The first time I stepped outside in my prosthesis, I nearly blew over. I pushed open the glass door of my prosthetist’s office, and a gusty breeze did the rest. “Watch out for the wind!” Prosthetist Tim called after me. It was April 2011, five months after the bicycle accident that left me as an…
Category: Rebecca
Hitting the Road
With Labor Day looming, there’s no escape. Actually, there’s no choice but to escape! On one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, my family is heading to Vermont. This means 8+ hours in my mom’s Honda Pilot, traffic jams on the Tappan Zee Bridge, road food and rest stops, and of course, adjusting…
Art + Science
My all-time favorite holiday gift was an Arts & Crafts kit from my Aunt Candy. On the outside, it looked like a plain shirt box from Macy’s. But inside, it shined with hope and promise. It was filled with sheets of construction paper, brightly colored tape, scraps of fabric, tubes of glitter, magic markers, and…
The Gimpy Chicks
We’re not famous yet, but we draw lots of attention. Heads turn when we enter Jimmy John’s sandwich shop in Orlando, Florida. We’re three attractive women with long hair in blonde and brunette. Clad in work-out clothes and brightly colored gym shoes, we’re laughing and chattering. So why do people stare? Today, between us, we…
Same and Different
Riley Cate is pretty great. At four years old, my niece is already spreading the word about Limb Loss Awareness. Just last week, a new teacher came to her preschool. “My name’s Rebecca,” the woman told the class. “My aunt’s name is Rebecca!” Riley Cate chimed in. “Well, then we’re just alike!” the woman said….
Chance of Snow
When the first flakes tumble down, I’m as excited as a kid on a sledding hill. “This is great guys! Isn’t this great?!” It’s early December. Ian and Dave, trainers from the rehab gym, trudge ahead of me. With each step, their footprints fill up like little ponds. They’re heading out to get lunch, and…
First Impressions
Seven weeks after my injury, I met my first amputee. I mean VERY FIRST. Sure, I was already an amputee myself, but I’d never met another one. If I had racked my brain, I could have probably come up with a few: a homeless woman outside the post office, the wounded Lieutenant Dan from Forrest…
Chills, Spills, and… Earthquake Drills?
This can’t be happening, I thought. I did NOT suffer through the last nine months to crumble right here, right now, in this shaking school building! It was my first day back at work and my first earthquake. It was like the punch line to a very BAD joke. With adrenaline (and Genium) pumping, I…
Winter Warm-Up
Blizzard 2010
To Be or Not to Be…
When I drive into a parking lot, these are the thoughts that go through my mind: How crowded is it? How windy is it? How does my leg feel? How many packages will I need to carry? Is the slope uphill or downhill? Is it likely to rain? How crazy are the other drivers? In…
Tricks of the Trade
If you told me all I’d learn as a new amputee, I wouldn’t have believed you. It would have been like sending a kindergartner straight to Calculus class. I just didn’t have the tools to succeed. Now, three years later, I’m a seasoned socket-wearer, a well-trained walker, a balanced biker, and a (somewhat) solid inline…
What’s Next?
Army Colonel Greg Gadson sits on a stool in the center of a huge ballroom. His hefty bionic legs and bulky motorized ankles match his body build. Colonel Gadson is BIG. Solid. Muscular like a bulldog. At this year’s Amputee Coalition National Conference, three hundred amputees are packed together in chairs to hear Colonel Gadson…
Momentum 