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James's Testimony
I still recall the day the doctor told me I had to make a choice.
I’d already been in the hospital for four months, trying to recover from a motorcycle accident that had torn my ankle open. The trauma had been extensive, but they managed to repair the damage. Unfortunately, the infection that followed proved to be far more destructive. The choice I had to make was simple to understand, but difficult to make: try and save my leg, or simply amputate it. If I tried to save my leg, I would spend a year in the hospital minimum. They would have to replace my infected bone with bone from my hip. My leg would never work as well as it did and they would probably have to amputate above the knee. If they amputated, I'd be walking, albeit with difficulty, in a few weeks and eventually be able to walk, run, ski, and do just about everything I used to before. After a terribly difficult decision, and not a few shed tears, I chose to lose the leg. I won’t say it wasn’t easy the fear of uncertainty, the unknown, how well my life would be, gnawed at me. But I also knew I wanted to live life again, and not spend the rest of my life in a bed; I wanted to get back on my feet, no pun intended, and take life by its horns. So I did. It wasn’t easy. This was twenty years ago, and prosthetics technology then wasn’t what it is today. But I got walking with crutches then with one crutch, then a cane, and eventually, I was able to run, go hiking to climb the highest point in Texas. In fact, I’ve done everything I set out to do except water ski the only hill that beat me. I’ve bicycled miles at a time, hang glided, and been able to perform almost as well as I did before losing my leg. It took time. It took effort. It took courage and determination. But I did it, I embraced it all, and I let nothing stop me or slow me down. Recovering my old life was in my grasp, and I took it with both hands. You can, too. Whether you are an amputee who wants to share in your triumphs, or looking for inspiration and hope to help you meet your challenges, I invite you to come to our new amputee support group. We meet the first Saturday of each month, at 11 am. Lunch is provided, as is the camaraderie and support of others who have had challenges similar to your own. We look forward to meeting you!
James A. Beggs
