do. Until tomorrow remember history has a lofty list of animals that refused to adapt...the reason they are in history is because they couldn't handle the present. Adapt or Die.

5 comments:

  1. YOu're insight amazes me Joe. Barry and I are so proud of you. We couldn't have picked a better husband for our daughter. We love you with everything that is in us.

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  2. Joe, you will always be Superman to Bryson. You're at the part where Lex Luthor thinks he's destroyed you with kryptonite but you come back to be more awesome than ever! Of course it will be a shock, but when you get to rockin' that prosthetic and back to work he will know what kind of man you are - a great one AND his daddy! Move over Superman and make way for THE PROSTHETIC MEDIC!

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  3. Hi Joe, my sister just sent me your blog. Back in Jan 2009 I lost my left leg above the knee and had some real damage done to my right leg. Reading some of your past blogs was really cool. I am 48 years old and have a wife and 3 sons. There is more I'd like to share with you about life after AKA. Plus I have two prosthetic legs!

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  4. I have no doubt in my mind that Bryson will see how strong and wonderful his father is. After all he is his fathers' son.Children are very smart and able to understand much more than they are given credit for. It probably will be hard for him at first, but with time he will adjust. You will always be his hero!

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  5. Hey man! My name is Neil, and I am a trans-tibial double amputee. I have a son, and he is 16. I can tell you from my experience, that he doesn't care about my amputations, just that he still has his daddy! Especially now that I am back on my feet, literally, and able to do things once again.

    We share our prosthetic team, and Sienna sent me your blog. I am an EMT and FF, so I feel your pain on both ends, brother!

    Feel free to get my number from Sienna if you ever want to talk, vent, or what have ya!

    I will post up your paypal link on my blog, and see if I can get some donations going your way!

    Neil Brown, ACE

    Edit: I have tried to leave this post from my wordpress account, but it doesn't seem to want to let me! So, I will post anonymously, and just leave you my blog address! www.twofeetshorter.com

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